Originally delivered on 10/31/2024 12:00 pm

SUBJECT: Shepherd PTO Bulletin - 10/31/24

Book-O-Ween will be on TODAY from 2:15-2:45! We look forward to hosting this Mustang favorite! We are asking the room parents to deliver one small bag of candy per student to the homeroom teacher. All pieces of candy must be wrapped and nut-free. We appreciate all of your support this school year! 

Guardians are invited to attend the parade. Parents must enter through the field from Kalmia.

If a guardian wants to pick up their student at the end of the parade, they must sign the student out directly with the classroom teacher.

November Bulb Planting

Please join us for some pawpaw tree and spring bulb planting on November 23 from 11 AM - 3 PM. Let’s add spring colors to the Shepherd Garden and join in community fun. For any questions, please feel free to email Simon Messing at zbk_amadeus@yahoo.com.

Community Engagement Events

Coffee and Conversations

This year, we will continue our coffee and conversation series. Instead of a grade-level session, each session will be open to all families. Shepherd Admin will host this event, which will take place monthly in the MPR. Our first session will be held on Thursday, November 7.

Doughnuts with Grownups

This year, we will implement a donuts with grown-ups program. Once a month, five or fewer families,per homeroom, will be invited to join scholars for breakfast and the strong start meeting. Grown-ups and special guests will be asked to RSVP. The event will go from 8:30 to 9:10. Guests will be asked to RSVP prior to the event. The room parents will monitor RSVPs and provide donuts. Our first event is scheduled for Tuesday, November 12.


In Case You Missed It

SESSA After School Clubs

SESSA's after-school clubs are here! Sign-ups are live here! Most clubs began last week. We are excited to offer many clubs for this first semester! For any additional questions, please email eric.viera@sesstarachievers.com.

Fall Art Show - November

SES has an upcoming Fall Art Show! Please complete the form below to sign up for a volunteer role on Tuesday, November 19. We appreciate your time and commitment! Sign-up here

Reminder - Volunteer Clearance

We encourage our families to complete the volunteer clearance process early on in the school year. DCPS requires all volunteers, including parents, to complete the DCPS Clearance process before volunteer services can be provided. This includes anyone who may become a room parent, chaperone for field trips, or volunteer for various school-day events. Clearances last for two years. If you have completed your clearance, please send a copy of your letter to brenda.wilson@k12.dc.gov.

Follow Shepherd PTO on FB and Insta

Keep up with the latest updates, events and fun things going on at Shepherd by following our FB page (@ShepherdElemPTO) and Instagram (@shepherd_elementary).

Giving Back Opportunities
Teacher Appreciation Program (TAP)

The Teacher Appreciation Program, or TAP, gives parents an opportunity to recognize a teacher at Shepherd for their great work and dedication. TAP invites parents to write a letter of appreciation recognizing a teacher who has been especially helpful or admirable in the classroom. 

Once a month, a special teacher will be selected from the nominations to receive a Wishlist fund bonus. The recognition letters will also be shared with the selected teacher and school community.

TAP a teacher today by submitting a nomination here.

Time to Support the 2024-2025 Shepherd 180 Fund

Help the Shepherd PTO fund lots of great events, initiatives, and extra circular efforts at Shepherd this year by donating to the 180 Fund. 

It's called the 180 Fund because there are 180 instructional days in the school year and your donation of a dollar a day per student helps the PTO support sending students on offsite field trips, funding teacher educational wish lists, putting on school plays and concerts, updating outdoor playground equipment, funding additional academic supports, and hosting school-wide events! This budget really helps us give our students even more unique, meaningful and enriching opportunities each year.

Any contribution is always much appreciated. And as a reminder, your contribution is 100% tax deductible. Thanks for your support!

Thank you To Our 180 Families!

McIntosh Family

Daly Family

Ma-Holdridge Family

Singh Family

Archer Family

Anne Brumbaugh

Raglani Family

McNeill Family

Batler-Landau Family

Riley-Keck Family

Tivol-Kaufmann Family

Elizabeth Henthorne

Snyder-Johnson Family

Boykin Family

Reddy Family

Bowie Family

Fagen-Marks Family

Jabaily-Messing Family

Kane Family


DeAngelo Family

Marrkand Family

Warren and Amber Romine

Kominakos Family

Godoy Family

Hauge Family

Cooper Family

Hoehn Family

Ju Family

Cendrine Robinson

Arellano Family

Walejko & Markham Family

Frias Family

Goodman Family

Prabhu-McDonald Family

Howard Family

The Hechter Family

Marnon Family

Van Aelst - Saulpaugh Family

Zettle-Kresiberg Family

Staying Connected

Mustang Express

Check out this week's Mustang Express, SES's weekly newsletter from leadership. 

Shepherd Elementary Groups.io

The Shepherd PTO has a Groups.io that can be used to communicate with the community. To join, please click here.

Shepherd Elementary Calendar

Add the Shepherd Elementary Google calendar to your personal Google account. Log into your Google account and navigate to the Shepherd Elementary Calendar website. Need instructions on how to add to your own calendar? Click here.

Upcoming Events

Picture Day

Book-a-ween Parade

Records Day (No School)

Election Day (No School)

Veterans Day (No School)

Donuts with Grownups

LSAT Meeting

PTO Meeting

Thanksgiving Break

Dates

Wednesday, October 30

Thursday, October 31

Monday, November 4

Tuesday, November 5

Monday, November 11

Wednesday, November 13

Wednesday, November 20

Wednesday, November 20

Thursday, November 27 - Sunday, December 1


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