SES is proud to celebrate the season with the Holiday Concert this year! ECE families are welcome to join us on December 11 at 9:30 AM in the multipurpose room. The K-5 Holiday Concert will be on December 12 at 5:30 PM at the Theater of the Arts at UDC. Families should be there no later than 5:15 PM; however, with parking and getting settled, it's recommended that you plan to arrive around 4:15/4:30 PM. We can't wait to see you all there!

K-5 students are asked to wear a plain class color & black/navy bottom.

K: Purple
1st: Red
2nd: Yellow
3rd: Royal Blue
4th: Green
5th: White

IB Program Parent Survey

Shepherd is currently in the self-study phase of our IB evaluation, and we want to hear from you! Help us reflect on our IB program by completing this quick five-question survey. The survey will close on Friday, December 13 at 4:30PM. Thanks for your support! Please note, one response per family.

Picture Day Make-up

As a reminder, those who did not take their school picture in October will have a chance to take their pictures on December 10. If your student did take their pictures and you would like them to retake them, please complete the form below here.

Donuts w/ Grownups - All Grades

You are cordially invited to join your student in their classroom next Wednesday, December 11 from 8:30 AM - 9:10 AM. This will be an opportunity to join your student's homeroom for breakfast in the classroom and the Strong Start Assembly.

Only five grown-ups per homeroom will be allowed to participate. This will ensure that there is enough physical space in each classroom for everyone.
Please note: PK3 and PK4 will NOT participate this month due to a scheduling conflict with their winter concert.
Please arrive early. Grown-ups arriving after 8:30 AM may not be able to join. This is to prevent classroom disruptions.
Donuts and coffee will be provided by the PTO.
Sign-up will close on Tuesday, December 10 at 9AM

The centralized sign-up for ALL homerooms can be found here.

Giving Back Opportunities

Staff Holiday Party - Call for Raffle Gift Cards

The holiday season is upon us, and what better way to celebrate than by showing our appreciation for the incredible teachers and staff at our school? The Shepherd PTO is hosting the Staff Holiday Party and we need your help to make it a success! We are seeking donations of gift cards and goods to be raffled off during the all-staff holiday party. Your contributions will bring joy to our dedicated staff and help create a festive atmosphere filled with gratitude and cheer. Got something to donate? Please reply directly to this email.

It's Giving Season - Support the 2024-2025 Shepherd 180 Fund

As the holiday season approaches, we invite you to support Shepherd Elementary School through the 180 Fund. This initiative, established by our PTO, aims to enhance our school's educational resources and enrich our students' learning experiences. We kindly ask each family to consider a contribution of $180 per student, which equates to just $1 per school day. Additionally, many employers offer corporate matching programs that can double or even triple your contribution, maximizing your impact on our school community. Every dollar donated goes directly towards supporting our students and ensuring they have the tools they need to succeed.

Together, we can make a significant difference in the lives of our children this holiday season. Thank you for your generosity and support for Shepherd Elementary!

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

What the 180 Fund supports: offsite field trips, teacher educational wish lists, hosting school-wide events, updating outdoor playground equipment, and funding additional academic 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

Krill Family

Rebecca Livengood

The Boyd Family

Rijmen Family

Toussaint 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

Shireen Sarraf

Scott Family

Mainor Family

The Rollins Family

Ariel Vaagen

November Bulb Planting

Thank you to the families that participated in the bulb planting event. The group planted a buttonbush and spicebush in the front as a replacement for the cherry tree. In addition, they planted about 50 bulbs in the front circle and also planted a second Pawpaw tree in the rain garden. Thank you, Simon Messing, for leading this effort!

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.

Alice Deal - Open Houses & Winter Market

5th Grade Families - HERE WE GROW! Join Alice Deal Middle School in one of our open houses! Come by to visit Deal's campus, meet with Principal Neal, and participate in student guided tours. We look forward to meeting you! In person and virtual dates available.

In-Person

Saturday, December 7, 2024 - 10:00 - 12:00 noon (also stop by our Winter and Student Market!)
Saturday, March, 22, 2025 - 10:00 - 12:00 noon
Wednesday, April 2, 2025 - 5:00 - 6:30 p.m.
Saturday, April 26, 2025 - 10:00 - 12:00 noon
Wednesday, May 21, 2025 - 5:00 - 6:30 p.m.
Saturday, May 31, 2025 - 10:00 -12:00 noon

Virtual

Wednesday, November 20, 2024 - 6:30 - 8:00 p.m - bit.ly/DEALNOV20
Wednesday, December 11, 2024 - 6:30 - 8:00 p.m.
bit.ly/DEALDEC11

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's IB Monthly

Check out this month's IB Newsletter here.

Shepherd Elementary Calendar

Add the Shepherd Elementary Google calendar to your personal Google account. Need instructions on how to add to your own calendar? Click here.

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).

SUBJECT: Shepherd PTO Bulletin - 12/5/24