Shepherd Elementary is excited to welcome back families in-person for Tonight's Winter Concert and Holiday Bazaar on Wednesday, December 14th.  

The Winter Concert, scheduled for 6:00 pm, is a can't-miss event where families are invited to watch ECE - 2nd grade students and the Shepherd Elementary Choir perform songs in the spirit of the holidays. The concert can also be watched virtually here.  

This year, we are also excited to welcome back the Holiday Bazaar marketplace where local vendors will be able to showcase their merchandise.  The Bazaar will be open from 5 pm - 8 pm. It's a great opportunity to find some holiday gifts and support local small businesses!  You can preview all the vendors on the Holiday Bazaar website. 

The PTO will be selling hot cocoa and baked goods as part of a fundraiser.  Cash is preferred! 

We will also have a Shepherd spirit wear sale at The Winter Concert & Holiday Bazaar on December 14th. We will have new colors in youth hoodies, youth crewneck sweatshirts, and long-sleeve adult shirts.  As a reminder, sales will be cashless and you have two flexible options for payment:  

• Pre-pay - Visit the PTO Square Site to pay for your spirit wear. If you prepay, please stop by the table on Sunday for pickup
• Day-of-sale - Tap or dip your card or scan our QR code, then pick up your gear and go! 

Shout-out to 5^th grade for hosting our school-wide IB action project for the month of December! 5^th grade students made posters and have a coat drive box in the atrium.  Our school community will be partnering with Guy Mason's Coat Drive! This community project is connected to the United Nation's Sustainable Development Goal "No Poverty." New or gently worn coats can be dropped off in the atrium from December 1st- December 21^st

We will also connect children's books to each of our monthly action projects. As a school community, we will be reading the book Last Stop on Market Street. "Last Stop on Market Street is a beautifully illustrated book that looks at material poverty through the eyes of a young boy who rides on a bus with his grandmother across town. As CJ points out the things that other people have that he doesn’t, his grandmother responds with a positive and hopeful answer to show the beauty of life’s simpler things, the wonderful people who they know and meet on their ride through the city, and how rich their lives already are." If you would like to read this book at home, you can find it at your local library or on YouTube.  

Please join our 2nd graders as they host the December All School Morning Meeting on Friday, December 16th at 9:00 am.  The themes are holidays around the world and Human Rights Day! We hope you can join us virtually here.  You won't want to miss it!

The Facilities Improvement Committee will be meeting Thursday January 5th at 12:00 pm to discuss priority improvements for the school and exterior grounds.  If you would like to join the meeting, please reach out to Amy Zettle at amy.zettle@gmail.com or you can join virtually here.  

The agenda will include:

1. Improvements/Enhancements to the ECE Playground 
2. Teacher's Lounge Refresh
3. Multipurpose Room 
4. Outdoor Learning Center  

Also, please be on the lookout for a Community Painting Day at Shepherd where volunteers will tackle the IB Maker Space and staff lounge.  The committee is currently looking at weekends in early February. 

Each month, the Bulletin will feature parent resources courtesy of Dr. Persephone Brown, our wonderful School Psychologist.  These resources provide tips to help with your physical, social and emotional well-being.  Take a few moments to read or listen to some of these pieces and know we're here for you and your students.   

Holiday Performances

• Holiday Theater Performances & Christmas Shows in DC - Washington

Burnout Prevention and Self-Care for Parents

• Preventing Parent Burn-out 
• Why Self-Care is Essential to Parenting

Education Equity

• Boys are Falling Behind - What can we do about it?

Literacy & Education

• Establish a Magical and Budget-Friendly Holiday Reading Routine

• 40 Multi-Cultural Children's Books about Christmas

Parent Resources, Support and Tips

• How to take the Stress out of Family Gatherings
• 2022 Children's Mental Health Report
• Supporting vs. Enabling
• "My 8-year old son always feels unwell and is very emotional. I am depressed and our interactions are difficult. Please help"

PBS Kids

• 10 Experiences to Give this Holiday Season
• Helpful Holiday Tasks that Kids can Do

Today Parenting Team

• Easy Ways your Busy Family can add Kindness, Gratitude, and Giving to the Holiday Season
• Gratitude isn't just for Thanksgiving:  How to Implement a Year-Round Practice of Thanks
• How to Teach Your Kids to Serve Others at the Holidays

As we approach the end of ‘22, we have so much to be thankful for at Shepherd.  One of the most important things we are grateful for is our teachers & staff!  This dedicated team challenges, inspires, and advances our children’s intellectual, social and emotional development.  They make Shepherd a safe and nurturing environment for our kids.  

The Shepherd PTO would like to give back to the teachers & staff who give so selflessly to our children every day.  The current teacher and staff lounge is in need of renovation - to include new appliances, furniture, and paint.  A lounge makeover would create an inviting space where teachers can consult, socialize, and recharge.  

If you have the ability, would you please consider a $22 donation to the Shepherd PTO by the end of 2022? All $22 donations are tax deductible and will be earmarked for the lounge upgrades and related teacher appreciation activities. Donations can easily be made here.  

We greatly appreciate your consideration of this request and hope you have a safe & happy month of December. 

The PTO Board is asking the community if any families would be able to donate an iPad or similar tablet device.  This device would be used to ensure quicker and more efficient onsite sales for events, gear, and spirit wear. If you have a device that you think would fit our need, please email info@shepherd-elementary.org. Thank you!

Congratulations to Ms. Brenda Brown and Mr. Max Chamovitz as our December TAP winners!

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.

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