Please mark your calendars for Shepherd's annual gala on April 1st! This 'no-kids' event & auction is Shepherd's largest fundraiser and a fun evening that brings the community together. We have some exciting format changes this year.  First, we've secured a new venue!  This year's event will take place at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Library, 901 G Street NW. In addition, tickets will now cover an open bar for the entire evening and heavy hors d'oeuvres from Occasions Catering. 

As always, there are different levels of ticketing: 

• Angel Tickets - Tickets purchased by families allowing Shepherd teachers & staff to attend for free.  Early bird discounts are applied to Angel Tickets through 2/1/2023.  
• Early-Bird General Admission Tickets - Discounted tickets for the event that starts at 7:15 pm.  Early-bird discounts is applied to GA Tickets through 2/1/2023.  
• VIP Sponsorship levels  - Tickets that include admission to the VIP reception beginning at 6:30 pm and various perks depending on the level of support (for example, recognition on the Shepherd Elementary website).

Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased here! To purchase tickets, please navigate to the "Buy Tickets" option on the landing screen for the event.  

Alice Deal Middle School will be hosting a virtual chat for prospective Shepherd students and their families on Wednesday February 15th at 6:30 pm. This is a great opportunity for 5th grade parents to chat with Deal administration. You can attend virtually here.  

Classrooms Going Global has launched for the school year. Each homeroom at Shepherd has a country partner for the entire school year. Students will get to learn about their country partner leading up to International Day in the spring! 

This is the first year parents will be able to visit the classroom and we are looking for volunteers to share stories, travel photographs/videos, cultural wear, games, recipes, and other global experiences with our students connected to their class' country partner. It is our hope that this program will inspire curiosity about the world. If would like to support a classroom, please fill out this signup genius. This signup genius includes the country partner for each classroom.

The next Open House for prospective families will be held February 7th from 9:30 am - 10:30 am.  You can register to attend here. Please share with any families who may be interested.  

"Coffee & Conversations with Principal Russell" for 3rd Grade families will be held on Tuesday, February 14th at 8:45 am.  It's a great opportunity to chat with Principal Russell and get to know other 3rd Grade families. We hope you can make it.

Please mark your calendars!  The February PTO Meeting will be held on Wednesday, February 15th.  

This will be a virtual-only event and will begin at 5:30 pm.

Please connect via this meeting link or dial: +1 301-715-8592 Passcode: 948645 (Meeting ID: 890 6492 6863)

The February All School Morning Meeting will be held Friday, February 17th at 9:00 am. The meeting will be a celebration of Black History Month, International Mother Language Day, IB Learner Profile Attribute of the month: Principled, and Approaches to Learning: Self-Management.  You can connect virtually to the event here.  

4th and 5th Grade Bingo night was a hit! Now 2nd and 3rd grade families are invited to the next monthly Bingo & Bites Night hosted by the Shepherd PTO and Staff Family Engagement Committees. Bingo will take place in the Multi-purpose room on Thursday, March 2nd from 5:30 - 7:00 pm. 

This is a family event so all students must be accompanied and supervised by an adult. While the game will be targeted for 2nd - 3rd graders, siblings are welcome to attend. Some light snacks will be provided. If you feel inclined to bring dinner, please remember, Shepherd is a nut-free facility.  

This weekend, the Facilities Improvement Committee will be tackling updates to the Teacher Lounge and Makerspace.  

What: We need parents to help prep, paint, and clean up. 

When: Wednesday, February 1 through Sunday, February 5.  Do you have a few hours after school/work? Or have availability over the weekend? Any time you can give to this group effort will go a long way. 

If available to volunteer, please email amy.zettle@gmail.com and let her know when you have some time to help, and she'll provide you with the details.

The Facilities Improvement Committee is looking to move forward with preparing for its support to Shepherd's Outdoor Learning space.  Help is needed from our PTO community!  One of the recommended learning spaces are moveable seats cut from a large tree trunk. We have a fallen tree identified on a family's property, but are looking for an experienced parent with a chainsaw to help us turn a downed tree into a classroom experience.  If you can assist, please email info@shepherd-elementary.org.

Congratulations to Ms. Caola and Dr. Wilson as our January 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)