Can you believe its almost May? The first week in May is always one of the most important weeks of the year for Shepherd: Teacher Appreciation Week! The Curriculum and Staff Support Committee will be meeting this month to brainstorm on how to recognize the amazing teachers and staff who give so much to Shepherd every day. We would love input from the greater community on how we can ensure teachers feel appreciated. More information will be available shortly on how you can contribute.  

"Coffee & Conversations with Principal Russell" for 5th Grade families will be held on Tuesday, April 11th at 8:45 am.  It's a great opportunity to chat with Principal Russell and get to know other 5th Grade families. We hope you can make it.

Monthly Bingo night has been a hit with the community! Now K and 1st grade families are invited to the next Bingo & Bites Night hosted by the Shepherd PTO and Staff Family Engagement Committees. Bingo will take place in the Multi-purpose room on Thursday, April 13th 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 K-1st 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.  Please RSVP for the event here.

Our April PTO Meeting will be held Wednesday, April 26th.  We will hold an in-person session at 5:30 pm in the Shepherd Cafeteria.  

We will also offer a virtual option as well.  Please connect via this meeting link or dial: ‪(US) +1 234-759-0374‬ PIN: ‪579 099 938‬# 

An agenda will be released prior to the meeting. 

The April All School Morning Meeting will be held Friday, April 28th at 9:00 am. It will be hosted by PreK-4 and the meeting will be a celebration of National Arab Heritage Month, World Autism Day, and World Book Day.  The IB Learner Profile Attribute of the month is Inquirer and Approaches to Learning is Research Skills. You can connect virtually to the event here.  

Please join the Family Engagement Committee for monthly coffees outside the school.  Coffee will be available on May 8th and June 5th from 8:20 am - 9:00 am. After dropping off your students, please take a moment to enjoy the morning pick-me-up and briefly socialize with other families. 

The Box Tops for Education app is a quick and easy way to give back to Shepherd.  Simply follow these steps:

• Download the "Box Tops for Education" App

• Create an Account

• Search for "Shepherd Elementary" under "Find a School."  Then select the Shepherd school associated with 7800 14th Street NW.

• Scan paper receipts into the app within 14 days of purchase. The app will automatically recognize Box Top Products

• Sit back and watch Shepherd's earnings grow!

Congratulations to Ms. Shepherd and Mr. Wimberly as our March 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)