Originally delivered on 4/10/2024 2:22 pm

SUBJECT: Shepherd PTO Bulletin - 04/10/2024

Shepherd PTO Bulletin - April 10, 2024


Have a Happy and Safe Spring Break!


In this week's PTO Bulletin...


- 19th Annual Spring Gala with Updates

- Spring Gala Angel Tickets

- Recruiting for the 2024-2025 PTO Board/LSAT

- Upcoming Events

  • K/1st Grade Bingo Night
  • April LSAT & PTO Meetings

- Dr. Brown Corner

- Giving Back Opportunities

  • Online Gear Storefront
  • Teacher Appreciation Program (TAP)
  • 180 Fund

- Other Upcoming Important Dates

  • April 15th - 19th (Spring Break) - No School
19th Annual Spring Gala & Updates

The PTO is thrilled to announce we have secured a location for our 2024 Spring Gala! This 'no-kids' event & auction is Shepherd's largest fundraiser and a fun evening that brings the community together.

  • Date: May 18, 2024
  • Time: 6:30 pm - 10:00 pm
  • Location: Jinya @ Walter Reed, 1155 Dahlia St. NW

Tickets are selling out! Please purchase your tickets here.

If you can personally donate items for our auction, just complete our simple online donation form!

More information on how you can support the auction is available in this letter that will be sent out to families in the next couple of weeks. You can also visit our website to learn more about sponsorship levels. 

If you would like to volunteer, please sign up here. UPDATE: We have added a volunteer slot to our Sign-up Genius: Photographer! We are hoping there is a talented member of our community might be willing to take a few pictures during the event (the time commitment would be minimal). More information can be found here.

If you have any questions, please email sesgala@shepherd-elementary.org.

We hope you can join us on May 18th! 

Spring Gala - Angel Tickets

Each year at the Gala, we ask families to consider purchasing Angel Tickets that would allow our hardworking teachers and staff to attend free of charge. 

If you would like to purchase an Angel Ticket for a teacher or staff, please visit the Handbid site here.

If you are teacher or staff who would like to request an Angel Ticket, please email sesgala@shepherd-elementary.org

Also, teachers and staff members are eligible for a "plus one" Angel Ticket if they donate a special experience with students that can be auctioned off at the Gala. Some examples of special experiences could be a "Hike in Rock Creek with 5 students" or "Provide Picnic Lunch for 3 students."

To donate a special experience, please email sesgala@shepherd-elementary.org.

2024-2025 PTO Board/LSAT

The PTO Executive Board and LSAT are critical teams dedicated to an overarching goal of developing a strong and vibrant sense of community at Shepherd. 

Many of the PTO Executive Team members are term limited in their roles and will not be able to be reelected. So we are reaching out to the Shepherd community asking you to consider running for office! Voting for the 2024-2025 school year is scheduled for early May 2024. Please note: Time commitments for each position are only about 2 hours per week. 

Please consider running for the PTO Executive Committee or the LSAT. The positions are:

  • Co-President (2)
  • Vice President
  • Treasurer
  • Assistant Treasurer
  • Recording Secretary
  • Corresponding Secretary
  • LSAT Parent Representative (4)

Please reach out to Michelle Toussaint at elections@shepherd-elementary.org to suggest a nomination, ask a question, or express interest in any of the roles.

Upcoming Events

Please click here to RSVP to Bingo Night!

April LSAT & PTO Meetings

Please mark your calendars. The April LSAT and PTO Meetings will be held Wednesday April 24th at 4:00 pm and 5:30 pm respectively. More information to come! 

Dr. Brown's Corner

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.   

Giving Back Opportunities
Online Gear Store

Our Shepherd Elementary gear storefront is now available for orders under "Giving Back to Shepherd" on the Shepherd website. After you've completed your purchase, gear will be delivered directly to your child's classroom within 7 business days. The PTO will still host in-person events throughout the year, but the gear store will provide a convenient alternative to those sales. 

Please note, if you select gear and it cannot be added to the bag, it is likely sold out. 

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.

Shepherd 180 Fund Appeal And Bonus Incentive!

Help the Shepherd PTO fund lots of great events, initiatives, and extra curricular 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

Neal Family

Ma-Holdridge Family

Batler-Landau Family

Archer Family

Riley-Keck Family

Krill Family

Tivol-Kaufmann Family

Howard Family

Coble Family

Kunce Family

Faulman-Coffey Family

Arellano Family

Walejko-Markham Family

Boykin Family

Kane Family

Snyder-Johnson Family

McNeill Family 

Marchand Family 

Raglani Family

Romine Family 

Fagen Family 

Kasargod-Staub Family 

Zettle-Kreisberg Family 

Mainor Family

Marnon Family 

Kim Family

Gilberg-Prince Family

DeAngelo Family

Hatcher Family

Jabaily-Messing Family

Hoehn Family 

Humphries Family

Jackson Family 

Bassin-Reimer Family

Head Family 

Bowie Family

Warkentien-Moncton Family

Ross-White Family

Boyd Family

Roberts Family

Hechter Family

Miller Family

White Family

Toussaint Family

Ju Family

Jones Family

Monninger Family

Lewis Family

Mayorga Family 

Britton Family

Pau Family

Garn Family

Cooper Family

Mokodean Family

Frias Family

Maser Family 

Prabhu-McDonald Family 

Fessler Family 

Goodman Family 

Rijmen Family 

Scott Family 

Molseed-Foley Family

Reddy Family

Nguyen-Stevens Family

Masters Family

Beridon Family

Vaagen Family

Queen Family

Youssef Family

Markand Family

Henry-Meme Family

    Kominakos Family

Godwin Family 

Hauge Family 

Hayes Family 

Upcoming Events

K/1st Grade Bingo & Bites Night

Spring Break

LSAT & PTO Meeting

Strong Start Assembly (PreK-4)

Dates

Thursday, April 11th

April 15th - April 19th

Wednesday, April 24th

Friday, April 26th

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)

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