Originally delivered on 5/1/2024 2:55 pm

SUBJECT: Shepherd PTO Bulletin - 05/01/2024

Shepherd PTO Bulletin - April 24, 2024


Happy May!


In this week's PTO Bulletin...


- 2024-2025 SY PTO/LSAT Elections

- 19th Annual Spring Gala

- Spring Gala Angel Tickets

- Issues Purchasing Gala Tickets?

- Call for Yearbook Photos

- EOY Receipts for Reimbursement

- Annual Family/Faculty Softball Game

- Upcoming Events

  • Teacher Appreciation Week
  • Bingo & Bites Night (PreK-3/4)
  • Coffee & Conversations with Principal Russell (5th Grade)
  • May LSAT Meeting
  • May PTO Meeting

- Giving Back Opportunities

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

- Community Offerings

- Other Upcoming Important Dates

  • May 6th - 10th - Teacher Appreciation Week
  • May 27th - Memorial Day (No School)
2024-2025 PTO Board/LSAT Elections

Voting is open for the 2024-2025 PTO Board/LSAT Elections! Nominees for the 2024-2025 SY are below:

  • Co-Presidents: Amber Romine, Lauren Okonkwo
  • Vice President: Amy Zettle
  • Treasurer: Paige Johnson
  • Assistant Treasurer: Liz Daly
  • Corresponding Secretary: Artemis Benedetti
  • Recording Secretary: Candace Mainor
  • LSAT Parent Representatives: Dominic Ju, Julia DeAngelo, Kate Snyder, Jessie Caola

A personalized email has been sent to all registered users in A to Z. Voting opened on May 1st at 8:00 am and will close on May 2nd at 11:59 pm. 

Please check your emails in order to vote in the election! If you have any problems, please email elections@shepherd-elementary.org

19th Annual Spring Gala & Updates

Less than 3 weeks until 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! You can also visit our website to learn more about sponsorship levels. 

If you would like to volunteer, please sign up 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.

Issues Purchasing Gala Tickets?

It's been brought to our attention that people are still experiencing glitches when trying to purchase tickets in Handbid. If you haven't received confirmation of your ticket purchase or received an error message when trying to make a ticket purchase, please email our PTO Treasurer at ptotreasurer@shepherd-elementary.org

Call for Yearbook Photos

It's Yearbook Time! The PTO is looking for photos that can be included in the 2023-2024 yearbook. We are specifically looking for photos from the winter concert, B.A.M., special class events and productions, Fall Fest, Annie, Circus Circus, field trips, etc. Any help would be greatly appreciated. 


In order to get the yearbook published by the end of the school year, we have a tight deadline. If you have any photos, please email them to Robyn Showanes at robyn.showanes@gmail.com by Friday, May 3rd.


More information on how to purchase yearbooks will be released in the near future. 

EOY Receipts for Reimbursement

As the PTO Treasurers prepare to close out the books for the 2023-2024 school year, we need to ensure all reimbursement requests are recorded. If you have any receipts that require PTO Reimbursement, please complete the Google form no later than May 30th. This will ensure you are reimbursed before the close of the school year and before the transition of PTO officers. Thank you!

Family/Faculty Softball Game

Following the rousing success of our first softball game last spring, we're keeping the tradition going and are now recruiting players for this year's game.

Date: Wednesday, May 29th

Time: 4:00 pm - 5:30 pm

Where: Shepherd Lower Field 

This is a friendly game, and no practice or experience are necessary -- just your best Shepherd spirit! 

This year, each team (Team Green and Team Gold) will be a mix of families/caregivers and faculty/staff so that we have more opportunities for folks to collaborate and cheer each other on. 

Last year, the teams filled quickly -- so nab your spot today! Registration is first come, first served.

For more information and to register, please visit the Sign-up Genius

Upcoming Events
Teacher Appreciation Week

Can you believe it's almost May? The first week of May is always one of the most important weeks of the year for Shepherd: Teacher Appreciation Week! 

The PTO is looking to celebrate its teachers with a different sign of recognition for each day of the week and we need your help! 

  1. On Monday May 6th, please drop off students early so that they can assist with making cards and chalk designs recognizing their amazing teachers
  2. Please consider volunteering throughout the week to help manage the recognition events. More details can be found in this Signup Genius
  3. NEW! - We are looking for donations of vases, mason jars, even clean pasta jars so that we can prepare flower arrangements for Friday's sign of Appreciation. Please drop off donations to 1315 Geranium St NW by Wednesday, May 8th

Please see the schedule below and help us show our Shepherd teachers love! 

Please RSVP Here for PreK3/4 Bingo & Bites Night.

Coffee & Conversations (5th Grade)

"Coffee & Conversations with Principal Russell" for 5th Grade families will be held on Tuesday, May 14th at 8:50 am.  It's a great opportunity to chat with Principal Russell and 5th Grade families. We hope you can make it.

May LSAT Meeting

The May LSAT will be held Wednesday, May 15th at 4:00 pm.

The LSAT will meet in-person in the Shepherd Elementary Conference Room. If you are unable to join in person, please register for the meeting on zoom.

May PTO Meeting

Please mark your calendars. The May PTO Meeting will be held Wednesday, May 15th at 5:30 pm. You can join virtually here. More information to come!


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 

Community Offerings
Cap City Little League Challenger Division - Sign up Today!

Registration is open for Cap City’s Challenger Division, which is an adaptive program open to kids ages 4 to 14 with physical and intellectual challenges. Practices will be held on Saturday mornings (May 4, 11, and 18) from 9 to 10:30am at Chevy Chase Recreation Center. 

In addition to adult volunteers, players will be supported by peers (buddies) as they learn about and participate in a game. 

If you're interested in signing-up a player, please fill out this form. If you know of a family that may want to participate, please share this information with them. There is no fee to participate in Cap City's Challenger Division.


If you have questions, contact Tom Widor, Cap City’s Challenger Division Commissioner at challenger@capcityll.org.

Upcoming Events

Teacher Appreciation Week

Bingo & Bites Night (PreK-3/4)

Coffee & Conversations (5th Grade)

May LSAT & PTO Meetings

19th Annual Spring Gala

Family/Faculty Softball Game

Dates

May 6th - May 10th

Thursday, May 9th

Tuesday, May 14th

Wednesday, May 15th

Saturday, May 18th

Wednesday, May 29th

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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