|
M u s t a n g N e w s l e t t e r
|
|
|
January:
Dates to Remember
|
Martin Luther King Holiday
School Closed
Family Dinner Night,
5:00 - 10:00 pm
See "News and Announcements"
Science Fair Projects Due (3rd-5th Grade)
Parent Academy, 8:15 am
Common Core and Student Assessments
Shepherd Open House,
9:30 am
Early Dismissal
School Closes at 12:15 pm
Science Fair Project Viewing (NOAA)
Science Fair Judging (NOAA)
Spelling Bee (3rd - 5th Grade)
NAEP Testing (4th Grade)
Award's Day
Mustang Bucks Event
|
|
. . . . . . . . . . . . . .
|
Come One . . .
Come All . . .
The Mustang is looking for a few good writers to serve as contributors to the The Student Scoop, a student-written column that will appear in every Mustang.
Keep your schoolmates up to date on what's happening at Shepherd for a student's-eye view!
If you are interested, please send an email to
Subject: Student Writer
We want your voice in the Mustang!
|
|
. . . . . . . . . . . . . .
|
|
Mustang:
Content Submissions
|
The Mustang is the biweekly newsletter for Shepherd Elementary and community.
We welcome community-relevant submissions of announcements (100-200 words) or articles (300-500 words) to add to the newsletter.
The Mustang is published on the 1st and 3rd Mondays of each month; please submit items two weeks in advance in order to be included in the next Mustang.
IMPORTANT NOTE:
The Mustang staff reserves the right to edit announcements and articles for space and content, and to decline submissions of inappropriate subject matter. Advertisements and solicitations are not permitted.
|
Stay Connected
|
|
 |
|
Welcome to the Mustang e-Newsletter!
Look for a new publication every 1st and 3rd Monday to stay connected with Shepherd school and community news.
|
|
A Word from Principal Miles
|
Welcome Back Shepherd Family!
We hope each of you had a wonderful winter break enjoying your time with family.
Welcome Mr. Smith
Mr. Roman Smith is a Mary Jane Patterson (MJP) fellow who will be completing his second semester residency at Shepherd. The MJP Fellowship prepares district employees to be future DCPS principals. As you may recall, Ms. Hunter (Assistant Principal) started with us last year as a Fellow and Ms. Berry-Young worked with us at the beginning of the 2014-2015 SY. She is now at Stoddard Elementary completing her second semester residency. We are excited to have Mr. Smith on board and I know he is looking forward to meeting and working with you.
Staffing Updates
Ms. Laughinghouse's last day at Shepherd was Friday, December 19, 2014. She resigned after 5 years of service at Shepherd Elementary as our primary Special Education teacher and several years of service as a Special Education teacher in the District of Columbia Public Schools. Her energy and enthusiasm will be missed.
Ms. Guldin who started the year as one of our Kindergarten teachers has moved into the primary Special Education position that was vacated by Ms. Laughinghouse. The students in Ms. Guldin's class were relocated to Ms. Pethtel's and Ms. Hart's classrooms.
Our Spanish teacher, Ms. Miranda-Mulligan, will be returning from maternity leave on February 2, 2014. In the interim, Ms. Noel will continue as the long-term sub and she will be supported by Ms. Angela de la Cruz. Ms. De La Cruz is a native Spanish speaker and has been volunteering four days a week in the Spanish classroom since December.
Ms. McIntyre, one of our third grade teachers, will be returning from leave at the end of this month.
Inclement Weather
School closings, delays or early dismissals will be communicated via email, telephone, the DCPS website and various news outlets.
Outdoor Recess
We will venture outside everyday as long as it is above freezing. Please send your student to school dressed appropriately for the weather. In addition, please make certain that every hat, glove, scarf, coat, etc. is labeled with your child's name.
Lost and Found
Bins are overflowing with unclaimed items! Please check in the office for items that may belong to your student. All unclaimed items will be donated in the next couple of weeks.
Science Fair
Our annual Science Fair for 3rd through 5th grade will be held on January 26th and 27th. Projects are due no later than the 21st. Display boards are on sale in the main office for $5.00. Please contact your child's teacher or Ms. Robin George ([email protected]) with questions.
Spelling Bee
Prior to the break,1st through 5th grade students received their Spelling Bee word list. Please take time to practice the words daily. Individual class bees will be held in the upcoming week. Winners from the class bee will move on to the school wide spelling bee. Winners of the intermediate spelling bee will continue on to the next level of competition. Please contact your child's teacher or Ms. Mary Thomas ( [email protected]) with questions.
Have a great week!
Jamie Miles
|
|
A Message from Star Achievers
|
Happy New Year to All Star Achievers!
We thank you for making 2014 a success and look forward to what 2015 will bring.
We are changing over to a new calendar and some different activities at the end of January, so watch your email and The Mustang for details.
On January 20th, our PS3 and PRE K students will give a special performance of a fairy tale. All children will have a part in the play and there are costumes. If you are available, please stop by room 111 from 3:30 to 4:30 pm for a photo-op!
Other reminders . . .
School Closings and Delayed Openings: We are open for both before and aftercare if the building is open. If DCPS closes, school we are closed. If DCPS or Ms. Miles closes the building for any reason during the school day, we will be closed and you will be informed of the closure by the school. We do not send out separate closure announcements. When school is delayed opening in the morning there is NO BEFORE CARE. Delayed opening means the building would be closed between 7:30 and 8:30 am so we could not operate. If school opens late, we WILL be open for aftercare.
Outside Play: We go outside if it is above freezing just as children do during the school day for recess. PLEASE dress your child for outdoor play and understand it takes them a while at the end of the day to gather all those cold weather items, so give us some extra time to meet you at the front desk.
Tax Time: If you would like a 2014 tuition receipt for tax purposes you must request one by emailing [email protected] and wait up to one week for a reply. Our FEIN number is 46-0754979. Since most families do not request one, we do not supply them automatically.
Happy 2015!
Claire Riley
Program Director
|
Happy New Year Shepherd Community!
Welcome back to the New Year of 2015. This month, the Learner Profile trait is Risk Taker. A risk taker is someone who approaches unfamiliar situations with courage; someone who has the independence of spirit to explore new roles, new ideas and new strategies; and someone who is brave and articulate in defending their beliefs.
Risk Taker Books
- A Fine, Fine School by Sharon Creech and pictures by Harry Bliss
- Rose Meets Mr. Wintergarden by Bob Graham
- This is our House by Michael Rosen and illustrated by Bob Graham
- Watch Out for the Chicken Feet in Your Soup by Tomie dePaola
- The Man Who Walked Between the Towers by Mordicai Gerstein
- Suki's Kimono by Chieri Uegaki
- Ira Sleeps Over by Bernard Waber
- Courage by Bernard Waber
- Don't Let Go by Jean Willis
- Amazing Grace by Mary Hoffman
Have a Super Week!
Sandra Hart
IB Coordinator
|
Happy New Year Shepherd Mustangs!
Did you like your Winter Break? Well, I will tell you about some students' winter break. Sarah, a third grader, went to Alabama and she got a lot of Christmas presents. I went to Kentucky with my sister and we got a lot of presents. We got to visit our family members who live in Kentucky. We thought they had great Christmas decorations. On New Year's Day, I went on the Mayor's 5K run and my friend Lee was there too but I didn't see him. My friends Brianna and Jonathan got a laptop for Christmas. I think that is cool. Some students did homework and went to the movies during the Winter Break. Some of my friends got a snap watch which shows the time when you snap your fingers.
This is Kennedy Mack your Student Reporter
|
|
|
|
|
An announcement from the District of Columbia
Public Schools
|
|
Shepherd's Library Program
Our library program is geared up and going. Students are checking out books, learning library skills, and learning all about IB learner profiles and attitudes.
A friendly reminder to check around your house for any overdue library books. Ms. Tiffany will be sending home overdue notices to families. If the books have been lost, you will need to pay for it otherwise your child will not be able to check out books for the remainder of the school year. Thanks for your understanding.
In upcoming book events:
Nick Bruel, author/artist of the best-selling "Bad Kitty" books for kids, will present the newest book in the series, "Puppy's Big Day," on Wednesday, January 21 at 7:30 p.m. at the Takoma Park Library in Maryland. Bruel also will unveil his new picture book, "A Wonderful Year," and demonstrate his drawing techniques.
The event is free and open to the public. It is a wonderful opportunity for children to see a famous author/illustrator in person.
|
Budget planning for the next school year has begun!
We need your help to make sure our plans for the up coming school year 2015-2016 will continue our progress as a district. For the upcoming year, our work will be focused
on four priorities:
*Equity in Academic Rigor
*Empowering Males of Color
*Improving our High Schools
*Expanding Extended Day
We want to hear your thoughts and fresh ideas. Four ways you can give your input:
*Visit our new Interactive Data Center (dcpsdatacenter.com)
*Join an Engage DCPS online discussion
*Share feedback with your Local School Advisory Team (LSAT)
*Host your own meeting using the"Everyone, Everywhere" toolkit
Give your input today!
dcps.dc.gov/budgetmatters
Questions? Contact us: [email protected] or 202.719.6613
|
When:
Tuesday, January 20
5:00 - 10:00 pm
Where:
McGinty's Public House
911 Ellsworth Drive
Silver Spring, MD
(301) 587-1270
Why:
A percentage of your bill will be donated to the Shepherd Elementary PTA!
How:
Say "I'm with Shepherd"
|
|
|
|
|
|
