M u s t a n g  N e w s l e t t e r
 
In This Issue
Dates to Remember
Monday, 1/18:
Martin Luther King Jr. Day
NO SCHOOL

Wednesday, 1/20:
Construction Community Meeting with Councilmember Todd, 6:00 PM
To be followed by monthly PTA meeting

Friday, 1/22:
PARCC Parent Information Session, 8:15 AM

Awards Assembly, 9:00 AM

Records Day
Early Dismissal, 12:15 PM

Tuesday, 1/26
:
Shepherd Science Fair
9:00 AM

Prospective Family Open House
10:00 AM
Don't Forget!




Any items left in the lost and found will be donated to a  local charity on the last Friday of the month.


Shop for Shepherd!

Did you know that many local stores like Giant and Safeway will donate a percentage of your purchases to Shepherd?

Visit the PTA website to find out how:   Shop for Shepherd!


Dress Code

Shepherd Elementary is a uniform school. The uniform consists of a white top and navy blue bottoms. All students are expected to adhere to the uniform policy.

Spirit Day

Every Friday is Spirit Day! Everyone is encouraged to show their Mustang Pride by wearing the school colors, gold and green along with any other Shepherd apparel.

Star Achievers
Greetings Star Achievers Families!

As many of you know, I 
am retiring from Star Achievers after three years  with the Before and  Aftercare Program. 
 
I have enjoyed building 
the program,  especially working with all of the parents, students and 
staff in the Shepherd Community.  

The process f or selecting a  replacement has begun,  and I will remain with the Program until the new administration is settled in.

If you or anyone you know
is interested in leading 
Star Achievers, please see the position descriptions 
for Operations Manager 
and Program Director at idealist.org.  Or, contact 
me at sesstarachievers
@gmail. com

Thanks for your help in taking Star Achievers to the next level - 
 
Claire Riley
Program Director

January 11, 2016 
A Message from Principal Brawley
Dear Shepherd Community,

It was a pleasure to see all of our students return to school after the winter break along with welcoming a few new faces!

Sincerely, 

Jade L. Brawley
Principal


Student Satisfaction Survey
Students in grades 3-5 will participate in a mid-year Student Satisfaction Survey. Please complete and return the form that was sent home on Friday if you do not want your child to participate in this survey.

PARCC Parent Information Session
On Friday, January 22nd, we will have our first PARCC Parent Information Session in the multi-purpose room. During this session, parents will have an opportunity to learn important information about the difference between the DC CAS and PARCC, how our students performed, as well as the adjustments that have been made based on PARCC data. 

Inclement Weather

Almost every year, DC experiences a few days of very cold or snowy weather that necessitate closing or delaying school and/or the Central Office. Below, please find information on what to expect from DCPS on inclement weather decisions.  

Inclement weather decisions affecting schools and Central Office will be communicated in three ways: 
 
1. Local Media: DCPS will submit inclement weather decisions to local media including TV, radio, and newspapers. Please check local outlets for information about closings and delays.
2. Social Media: DCPS will post inclement weather decisions on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. The DCPS username for Twitter and Instagram is @dcpublicschools, and the Facebook page can be found at www.facebook.com/dcpublicschools.
3. DCPS Website: The DCPS website will contain information on the homepage about closings and delays. Please visit dcps.dc.gov in the event of inclement weather.   

IB Learner Profile 

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.  
Ideas for risk taking include:
  • Learning to play a new sport
  • Trying different foods
  • Reading a book from a different genre
  • Visiting new places
  • Learning about a new culture
SY15-16 Basketball Season

Girls

1/12 -  Shepherd vs. Murch

Boys

1/14 -  Shepherd vs. Takoma

Both games begin at 4:00
Support our Mustangs!

  
There will be a Parent Meeting on Monday,
January 11th at 3:30 for the players on the girls and boys 
basketball teams and their parents. Mr. Walcott has important information to share.  
Awards Assemblies
Our Second Awards Assembly will take place on
January 22, 2016. Students will be recognized for the Learner Profile traits of Thinker and Open Minded, the Terrific Kid Award and the BUG (Bringing Up Grades) Award for November and December. Students will also receive awards for Perfect Attendance during the Second Advisory. Third through fifth grade students will be recognized for proficient and advanced performance on the second Unit Assessment as well as those students who made the most growth from the October assessment to the most recent assessment in ELA and Math. Please look out for your invitation in your child's back pack.
 
A Message from the PTA
Jazz Night is a Shepherd tradition held each February. The Shepherd ES community and Shepherd Park neighborhood come together for an evening of jazz music and a potluck dinner.  Kids are welcome and encouraged to attend.

Volunteers are needed to help coordinate the potluck dinner and decorations.  Please contact carabiddle@me.com to volunteer.

Jazz Night is traditionally held on a Friday evening at Shepherd.  Stay tuned for next week's Mustang for the confirmed date to mark your calendars.

 
Shepherd Elementary | (202) 576-6140 | mustangshepherd2@gmail.com 
  http://www.shepherd-elementary.org/
7800 14th Street NW
Washington, DC 20012