Shepherd Middle BlueJay Bulletin

This is the final week of the trimester. Please take a moment to talk with your student about whether they have met their goals for the first trimester and encourage them to finish strong so they can begin the next trimester with confidence.

November is National Homelessness Awareness Month and we are partnering with United Way of Greater Central Michigan to support the Isabella County Restoration House through a coin war challenge called Coins for a Cause. If you have loose change, please consider sending it with your student for collection in their SOAR class from Tuesday, November 18 through Tuesday, November 24. Let's see how many coins we can collect.

This week, we are focusing on support and encouragement within a team as students learn to celebrate their classmates’ successes and contribute a positive, helpful attitude. At home, consider sharing a story from your own life about a time when encouragement made a difference.

Shepherd Public Schools held its annual Veterans Day Assembly on Tuesday to honor those who have served in the United States Armed Forces, featuring student leadership under the guidance of Marine Corps veterans and teachers Dan TerBurgh and Jason Byrne. The program included a reflection from eighth grader Jordyn Vautrin, performances by the Shepherd High School Choir and Band, and a presentation of the colors by the 8th Grade Semper Fit class. Nearly 100 veterans attended, including Chief Warrant Officer Steve Neitzke, who spoke about the many forms of service. The district also paid tribute to Lenard Moeggenborg, a Shepherd graduate who served with the 101st Airborne in Vietnam and lost his life in 1969, with several members of the Moeggenborg family recognizing his legacy that is honored at the SPS softball and baseball complex.

November

• 17- NO SCHOOL
• 21- End of 1st Trimester
• 26-28- Thanksgiving Break

This weekend was Opening Day. We know that many of our families participate and hope to fill their freezers with venison. The start of hunting season is often the start of spending more time outdoors, slowing down, and sharing traditions with loved ones. Whether you participate in Opening Day or not, it’s a wonderful reminder of the many ways we can connect with nature and with one another.

November is also a time that invites us to practice gratitude. We can admire the beauty of the changing seasons, the food that sustains us, and the moments of peace and reflection that come from being outdoors. Gratitude isn’t just about saying “thank you” — it’s about noticing and valuing the simple things that make life feel richer and more meaningful.

By spending time with your children to pause and reflect on what they’re thankful for — whether it’s time spent with family, fresh air, or the excitement of learning something new — you help them nurture a sense of connection and contentment that can last well beyond the moment.

Decoding the A to Gen Z of Digital Lingo

• Learning Gen Z's lingo will help you connect with (or embarrass) your teen so you can better understand their online world.

• Deciphering slang and abbreviations is key to understanding your teen's social media posts, texts, and chats.

• Keeping up with evolving trends helps you stay relevant and engaged in conversations with your teen.

no cap! just saw you in my FYP periodt.

Don’t worry – if you have no idea what this sequence of seemingly random words and letters means, you’re certainly not alone. For many parents with Gen Z offspring, deciphering slang and emoji combinations in an attempt to understand their teen’s online communications is an ongoing challenge, especially with so many different social media, gaming, and chat platforms all giving rise to a unique culture of colloquialisms. To help, here’s our ever-evolving A to Z translation guide to enable you to better understand your digital native.

To celebrate Veterans Day, we welcomed numerous veterans and their families into the high school gymnasium for our Veterans Day assembly. It was a great opportunity for our students to honor veterans and to hear some of their stories.

PA 57 of 2023 requires districts to provide all students in grades 6–12 with the Michigan Department of Education’s (MDE) Sexual Harassment and Sexual Assault Information Guide, the district’s Title IX coordinator contact information, and the district policies on sexual assault and harassment. This information, for Shepherd Public Schools, is linked below.

Email: sps_sms_office@shepherdschools.net

Phone: (989) 828-6605