Dear Shepard Families:
We made it through the cold and snow of the week. Plus, we had some fun and did some learning as we did it! This week, our Spartan students did a superb job on the MAP assessments. We continue to celebrate the productive struggle in which students engage as they learn, highlighting the learning process as the most important part of the journey. Students worked on astronomy projects, thought critically and compared sources while examining current events, and analyzed how characters and events propel the plot in literary texts. They started new practical arts rotations, hitting the ground running by engaging in creative projects.
In a meeting this week, I heard a speaker discuss productive struggle and how we encourage our children. While adolescents will often assume we will praise the best outcome, that can lead to them taking easier routes with a higher chance of success. Often, though, we want our kids to continue to push themselves to grow within their zone of proximal development. We look forward to another semester of praising the productive struggle, and we are thankful for your partnership in the process.
In this edition, you will find:
New Information:
- Report Cards Available in Family Access at 3:30
- Semester One Attendance
- Important Traffic Reminders
- 6th-Grade Lunch Event 1/29
- Reminder: Upcoming Culture Fair - May 16th
- MAP Make-Up Testing Next Week
Reminders from Last Week:
Sincerely,
Rob Wegley, Principal
Cathy Van Treese, Associate Principal
Ginger Logemann, Director for Student Services
Report cards are now available in Family Access.
As you review your child’s semester one report card, please be sure to pay close attention to the attendance information included at the bottom of the report card. If your child has already missed 10 or more days of school, they may be on pace to be considered chronically absent by the end of the school year.
Chronic absenteeism is defined as absences totaling 10 percent or more of school day—including absences with or without valid cause—during the school year. If a child is absent for 17 days or more during the school year for excused or unexcused reasons, that child is considered chronically absent.
On Wednesday, 1/29, we will be hosting a 6th-grade shuffle and swap event during lunch to help our 6th-grade students get to know others, build their social-emotional skills, and play some fun games while interacting with others with whom they may not typically interact! We would love some parent volunteers to help facilitate activities and join in on the fun. Here is a Google Form for anyone interested in joining us on Wednesday, 1/29 from 10:11 - 10:41 am. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to me at rwegley@dps109.org.
Dear Parents/Guardians,
We hope this letter finds you well. We are excited to inform you about an upcoming Culture Fair to be held on Friday, May 16, 2025 at Shepard Middle School. This event aims to celebrate the diverse cultures and traditions represented within our student body and community.
We believe events like the Culture Fair provide invaluable learning experiences for our students. It promotes cultural awareness and also encourages empathy and tolerance towards others. Additionally, it offers an opportunity for students to take pride in their own cultural identities while learning about the richness of diversity.
We are looking for participants to lead interactive sessions so students can experience something significant to your cultural or religious background. These may include—but are not limited to—traditional dance, a craft, a piece of clothing, a meaningful ritual, or anything else you feel represents your heritage. Our vision is to have our students actively take part in cultural experiences throughout each session.
Due to the District’s allergy policy, food consumption cannot be part of this event. However, a recipe or food demonstration would be fine (i.e. a tea ceremony).
Presenters would be at Shepard for approximately 3 hours. While we are still in the planning phase, we envision groups of 6th, 7th, and 8th-grade students participating in three activities during a 45-minute block. Presenters will be asked to plan a 10-15 minute long experience which would repeat for all three grade levels. Our team is willing to help problem solve the planning process if you need help.
Please complete this form no later than January 31st if you or any family members would be interested in taking part in this event. We look forward to celebrating the rich tapestry of cultures that make our school community so vibrant.
Please reach out to any of the following Culture Fair Committee members below with any questions. Thank you for your continued support.
Warm regards,
Matthew Brown, Kelly Hunzinger, David Komie, Jamie Mall, and Amanda Schatz
Shepard Culture Fair Committee
In alignment with Illinois standards in health, 8th-grade students at Shepard Middle School will be participating in a class, facilitated by Candor Health, called Teen Sexual Health. The class will be held on February 3rd and 4th from 8:30 - 10:00 am and is hosted in a live virtual format. Students will use their Chromebook and headphones to individually join a Zoom call with Candor Health facilitators from our classrooms. PE/Health teachers will be present throughout the class to provide students with needed support. The live virtual format is recommended, as it allows students to use a private chat feature to ask questions they may prefer not to ask in front of their peers.
The following topics are covered in this Candor Health session: consent, definitions of orientation/expression/ identity, anatomy, forms of sexual contact, pregnancy, and sexually transmitted infections (STIs).
If interested, parents can access Candor Health’s School Program Overview for Parents webinar at https://candorhealthed.org/school-program-overviews-for-parents/. The password for the relevant video is Premier25. If you would prefer to opt your child out of this program, please email your child’s PE teacher and me at rwegley@dps109.org no later than January 29th.
As we strive to keep you informed about important events and updates at Shepard Middle School, we are excited to use the Remind app again as a valuable tool to strengthen our school-family partnership. Through this app, you will receive announcements from our Student Council (also known as StuCo), led by Mrs. Greenberg. These announcements will not only keep you informed about spirit days, fundraisers, and other important events throughout the school year but will also actively involve your child in the exciting activities shaping our school community.
To sign up, please follow the directions below. Check out this video if you would like step-by-step instructions.If you require any assistance setting up the app, please do not hesitate to reach out to Mrs. Greenberg.
Our amazing PTSO shared information on this in their welcome back letter, too, but we wanted to add a reminder that you can purchase school lunches through Lunch Solutions in advance! Ordering opened Tuesday, August 6th. Ordering for the following week closes at 10:00 am on THURSDAY each week. For information and ordering, please visit http://ptgms.com/lunchsolutions/shepard.
Medication
Please do not send any medication, over-the-counter pain pills (Tylenol/Advil/aspirin), or cough drops with your students. State law prohibits students from taking medication at school outside of the nurse's office with a doctor's note on file. We will confiscate any medications as listed above found outside of the nurse's office.
Attendance
If your student will not be in school, please report the absence to the health office by phone—(847) 948-0620 x5103 or email (shepardattendance@dps109.org) before 8:00 am. If you do not contact our school nurse by this time, she will contact you at home or at work to ascertain your child’s whereabouts. Children must be fever free for 24 hours before returning to school. Students will only be dismissed to a parent/legal guardian or to emergency contacts designated in Family Access.
Student Tardiness to School
Students who arrive late are greatly disadvantaged because they miss starting the day with their peers and miss out on the instruction given at the beginning of class. This means that they are often unsettled and confused about tasks, resulting in reduced achievement, regardless of academic ability. It is also very important that students establish good routines and habits in preparation for the rest of their lives. Punctuality is a life skill that is important to develop.
Tardiness to school will be unexcused even if a family member brings the student(s) to school. Oversleeping, missing the bus, car/traffic problems, etc. are all unexcused. Tardies are excusable under the following circumstances: personal illness of student, serious illness or death in the family, a doctor/dentist/professional appointment (a note or phone call from a parent or a professional), family emergencies, and religious holidays.
School begins promptly at 8:00 am. Students are expected to be in class ready to learn by 8:00 am.
Student Tardies to Class
Students are expected to be in class, in their seats, ready to learn at the start of class. Students who are not are subject to school discipline.