Spartan Scoop 2/13/25

We hope everyone has been able to navigate the snow this week! We're especially appreciative of our custodial and maintenance crew for their continuous shoveling and care yesterday into today to keep Shepard in the best shape it can be. The snow didn't slow down our learning, though! From identifying photos based on each other's narrative descriptions in ELA to physics breakout rooms in science and generational dancing in social studies, students have been actively up and about during their learning to drive engagement and help our young people actively involved in their learning. We wish you all a wonderful (and as warm as possible) weekend!

As a reminder, we will have no school for students on Friday, 2/14 for a staff institute day and on Monday, 2/17 for Presidents' Day.

In this edition, you will find:

New Information:

• Spring Parent-Teacher Conference Information
• Upcoming Book Fair
• Reminder: Track and Field Starting Soon!
• Dick's Sporting Goods Coupon from the IESA
• Reminder: Shepard Instrumental Music Performance Fundraiser at Potbelly

Sincerely,

Rob Wegley, Principal

Cathy Van Treese, Associate Principal

Ginger Logemann, Director for Student Services

February 14 - No School for Students (Institute Day)

February 17 - No School (Presidents' Day)

February 18 - Boys Volleyball vs. Caruso (Order: 8/7) - Home at Shepard - 4:30 - 6:30 pm

February 20 - Boys Volleyball vs. Springman (Order: 8/7) - Home at Shepard - 4:30 - 6:30 pm

We have our spring parent-teacher conferences coming up on March 20th and March 21st. The newsletter for sign ups will go out next Thursday, February 20th at 12:30 pm and be open through Tuesday, March 11th at 11:59 pm. Parent-teacher conferences are occuring Thursday, 3/20 from 12:30 - 8:00 pm in person, Friday, 3/21 from 8:00 - 9:00 am in person, and Friday, 3/21 from 9:30 - 11:00 am virtually. Because these are conferences in the spring, some families determine they do not need to sign up to meet with the teachers again. That is totally fine! For those interested in spring conferences, we will be sending out a newsletter with specific details for sign ups prior to things going "live"!

It is best practice to hold one parent conference per child to ensure that both parents receive the same information regarding their child’s strengths and needs and maximize our teachers' time. Therefore, I ask that parents sign up for one joint conference per student. If this is a concern, please reach out to me directly.

Prior to beginning the signup process, we recommend making a list of the teachers with whom you want to meet. Please reference the charts below to view a list of teachers names & locations to assist in planning your schedule accordingly.

During conferences, core teachers will be sitting in the same location at different tables. However, it is possible that you will need to switch locations for Practical Arts, PE, World Language, and Intervention teachers. Please make sure to build in travel time if you need to move to a different location between conferences.

Read the detailed step-by-step directions below, and Watch this Brief Demo Video to learn how to schedule your conferences.

Families will need to create an account–you can log in with your email address or manually create an account. We recommend creating an account today to ensure a smooth selection of conferences on Thursday. Only one parent/guardian needs to sign up and complete the process.

1. You can set up your account today using the Parent Login Link below in order to ensure the smooth selection of conferences on Thursday, February 20th at 12:30 pm. If you have already created an account, it is worth logging in to make sure you still remember your password and can get in okay!

2. Only one parent/guardian needs to create an account. You can use your email address or manually create an account.

• Parent Login Link - https://app.ptcwizard.com/ptc1706041106

2. The PTC Wizard Scheduler will go live for sign up on Thursday, February 20th at 12:30 pm.

3. Once you login to PTC Wizard with your Username and Password, you will be sent to a new screen. There you will be asked to give your consent to receive emails from PTC Wizard. This will allow you to receive a confirmation email after you sign up for conferences.

4. Welcome to PTC Wizard Tutorial

To Schedule Conferences: Click “Add/Edit Meetings” for Shepard Spring 2025 Conferences. Click here for a Video Demo.

• In the new screen, you will see the Teachers Icon in the top left corner of the screen. Click Teachers.

• Click the boxes of ALL of the teachers/teams that you want to schedule a conference with.

• Click Continue.

• Click on an available time for each teacher (the teachers you clicked on will be listed on top of each column)

• Choose one meeting time for each teacher, and then click Continue.

• You can view your schedule by clicking Agenda in the top right corner.

5. After completing your schedule, PTC Wizard will provide you with a full conference schedule that you can print, email yourself, or add to your Google Calendar.

Just to put it on your radar! We will be hosting our book fair from March 17th - March 20th. More information will come soon!

From Friday, February 14th through Monday, February 17th, Dick’s Sporting Goods is offering the families of the IESA a 20 percent off discount throughout the store. Grab the items you need for the season and all the other gear you have been wanting, too! The coupon is valid in-store on the dates above and should be shown at the register during checkout. Be sure to use the coupon www.iesa.org/temp/25_dicks_winter_coupon.pdf which is specific to the IESA organization.

On Tuesday, March 4th, the DPS 109 instrumental music program will hold its annual performance fundraiser at Potbelly! All Shepard families are invited to stop by for dinner between 4:00 - 7:30 PM to catch a performance by musicians in our band and orchestra programs. A portion of the proceeds will go towards supporting these programs and we hope to see you there!

I firmly believe that with colder weather comes thinner patience—at least in my own experience. We're finding that to be the case with drop off and pick up, and I am calling on all families to ensure adherence to the guidelines we have communicated throughout the school year thus far. We continue to see cars cutting through and waiting in the parking lot at both pick up and drop off, we have started to see cars blocking crosswalks and intersections, causing students to walk around them in the street, and we have seen cars moving very quickly around other cars to get to a preferred spot as well as make three-point turns as students are walking around them.

We, as well as the Deerfield Police Department, have received several parent and neighbor complaints as of late—justifiably so. We are all in this together, and we need to approach arrival and dismissal as such. When we are aligned as a school community, we're all better because of it. Here are some key reminders and expectations:

We understand that drop off can be a slow process as it gets closer to the start of school. For drop off:

• Leave more time in the morning and aim to arrive at Shepard prior to 7:45 am. We all can move slower in the cold, so leaving some room can help make it so there is not as much of a rush and help you to not have to sit in the longer line as the start of school approaches.
• Drop off students anywhere between the two arrival signs and then exit the line to help things move smoother.
• Do not cut through the parking lot.

For pick up:

• Wait for the buses to depart before pulling in. They will leave by 3:07 or 3:08 every single day. We ask for your patience during that time. Feel free to come a little bit later so you are not waiting in line for the buses to depart.
• Use appropriate speed at all times.
• Do not cut through or wait in the parking lot. Do not block intersections or crosswalks.

In all situations, stay aware of your surroundings and of the children around. Thank you for your attention to this matter and for your continued partnership.

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 from all over Deerfield or connected members of Deerfield families 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

Building students’ social-emotional learning (SEL) skills is important at Shepard. As a part of the learning process, we will be asking students in grades K-8 to reflect on skills related to social-emotional learning and the school environment. The survey will be administered to all students in grades K-8 between February 18 and February 28, 2025. Per policy, if you would like your child to opt out of taking the survey, please contact me no later than February 13.

Yearbooks can be purchased for $35. Details for purchasing are below!

Below is the link to purchase a yearbook at Yearbookforever.com. Parents should enter Alan B. Shepard Middle School (Deerfield, IL, not Texas)!

yearbookforever.com

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.