Dear Shepard Families:
It is now February, and—while we have braved some ice this week—the sun is staying out longer and longer (5:14 sunset today!). We have had a fun week at Shepard. The 8th-grade basketball teams took on the Deerfield Police and Fire Departments for the third-annual Pack the Place basketball game. It was a nail-biter, but the students came out on top for the third year in a row! You can see a video from Fox 32 covering the event here. My parents came to see the game, and my favorite thing they shared was how impressive our students were—both on the court and in the stands. That is a testament to our students but also a testament to you all as parents and guardians. We are lucky to serve such a special community here in Deerfield. Thank you for all that you do!
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:
- Flannel Spirit Day — Wednesday, 2/12
- Track and Field Starting Soon!
- Spring Parent-Teacher Conference Information to Come
- Shepard Instrumental Music Performance Fundraiser at Potbelly
- February Parental Tech Tip
- Pizza Bowl Flyer
Reminders from Last Week:
Sincerely,
Rob Wegley, Principal
Cathy Van Treese, Associate Principal
Ginger Logemann, Director for Student Services
Spring is right around the corner, which means Track and Field is starting soon. There will be an informational meeting on Thursday, Feb. 27 at 7:15 am in the cafeteria for any student interested in participating. Track and Field is a no-cut sport and open to all 6th-8th graders. The first practice is scheduled for Monday, March 10. Before any student athlete can start practice a current physical (within the last 13 months) needs to be on file with the school nurse. Our tentative schedule is here. We look forward to seeing many student athletes participate! Please fill out this interest form if you or a member of your family are thinking about joining track and field!
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 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.
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.