A Note From Dr. Hooks

Dear Shepherd ES Families,

Happy October! As we begin a new month, we are excited about the many opportunities ahead to learn, connect, and celebrate as a school community. Thank you for your continued partnership and support. Please review the upcoming October events and note the recent updates to our calendar.

As a reminder, the primary email address for general school-related inquiries is shepherdes@k12.dc.gov. Please use this email address for questions, requests, or other school-related communication.

Kindest regards,

Dr. Calvin Hooks, Interim Principal
Shepherd Elementary School

News and Updates

Bullying Prevention & Awareness Month: A Message from Mr. Bardach

October is Bullying Prevention & Awareness Month, a time for families and schools to work together to create safe, respectful, and inclusive learning environments for all students. Children are learning social skills every day, and many challenges between peers can be resolved through adult guidance, communication, and problem-solving.

What Is Bullying?

Bullying is serious, repeated, and intentional behavior that harms, intimidates, or targets another person, often involving a power imbalance.

Bullying can be:

Physical: Hitting, pushing, kicking, or damaging property

Verbal: Name-calling, teasing, threats, or insults

Social: Excluding others, spreading rumors, or embarrassing someone

Cyberbullying: Using technology, social media, or text messages to hurt or harass others

Bullying may be based on a person's race, religion, ethnicity, national origin, sex, age, disability, appearance, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, family background, or any other actual or perceived difference.

It is also important to remember that not every conflict or disagreement is bullying. Children are learning social skills every day, and many challenges between peers can be resolved through adult guidance, communication, and problem-solving.

What Is Not Bullying?

While these situations may still require support, they are not necessarily bullying:

Arguments or disagreements between friends

Accidental hurtful comments

One-time conflicts

Misunderstandings

Typical peer disagreements where both children are equally involved

How Families Can Help

Talk with your child regularly about friendships and school experiences.
Encourage kindness, empathy, and respect for others.
Teach your child to seek help from a trusted adult when needed.
Monitor online activity and discuss responsible digital behavior.
Partner with your child's teacher or school staff if concerns arise.

Choose Kindness This October

Encourage your child to:

Include others

Use kind words

Respect differences

Stand up for others appropriately

Ask for help when they need it

Every conflict is not bullying. However, every child deserves to feel safe, respected, and supported. Together, families and schools can build a culture of kindness where every student can thrive.

Java with Jackson: Coffee and Conversation with Chancellor Kim Jackson

Join Chancellor Jackson for Java with Jackson, a series of community conversations hosted at local coffee shops across the District. Families, educators, and community partners are invited to meet Chancellor Jackson, share experiences, ask questions, and help shape the future of DC Public Schools. Register here.

Dates & Locations:

Thursday, October 8, 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. | La Coop Coffee, Ward 4
Thursday, October 15, 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. | Grounded, Ward 8
Thursday, October 29, 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. | Bread Furst, Ward 3
Thursday, November 19, 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. | Ebenezer’s Coffee, Ward 5 & 6

Registration is not required, and attendees may join a coffee in any Ward, regardless of residence or the location of their school.

POC: Lauren.Brown@k12.dc.gov

Previous Updates

Excuse Notes for Absences

If you are able, please submit student absence excuse notes directly through the Aspen Family Portal. This is the fastest way to ensure absences are properly documented.

For families who are unable to submit notes through Aspen, please email the excuse note to the Shepherd Elementary School general mailbox, shepherdes@k12.dc.gov, and we will be happy to assist. Thank you for your support!

IB Corner

Learner Profile of the Month: Caring

ATL of the Month: Social Skills

Heritage Month Celebration: Hispanic Heritage Month

Upcoming Event: International Night on Thursday, November 5 from 5:30-7:00. Please sign up here if you are interested in participating!

🌍IB Monthly Newsletters:

September IB Monthly: https://app.smore.com/n/3sydh

Related Arts

Please use the link below, for information from the Related Arts Team.

Updated Upcoming Events

Please feel free to save the dates! Additional details for each event will be shared closer to the date of each activity.

Community Outreach

Before and After Care

SESSA New Parent One Pager

PTO Board is Here: One Place for Everything

Families, PTBoard is officially live; the new home for all things Shepherd Elementary PTO. Most of you received an email invite already, but if you missed it or prefer to join another way, here's how:

Go to shepherdelementary.ptboard.com
Log in
On the "Join School" screen, enter school code: 7JBP37

Why it's worth a few minutes:
Everything now lives in one place: announcements, the calendar, volunteer sign-ups, classroom and grade-level groups, and forms. No more piecing things together across ClassDojo, email, and multiple links.

Once you're in, take a minute to confirm your child's grade and classroom so you get the right updates.

Something not working? Let us know at pto@shepherd-elementary.org. We're new to this platform too, and we'd much rather hear it's confusing than have you give up on it.

SES PTO

DCFAPAC.ORG

Please see the attached flyer from DCFAPAC.ORG.

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Become a DC Foster Parent.pdf

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Resources and Reminders

Kids Ride Free Card Requests

Please email shepherdes@k12.dc.gov to request a card.

Meal Prices and Payments

Please use this link to learn about DCPS meals and payments.

Early Childhood Family Materials

The Early Childhood Education Division has several family facing resources available at ReadyForPreK.org including the Pre-K Family Toolkit and the Kindergarten Playbook. These digital resources have information for families on how you can support your child's transition into school!

Plan Ahead: Start Your Volunteer Clearance Early!

If you are planning to chaperone field trips, help in classrooms, or support school events during the upcoming school year, now is the perfect time to start the volunteer clearance process. All volunteers, including parents, must complete the DCPS Clearance process before volunteer services can be provided.

Clearance can take several weeks, so we encourage all interested family members to begin early to avoid delays. Once completed, please email your proof of clearance to shepherdes@k12.dc.gov .

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Mental Health Referrals at Shepherd ES.pdf

Shepherd ES Family Handbook 2026-2027 (8-21-26).pdf

Shepherd ES Back to School Night 9-3-26 (Abbreviated).pdf

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5.5 MB

DCPS Notice of Non-Discrimination and Anti-Discrimination Policy

Please use these links to access the DCPS Notice of Non -Discrimination and Anti -Discrimination Policy .

Newsletter Features

When you receive the Family Newsletter by email, on Fridays, you will have the option to view it in a web browser. Accessing the newsletter this way allows for automatic translation into over 20 languages and provides enhanced accessibility features, including high-contrast display settings and adjustable font sizes for improved visibility.

Key Dates 📆

September

September 3, 2026 ~ Back to School Night @ 5:30pm

September 7, 2026~ School Closed (Labor Day)

October

October 8, 2026 ~ Shepherd Athletics Parent Meeting, 5:00pm-5:30pm

October 8, 2026 ~ Family STEM Night, 5:30pm-7:00pm

October 12, 2026 ~ Holiday, No School

October 13, 2026 ~ Parent Teacher Conference Day

October 23, 2026 ~ Suicide Prevention Presentation (Parents/Guardians), 8:50am-9:15am

October 23, 2026 ~ Celebration of Learning, 9:15am-9:45am

October 29, 2026 ~ Book-O-Ween (Schedule to be shared)

October 30, 2026 ~ Staff Professional Development Day, No School for Students

November

November 2, 2026 ~ Teacher Records and Wellness Day, No School for Students

November 3, 2026 ~ Election Day, No School for Students

November 5, 2026 ~ International Night, 5:30pm-7:00pm

November 11, 2026 ~ Holiday, No School

November 25-27, 2026 ~ Holiday, No School for Students

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DCPS SY 26-27 Calendar.pdf

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Shepherd Elementary School

Main Office Hours: Monday - Friday, 8:00 AM - 4:30 PM

Address: 7800 14th Street NW, Washington, DC 20012

Website: Updates Coming Soon

Email: shepherdes@k12.dc.gov

School Phone: (202) 576-6140

Family Newsletter

Shepherd Elementary School October 2, 2026

A Note From Dr. Hooks

News and Updates

Bullying Prevention & Awareness Month: A Message from Mr. Bardach

Related Arts Newsletter Link

Java with Jackson: Coffee and Conversation with Chancellor Kim Jackson

Previous Updates

Excuse Notes for Absences

IB Corner

Related Arts

Updated Upcoming Events

Community Outreach

Before and After Care

PTO Board is Here: One Place for Everything

DCFAPAC.ORG

Resources and Reminders

FARM Application

Volunteer Clearance Process

School Health Requirements

Kids Ride Free Card Requests

Meal Prices and Payments

Early Childhood Family Materials

Plan Ahead: Start Your Volunteer Clearance Early!

DCPS Notice of Non-Discrimination and Anti-Discrimination Policy

Newsletter Features

Key Dates 📆

Shepherd Elementary School

A Note From Dr. Hooks

News and Updates News and Updates

Bullying Prevention & Awareness Month: A Message from Mr. Bardach

Related Arts Newsletter Link

Java with Jackson: Coffee and Conversation with Chancellor Kim Jackson

Previous Updates Previous Updates

Excuse Notes for Absences

IB Corner

Related Arts

Updated Upcoming Events

Community Outreach Community Outreach

Before and After Care

PTO Board is Here: One Place for Everything

DCFAPAC.ORG

Resources and Reminders Resources and Reminders

FARM Application

Volunteer Clearance Process

School Health Requirements

Kids Ride Free Card Requests

Meal Prices and Payments

Early Childhood Family Materials

Plan Ahead: Start Your Volunteer Clearance Early!

DCPS Notice of Non-Discrimination and Anti-Discrimination Policy

Newsletter Features

Key Dates 📆 Key Dates 📆

Shepherd Elementary School

News and Updates

Previous Updates

Community Outreach

Resources and Reminders

Key Dates 📆