Shepard News & Notes
April 13, 2018
Hello Shepard Families:
Third quarter progress reports will be posted on Family Access at about 3:00pm today. You will be able to log into Family Access, click on the “ReportCard/Progress Report” tab on the left navigation bar, and download the report. We hope that you will find an opportunity to have positive discussions about your child’s grades and overall academic experience.
Below is information that I sent to you at the beginning of the school year about changes to grading and reporting this year. I hope it helps you as you review your child’s progress report, and continue to watch his or her growth throughout the year.
Progress Reports and Report Cards
Last year, students received numerical marking on standards at quarters one and three; in quarters two and four, they received numerical markings and overall letter grades. Unfortunately, we found that a reporting system that contained letters and numbers was confusing for students, teachers, and families. After input from staff and parents, the District decided that in the 2017-2018 school year we will use numerical markings only on progress reports and report cards. We believe that this best practice for standards based grading will improve student and parent understanding of student progress towards standards.
Teacher Comments
In 2016-2017, teachers included a summary statement of what was covered in each course on the quarter 1 and 3 progress report. On the quarter 2 and 4 report cards, teachers provided personalized comments on student progress in each course. This year, teachers will provide personalized comments for all courses EXCEPT practical arts (Art, CMA, Music, Instrumental Music, and STEM) at the end of quarters 1 and 3. It is our hope that providing personalized feedback for quarters 1 and 3 will be helpful as students work toward displaying mastery at the end of each semester. Practical arts courses will continue to provide personalized comments at quarters 2 and 4 because they do not meet with students as often due to the A/B schedule rotation.
Honor Roll
There will be two honor rolls that students can achieve at the end of each semester (not after 1st or 3rd quarter):
- Academic Honor Roll: Students earn this merit when they receive all 3s and 4s in the academic areas on their report card.
- Habits of Success Honor Roll: Students are named to this honor roll when they receive all 3s on the Habits of Success area of their report card.
Students are eligible to be recognized on both honor rolls.
Please contact Cathy Kedjidjian (ckedjidjian@dps109.org) if you have any questions about Family Access. If you have questions about a grade your child receives, please contact your child’s teachers. If you have questions about standards based learning, please feel free to reach out to me!
Warm Regards,
John1st Posting - Traffic Reminders
Please view the aerial map for a visual of drop off procedures. Remember that traffic in and out of Shepard moves one direction. You will approach Shepard moving south in a single file line on Grove Avenue and exit to the east on Poplar Lane. Do not park and exit your car while on Grove, in front of the school, or on Poplar. If you must exit your vehicle, you need to park in the main lot–the Buildings & Grounds lot is not open to parents.
During pick up, please be kind to our neighbors. Do not park in front of driveways and refrain from making 3-point turns in the street or in our neighbors driveways to head north on Grove. Not only do our neighbors frequently complain about their driveways being used for this purpose, but this presents a safety risk to our students.
Please respect all traffic signs and stay off your cell phone. You will see your three building administrators out and about in yellow vests welcoming students and directing traffic. If you have questions, do not hesitate to ask. Bottom line – obey the rules, be patient, and keep moving!
1st Posting - Parent Program on April 24 Inclusion: What Every Parent Should Know
Tuesday, April 24 at 7:00pm at Caruso Middle School
District 109 is excited to welcome Dr. Paula Kluth, a nationally recognized and highly regarded expert on inclusive schooling and differentiated instruction. Dr. Kluth will spend the day providing professional development to District 109 staff; in the evening, she will share her ideas and expertise with parents on how parents, teachers, staff and our community can work together to create responsive, engaging experiences for all learners in our schools.
2nd Posting - Personalized Math
1st/FINAL Posting - Swimmers Of All Abilities: Sign Up for the 3rd Annual Dual in the Pool at DHS
PTSO News!
PTSO Membership Drive
It's not too late to join the Shepard PTSO! Our goal is for 100% of Shepard families to join. We are currently at 80%. Your $25 donation helps fund activities and educational items needed for our students and teachers that are not funded by the school or district. Additionally, membership provides you with weekly emails to keep you current on PTSO happenings as well as access to the school directory and PTSO - sponsored events.
There are fun spring and end of year activities coming soon - 6th grade Social Dance - 8th grade Graduation Celebrations. Don't miss out!
To join, login to your account at shepardptso.org, make changes on your dashboard profile and save, and then go to the For Sale tab to purchase membership.
Career Fair!
Career Fair 2018 – Volunteers needed:
Shepard students will be participating in Career Fair 2018: Today & Into the Future in school on the morning of Friday, April 20th. We need a diverse group of VOLUNTEERS to spend the morning sharing insights, tips, and tales of their own careers with the students as they explore different career options. See our flyers to learn more details about volunteering and this exciting event, or visit this link!
http://www.shepardptso.org/Spd/downloads.cfm
Please email Jill at shepardcareerfair@gmail.com if you are interested in volunteering, know someone who would be a perfect addition, or if you have any questions about Career Fair 2018.
6th Grade Social Dance
Registration
To register, login to your account on www.shepardptso.org, select For Sale, select Items for Sale, select 6th Grade Social Dance and follow the prompts
Not sure you registered your child? Login to your account on shepardptso.org, select “My Account” and then select “My Orders”.
Schedule
Social dance will run from 7:00 - 8:15pm in the Shepard gym on April 13, April 20, April 27, May 4, May 11 and May 17. Parents are invited to attend and watch on May 17th--this final class will run until 8:45.
Dress Code
·Belted dress slacks, dress shirt with a collar (shirts must be tucked in). Dresses or skirts and blouses.
·Students may wear dress shoes or gym shoes.
Volunteers
We are looking for 2-3 parents each week to help sign in the kids, etc. Email shepardptso@gmail.com to sign up.
After Party!
Potbelly’s has agreed to stay open until 9:15 for those who would like to go for food or ice cream after Social Dance ends. Everyone is welcome (important note: chaperones are not provided so please make sure your child understands expectations on appropriate behavior as Potbelly agrees to do this if we can agree the kids will behave responsibly and respectfully.)
We hope your 6th grader looks forward to participating in social dance. It is definitely a fun and memorable Shepard tradition!
Box Tops
Don't throw away those Box Tops! We collect them and submit them to
raise money for the Shepard Student Council. Drop your Box Tops off in the Shepard Office.About Us!
Archived Communications
February 23, 2018 News & Notes
November 17, 2017 News & Notes
September 22, 2017 News & Notes
September 8, 2017 News & Notes
September 1, 2017 News & Notes
Email: jfilippi@dps109.org
Website: http://shepard.dps109.org/
Location: 440 Grove Avenue, Deerfield, IL, United States
Phone: (847) 948-0620
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ShepardMiddleSchool/
Twitter: @109Shepard