Spartan Weekly Update
Friday, September 30
Happy October!!!
Good Evening Spartan Families:
It's hard to believe October has arrived! As you head into the weekend, please take a moment to fill out our survey about our November Conferences and check out some of the great things happening at Shepard.
Our spring IAR and fall MAP Reports were mailed home, so keep an eye out for a heavy envelope heading to your mailbox.
Reminder that there is no school on Wednesday.
Have a wonderful weekend!
Chris Cybulski, Principal
Marie Zlotnikov, Associate Principal
Ginger Logemann, Coordinator for Student Services
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Parent/Guardian Conferences Survey
**Parent/Guardian-Teacher Conferences are scheduled for Monday, November 21 and Tuesday, November 22. In an effort to make a plan that will meet the needs of all of our families, we are asking you to take a moment to complete THIS SURVEY on your format preference for conferences (Remote or In-Person). Thank you for your help.**
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Extracurricular Activities Calendar
Click Here for Access to Our Extracurricular Calendar (Note: This calendar is live, so changes and updates will be made throughout the school year).
#OneChipChallenge
If you haven't seen the newest TikTok challenge, it's a genius piece of marketing. Students are spending $8-$15 to purchase what is billed as the "hottest chip" out there. While we are all for the fun and blue tongues, we are encouraging our students to keep the challenge outside of school hours. Thank you for your support and best of luck if you take the challenge!
It's About the Experience
Panorama Survey (October 12)
Building students’ social-emotional learning (SEL) skills is an important part of middle school. As a part of the learning process, we will be asking our 6th through 8th grade students to reflect on their own SEL mindsets via an online survey. The survey will be administered on Wednesday, October 12, and it should take no more than 20 minutes to complete. It asks students to self-reflect on their own grit, growth mindset, self-efficacy, self-management, social awareness, emotional regulation, and supportive relationships.
Individual student responses can provide the school and family with insight into what skills the child self-identifies as strengths and others they would like to develop. The overall data helps us (the educators) identify priorities and provide targeted learning opportunities to address the SEL needs in our classrooms.
Per policy, if you would like your child to opt out of taking the survey, please click here by October 1.
Upcoming Dates
October 5 - School Not in Attendance
October 10 - School Not in Attendance
October 20 - Picture Retake Day (Open to all Students)
October 28 - Quarter 1 Ends
October 31 - Halloween Costumes/Quarter 2 Begins
November 21 - Conferences (Evening)
November 22 - No School/Conferences (8am-3pm)
From the Spartan Student Council (StuCo)
Yearbook Orders and Yearbook Club
Don't miss out on the memories of the year. Purchase a Yearbook today.
The cost is $25.
The Yearbook Club
Contact Ms. Cameron and Mrs. Layne for more information.
Check out the Shepard Baking Club
Donate to the Spartan Bakers
Email Mrs. Ashman for more information on the club.
Art Ninjas Club
The Art Ninjas (National Jr. Art Honor Society), an afterschool art club, will be starting October 3rd. They meet every Monday in the Art room through May 1st. This group is for serious art students who want to advance their skills.
Contact Mrs. Conlin for more information.
ESports Club
FIRST EVER Spartan Esports - Fall Season Rocket League teams are forming now. Esports club/team will meet Thursdays after school for practice until 3:55 starting October 6th. Games versus other middle schools across the country will be played on Thursdays at 4:00 beginning November 10th. The Fall season goes until winter break on Thursday, December 15th when a champion is crowned.
For more information on the benefits of esports, read this parent letter from Vanta Esports and AMLE. To sign up for the Fall Season, go to: https://forms.gle/UpMUxXiHogMh5eew9.
Contact Mr. Wolfe with any questions.
SMS News Team
SMS News - Mondays after school until 3:55 - Opportunity to participate in bringing the good news of Shepard to our school community. You can be an anchor, reporter, writer or be on the tech crew. Broadcasts will be shown in school and posted to the SMS News Youtube channel.
Our first meeting will be on Monday, October 3rd. We meet most Mondays until the end of the school year. To sign up go to: https://forms.gle/mQdV9cEXQjMLZciU9
Contact Mr. Wolfe with any questions.
Ultimate Frisbee
Missed today's meeting. You can still join! Contact Mr. Rummelhart for more information.
Check out this video to see some of the amazing ultimate highlights!
Shepard STUCO Thursday Mornings
The first meeting of the Shepard Student Council was a huge success! Nearly 50 students students from 6th, 7th and 8th grade attending the meeting and brought wonderful new ideas on how to continue making Shepard a great place for all.
Still interested in joining? All students are eligible to join the STUCO, which serves as a student government, philanthropic outreach and positive culture builder in our school community.
Please email Ms. Oliff and Ms. Zelnick with any questions
Peer Leaders
Join the club dedicated to supporting all students at Shepard, all year long! Help plan events like March Madness, Whole School Trivia, Gratitude Wall, 5th Grade Tours, New Student Connections, Peer Buddies and much more!
Contact Mrs. O'Brien for more information.
Rubik's Cube Club
Learn to Solve the Rubik's Cube, Create mosaics, Compete in Timed Trials, Make Fun Videos and Connect with Great Friends.
Contact Mr. Kelzer for more information.
Math Counts Club
Increase math skills, work with others, compete and have fun!
Contact Mr. Kelzer for more information.
Counselors' Corner
Welcome to the 2022-2023 school year! Our names are Mrs. Wilmot, Ms. Seiden and Mrs. O’Brien and we are the counselors/social worker at Shepard Middle School. We are here to: listen to student’s concerns about academic, social or emotional issues, help students process their feelings/problems, teach/practice skills involving coping, executive functioning (time management, organization, study skills, etc.), anxiety management, and social skills, deliver classroom lessons on social emotional topics, and refer students to outside mental health resources for additional support. Students are free to stop by our office (room 101) or email us if they would like to set up a time to connect. We also run a weekly lunch bunch for every grade level on Thursdays.
Meghan Wilmot, Counselor
847-948-0620 x 5104
Erica O’Brien, Counselor
847-948-0620 x513
Tara Seiden, Social Worker
Bus Update (final reminder)
All "bus riders" have been issued a bus pass with their assigned bus number. Our drivers will be checking to ensure riders are on the correct route. In most cases, students are not allowed to ride other buses, because space is extremely limited.
In the event a special arrangement is needed for your child to ride an alternative bus for a day, please call our office at 847-948-0620.
4pm Activity Bus: All "bus riders" have access to our 4pm Activity Bus on Mon/Tues/Thu/Fri. This bus takes students home after clubs/activities. The driver will deliver students to their appropriate bus stop.
DISTRICT COMMUNICATION
TrueNorth Survey
Our school district is a member of the TrueNorth Educational Cooperative 804. TrueNorth provides a wide variety of services, from professional consultation for our staff to alternative school placements for our students. TrueNorth is developing a new strategic plan; as part of the process, they are looking for input from many groups. You are an important TrueNorth stakeholder and your opinions and experiences are valuable. This information will assist our district and TrueNorth in better meeting the needs of your children. Please participate in the TrueNorth strategic planning process by completing this survey:
https://hyasurvey.com/TrueNorth.
The survey is open through Sunday. The survey data is an important component of the strategic planning process and will be used, along with other data components, to develop the plan.
PPS 109 Event on 10/25
We are excited this school year to return to offering in-person parent/guardian networking and educational opportunities for our community in collaboration with PPS109.
PPS109 is a partnership of DPS 109 administrators, teachers and parents/guardians who provide education and support to families of children with a wide range of needs. Our first event of the ‘22-’23 school year will be An Overview of District 109 Student Services. This event will take place on Tuesday, Oct. 25 at 6 pm at the District Office.
We are also asking for your help! Please click here to help us prioritize the next community event that will be offered during this school year. There is also an option on the form to let us know if you are interested in participating in PPS109 parent/guardian networking opportunities.
Is your child symptomatic for COVID?
As a reminder; if your child is presenting with COVID-19 symptoms, we will be continuing to accept home test results via our website. Here is the link to submit your child’s home test results (please select your child’s school from the drop down menu). If you have any questions or concerns about your ability to access home tests during the school year please reach out to Joanna Ford at jford@dps109.org.
Turn in those required health forms!
There’s still a few weeks to accomplish this. Check this list by grade to make sure you’ve got all the right forms submitted!