Shepard News & Notes
August 9, 2017
Greetings Shepard Families!
Student schedules for the 2017-2018 school year will be available tomorrow, August 10 on Family Access (click the Family Access logo on the District home page to access the login page). We can't pinpoint the exact time that your child's schedule will be viewable to you. Please don’t contact the office if you don’t see the correct links to view class placements right away, or if friends have access but your account isn’t yet open to view class placements. We will roll out access steadily throughout the day so we don’t overload the system. Please note that not all features available on the desktop site are accessible through the Skyward mobile app, so please log in on a desktop or laptop computer to view the class placement. To find your child’s schedule, log into Family Access and click on "Schedule" on the left navigation bar.
If you don’t remember your password to log into Family Access, use the Forgot Password button on the Family Access login page. Enter your login ID, which, unless you previously logged in and changed it, is yourfirstname.yourlastname (don’t enter your email address). You'll receive an email to the email address on file with a link to reset your password. Please read the Family Access User Guide to learn how to navigate the system. Here are a couple of quick troubleshooting tips:
Browser selection: If you are having login problems and have access to multiple browsers, please try another browser (or, try logging in on another computer).
Enable pop-up blockers: You’ll need to enable pop-up blockers to use Family Access. Here are instructions to do so for Chrome, Safari, Firefox and Internet Explorer (scroll down to “To turn Pop-Up Blocker on or off.”).
We're looking forward to seeing many of you on Friday!
Warm Regards,
John2nd/FINAL Posting - Schedules & Other Information
Class schedules will be available in Family Access on August 10th; schedules will not be mailed home. Shepard does not honor requests for specific class/teacher placements. It takes numerous days to schedule over 500 students into the periods of a middle school day. Once the massive puzzle of student schedules are put into place they are considered finalized. If you note an error, please contact our Associate Principal, Sam Kurtz (skurtz@dps109.org), to share the error. He will work closely with our office staff to fix the problem in a timely manner.
2nd/FINAL Posting - Fee Day
Fee Day for Shepard Middle School is fast approaching! August 11th has been established as Fee Day for Shepard Middle School students, including incoming 6th graders. Our PTSO has done a tremendous job coordinating the details for the day. Students’ assigned lockers will be noted on their schedule (retrieved online August 10) and they will have an opportunity to set up their lockers and walk their schedules.
Fee Day will run similar to last year. There will be two sessions; the first session is from 9am to noon and the second session is from 4pm to 6pm.
What Can I Expect at Fee Day?
Spartan Fee Day will be held in the gym where you will visit various booths. While at these booths you will be able to:
Pick up your P.E. Uniform (which is required if you do not already own one).
Padlocks (required to purchase if you do not already own a Shepard lock. If you are using a Shepard lock from the previous year, you will need to bring the lock with you so the office can write down the combination and serial number).
PTSO Membership (which includes a school telephone directory).
School Supplies available for pickup from pre-order.
Purchase other items available from the PTSO
Sign-up for volunteer opportunities (Treat Day, Library, etc.).
While at Spartan Fee Day, students will have the opportunity to walk their schedule and unpack and lock their supplies in their lockers. We encourage 6th graders to take home one of their locks to practice opening their locks before the first day of school.
What Do I Need to Bring to Fee Day?
A printed copy of your student’s schedule (from Family Access)
A printed receipt from the PTSO web-store.
A printed receipt for incidental fee purchases (from Family Access)
7th/8th graders need to bring their existing Shepard lock.
Any medical/dental/Sports Physical forms to turn in (Click on links).
What If I Cannot Attend Spartan Fee Day?
You can visit Shepard on Wednesday August 16th from 3:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. for a modified version of Fee Day:
You can pick up your locks and any pre-ordered supplies
You will get your PE uniform on the first day of school
Walk your schedule and unpack and lock supplies in locker
2nd Posting - Incidental Fees
The middle schools have worked to determine all of the anticipated incidental fees charged throughout the year and have added them to Family Access so that families can make one easy, online payment, rather than sending many checks. We hope that we’ve accounted for all of the additional fees, but there may be others throughout the year.
These school- and grade-specific fees are separate from the District book/material/technology fee that was due on July 1. If you haven’t yet paid that District fee, you will need to do so when you pay your Shepard incidental fees.
Some of the school fees are mandatory, while others are optional. You can view the fees below; you also can click here to see the fees with more detailed information.
The mandatory fees will be added to your child’s account; you will be able to use the “Add a Fee” feature for the optional items. Here are instructions for making a secure online payment of these fees through Family Access. If you have any questions about using Family Access, please contact District 109's Coordinator of Communications & Community Relations Cathy Kedjidjian at ckedjidjian@dps109.org.
While the final due date for incidental fees is October 1, we encourage you to make your payment before Fee Day on August 11 - especially 6th grade families who are purchasing a lock and PE uniform. Students must use a school-issued lock and uniforms. Sixth grade students can use the lock or uniform of a graduated sibling; otherwise, you should purchase those items. If you purchase the lock and uniform, your must print a copy of your receipt and bring it to Fee Day to make the pickup process quick and easy.
Important note: Middle school yearbooks will not be purchased through Family Access this year. You will make your purchase online directly with our yearbook provider. We will send out information about yearbooks later in the fall.
2nd Posting - Shepard FAQ
If you have a question you feel should be answered on the FAQ, please send it my way and I'll see what I can do! jfilippi@dps109.org
2nd Posting - School Supply Lists
PTSO News!
PTSO: Special Lunch
We are pleased to offer Special Lunch again this year. Ordering will begin the week of August 14th and special lunch service will begin Monday August 28th. Stay tuned for an email notice regarding ordering details and exciting changes.
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
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