Shepard News & Notes
August 1, 2016
Greetings Shepard Families!
I hope this email finds you enjoying the remaining days of vacation; hopefully you and your student(s) are recharged and ready to embark on an exciting new year at Shepard on August 22nd!
To keep you informed throughout the year, I will be sharing Shepard News & Notes emails; these are weekly or bi-weekly informational newsletters sent to all Shepard families. It is important that you keep your contact information in Family Access current in order to receive these updates.
These communications are typically very short. This message and all others will follow a standard format; I will open with a brief message and then I will post news items that denote whether it is new news or a reminder. Some reminders will stay up for nearly a semester while other will only be posted one time. In any event, I will always let you know when something is being posted for a final time (you can also view archived editions in the link at the bottom of the page). I will also attach or link pertinent flyers and/or information from the school/district/PTSO throughout my messages so you don’t need to hunt for them. Please don't miss the PTSO welcome back letter linked to the right!
The postings below are not intended to be comprehensive because there are still items that have not yet been finalized. I will share additional information in a future Shepard News & Notes before the start of the school year.
I look forward to seeing you soon!
Warm Regards,
JohnPardon our dust - the art and music wings are getting an overhaul this summer!
1st Posting - Schedules & Other Information
Class schedules will be available in Family Access on August 11th; 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.
1st Posting - Fee Day
Fee Day for Shepard Middle School is fast approaching! August 12th 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 11) 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 for $12.00 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, and Special Lunch).
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 17th 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
1st 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 12 - especially 6th grade families who are purchasing a lock and PE uniform. Students must use school-issued locks 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.
1st 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
1st Posting - Bell Schedule & Early Release Information
PTSO News!
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
June 3, 2016 News & Notes Communication
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