Spartan Weekly 23-24

Happy Weekend Spartan Families,

Welcome to December and the countdown to the end of 2023. Thanksgiving ushered in the colder weather and tons of holiday cheer, and the Shepard hallways are buzzing with competitive spirit as the annual door decorating competition is underway. As a school, we are excited to make the most out of the last 13 days of 2023 and begin to prep our goals and resolutions for the new year.

Before you close up your computer and check out for some family time this weekend, please take a moment to visit our 109 Gives Back Holiday Gift Drive site and consider helping a family in need this winter season. The need is always great and every little bit helps to ensure everyone in our school community can experience the spirit and joy of the holidays.

Have a wonderful weekend.

(Mr. C) Mr. Chris Cybulski, Principal

(Mrs. Z) Mrs. Marie Zlotnikov, Associate Principal

Mrs. Ginger Logemann, District Coordinator for Student Services

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SHEPARD EXTRACURRICULAR CLUBS/ACTIVITIES LIST

Shepard Athletics and Extracurricular Calendar 2023-24

Shepard orchestra students from all three grades + chamber orchestra rehearsed on Tuesday this week in an open rehearsal style workshop with orchestral clinician, Mr. Ausberto Acevedo, orchestra director at Evanston Township High School. Students gained new perspectives and continued preparing for the upcoming December 14th Orchestra Concert.

Orchestra students reflected on their experience with Mr. Acevedo:

"I liked what Mr. Acevedo was saying about playing every note like it means something" - Mia Moyano, 8th Grade - Cello.

"I really liked how Mr. Acevedo made each of the notes seem different and unique and he really connected with the orchestra when we were playing" - Nalini Reed, 7th Grade - Violin.

- [It resonated with me when Mr. Acevedo said] the dynamics are like speaking." - Brayden Ennessy, 6th Grade - Cello.

"I really liked the way Mr. Acevedo explained Sinfonia and why we play it like we do. It's a way of honoring the original people that played it and places that they played which I thought was really cool." - Abigail Garcia, 8th Grade - Cello.

Parking

The Deerfield Police Department has asked us to alert families about the posted "No Parking" signs on the streets around Shepard. The signs have been posted to support the leaf removal efforts of the Deerfield Public Works Department and will remain in place through the first week of December. The Deerfield PD has asked all drivers to obey the signs to avoid any ticketing.

This ordinance impacts any parents/guardians who arrive early and wait on Poplar and Locust streets to pick up after school. For the time being, it is best to position your car behind our buses on Grove Ave.

Drop Off Procedures

The Deerfield Police have also asked that we remind parents not to cut through the parking lot during morning drop off. The inside lane (though it can be long and cumbersome) is for student drop off. The outside lane is reserved for our buses and staff.

Cutting through the parking lot has created a safety concern and a few close calls as we have students and staff walking through to get to the building. We appreciate your support in making our student drop off time as safe and smooth as possible.

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If you are interested in purchasing a PE sweatshirt or sweatpants that can be worn in place of the normal PE uniform, please click here.

Reach out to Coach Brown with any questions.

Cost: $30

*Price rises to $35 after January 1*

Click Here to Order

November 22-24 - NO SCHOOL - Thanksgiving Break

December 20 - Last Day of School for 2023 (2pm Dismissal)

December 21-January 8 - NO SCHOOL - Winter Break

January 9 - School Resumes

January 15 - NO SCHOOL - MLK Jr. Day

January 23 - Winter MAP Assessments

January 25 - Winter MAP Assessments

It’s the holiday season and for the fourth consecutive year District 109 is coming together to host our 109 Gives Back Holiday Gift Drive! This drive benefits local Deerfield families.

Sign up now to make someone’s holiday a little bit brighter! (Note: the list will continue to grow… so check back again in the next week or two as more things are added!)

Gifts can be dropped off at any 109 school or our district office between Monday, November 27th and Friday, December 8th.

• Please make sure gifts are not wrapped

• Please make sure gifts are labeled with the themed family name (example: Candy Cane family)

• If you are bringing gift cards, we ask that you bring them to the school’s front office.

• Gifts can also be shipped directly to Wilmot Elementary School at 795 Wilmot Road in Deerfield care of Eileen Brett.

If you need to make an alternate drop-off arrangement for a gift, please reach out to Eileen Brett at ebrett@dps109.org.

If you have any questions, please reach out to communications@dps109.org. Thank you for helping ensure that our neighbors have a wonderful holiday season!

DPS 109 community,

As we march closer to winter, we wanted to remind everyone of how we approach the process of determining whether school will be open and how we will communicate any changes with you. If school cannot physically be open, we will shift to an e-learning day.

When would school not be in person?
On www.dps109.org/badweather, you can review the process the Superintendent and district leaders undergo to determine if school will physically be open. There are multiple factors at play, including the timing and amount of precipitation, the temperature, wind chill, and road conditions. As stated above, the district would transition to an e-learning day.

When will we receive an initial notification?
We will closely monitor the forecast and send home devices the day before an expected weather event. A “heads up” email will be sent to staff and families the day prior and every effort will be made to send out this “heads up” as early as possible in the day to allow teachers to prepare and devices to be charged.

When is a final decision made and how will we be notified?
Every effort will be made to make a decision by 5:30 a.m. Families & staff will receive a text and email immediately from the district, along with a follow-up robocall.

How will my student know what to do on an e-learning day?
Your building principal will send school-specific information via email on the day of. Students will meet with their teachers using Google Meet. Links to join will be made available in the principal email, Seesaw, and/or Google Classroom.

Please reach out to our office or your child’s teacher if you have any questions.