The Patriot Post

Dear Parents,

What an awesome week we've had! Between the book fair, PATS assemblies, and more, there has been so much excitement—and I promise that even with all the fun, LOTS of learning still happened!

Today, we had a special visit from Plano’s famous "Cafeteria Cops" during lunch. Your child might tell you all about it this evening! These Plano police officers brought music, DJ’d, and even turned lunch into a dance party. I have no doubt students will be begging me to bring them back again!

Tonight is Open House! This is a come-and-go event where you can visit your child's classroom, explore their AMPed spaces, stop by the book fair in the library, and simply enjoy time together in their school home. Please also check out the lost and found near the cafeteria!!!! Since this event is designed as a student-led celebration, it won’t be the best time for specific questions about your child’s performance or to share specific concerns. However, we encourage ongoing communication, so if you have concerns or feedback, please feel free to follow up with your child's teacher at any time.

You may have seen a special survey come through our Shepard email account. At the top, there’s a video explaining "HRS"—our goal of becoming a High Reliability School. Shepard is already a special place, and we are committed to building on that strong foundation by continuously refining our practices to make it even better for our students. Your feedback is an important part of this journey, and we value ongoing improvement. If you have any questions about the survey—whether it’s how we celebrate teachers and students or details about our safety plan—please don’t hesitate to reach out.

We appreciate your partnership and look forward to continuing to grow together as a community.

See you tonight!

Christy James

• March 13th: Open House 5:30-6:30; Book Fair 6:00-7:00
• March 17th-21st: Spring Break (No School on 24th either)
• March 24th: Professional Learning Day for teachers (Student Holiday)
• March 26th 5:30- PTA General Meeting
• April 8th: 4th and 5th Grade Reading STAAR
• April 9th: PTA Spirit Night at Shake Shack 10am-10pm
• April 10th: 3rd Grade Reading STAAR
• April 15th: 5th Grade Science STAAR
• April 18th: No School
• April 24th: 4th and 5th Grade Math STAAR
• April 25th: School Picnic
• April 29th: 3rd Grade Math STAAR
• May 1st: 1st Grade Musical 6:00
• May 8th: Plano ISD Teacher of the Year Banquet (Wish Ms. Diamond luck)
• May 13th: Plano Senior High Shepard Grads Reunion and Hall Walk
• May 15th: Shepard SBIC Meeting 3:15
• May 15th: Pee Wee Patriots for incoming kindergarteners 4:30-5:30
• May 16th: Field Day
• May 23rd: Class Parties and Last Day of School- Early Release at 12:00
• August 12th: First Day of 25-26 School Year

The Nominating Committees selections are below, they will be presented by Stacy Littrell as the Nominating Committee's selection at the General Election PTA Meeting on March 26, 2024. If there are no new nominees "from the floor" the night of the election, each will be voted in. If any position receives a nomination "from the floor", then all PTA members at the meeting will vote on that position and a winner will be elected.

• President: Jamie Graham
• Vice President of Programs: Jenna Tipton
• Vice President of Ways and Means: Open
• Vice President of Membership: Taylor Walker
• Vice President of Volunteers: Emily Butler
• Vice President of Communications: Angela Mah
• Secretary: Jackie Bentley
• Treasurer: Christine Reber
• Parliamentarian: Jessica Gober

• Please remember to use the back drive for carpool drop off and avoid passing other cars.
• Bikes and scooters need to be walked to the bike rack to avoid collisions with student walkers.
• Unfortunately, dogs are not allowed on campus.
• Please use the crosswalks to cross the road, and do not let children pass in front of the back carpool line unattended in the mornings.

Plano ISD students may not receive lunch deliveries from Door Dash, Uber Eats, etc. ordered by their parents or by themselves. Deliveries such as these increase potential safety concerns. Any food delivered through a delivery service will have to be sent back or held in the front office until the end of the school day. Thank you for your understanding.

Here's some fun ideas for movement over Spring Break! Turn it in to Coach B. at the end of the month for Patriot Points!

This month, teachers are talking about honesty.

Shepard staff wears shirts with happy faces or positive messages to staff and students on Mondays. We love when our students join us by wearing any happy face shirt or a tshirt with a positive message.

Use the link if you would like to visit during your child's lunch time to eat with them in our "Patriot Patio" area. https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0A4CAFA628A1FDCF8-50923715-2024

Please click on the picture to submit a shout-out to one of our awesome Shepard staff members! Mrs. James will surprise the teachers with their special message at our next assembly!

Thank you for all of your efforts to make sure students are here and on time every day. We've got this!

Braum’s Book Buddy is a reading incentive program for children in the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th grades. Each child can earn up to six Braum’s ice cream treats per school year just by reading, and it is free to participate in the program!

The program begins in October and lasts through the school year. Teachers distribute Braum’s Book Buddy booklets to their students and then monitor book reading by placing a Book Buddy sticker in the student’s booklet for each book read. When a student has read six books or 100 minutes a week, the teacher rewards the student with a coupon for a free treat from Braum’s!

Plano ISD’s volunteer management platform, VOLY, is open and ready for 2024-25! Every person who wishes to serve as a volunteer must complete/update a VOLY volunteer application and criminal history search each school year. For more information, please visit our district’s volunteer web page. Library volunteer sign up is at https://tinyurl.com/3ydprayd

• Please remember that students need sneakers on PE days.
• Please remember to avoid coming into the office to pick up students after 2:35 p.m. unless absolutely necessary.

Golden Chick has chosen to support our school by donating 50 cents from every Churros purchase to Shepard!

Our PTA has been so instrumental in creating this unique Shepard experience. By joining, you are not committing to volunteering (although we would love your help) but you are helping support their wonderful experience at Shepard. School spirit wear is purchased through the PTA website.

The PTA is selling grade-level shirts at a fantastic price! These shirts are perfect for students to wear during the Turkey Trot, Field Day, field trips, and more. Visit the PTA website to purchase one for your child, or grab one at the Turkey Trot Festival on November 8th. The colors will remain consistent over the years, making them great for passing down to siblings as they continue their journey at Shepard! The yellow bar below will take you to the link!