Patriot Post 3.26.2024
Brought to You by Shepard Elementary and the Shepard PTA
In this week's edition...
- Message from Mrs. Bishop
- Calendar
- Plastic Bag Challenge
- PTA Seeking Nominations for Board Positions
- Spring Family Picnic
- PTA Senior Scholarship
- Order Yearbooks & Submit Photos
- Join PTA
- Volunteer Opportunities
- District/Community Events
Message from Mrs. Bishop
Hey, Shepard Families!
Ready for a 3 day weekend? Remember, there is no school this Friday, March 29. Also, April 1st is a school day, but it is not a day for jokes and tricks at school. We simply do not have the capacity at school to wade through what is funny and what is mean for April Fools Day. Thank you for your help in this area.
Last evening, an email about the Total Solar Eclipse on April 8 was sent to all families. Please take a moment to find that email and read the included information. If you would like to opt out of your student viewing the eclipse with the safety glasses, please fill out the form on that email.
Please continue to send your plastic grocery sacks in to school as we compete in the HEB Plastic Bag Challenge. So far, our students have collected and counted over 11,000 bags! That's amazing! The challenge ends on April 11.
Kristin Bishop
Shepard Principal
Calendar of Upcoming Events
March
29| No School
April
8| Spirit Night at Taco Joint, all day
11| Plastic Bag Challenge Deadline
12| Spring Family Picnic, 6-7:30pm
16| STAAR Reading/Language Arts test for 4th and 5th grades
17| STAAR Reading/Language Arts test for 3rd grade
22| No School
23| Volunteer Lunch
24| STAAR Science test for 5th Grade
24| 2nd Grade Field Trip to Perot Museum (PTA Sponsored)
24| Kindergarten Field Trip to Sci-Tech Discovery (PTA Sponsored)
25| Shepard Choir Musical, 6pm
30| STAAR Math test for 4th and 5th Grades
May
1| STAAR Math test for 3rd Grade
2| 1st Grade Field Trip to Dallas Zoo (PTA Sponsored)
10| Field Day
14| 5th Grade Field Trip to Dallas World Aquarium (PTA Sponsored)
H-E-B Plastic Bag Challenge!, 3/11-4/11
Do you have a huge stash of plastic grocery bags lying around? We have taken on the H-E-B recycling plastic bag challenge to compete with other schools in our district and surrounding school districts to see who can collect the most plastic bags between March 11 and April 11th to help save our planet!
We are the Shepard Patriots, and we've set our goal to collect at least 43,000 bags! Not only are we going to help save the planet, but we'll win money for our school as well! Weβll also have grade level contests so make sure to bring the bags to the drop off box at your specific grade level.
Seeking Nominations for PTA Board Members for '24-2025
Are you or someone you know interested in becoming more involved in our amazing PTA? We are currently seeking nominations for our Shepard PTA board positions for next year. Below you will find a pdf document where you can read about all of our PTA positions and their roles. If one of these roles looks like something you or someone you know might be interested in please send your nomination to the nominating committee by filling out this Google Form by April 25. If you are interested in being more involved but are unsure of what position might best suit you please email the committee with any questions at shepardnomination@gmail.com. We can't wait to hear from you!
Google Form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfTH9-NUXRgOCUpAcrugkvDoZYl92HxcaMfrCNldG4txddwZg/viewform?pli=1
Nomination Committee email: shepardnomination@gmail.com
Spirit Night at Taco Joint, 4/8
PTA Spring Family Picnic, 4/12
Mark your calendars for April 12th, 6-7:30pm! We will have our annual spring picnic here at Shepard with food trucks, music and bounce slides! More information to come!
5th Grade Families - Transitioning to Middle School Support Meeting
We understand that transitioning to middle school can be a significant step for both parents and students alike. To ease this transition and provide valuable guidance, PISD PEEP are organizing a meeting where they will offer advice and strategies to help families adapt to the cultural changes of middle school. The meeting will be held at Weatherford Elementary on April 2 at 5:30pm. See the flyer above/below for more information.
Shepard PTA- Becky Washington Scholarship
Did you know Shepard PTA Offers a $500 scholarship to one graduating senior that attended and graduated Shepard?
Please go to https://shepardpta.membershiptoolkit.com/beckywashingtonscholarship to download the application and for more information. The deadline for submissions is April 12th at 10pm. Winners will be announced at the Senior Reception in May. More information on the reception to come closer to the date.
Email applications to shepardelementarypta@gmail.com
Graduating HS Senior Reception, 5/15
Do you have or know of a graduating senior who attended Shepard? We will be hosting a Senior Reception in their honor on May 15, 5-6pm in the Shepard library. There will be appetizers, cake, and refreshments. There will also be a cap and gown walk on May 24 at 7:40am. RSVP to kaci@lahpor.com by May 13th.
Buy Your Yearbooks
If you would like to purchase a yearbook for your student you can do so by going to https://www.jostens.com/apps/store/productDetail/1141032/SHEPARD-ELEMENTARY-SCHOOL/Yearbook/20230915042919497100/CATALOG_SHOP/Yearbook/20230915042919547100#design/0
Please Join our Amazing Shepard PTA!
The Shepard PTA website is also where you will be able to find our calendar of events, purchase spirit wear, and much more! Please feel free to head over there and look around. You can also find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ShepardPTA
Volunteer Opportunities at Shepard!
We have the following volunteer opportunities. We would love your help!
>Chess Club, looking for parents of students in chess to volunteer during chess class. Please find chess volunteer opportunities in Voly under Shepard Volunteer Opportunities.
Library Volunteers
If you are interested in volunteering in the library this year, please fill out this Google form https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfWH4ApwaS5ZVNmYUl4_5Pzxr_c9vX7hvPWUEa8N0mrpLTj8g/viewform?usp=sf_linkbe You can also reach out to our PTA Library Coordinator, Jessica Glass at shepardelementarylibrary@gmail.com
Patriot Patio Sign Up & Lunch Menu
The Patriot Patio is now open for guests to come have lunch with their student. Our Patriot Patio is the area just outside our cafeteria, which we organize with table and chairs for our visitors. We utilize a Sign Up Genius sign up system so that we make sure there is space available. You may sign up for one spot per visitor(or family). When you come to have lunch with your child, please bring your driver's license so we can scan you into our Raptor badge system. All visitors must bring a driver's license to be verified in Raptor. (Remember that you may only have lunch with your child- they may not bring a friend.) We do welcome younger/older siblings for lunch!
Here is the link to sign up! https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0549AEAB2DA4FB6-shepard5
The February Lunch Menu (missing the last week) can be found by clicking the file below. You can add funds to your child's cafeteria account and see the breakfast and lunch menu through the School Cafe website at https://www.schoolcafe.com/pisd or download their app in the app store.
Click below to see information about the Free and Reduced Price Meal Program Eligibility for 23-24. https://www.pisd.edu/mealprogram
There Are So Many Ways to Support Shepard Elementary:
- Love Your Shepard PTA?: Make it official by joining today!
- Drop Donations in the World Wear Project. For a list of accepted donations click here.
- Support Shepard Elementary through Box Tops.
- Connect your Tom Thumb loyalty card to Shepard Elementary
- PTA membership, spirit wear and yard signs can be purchased all in one place, at the same time at the Shepard PTA website.
PISD and Community Events
PISD Strategic Roadmapping Meetings
As part of Plano ISDβs ongoing strategic roadmapping process and as the district begins work on a long range facility plan, Plano ISD families, staff and community members are invited to attend and participate in a community input meeting near you. Meetings are conveniently located at six locations throughout the district:
Shepton High School
April 9, 2024
6-7:30 p.m.
ππ₯ππ£ππ¨π π©π§ππ£π¨π‘ππ©ππ€π£ π₯π§π€π«ππππ
Visit www.pisd.edu/facilityroadmap for more information.
PISD New Student Enrollment
Pre-K is now enrolling new students for the 2024-2025 school year. To enter Pre-K, students must be four years old by September 1 and meet at least one of the eligibility requirements. For more information, visit the About Pre-K webpage.
https://www.pisd.edu/AboutPreK
New student enrollment for other grade levels is also open. To enroll, visit Plano ISDβs enrollment page:
PISD Enrichment Classes
Summer is right around the corner! Registration for Plano ISD's 2024 Summer Enrichment Programs begins March 18! Learn more about the various camps:
Plano Senior High Athletic Summer Camps
Registration will be open soon for Plano Senior Athletic Summer Camps. The dates and prices are shown above.
Volley Ball Camp Registration is open at https://planoisd.store.rankone.com/Camp/List
PISD - Information for Parents of Special Education Students
Plano ISD would like to share two valuable resources to our parents of students served through special education. First, our Plano ISD Special Education Spotlight Update (English | Spanish) has been provided to ensure you are informed on current activities and events. In addition, there is information on our Parent Navigator. The Parent Navigator can be found on our departmentβs website and contains a wealth of information for parents. For questions, please reach out to Bethany Rogers or Sarah Robinson.