Spartan Weekly 23 - 24

Greetings Shepard Families,

As we gear up for yet another chilly weekend and unwind from a transitional week, I will take this opportunity to let you know that I am truly honored to serve as your interim principal and grateful to work with such an incredibly cohesive and genuinely kind school community. I am confident with your support; staff's unwavering dedication to providing nurturing relations and quality experiences; and students' open hearts and eagerness to connect, we will overcome any challenges and continue to achieve excellence.

Please feel free to reach out to me with any questions, concerns, or ideas you may have. My door is always open, and I am here to listen and support you in any way I can.

With warmest regards,

Theresa Dunkin, Ed.D.

Interim Principal

Dr. Dunkin

Good Evening,

This week our students and staff embarked on a great week of learning. On Tuesday, students exhibited remarkable resilience and adaptability as they seamlessly engaged in virtual classrooms, showcasing a commendable commitment to their education. Furthermore, our Physical Education department successfully concluded the rollerblading unit, combining fitness with enjoyment. Spirit Day added an extra layer of fun as our school community sported silly hats, fostering a lively and positive atmosphere. Our 8th grade red team students went to the Holocaust Museum to learn about the atrocities committed during World War II, fostering a deeper understanding of history and promoting empathy and tolerance among the students. Our 8th grade white team will experience this field trip in early February. Lastly, students participated in our Spelling Bee challenge on Friday. After 10 rounds of intense spelling, Greg Kislovsky won! The winning word was avocado. Way to go, Greg!! The Sectional Spelling Bee will take place on February 12th at Meridian Middle School in Buffalo Grove. Overall, the week was filled with exciting learning activities, making it truly memorable for all.

Next week marks an important period as our students embark on the winter MAP assessment journey. On Tuesday, they will tackle the reading assessment, followed by the math assessment on Thursday. This evaluation not only gauges academic progress but also provides an exciting opportunity for our second annual celebration. After the assessments, we'll be hosting the "highest risers will throw pie" event during lunch periods. Students who demonstrated remarkable growth from the fall to winter assessment will have the chance to pie their favorite teacher and/or administrator in the face. It's a fun and rewarding way to celebrate academic achievements and build a sense of community among our students and staff.

Wishing you a wonderful weekend,

Mrs. Marie Zlotnikov, Associate Principal

Mrs. Ginger Logemann, District Coordinator of Student Services

1st Semester Report Cards will be available in Skyward Family Access under the Portfolio tab on Friday, January 26th at 3:00 PM.

Please note that the descriptors for Habits of Success have been updated to M, P and N, which stands for meeting age-appropriate expectations, progressing, or needs improvement. This change is the result of a committee of elementary teachers and administrators working together to make improvements to the standards-based portion of the report card. At our middle schools, we will continue to use letter grades for reporting in all academic areas. Additional information about District 109 report cards can be found on this FAQ.

As a reminder, we will also be hosting a second round of parent-teacher conferences on March 21st and March 22nd. The spring conference provides another opportunity for parents/guardians to discuss their child’s growth and progress with teachers before the end of the school year. Be sure to mark your calendars.

In alignment with Illinois standards in health, 8th grade students at Shepard will be participating in a 2-hour class, facilitated by Candor Health, called Teen Sexual Health. The class will be held on February 6th and February 9th at 8:30am and is hosted in a live virtual format. Students will use their Chromebook and headphones to individually join a Zoom call with Candor Health facilitators from our classrooms. PE/Health teachers will be present throughout the class to provide students with needed support. The live virtual format is recommended, as it allows students to use a private chat feature to ask questions they may prefer not to ask in front of their peers.

The following topics are covered in this Candor Health session: consent, definitions of orientation/expression/ identity, anatomy, forms of sexual contact, pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections (STIs).

If interested, parents can access Candor Health’s School Program Overview for Parents webinar at https://vimeo.com/748897024. The password to watch is Preparation23. If you would prefer to opt your child out of this program, please email me at mzlotnikov@dps109.org no later than Friday, February 2nd.

Building students’ social-emotional learning (SEL) skills is important at Shepard Middle School. As a part of the learning process, we will be asking students in grades 6-8 to reflect on skills related to social-emotional learning and the school environment. The survey will be administered to all students in grades 6-8 on January 24th and it should take no more than 20 minutes to complete. Per policy, if you would like your child to opt out of taking the survey, please contact Marie Zlotnikov, the Associate Principal, via email no later than Monday, January 22nd.

The Shepard Spartan Cheer Squad has been working very hard this year! They have taken full advantage of some wonderful opportunities! Besides cheering on our boys and girls basketball teams at Shepard and the Sach Center, they were able to do an exhibition performance at Deerfield High School’s Dance Team Competition in November! They did their half-time routine amongst many local high school dance teams! In December, they had the Deerfield High School Varsity Cheer Coach, Kyle Nagle and two of the DHS Cheer Captains, Grace Urbon (senior) and Samantha Miller (junior), join them here at Shepard for one of their cheer practices. They taught the cheerleaders a few of their cheers, shared some of the things they get to do in cheer and answered questions about cheering in high school! It was a great experience for all!

During the final week before winter break, the cheerleaders performed at a Kipling Elementary school assembly! They got the students involved in an audience participation cheer and performed their half time routine to “Oohs” and “Ahhs!” The cheerleaders loved seeing some former teachers and some siblings at their performance! Kipling was a wonderful audience! We are very grateful to Ms. Brynda and Mr. Lombardo for having us! The cheerleaders finished the week by performing at the Spartan Pride Assembly! Staff members and students were very excited to see the Spartan Cheer Squad Perform. The squad will finish out the season in late January, cheering and performing at more SMS basketball games as well as the end of season tournament! Coach Thompson said, "It has been a wonderful season with a great group of students! They have worked very hard and put their heart and soul into some fantastic performances! I am very proud of all of them!" Coach Thompson already has more opportunities in the works next year for Shepard Cheerleaders, as well as for Kipling and Walden students!

The Deerfield High School Athletic Booster Club would like to remind all of you regarding the Future Warrior Fast Pass membership. This membership is for middle and elementary school students ONLY. For only $10, it provides FREE Admission to ALL HOME Football games, ALL HOME Basketball games (girls & boys) & ALL HOME Wrestling matches (IHSA events, playoffs and tournaments not included). Register at www.d113boosters.org and include your student’s name, digital download fast pass will be emailed. Below are some upcoming HOME Varsity Basketball Games for our Girls and Boys Teams.

1. Friday, January 19th: Boys Varsity Basketball Game vs New Trier @ 7:00 pm
2. Monday, January 22nd: Girls Varsity Basketball Game vs. Lake Forest @ 7:00 pm
3. Tuesday, January 23rd: Boys Varsity Basketball Game vs. Niles West @ 7:00 pm
4. Friday, January 26th: Boys Varsity Basketball Game vs. Glenbrook North @ 7:00 pm
5. Friday, February 2nd: Girls Varsity Basketball Game vs. Glenbrook South @ 7:00pm

All games/times are subject to change, go to Athletic Schedules for more information. https://www.dist113.org/domain/85

Too learn more about DHS Athletic Booster Club go to www.d113boosters.org

SHEPARD EXTRACURRICULAR CLUBS/ACTIVITIES LIST

Shepard Athletics and Extracurricular Calendar 2023 - 2024

Important Safety Update (Reminder)

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.

If you haven't had a chance to order a 2023-2024 Yearbook, get your order in before the price rises. The Yearbook Club is hard at work designing the layout, gathering content and organizing amazing photos for a wonderful keepsake of the school year.

Cost: $30

*Price rises to $35 after January 12*

Click Here to Order

January 23 - Winter MAP Reading Assessment

January 24th - Panorama SEL Survey

January 25 - Winter MAP Math Assessment

February 6th - Candor Health

February 9th - Candor Health

Click here to Learn about our Spartan PTSO!