Shepherd Teachers Come In Early For Professional Development

We are two days away from the start of school for Shepherd teachers, but some very dedicated 6th - 12th grade teachers agreed to come in early for professional development. Through federal Title IIa funds, the district has hired a literacy coach to support our school improvement goal to increase language arts proficiency. These teachers realize that fostering continuous improvement in student performance requires constantly reviewing the "best practices" and research in their field.

2010 - 2011 Start of Year Parent/Student Letter

August 17, 2010

Dear Parent(s)/Guardian(s):

What seems like a short time ago, we eagerly entered into the summer by closing another school year. The administrative and office staff members have been working hard during the summer to complete year-end reports and plan for the upcoming school year. We have continued to have a busy and hectic summer due to the construction projects. We also have been very busy hiring new staff. We had to hire eight teachers who will be teaching in the high school. We were sad to see so many veteran teachers leave, but we are excited to have some great new teachers on staff. Now, as summer begins to give way to fall, it is time, once again, to provide information that will hopefully ensure that the beginning of the school year goes very smoothly.

Students should have their schedules and locker assignment with this mailing. It is important to note that the drop and add process is the same as it was last year. Meetings with a counselor are being arranged by appointment only. Students/parents should call the high school office and sign up for an appointment time to speak with a counselor. The appointments are being scheduled for August 25^th and August 26^th from 9:00 – 3:00. Addition times may be added if needed. Students should be aware that they will not be able to change classes after these dates unless one of several criteria is met. These criteria are in the student handbook. Students should see a counselor during this time if they have any questions. During that same time, new students can meet with a counselor for new student scheduling.

The building will be open on September 7^th and 8^th from 8:00 – 3:00 for freshman and new students so they can pay their book deposit and check on their locker assignment. Students should take care of their book deposit before school begins to ensure that they are able to receive all of their text books. The book deposit is $10.00 and is refunded when a student graduates or leaves SHS. Students who wish to drive to school must first acquire a parking pass. Students may also use this time to pick up a parking pass with a $5.00 deposit that is refundable at the end of the year after the parking pass has been returned. These passes are for the main student lot on the west side of the building and the lot on the south-west corner of Hall and Fourth Street.

The high school teachers typically like to welcome you and your student to an Open House/Meet the Teacher Night; however, we have not been able to schedule this event for this year due to construction. When we left at the beginning of the summer, we did not know when we would be

starting this fall. Please continue to access the high school web site for information regarding school activities. We will post this information on the web page and on our sign.

Parents with students who attended Shepherd High School or Middle School should remember that we have a student management system that has a Student/Parent Portal that allows parents/students to check student progress and attendance. For those who do not have a user id and password, we will be creating those and getting them to you as soon as we can after school starts. Enclosed with this letter is a “Request For Report Card” form. Because parents can access grades at any moment through Power School, we will no longer send a hard copy report card through the mail. The new student management technology not only gives parents and students instant access, but it enables us to save postage cost by not sending report cards through the mail. However, some may wish to receive a hard copy or may not have access the Internet (Power School). In this case, please return the “Request For Report Card” form so we know that you wish to have a hard copy mailed home. We create a list of those who want a copy and mail progress reports. We will also mail home report cards to everyone at the end of each trimester.

The first day of school will start September 13^th at 8:00 with a brief opening assembly followed by each period like any other day. Students should bring their enclosed schedule with them when they come to school on the first day as we will not have reprinted copies available. Please be aware that student will receive a student handbook on the first day and the contents will be reviewed. The student handbook will also be posted to the web site for your reference.

The athletics department is once again offering passes for 2010-2011 sports. Family passes are $150 and includes immediate family, but excludes post high school children/siblings. An individual pass is $90, and a student pass is $60. Please be aware that these passes do not include tournaments including SHS invitational and state tournaments. These passes can be purchased in the high school counseling office between the hours of 7:00 - 2:30. Please make checks payable to Shepherd Athletics or have the correct amount. The office does not have money to make change.

Daily student announcements and updates related to the building are posted on the High School web page, http://shepherd.edzone.net/hs/index.php. Please use this resource to remain informed about building activities and important dates. I also try to share some educational thoughts and provide some updates through my blog at http://shepherdhigh.blogspot.com/. This blog has an RSS feed so if you utilize an RSS reader, you can have updates automatically post to your RSS reader.

We look forward to another great school year and to having the school busy with students, parents and teachers once again. Shepherd Public School is a great school in a great community. Student, parents, community, and staff working together make the difference that ensures that students meet their highest potential.

Sincerely,

Douglas J. Bush

Principal

New School Year is Close

It has been a while since I had a post. It has been a very busy end of year and summer. It is nice to see the construction is getting near an end. We are quickly getting ready for the new school year. It will be very interesting with several new staff members. I am looking forward to starting the new year, but I am not quite ready yet! I have a lot to do before students roam the halls.