A Look Back at an Exciting Week at Shepherdstown!

Tuesday, November 11 - Veteran's Day Community Meeting

We had a wonderful Veterans Day program this week! Students shared readings, our third graders sang My Country ’Tis of Thee, and everyone enjoyed a slideshow featuring photos of military members from our students’ families. Students also presented the veterans in attendance with challenge coins and flags. It was a meaningful way to honor and thank those who have served our country.

Check out video highlights of the program here.

Friday, November 14 - Our 1st Graders are now Doctors!

We hosted a medical-themed culminating activity day in 1st grade to celebrate the end of our CKLA unit! Each student received a “medical uniform” - badge, gown, gloves, and hat - to wear throughout the day. Students rotated through all 1st grade classrooms to explore hands-on, health-related activities, including body-systems play-dough mats, a DIY lung craft, body-part bingo, a food-pyramid sort, and a germ-themed game.

To wrap up, we welcomed a panel of 1st grade family members who work or have worked in the medical field, to share their experiences!

Check out the photos below 📸

Thank you!

A huge thank you to all of our Shepherdstown families for your generosity during our Thanksgiving Food Drive. Thanks to your kindness, we collected over 300 food items to support local families in need.

📅 Looking Ahead at Shep

Thursday: Grief Awareness Day — Students are welcome to wear blue.

Friday: Code Blue Drill — We will practice responding to a medical emergency during third grade lunch.

📱 Stay Connected!

Don’t forget to follow us on social media for daily photos, updates, and glimpses of the incredible learning happening at Shepherdstown every day:

Facebook: @shep.wildcats

Instagram: @shep.wildcats

You can also explore our latest announcements and photo highlights in the Live Feed on our school website and through the MASD app.

Have a great week!
Mr. Echelmeier

November 24 - Life Skills - Friendsgiving at Elmwood

November 25 - Early Dismissal @10:45am

November 26 - 28 - No School, Thanksgiving Recess

December 1 - No School, Thanksgiving Recess

December 5 - Report Card mailed home and posted to Sapphire

December 15 - 23 - Holiday Spirit Week!

December 24 - 31 - No School, Winter Recess

We heard your feedback about paperless menus. Beginning with the December menu, each K–3 family will once again receive a printed copy.

However, to maintain federally mandated ADA compliance and allow for easy translation, monthly menus will no longer be shared as downloadable PDFs on our website or through other digital platforms (Seesaw, email, newsletters, etc). Instead, families can view fully accessible, easy-to-translate digital menus directly on the district website or in the mobile app:

On the website: Go to your child’s school webpage, click Menu, then Dining. Or, from the school’s homepage, click the Dining button located just below the main photo.

In the app: Select your child’s school, tap More, then Dining.

Need help accessing menus?

Click here to watch how to access menus from a desktop.

Click here to watch how to access menus from the mobile app.

Click here to learn how to set your default school of choice in the app.

Thank you for helping us keep menus accessible and translatable for all families.

From our school Librarian...

In first, second and third grades, we have been having some wonderful discussions and activities related to technology use in our Digital Citizenship Unit. Students have been learning about being careful what we share online and how to balance time between online and offline activities. In third grade, we are currently doing our second design challenge. Students are designing, testing, and modifying paper airplanes. The goal is to practice the design process in a fun way.

Breakfast is FREE for all students and includes snack options like Goldfish, graham crackers, cheese sticks, Craisins, raisins, and fruit. Students just need to take one fruit to count as a breakfast and can pick up to five items total.

Encourage your student to grab breakfast—it’s a great way to have snacks for later!

Belonging Matters! Students are more likely to attend regularly when they feel connected to adults and friends at school. Ask your student what they enjoy most about school—whether it’s a teacher, teammate, or class activity—and encourage those relationships. Staying connected (and well-rested!) helps every Wildcat feel ready to show up and succeed. Tip: While we should avoid scheduling appointments during the school day, we know this is sometimes unavoidable. If you must schedule a school-hours appointment, send your student back to school afterward when possible.

Mark your calendars! Below are the Shepherdstown PTO meetings for the 2025-2026 school year. Please join us for the first PTO meeting in person at Shep on Wednesday, September 10 at 7 PM in the library.

• Wednesday, January 14 at 7 PM (Zoom)

• Wednesday, March 11 at 7 PM (Zoom)

• Wednesday, April 8 at 7 PM (Zoom)

• Wednesday, May 13 at 7 PM (Zoom)

Shepherdstown Elementary School

Email: Dechelmeier@mbgsd.org
Website: https://shepherdstown.mbgsd.org/
Location: 1849 S. York Street, Mechanicsburg, PA 17055
Phone: 717-691-4589