Dear Shepherdstown Families,

We had a wonderful Classroom Visitation last Thursday, and we are excited to welcome our students back to Shep this week! First grade and new Shep families, if you were unable to join us, please use the link HERE to order a free t-shirt for your student.

Our staggered start will begin Tuesday, August 18, for students with last names A-K, followed by Wednesday, August 19, for students with last names L-Z. On Thursday, August 20, and Friday, August 21, all students will attend school.

This week, students will learn about how to follow our Wildcat Way in all areas of our school. The Wildcat Way is Communicate with Respect, Act Responsibly, Take on Challenges, and Stay Safe. We use the acronym CATS at Shep, and our universal school signal for quiet attention is C…A…T…S… CATS! Shhh. On Friday, we will bring each grade level together for a practice community meeting.

Thank you for your continued support of Shepherdstown Elementary! We are looking forward to a fantastic school year filled with learning, growth, and plenty of Wildcat pride!

Sincerely,
Mr. Echelmeier
Principal

All personal electronic devices including, but not limited to, all non-district issued devices such as cell phones,
smartphones, laptops, electronic gaming systems, E-readers, and wearable devices (i.e. smart watches, fitness trackers, and smart glasses) should be turned off and stored away during school hours.

At the elementary level, personal electronic devices must be turned off and always stored in a student’s backpack during the school day. School personnel reserve the right to issue disciplinary consequences if students use devices improperly. 

Any student who needs to communicate with home during school hours should ask to use the phone in the main office. Parents/Guardians needing to contact their child must call the school office.

Birthdays are important to every child, and most kids like to celebrate with their classmates. However, sending in a food treat to the classroom to celebrate can exclude those children who have food allergies, diabetes or other dietary restrictions. Also, classrooms are not well-equipped to serve food, especially cupcakes and other messy treats.

If you would like an alternative to food treats for your child’s birthday celebration at school, there are many possibilities. Always check with your child’s teacher first to see what options may work best.

Invitations to birthday parties or other gatherings may not be passed out in school, unless the entire class is invited. Teachers cannot distribute contact information.

Shepherdstown is a Targeted Support Title I school this year, giving our school access to extra funding and academic resources to support student learning. Please see the Right to Know letter below for details on parent rights and staff qualifications.

If your student is an incoming 1st grader or NEW to Shepherdstown Elementary, please click the link below to sign-up for a Shep t-shirt. Please size up as your student will use this shirt throughout their time at Shep. T-shirts will be delivered to your student in late September.

Each school year, we get lots of questions about how parents can volunteer, what they need to do and how they get their clearances.

If you have additional questions, or want to verify that existing clearances are still valid, please email ShepOffice@mbgsd.org.

If you are a new volunteer you will need ALL documents submitted.

Items Needed:

State Police clearance (Act 34) - https://epatch.pa.gov/home

Child Abuse Clearance (Act 151) - https://www.compass.state.pa.us/CWIS

TB Test

Volunteer Verification Form (below) if you have lived in PA for past 10 years consecutively, OR will need FBI Background Check.

FBI Background Check - https://uenroll.identogo.com/

Submission:

Once you have completed all of the items above, please submit them with the volunteer information sheet linked below to the Shep Office.