Welcome to Shepard IB Middle School

Shepard Magnet Middle School is an IB school located in Durham, NC.  We serve 518 students

in middle grades 6th - 8th.  Our students make up a diverse population that reflect our wider

community.  They are warmly embraced by our staff.

Students at Shepard are assigned to teams by their Common Core classes (i.e. Mathematics,

Languages Arts, Science, and Humanities).  This personal setting affords teachers and students

the opportunity to get to know each other well. Plus, students take Discovery classes including

Band, Spanish, French, Mandarin Chinese, Law & Forensics, Technology (industrial, business),

Visual arts, Drama, and Health and Physical Education.  In addition, Shepard students can also

choose from a wide range of extracurricular activities including clubs, academic competitions,

and school sports that meet a variety of interest.

Shepard highly values the input of the local community and parents who remain instrumental

in providing support for building a solid foundation of 21st century academic success.

Early Release Days

Dear Parents and Guardians:

On June 5 and Junes 6 James E. Shepard Magnet Middle School will dismiss students two hours early in order to provide our teacher's time to score our state's Measures of Student Learning: the North Carolina Common Exams.

These dates are pending a formal vote by the DPS Board of Education on April 25.  I wanted to share this information in advance to give you the opportunity to make advance arrangements on behalf of your child.

The common exams were adopted  by the state Department of Public Instruction this year as a condition of receiving federal Race to the Top grant funding.  (FOR HIGH SCHOOLS:The exam counts for 15 percent of your child's final grade.)  We appreciate your support of our teachers and their hard work to support all of our students.

Sincerely,

Ms. Boone