About Shepard

  • Servant Leader/Principal: Claude Archer
    Address: 2401 Dakota Street, Durham, NC 27707
    Phone: 919-560-3938
    Fax: 919-560-3945
    Hours of Operation: 8:30am - 3:20pm
    Enrollment: 380

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    Shepard Magnet Middle School is an IB school located in Durham, NC.  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, Mandarin Chinese, Law & Forensics, Technology (computers and design, business), Health Science Education, Visual arts, Chorus, 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.

    Philosophy

    Our mission is to provide a premiere educational environment where all students acquire knowledge, skills, and values necessary to live enriched lives as productive members in a global community. Our goal is to support an integrated studies program, centered on our magnet themes--forensics and law related education, technology, and foreign languages.

    At Shepard Middle School, we believe the balanced development of a child requires the commitment and active involvement of the entire school community to foster lifelong learning. This community includes students, parents, educators, administrators, surrounding universities, local businesses, and community volunteers. Our school family believes all students can and must achieve, and continually pursue objectives to improve student achievement, provide innovative programming that extends the North Carolina Standard Course of Study, and to celebrate diversity through an international focus.

    Teaching

    As an International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme (MYP), Shepard offers a rigorous academic curriculum for grades 6-8 that challenge students to be prepared for advanced intellectual pursuits on the high school and collegiate level, combined with active and responsible citizenship. Successful achievement in the academically rich environment prepares students for continuation of the IB Middle Years Programme in grades 9 and 10. Completion of the program provides a solid preparation for students planning to enter the IB Diploma program in grades 11 and 12. The magnet themes are law and forensics, health science, technology, and foreign languages.

    In the Middle Years Programme at Shepard, eight core subject areas are taught against a background of five areas of interaction. The core subjects are: language arts, foreign languages (Spanish, and Chinese), humanities, science, math, technology, arts, health science, physical education, and forensics, and law-related education.

    In response to the unique and changing needs of students in young adolescent stages of development, Shepard students will be challenged to question, explore, achieve, succeed, belong, participate, and think analytically. We are committed to creating a school environment that responds to the academic, social, and personal needs of our children.

    One Team, One Goal, No Limits!