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Dear Alumni,
It is hard for me to believe that the 2017-2018 school year will mark my fifth year as Superintendent of the Shaker Schools. It seems like only yesterday that my family and I arrived in this beautiful community. Today, it is very much our home, and I remain grateful for the opportunity to build upon the rich tradition of excellence Shaker Heights has enjoyed for more than 100 years.
Through collaboration and hard work, we have accomplished much in the past few years. Our graduation rate is up, we've launched a new Pre-K program, we've opened the Innovative Center for Personalized Learning and Family Engagement which provides high-quality online instruction and tutoring to students who benefit from a non-traditional learning environment, our students from the classes of 2015 and 2016 were admitted to every Ivy league college in the United States, and we have narrowed the achievement gap between groups of students.
During
this period, we became one of only eight school districts in North America to offer the prestigious International Baccalaureate Programme to every student at every grade level. This provides our young people the framework for a rigorous, holistic educ
ational experience from preschool through their senior year of high school.
I often reflect on how I became a teacher, an administrator and now a superintendent. I believe my career trajectory had a lot to do with my educational experiences as well as the impact educators had on my life choices. Specifically, an experience as a 10th
grader at T.C. Williams High School in Alexandria, Va. continues to resonate with me even today. In high school, I had always wanted to go to college, and I knew the general education courses I was enrolled in weren't adequately preparing me for a postsecondary education. I requested to be enrolled into honors courses, but my counselor insisted I didn't have the necessary testing requirements. Undaunted, I circulated a petition among my fellow students and presented it to our high school principal. He was so impressed that he ordered the counselor to put me in the honors class - even without the necessary testing requirements!
I learned a couple of important lessons that day. First, I learned that my voice was power. Also, I learned that given the opportunity, I could succeed in the most rigorous courses my school offered with my own tenacity---after all, tests are only one data point. Today, I share those lessons with my own two children in the Shaker Schools, as well as the more than 5,000 students for whom I am responsible.
My high school experience changed my life. Likewise, I want the Shaker Schools to make a positive difference in the trajectory of our students' lives and produce graduates who will advocate for themselves, make a difference in the world and leave our community a better place than they found it. It is important that we allow our current and future Shaker students to be engaged in the Shaker experience and be afforded the high quality education that I hope prepared you for your success in life. Thank you for your continued support of the Shaker Schools and join us at our Homecoming 2017, the weekend of
September 22-23
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Sincerely,
Gregory C. Hutchings, Jr.
Superintendent of Schools
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You are Invited: Come to Homecoming 2017
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A great week-end is planned for our Shaker Heights families, alumni and friends. This year marks the 100th anniversary of the first graduating class of Shaker Heights High School! In honor of this amazing occasion we are planning special activities to come together as a community. We have lots of fun planned:
Raider Nation Night Out @ The Dealership
Friday, September 22 | 7-11 pm | The Dealership, 3558 Lee Road
Celebrate with music and festivities. Food, beer and wine will be available for purchase. A
portion of the proceeds from the event will benefit the Shaker Schools Foundation.
Raider Nation Pre-Game Festival on The Oval
Saturday, September 23 | 11 am-1 pm | The Oval, behind the High School
Bring the entire family to enjoy activities for all ages with a carnival, music, food trucks and alumni gatherings.
Shaker Homecoming Football Game
Saturday, September 23 | Kick-off @ 1pm | Football Field
Come cheer on the Raider football team and marching band. All former band members,
Raiderettes and cheerleaders are invited to join the fun as we honor our alums!
Brunch in the Audrey Stout Learning Garden
Sunday, September 24 | Shaker High School
More details soon to come on
www.shaker.org/homecoming.
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Please consider joining us as a sponsor for Homecoming Weekend!
Companies, individuals, groups, and families are invited to support this event through a sponsorship. Contact
Holly Coughlin, Executive Director of the Shaker Schools Foundation at 216-295-4325 to learn more.
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My Shaker: Brian Berger Embraces Global Learning
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Brian Berger in front of Machu Pichu,
March 2016
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When Brian Berger, class of 1994, was a Shaker Heights High School student he never thought about being a teacher. Fast forward to today, when he is preparing for his twelfth year as an educator at his alma mater. He teaches in room 161
where he studied criminology in Mr. Longo's class. Brian shared, "It was comforting to work with and be mentored by my former teachers when I began my teaching career in Shaker."
His love of travel and working with teenagers led him on the path that brought him back to Shaker Heights High School. He studied in Luxembourg and France during his undergraduate years at Miami University. After graduation he worked for Golden Colorado, taking teenagers on backpacking trips to destinations as far away as Australia.
Brian teaches criminology, global studies and government at Shaker. He has been a faculty advisor for several student trips that included Germany, Peru, Washington D.C., Cambodia, and next year, Monaco.
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Shaker students with teachers, Brian Berger and Amanda Ersek, overlooking the city of Cusco, March 2016
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Brian summed up his experience traveling with students. "Going with our students to Peru and Cambodia was the best, and combines the best of my worlds. I love to travel, explore new cultures, and do it with young people. There's nothing better than traveling the world and opening people's eyes, and my own. There's nothing better. It gives you time to reflect on what you have and what you do not have. It
is very mind-opening. It makes you appreciate life more. I want to give this gift of travel to my kids one day soon."
Even with all of his travels and his two young sons, Brian has kept in close touch with his best friends, fellow Shaker classmates. Eight of them met in Chicago last year to celebrate their 40th birthdays together, and many of them flew in for last year's World Series run. Hopefully, they will be planning another reunion at this year's World Series games.
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My Shaker is all about you!
Email or call the alumni office at 216-295-4877. We would love to hear your story and hear it sometime soon.
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The Shaker Heights School District is committed to excellence, equity and exploration. If you are interested in being a part of the Shaker team please click
here to view our openings and apply. Currently, more than 75 Shaker alumni work for the District. Use your Shaker Heights education to support today's students.
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Upcoming Reunions and Events
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Join us at
7 p.m. on Friday, September 15
when Alan Safier (SHHS Class of 1967) becomes George Burns in
Say Goodnight Gracie,
the Tony-nominated solo actor play by Rupert Holmes. This performance is open to the public and co-sponsored by the Shaker Heights High School Class of 1967 and the Shaker Schools Foundation.
All proceeds benefit the Foundation's Legacy Fund, a permanent endowment that will provide long-term, substantial support to the Shaker Schools in the areas of academics, arts, athletics, and special initiatives. Premium tickets are $50 and include excellent seats and a reception with Alan; general admission tickets are $35.
Visit shaker.tix.com to purchase tickets and/or contact the Foundation at 216-295-4329 for more information.
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Student Update: Chamber Orchestra in N.Y.C.
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The acoustics were perfect in the concert hall at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, where the Shaker Heights High School Chamber Orchestra competed in the 2017 Orchestra Cup. Forty-eight of our student musicians traveled in March to New York City, where they won second runner-up, third in the nation.
Our Chamber Orchestra gave a riveting performance of Shostakovich's Sinfonia for String Orchestra (based on his 8th String Quartet) and placed ahead of outstanding high school orchestras from around the country, including some groups from schools that have won before. The student musicians were thrilled to represent their school that is often known more for their band than the orchestra. They were proud to come home with the impressive trophy.
Donna Jelen, the Chamber Orchestra conductor shared, "Mr. Glaser, an Interlochen faculty member and the conductor of the Juilliard Pre-College Orchestra,
conducted a post-performance clinic with our orchestra.
It was undoubtedly one of the highlights of the trip. To get immediate (not to mention glowingly positive) feedback from an internationally renowned conductor is an unforgettable experience for any musician."
Many Shaker Heights families made the trip to hear them perform. And, it was wonderful for the students to have several New York area alums in the audience.
In addition to securing third place, our Chamber Orchestra also won the Forte Award, a special award given by the competition organizers to the school that best exhibited positivity, team spirit, organization, and passion for music-making throughout the whole competition. We are very proud of the musical achievement but equally proud of their Forte Award. Several Chamber Orchestra members shared, "We are truly a community and felt that Ms. Jelen prepared us well and we felt ready for the competition."
They can now be introduced as "the nationally award-winning Shaker Heights High School Chamber Orchestra."
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The Foundation: Supporting the Schools and Students
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The Shaker Schools Foundation was pleased to raise money to supplement the Chamber Orchestra's own fundraising for the Orchestra Cup competition.
With donations totaling $5,535, the Foundation paid for such items as registration fees, meals, and tickets for the students to visit the observatory at the top of Rockefeller Center.
Orchestra director Donna Jelen adds,
"Foundation donations enabled us to offer scholarships to five students who needed financial support and also to add incredible experiences to the trip, including the opportunity to see the St. Petersburg Philharmonic perform Shostakovich in Carnegie Hall!" In addition, the Madeline and Dennis Block Fund provided funds for the chamber orchestra to be coached by professional musicians in the weeks before the competition.
These are only a few examples of the services offered by the Shaker Schools Foundation, whose mission is to enrich the educational experiences of Shaker's students.
If you are interested in supporting our work, please visit
www.shaker.org/foundation or call us at 216-295-4329.
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Stay Connected with Shaker Alumni
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