Shaker Heights Middle School 8th grader Lizzy Huang

Shaker Heights Middle School student Lizzy Huang is an easy-going, modest 13-year-old who wants to do her part to introduce more young people to classical music (and maybe, just maybe, add it to their playlists). She has been playing the violin since she was five and last month, she won the 20th Annual Cleveland Pops Jean L. Petitt Memorial Music Scholarship. As the contest winner, she played a piece from her favorite composer, Pablo de Sarasate, with the Pops on February 2 at Severance Hall. "The music world is so diverse. A lot of people dismiss classical music and they haven't even heard some of the pieces that were so famous back then," she says. "Classical music is truly pure and everyone should listen and get involved with it. It's something that should never die out." 

Watch a video of Lizzy playing her performance piece, Sarasate's Duo, Navarra with her performance partner, Alex Zhu of Solon, and read on to learn how she manages her time and finds balance in her life as a musician, student and athlete. Click here to read more about the talented Lizzy Huang.

Lizzy Huang and her partner playing Navarra's Sarasate Duo at Severance Hall on February 2

	SHHS Senior and future Air Force Academy Cadet Nasir Rashid

Next fall, Shaker Heights High School Senior and IB Diploma Programme Candidate Nasir Rashid will attend the United States Air Force Academy, where he will also play middle linebacker for the USAFA Falcons. He will sign his National Letter of Intent on February 6.

"This has been the best decision of my life," Nasir says. "I wanted to play football in college and I wanted to grow as a person. The Air Force Academy will help me have a great career in academics and in athletics." Nasir says he's considering focusing his studies on either civil engineering or medicine.

At Shaker Heights High School, Nasir also has been an active member of the Student Group on Race Relations, where he serves as a core leader, and a four-year member of MAC Scholars. This year, he is the Sergeant of Arms on the High School Student Council and is a Class Council Representative. As an IB Diploma Programme student, Nasir hopes he has inspired other African American students to choose the two-year Programme and to pursue Advanced Placement, Honors and IB classes. Read more about Nasir Rashid. 

Freshman Ben Rakow

Congratulations to freshman Ben Rakow, winner of the in-school portion of the English-Speaking Union's National Shakespeare Competition. Ben advances to the Cleveland competition at Westlake High School on Saturday, February 23. Break a leg, Ben!

Congratulations to all this year's participants: Seniors Harlan Friedman-Romell, Hallie Dial and Adonis Fryer; and Freshmen Nora Konrad and Somiya Schirokauer.

On Saturday, January 19, Shaker Heights High School student artists earned additional awards at the Scholastic Art Competition Ceremony, held at the Cleveland Institute of Art.

Seniors Shekinah Hooper and Miles Callahan were among the nine students selected for the Cleveland Institute of Art Recognition Award. Each winner receives a $20,000 scholarship upon admission to the Cleveland Institute of Art.

Shekinah also earned a Gold Key and Best in Category recognition in Jewelry. She received a $100 cash prize for her honor. In addition, Shekinah was one of five Gold Key recipients from our region to be nominated for the American Vision Award. The National Committee in New York City will select a winner from nominees from across the country.

Senior Maria Maldonado earned a Gold Key and Best in Category recognition in Portfolio and in Painting. She received a $100 cash prize for each honor.

Finally, Senior Jaia Briggs received the Sue Wall Painting Award.

Shekinah Hooper's Motherland

Congratulations to our eight Raider athletes who will sign National Letters of Intent on Wednesday, February 6:

	Shaker Heights High School Teachers  James and Victoria Schmidt

February is a time for lovebirds, so this month, the Shaker Schools Connection chatted with High School teachers (and married couple) James and Victoria Schmidt. They're the parents of two Shaker students, fan favorites of High School students and funny to boot (both are skilled deadpanners). Mr. Schmidt teaches AP Physics, Computer Science, IB Physics, Honors Physics, IB Computer Science and 9 Honors Physical Sciences. Mrs. Schmidt teaches 9 Honors English, 11 Core and Honors English, 12 AP English and Composition. Combined, they've been teaching at Shaker for 22 years. Learn more about how this couple met, how they came to be teachers and why they love teaching in Shaker. 

	Eighth-grade math teacher Robin Hegele mentors students during their Community Project

Last month, Shaker Heights Middle School launched the Community Project, a new collaborative service project for all eighth-grade students. The Community Project provides an opportunity for eighth graders to develop attributes of the International Baccalaureate learner profile, build their approaches to learning skills, take action on a community issue and foster the development of lifelong learning. 

Addie Tobey, the Middle Years Programme Coordinator at Woodbury and Shaker Heights Middle School, says that the Community Project was two years in the making. "We felt like there was a service project gap between Woodbury Creating Change and the Tenth Grade Personal Project," says Ms. Tobey. "One way to keep kids engaged as IB learners and to grow participation in the Tenth Grade Personal Project was to initiate this new program."

During the Community Project, students will meet with their Middle School teacher-mentors ten times on a direct or indirect service project of their choosing. Projects can range from writing a letter to a company/organization or simply leaving kind/inspirational messages on student lockers. Students are not assigned to a group, instead they self-select. "We talked to schools in other large districts and they told us that allowing students to self-select gave the students a sense of empowerment and pride. We want students to celebrate what they have in common," Ms. Tobey explains. "Overall, our goal is to emphasize the importance of service learning and to show our students that they can have a voice locally."

Parents, family, staff, and community members are invited to listen to student presentations about their respective Community Projects on February 21, from 4-5:30 p.m. at the Middle School. 

The District encourages families of students in grades 5-12 to use our new online Academic Planning Guide and Course Catalog as they make their course selections for the 2019-2020 school year. Families and students can search the catalog by grade level or by subject.

The guide also features course pathway charts highlighting the succession of courses in each subject area from grades 5-12 -- use these charts to guide course choices now and in future years. Access the online Academic Planning Guide and Course Catalog today!

Join the audience for any February performance featuring our student musicians, vocalists and actors.

February 6, 1:15 p.m.: Middle School Band Concerts (These are daytime concerts rescheduled from the January 30 & 31 school closures. They will be live streamed on shaker.org and on the District's Facebook page.)

February 7, 7 p.m.: Middle School Orchestra Concert, Middle School Auditorium

February 8 & 9, 7 p.m.: February 10, 4 p.m.: Onaway Little Theater, Onaway gym

February 20, 7 p.m.: High School Band Contest Preview Concert, High School Large Auditorium

February 22, 7 p.m. & February 23, 1 p.m.: Sankofa, High School Large Auditorium

February 27, 7 p.m.: High School Evening of Percussion, High School Large Auditorium

February 28, 7 p.m.: Middle School Choir Concert, Middle School Auditorium

Beginning Monday, February 4, the "ShakerGuest" and "ShakerStuStaff" Wi-Fi networks will no longer be available. This change impacts District guests, employees, and students using personal portable devices (i.e., not a District-issued/owned portable device). In addition, guests (those who do not have a Shaker network account) will no longer use the District phone number as a Wi-Fi connection password. These changes will increase network security and provide insight into network utilization via a more structured Wi-Fi access control system.

Beginning February 4:

• District guests should follow these Shaker Heights Schools Wi-Fi Guest Access Instructions to gain access to the District guest Wi-Fi connection.
• Employees and students who would like to connect their personal devices to the Wi-Fi network should follow these Employee & Student Personal Device Wi-Fi Access Instructions to gain access.

Instructions are also available online at shaker.org: www.shaker.org/WiFi.aspx.

All PreK-4 girls are invited to attend the Sweetheart Dance from 6-8 p.m. on Friday, February 15 at Shaker Heights Middle School. Join the fun with your parent, guardian or special adult!

Download this form, complete it and hand it in to your school office or teacher.

There is no school for students on Friday, February 15. District teachers and staff will report for a professional/clerical day. Monday, February 18 is President's Day and all schools and administrative offices are closed. Enjoy the long weekend!

Online registration for Shaker Heights Schools Summer Exploration, Learning and Fun (SELF) summer programs begins Tuesday, February 26 at 9 a.m. SELF provides an array of summer program options for all students in the District. SELF addresses barriers that currently exist and focus on equity, excellence and exploration by providing differentiated services and enrichment opportunities for all Shaker students at the elementary, middle and high school levels.  

Programs will have a focus on the arts, STEAM, global languages, skill, career and personal development. All of our programs offer a robust curriculum that includes a focus on the Literacy and Math standards. Information on this summer's SELF programs is coming soon. Stay tuned to our SELF page on shaker.org.

Join us for Shaker Heights Schools Kindergarten Kickoff on April 27, 2019, from 1-3 p.m., at Onaway Elementary School, 3115 Woodbury Road. Bring your incoming kindergartner and learn more about the District including registration, transportation, food service, health and immunization information, communications, special education supports and more. Also meet your building principal and PTO volunteers!

Please fill out our registration form to attend.

Visit our special Superintendent Search section of the District website to learn more about the Board of Education's search for our next superintendent. The section includes information on:

• Superintendent Search News and Communications
• Superintendent Search Timeline
• Superintendent Search Process FAQ

Read the Board's most recent Superintendent Search Update, from February 1, 2019.

On January 11, the Shaker Schools Foundation and the District announced it will grant nearly $437,000 from its Innovation Fund to support Shaker Heights Schools' i3 Initiative at all eight school buildings. The Innovation Fund was launched last March to bolster the International Baccalaureate curriculum and STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math) learning at all grade levels within Shaker Schools and is actively supported by parents and community partners who are involved in STEAM fields. The i3 Initiative -- led by a committee of teachers, administrators, community stakeholders and business partners -- advances opportunities for student inquiry, innovation and imagination through increased integration of design learning experiences, STEAM curriculum from grades PreK-12, and accessibility to and use of 21st century technology and tools. Learn more about the allocations by school and how to support the Innovation Fund.

Enjoy a night out with friends, while supporting the Shaker Schools at the 27th Annual A Night for the Red & White, March 2, 7 p.m. at the Hilton Cleveland Downtown. Since 1992, this annual gala has raised more than $2.7 million for educational enrichment opportunities focusing on STEAM initiatives, arts, technology, health and fitness for all students of Shaker schools. This year, Shaker resident Russ Mitchell of WKYC-TV will serve as emcee for a special presentation at the event. Guests will enjoy dinner, dancing, live music and a fantastic silent auction. They will also see student artwork and performances, have the opportunity to drive a robot, and learn more about the District's i3 (Inquiry, Innovation and Imagination) Initiative. Purchase tickets online at shakerredandwhite.org or by calling the Shaker Schools Foundation at 216-295-4319.

	2018 Hall of Fame Inductees

Have a comment, suggestion or concern? Share it with us using our new Feedback form on the District's website, www.shaker.org . Simply choose the "Contact" drop-down menu at the top of the website and click on "Feedback." You can select the particular department you want to receive your message.  

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