September 4, 2020
Visit our District Calendar online for a complete list of upcoming remote learning student activities, virtual events and athletic competitions.

Please check the calendar frequently as some event dates have changed during this period of remote learning.

Mark your calendars for the following District-wide events and closures:

  • Labor Day, No Classes | Monday, September 7
  • Board of Education Regular Meeting | Tuesday, September 8, 6 p.m.
  • Board of Education Work Session | Tuesday, September 22, 5 p.m.
  • Yom Kippur, No Classes | Monday, September 28
Inside this eNews
  • No Classes Monday, September 7
  • Download and Print Your Copy of the 2020-21 School Year Calendar
  • Watch the First Day of School Slideshow
  • COVID-19 Reporting for Ohio K-12 Schools
  • Adjusted Meal Distribution for Week of 9/7; Meals Now Provided Free of Charge
  • PreK-4 Instructional Toolkit Pickup Information
  • Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Resources
  • Chromebook Repairs, Hotspot Use & Tech Tips
  • SHHS Raider Football vs. Kirtland Livestreamed Saturday at 1 p.m.
  • Champions Opens Enrollment for Child Care Supports
  • Pay Your Student’s Fees
  • Sign up for the Shaker PTO Directory and Email List
  • Shaker PTO Family Resources Roundup
  • Watch FACE Academy @ Home
  • Show Students Some TLC: Tech 2 Learn & Connect
  • How Does the Census Affect You?
  • School Newsletters
No Classes Monday, September 7
There are no classes on Monday, September 7 in observance of the Labor Day holiday. All schools and District offices will be closed.

Enjoy the holiday!
Download and Print Your Copy of the 2020-21 School Year Calendar
The 2020-21 school year calendar is available for download and at-home printing at shaker.org! The calendar includes helpful contact information, PTO executive board rosters, as well as holidays, special recognition days, seasonal breaks and professional days! Download your 2020-21 school year calendar here.

Please note: Due to COVID-19, pre-printed copies of the calendar are not available and the calendar has not been pre-populated with District events, as many dates have changed because of the remote learning period. Thank you for your understanding!
Watch the First Day of School Slideshow
The first day of school slideshow is available to watch on the District's Facebook page! Watch it here.
COVID-19 Reporting for Ohio K-12 Schools
The Ohio Department of Health recently issued an order that requires K-12 schools to notify parents and staff of positive COVID-19 cases that have been reported to the school and to report those cases to their county boards of health.

The order states that parents/guardians are encouraged to report positive cases to schools.

The District will share more information on reporting and notification as soon as it becomes available.
Adjusted Meal Distribution for Week of 9/7; Meals Now Provided Free of Charge
The meal distribution for the week of September 7 will be adjusted because of the Labor Day holiday on Monday, September 7.

Meal distribution will be on Tuesday, September 8, Wednesday, September 9 and Friday, September 11. The distribution locations and times will remain the same. 

Meal distribution will resume the regular schedule on Monday, September 14. 

Additionally, the United States Department of Agriculture recently extended the Nationwide Waivers for the National School Lunch Program to continue providing free meals to anyone under the age of 18. The District will no longer be required to collect and report the names of students who receive meals and is now able to offer meals free of charge to any student who wants one. 
PreK-4 Instructional Toolkit Pickup Information
Families with students in Grades PreK-4 may pick up Instructional Toolkit #1 on the following dates and times:
  • Wednesday, September 9: 1-4 p.m.
  • Thursday, September 10: 5-7 p.m.

Please note: Lomond students in Grade 3 will not have an Instructional Toolkit to pick up at this time.

These toolkits may include manipulatives, packets, books, workbooks and other learning tools. Learn where to go for your building's Instructional Toolkit Pickup.

Students who have library books that they checked out during the last school year are encouraged to return them at the Instructional Toolkit Pickup. You may return library books to any staff member. 

To minimize crowding and to maintain acceptable social distancing guidelines and requirements during the pickup, please do not bring children, if possible. Additionally, all staff will adhere to physical distancing guidelines.
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Resources
Each week, Dr. JeffriAnne Wilder, the District’s Executive Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, will share resources and reading with our school community that address the issues around equity and race. We invite you to review these resources and to use them as a starting point for your own education or for discussion. This week, Dr. Wilder shares these articles that consider the intersection of equity, education and the COVID-19 pandemic:
Chromebook Repairs, Hotspot Use & Tech Tips
The Shaker Heights Schools IT Department shares this helpful information regarding technology: 
  • If a student’s District-issued Chromebook is in need of repair, only one repair ticket is needed per Chromebook. Our IT team members address Chromebook repairs in the order they are received. We thank you in advance for your patience. 
  • At this time, the District cannot guarantee the availability of a loaner Chromebook to those who have Chromebooks in need of repair. We ask that families work with teachers while a student’s Chromebook is being repaired to make alternate arrangements during remote learning. 
  • The District IT team is working to make repairs as quickly as possible during the start of the school year. The current turnaround time on a typical Chromebook repair is less than one business day. 
  • Families who have District-issued hotspots should avoid keeping the device plugged in all the time. Please fully charge the hotspot and use it until the battery needs to be recharged. Keeping the device attached to a power source may cause it to overheat, which can damage the battery and lead to device malfunction.
  • If your Wi-Fi speed at home seems slow, review these Tips for Improving Your Home Network for Wi-Fi troubleshooting and suggestions.
 
Thank you for your patience and cooperation as we begin the school year in this remote setting. If you have additional questions about Chromebook repairs, please visit our Tech Resources & Chromebook Support page.
SHHS Raider Football vs. Kirtland Livestreamed Saturday at 1 p.m.
On Saturday, September 5 at 1 p.m., watch the SHHS Raider Varsity Football team take on the Kirtland Hornets on the Athletic Department's new Live High School Games page! Tune in as early as 12:15 p.m. to warm ups and the Senior Day ceremony, which will begin at approximately 12:30 p.m.

The Athletic Department has created this live streaming page so that Raider fans can still enjoy watching student-athletes compete while following physical distancing guidelines. Review the schedule of this week's athletics live steam events.

Please note: General admission tickets are NOT available to watch the game in person and will not be available for purchase at the gate. By order of the Ohio Department of Health, ticket sales are based on stadium capacity and limited to athlete's family members only. We thank you for your understanding and cooperation.
Champions Opens Enrollment for Child Care Supports
Shaker Heights Schools families who require child care supports during the period of remote learning may now register for supervised remote learning centers provided by Champions, a KinderCare Education company.

Space in this program is very limited to allow for physical distancing requirements. Only students in Grades K-6 who are enrolled in Shaker Heights Schools or children of employees who are in Grades K-6 are eligible.

The Champions program will begin on Tuesday, September 8 and will run from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday. Champions caregivers will support students during remote learning for Shaker Heights Schools as well as facilitate activities and curriculum during periods when students are not involved in remote learning experiences. Learn more about Champions.
Pay Your Student’s Fees
Families can log into their PayForIt accounts to pay student supply and activity fees and to purchase the optional $25 Chromebook Protection Plan. Simply log into your PayForIt account, click on the “Fees” tab and click on the Fees tab. Select the appropriate student and follow the prompts to pay the fee. Please note:
  • Students in Grades K-6 are assigned a $35 supply fee
  • Students in Grades 7-12 are assigned a $25 activity fee
  • Students in all grades who have District-issued Chromebooks may purchase the optional $25 Chromebook Protection Plan in PayForIt. The District highly recommends purchasing the Chromebook Protection Plan. Learn more about the Chromebook Protection Plan.
Sign Up for the Shaker PTO Directory and Email List
The Shaker Heights Schools PTO has a new website: www.shakerpto.org!

Here's how to sign up for the PTO Directory and email:
  1. Visit www.shakerpto.org and click on "Register" to create an account.
  2. Fill in the requested information.
  3. Click "Verify my Email" and then check your email for a link to complete the process.
  4. Once you've verified you email address, log back in to complete your profile and to edit your directory preferences.
Shaker PTO Family Resources Roundup
The PTO regularly updates this Shaker Heights Family Resources Roundup which includes helpful resources for child care, learning and libraries, outdoor activities, community engagement opportunities and more.
Watch FACE Academy @ Home
Parents/guardians who want to learn more about Google 101, Google Sites, Google Classroom and Clever, Abre can watch our recorded FACE Academy @ Home sessions.
Show Students Some TLC: Tech 2 Learn & Connect
As families get ready to start the school year in a remote learning environment, our teachers, staff, and administrators have been hard at work finding creative solutions to make this experience as engaging as possible. And the Shaker Schools Foundation is committed to raising the necessary funds to support those solutions. For example, all K-6 students will receive new high-quality headsets with microphones to allow for clearer speaking and listening, and new computer mice that are compatible with District-issued Chromebooks. Pre-K students will receive magnetic counting boards and letter sets. The Foundation is also supporting Google Read/Write software to help with reading fluency, and additional resources to round out music and art specials at all grade levels. 

Thanks to the generous support of community members, alumni, and two anonymous donors who supplied $15,000 in matching funds, we have raised approximately $36,000 toward our goal of $40,000. Can you help us reach or exceed our goal? 

Please consider an online donation in any amount to the TLC Fund. (Many companies also provide a matching grant for their employees’ contributions to 501(c) 3 organizations.)

Any funds that are raised beyond $40,000 will be used to provide additional resources that can help to provide a more equitable learning experience for all of our students. Thank you for your generosity and caring for our community! 
How Does the Census Affect You?
Federal allocations from Census results help fund a number of community programs including Head Start and free/reduced school lunches. Have you completed the Census yet? Visit 2020 Census online or call 844-330-2020.