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The Shaker Schools Connection
A Message from the Interim Superintendent
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Greetings!
As we move into the fall, our schools have settled into a rhythm and Shaker students are back to accomplishing great things in the classroom, on the playing field, on stage and in the community.
In September, the Ohio Department of Education (ODE) released the Ohio School Report Cards for the state's
public school districts. Like many districts, we showed areas of success and areas for improvement. The District excelled with a 94-percent graduation rate and 99-percent performance on the Third Grade Reading Guarantee. We will keep these areas strong while we continue to take actions to improve other measured indicators. Please know that this report card is but one measure of performance and that Shaker Schools continues as a high-performing district that continues to attract students and families from around the globe.
We've also made great strides on rebuilding the Fernway school building with the selection of our architect and construction manager. The District selected Van Auken Akins Architects and the Gilbane Building Company as our design and construction team. On September 14, the team hosted the
Fernway Charette, which involved more than 25 staff, consultants and other stakeholders to begin the process to restore the building. Additional design and construction meetings, board sessions and Fernway community meetings will be planned for the months ahead. The goal is to reopen the school by August 1, 2019.
Finally, in just a few weeks, we will publish Measuring What Matters, Fall 2018, our annual quality profile for Shaker Heights Schools. Each household in Shaker Heights City will receive a copy of this report detailing our students' achievement in academics, athletics and the arts. You will read testimonials from students, teachers and families who exemplify our aspirations of excellence, equity and exploration in all we do. We will also highlight several bond construction projects and inform about our school funding and how those funds are spent. We will announce the release of the report on the District webpage and social media so that you will know when to receive a copy in your mailbox.
The month of October is an exciting time at Shaker Schools. The students are well on the way to another wonderful year of learning. Your team of teachers, administrators and staff thank you for your support to keep Shaker Heights Schools great.
Sincerely,
Dr. Stephen M. Wilkins
Interim Superintendent of Schools
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Join the District's First FACE Academy on October 13
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The Center for Family and Community Engagement invites all Shaker Schools families to attend our first FACE Academy on Saturday, October 13 from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. at Woodbury Elementary School. This free event is an adult-education opportunity for families to learn more about how best to help their students succeed both in and out of school. The day will include four 30-minute sessions, each offering a selection of break-out courses on topics such as: Understanding MAP, Navigating ProgressBook and Naviance, College Readiness, Engaging with Google, Staying Connected through Communications, Learning about Equity and Utilizing Student and Family Resources. Learn more about
FACE Academy and
register online now.
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K-12 Conferences October 15-16
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There are no classes for students on Monday and Tuesday, October 15-16, as teachers at all buildings will hold conferences. Please be sure to schedule a conference with your student's teacher(s) so that you can be an informed partner in your student's learning.
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Update Student Information Forms Online Before October 17
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Families who have not updated their student's online student information form (formerly the annual goldenrod student information paper form) may do so at any time before October 17. Please visit our
Update Student Information portal to complete your information. Login credentials are based on your household's youngest enrolled student attending Shaker Schools:
Username: Student ID number of youngest Shaker student in household.
Password: Youngest Shaker student's 8-digit date of birth without spaces or marks (mmddyyyy)
The District will have Chromebook kiosks available at all buildings during student conferences on October 15-16 for families who have not completed the form. Please visit your school building's office to learn the location of the kiosk. We appreciate your cooperation in helping us to keep accurate contact information records for your students.
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Online Report Cards for Students in Grades 5-12
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Families with students in Grades 5-12 will access student report cards online via ProgressBook. Sharing report cards electronically streamlines the process of receiving final grades for families and represents significant savings in postage and service contracts for the District.
At the end of each grading period---every nine weeks at the High School and Middle School (the first quarter ends October 26), and every 12 weeks at Woodbury---families will receive an email and text notification that report cards are available for viewing. Simply log in to your family's ProgressBook account as you would to view your student's grades and click on the new "Report Card" tab.
The District will mail report cards home for students in Grades 5-12 by request only. Contact your building office if you would like a printed copy of your student's report card.
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Check Out Raider Athletics Online!
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The Athletics Department is sporting a new look online and we think the changes will leave you cheering! There's a new up-to-date Athletics Calendar (sortable by Middle School and High School), space for news from our sports teams, a listing of our athletics venues, links to Final Forms and a link to buy yourself some Raider merch to show off your Raider pride. It's got a clean look and best of all, the site is easy to navigate. Have a look around the new site and get ready for a winning 2018-19 Athletics season! Visit us online:
www.shaker.org/athletics.
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Share Your Feedback on the District Calendar
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The District Calendar Committee seeks your feedback via survey as it begins creating the academic year calendars for upcoming years. The survey is open to all Shaker Heights Schools families, teachers, staff, community members and Middle and High School students.
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District Hosts IB Workshop for More Than 300 Educators October 6-7
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Dr. John Moore, Coordinator of the District's IB Programme and the High School Diploma Programme, is facilitating Shaker's first-ever IB regional conference on October 6-7, 2018. Nearly 300 educators from across Ohio will convene at Shaker Heights High School for a series of official IB workshops for the PYP, MYP, and DP.
Forty-seven teachers and administrators from Shaker Heights Schools will attend.
"Hosting the regional OhioIB workshops has allowed Shaker to embody the spirit of service we instill in our students. Through the generous volunteerism of Shaker's IB Coordinators, as well as DP students and their families, we were able to support learning in the PYP, MYP, and DP at a reduced rate while maintaining the exceptionally high quality of more traditional IB workshops," says Dr. Moore. "Additionally, hosting these nearly 300 educators further solidifies Shaker as a destination for IB learning while showing off a community that values schools like no other."
Read more online.
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"All American Boys" Authors Brendan Kiely and Jason Reynolds Visit with Shaker Students
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 Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely, authors of the New York Times bestselling young adult book "All American Boys," visited an assembly of Middle School students and held small group discussions with High School students on Monday and Tuesday, October 1 and 2. The visit, facilitated by the District and co-sponsored by the Shaker Heights Public Library, the Shaker Schools Foundation and the Middle School and High School PTOs, also included an evening community discussion at the High School Large Auditorium on Monday night.
"All American Boys" is the winner of the Walter Dean Myers Award for Outstanding Children's Literature and the 2016 Coretta Scott King Honor. The book follows two teens-one black, one white-as they deal with the repercussions of a violent act of police brutality.
Mr. Kiely told students that he and Mr. Reynolds had been friends for some time, but that they decided to write the book after the 2014 shooting of 18-year-old Michael Brown by officer Darren Wilson in Ferguson, Mo. "When that moment happened, we decided that we had to do something," said Mr. Kiely. "We wanted to write a book together in response to what was happening to spark conversations in classrooms."
Read more about the author visit.
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Alumni Hall of Fame Inducts Eight New Members
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2018 Hall of Fame inductees.
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Shaker Heights High School welcomed the eight newest members of the Shaker Schools Alumni Hall of Fame on Friday, September 28 at a student assembly for juniors and seniors. The alumni, who were officially inducted at a dinner on September 29 at Shaker Heights Country Club, join more than 280 Shaker Heights High School graduates who have been inducted into the Hall of Fame since it was established in 1986.
The inductees include Abby Goulder Abelson, M.D. ('70) Chair of the Department of Rheumatic and Immunologic Diseases at Cleveland Clinic; Michael Green ('80) CEO and founder of the Center for Environmental Health; David A. Hansell ('71), Commissioner of the New York City Administration for Children's Services; Judy Harris ('66), Senior Counsel in the Washington DC law firm Reed Miller; Aaron David Miller ('67), Vice President for the New Initiatives and a Distinguished Fellow and Director of the Middle East Program at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars; Kathy Roth-Douquet ('82) founder and CEO of Blue Star Families; Jamil Smith ('93) Senior Writer at Rolling Stone; and Abdul Williams ('90), a screenwriter and winner of the 2018 NAACP Image Award for outstanding writing.
Read more online.
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Goslar Exchange Celebrates 40 Years
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 On Sunday, September 30 a group from Shaker Heights High School and RG Goslar celebrated the 40th anniversary of the Goslar exchange. More than 150 Goslar alumni and their families, City Councilwoman Nancy Moore and current and former exchange teachers---along with Shaker Heights High School principal Jonathan Kuehnle and RG Goslar principal Hans Peter Dress, who traveled to Shaker from Germany just for the event---attended. Shaker's exchange with Goslar is the longest-standing exchange between a U.S. school and a German school. Congratulations on four decades of building relationships and here's to many more!
Read more online.
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12 Seniors Named National Merit Semifinalists
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Twelve members of the Shaker Heights High School Class of 2019 have been named Semifinalists in the National Merit Scholarship Program.
This year's National Merit Semifinalists from Shaker are Justin Bai, Elizabeth Brown, Emet Celeste-Cohen, Henry Crampton-Hays, Fenner Dreyfuss-Wells, Lia Gomez, Erenalp Kahriman, Isabel Levin, Kaitlin Nordstrom, Leo Schirokauer, Joshua Silver and Eli Soto-Schwartz. These students will have the opportunity to continue in the competition for National Merit Scholarship awards that will be offered next spring, and will be candidates for other scholarships, as well. Last year, nine Shaker Heights High School students were named Semifinalists.
Among Ohio's more than 900 public high schools, only eight had more National Merit Semifinalists than Shaker Heights High School.
Read more online.
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Freshman Robert Kimmel Named GCC Boys Golf MVP
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Congratulations to freshman Robert Kimmel, named Most Valuable Player of the GCC for Boys Golf! Despite the rain and a wet course, Robert shot a 76 at the final GCC Golf Tournament yesterday at Pine Hills Golf Club. Well done, Robert!'
Follow all of our Shaker Raider athletes online and view sports teams calendars at our new athletics website:
www.shaker.org/athletics.
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SHHS Basketball Standout Christian Guess Will Play for Missouri
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 Christian Guess ('18), a Shaker Heights High School standout basketball player who set our high school single-game scoring record last winter with 57 points against Mentor, has announced that he will attend and play basketball this year for the University of Missouri. Last season, Guess averaged 26.2 points.
Christian arrived at Shaker Heights High School after his sophomore year at Glenville High School---according to Woodbury principal and High School basketball coach Danny Young, Christian wanted to transfer to a school that would enable him to improve academically, emotionally and athletically. Mr. Young says that despite Christian's intentions, his transition year was challenging. "It was a major adjustment for him academically so much that he had to sit the first half of the season, but I believe that was one of the best things that could have happened to him," Mr. Young says.
Read more about Christian Guess online.
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Seven High School Students Inducted into the International Thespian Society
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Congratulations to these Shaker Heights High School students, who have earned induction into the International Thespian Society: Leah Albers, Adewe Stovall, Monet Bouie, Kailah Wilson, Hallie Dial, Harlan Friedman-Romell and Miles McCallum.
The International Thespian Society is the honor society for high school theatre students. Each of these students has completed more than 100 hours of work in theatre arts and related disciplines. Congratulations to these students and their Troupe Director, Scott Sumerak. Bravo, all!
Read more online.
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SHHS Has Highest Percentage of Registered Eligible Voters Among County's Public High Schools
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The most recent voter registration data from the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections
shows that Shaker Heights High School has the highest percentage of registered eligible voters among Cuyahoga County's public high schools. According to a report in Scene magazine, 71.5% of Shaker Heights High School students who were eligible to vote in 2017 were registered.
"I'm proud of our students," says High School Principal Jonathan Kuehnle. "Last year, they led school walkouts and trips to Columbus where they lobbied our state representatives-and those are only two examples of the positive actions they took. Shaker Heights High School students are passionately engaged, highly driven young people who are changing the world."
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Class of 2018 Diploma Programme Results
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For the seventh consecutive year, Shaker Heights High School Diploma Programme (DP) graduates met and exceeded national averages in many achievement categories. In line with our American peers, 70% of our candidates received their Diplomas in 2018 by scoring a composite 24 points or more across their six IB courses. Students score between zero and seven points in each class, consisting of both end-of-course IB exams and school-based assessments that are evaluated by the IB.
Our graduates demonstrated excellence in English, Spanish and Physics, earning sevens in each of these courses. They also received top scores in History and Music extended essays, the 4,000-word independent research publication created by all IB Diploma Programme graduates.
Read more online.
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In the past month, the District has shared the following Fernway Updates online:
September 28
Twelve members of Fernway's staff and faculty, along with several parent and community members, met with Van Auken Akins Architects and Gilbane Construction, to review and provide input and feedback on potential site plan and floor plan options for the renovated Fernway Elementary School.
September 25
Board members discussed the Shared Schools Plan, Fernway building repairs and insurance status.
September 14
Twenty-seven stakeholders, including Fernway staff and faculty, parents and community members, and District administrators, met with Van Auken Akins Architects on September 14 to participate in a charrette focused on Fernway Elementary School.
Review the agenda for the meeting.
September 6
A five-person panel evaluated the proposals of three highly respected construction firms for the Fernway project. The panel recommended and the superintendent endorsed the selection of Gilbane Building Company for the project.
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Nathaniel H. Reese, Jr. Named Minority Achievement Committee Scholar Advisor
The Office of the Chief of Staff announces that Nathaniel H. Reese, Jr. has been named Minority Achievement Committee (MAC) Scholar Advisor.
In this role, Mr. Reese will lead the High School MAC Scholars Program for male students, serve as the District leader for the MAC scholar programs in all of the schools and create and lead a Summer MAC Program to begin in 2019. Mr. Reese is a well-known Shaker Heights Schools teacher: since 1997, he has taught sixth-grade math and science at Woodbury Elementary School.
Read more.
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Middle School Teacher David Saluga Receives National History Day Scholarship
Shaker Heights Middle School seventh-grade Individuals & Societies teacher David Saluga is one of 114 teachers who will receive a scholarship for a National History Day program on World War I.
The program, Legacies of World War I, is presented as a partnership between the U.S. World War I Centennial Commission and National History Day.
Mr. Saluga will participate in webinars and discussions while learning about World War I with teachers from around the world. Congratulations, Mr. Saluga!
Read more
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High School Teacher Joe Marencik Receives Letter of Commendation from MIT
Congratulations to High School science and engineering teacher Dr. Joe Marencik, who received a letter of commendation from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Each year, the school asks incoming students to share the name of a teacher who has been influential in their development.
Dr. Marencik was recognized for his work by MIT freshman Jocelyn Ting (SHHS '18). Thank you, Dr. Marencik for sharing your passion for science with Shaker's young minds. Read more.
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Employee Spotlight: Chinese Teacher Raina Li
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Chinese teacher Luling (Raina) Li is now in her 13th year of teaching at Shaker Heights Schools. She was the very first Chinese language instructor in the District---and since she arrived in 2006, the District's program has grown to six teachers who provide more than 2,000 students in Grades 1-12 with Chinese language and cultural instruction. Li Laoshi, as her students call her (laoshi means "teacher" in Chinese), holds the Chinese program close to her heart. She says the program has so many opportunities for growth and she's determined to see them all to fruition.
Read more about Raina Li.
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Read Shaker Schools' Latest Feature in Shaker Life
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 The Fall 2018 issue of Shaker Life magazine includes a feature that answers the age-old question: What did you do last summer? The piece includes profiles of four Shaker Heights Schools students: senior Leo Schirokauer, seventh grader Kimora Langford, sophomore Alexa Clawson and junior Molly Harper.
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FROM THE CITY OF SHAKER HEIGHTS
Farmers Markets and East Side Flea in the Van Aken District
Shop for Ohio-grown produce, meat and dairy, along with fresh-baked breads and pastries, handmade goods, and more at the Sunset Market. Thursdays 4-7 p.m. through October 25. Presented by the North Union Farmers Market.
Nosh on delicious food and drink, while shopping for your next treasure at The East Side Flea on Saturday, October 21, 10 am-4 pm. The East Side Flea, which is presented by the Cleveland Flea, has also announced plans to extend its Van Aken District schedule with holiday markets in November and December. Stay tuned for dates and details.
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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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15600 Parkland Drive, Shaker Heights OH 44120
shaker.org ยท 216-295-1400
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