Shaker Heights Schools eNews

November 6, 2022

The Shaker eNews is a weekly roundup of important information including District events, school newsletters and District, PTO Council, Shaker Schools Foundation and City news. Be sure to read the entire Shaker eNews each week to stay informed!

The Shaker eNews is published weekly on Sundays.

Visit our District Calendar online for a complete list of upcoming activities, events and athletic competitions.

Please note the following upcoming important dates:

Election Day, no school for students | Tuesday, November 8
Board of Education Meeting | Tuesday, November 8
SHHS Fall Play, Fools | November 17-19
Professional Day, no school for students | November 21-22
Thanksgiving Recess | November 23-25

Click on the appropriate link below for school-level and building PTO news:

Use these Quick Links to access the following District information:

International Families Potluck Dinner

The ELL teachers and international families of Shaker Heights Schools invite you to join them for a potluck dinner on Thursday, November 17 from 6:30-8 p.m. at the Shaker Heights Middle School. All are welcome to attend!

Families attending should bring a dish of food that will serve 8-10 people and a serving spoon. Please do not bring any dishes containing nuts, beef or pork.

Email damore_j@shaker.org with questions.

Shaker Theatre Arts Department Presents Fools

The Shaker Theatre Arts Department is excited to announce our Fall production: Fools by Neil Simon.

The story follows a young school teacher as he attempts to teach the residents of a small European village that has been cursed with stupidity before he becomes the next permanent resident. Under the direction of Chuck Tisdale, over 40 students and staff members have worked to bring this year's Fall play to the stage.

Performances are November 17-19 at 7 p.m. in the Shaker Heights High School Large Auditorium. Tickets available at the door or online at shakertheatre.ludus.com.

Warm Clothing Gifting Drive

The Warm Clothing Gifting Drive is returning this year. Please consider donating any gently used coats, hats, mittens/gloves, boots and snow pants that may no longer fit or are no longer needed. The Office of Family and Community Engagement are collecting new and gently used items for infants through adults. Please ensure items are clean and in giftable condition.

To donate:

Gifted clothing items can be dropped off in the main lobby of all Shaker Heights School Buildings and the Stephanie Tubbs Jones Community Building from the start of the school day until the end of the school day until Wednesday, November 9. Additional drop off available at the following locations through November 9:

The Rice Shop, Van Aken District

3403 Tuttle Rd, Shaker Heights, OH 44122

12pm - 9pm Tuesday - Friday

Burn Boot Camp Beachwood

24085 Chagrin Blvd, Beachwood, OH 44122

5am, 6am, 7am, 4pm, 5pm, 6pm Monday - Friday

East View United Church of Christ (Thrift Shop)

17300 Van Aken Blvd, Shaker Heights, OH 44122

10am - 2pm Friday's & Saturday's

To receive:

The Warm Clothing Gifting Drive will take place on Sunday, November 13 at Shaker Heights High School North Gym from 12-3 p.m.

Cooking Club Joins Many Flex Block Options at SHHS

At Shaker Heights High School, students have been cooking up a storm, whipping up creations from veggie sushi rolls and Bananas Foster French toast (each pictured above) to delicious, fresh pico de gallo! Cooking club is just one of many options for students to enjoy during the twice-weekly Flex Block at the high school.

According to principal Eric Juli, "Flex Block is about giving students the opportunity to apply their learning. It’s about creating opportunities for all our students to learn by doing, without having to choose to participate in a project at the expense of missing a class. Through Flex Block, we can have balance between learning in classrooms, and creating engaging opportunities for students to learn in the community as well."

Options for Flex Block include internships, work-study, community projects, clubs, additional practice time for athletics and band, as well as extra support opportunities in English and math for students to meet graduation requirements.

Flex Block options will continue to grow as the year progresses.

If you are interested in having interns at your workplace, have a project that you are working on that our students could contribute to or have a program that would benefit high school students, please reach out to Molly Peabody or Eric Juli.

Equity Unscripted Podcast: Season 2, Episode 6

"How Has the School Year Been Going, Part 2?"

Listen in as we hear from our secondary principals - high school principal Eric Juli and middle school principal Michelle Hughes. They share with us how they prepared for the start of the school year, what is different this year, what is the same, what kind of culture they are hoping to create in their buildings and their focus on curriculum and instruction as we make our way through the 2022-23 school year.

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/equity-unscripted/id1591709256

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/38RmSzYCNgrPFoBdnTUPiX

Audible: https://www.audible.com/pd/B08JJMMGJ5

Episodes will release every other week on Sundays throughout the year. Episodes include a range of topics that impact the efforts of the Shaker Heights Schools to achieve educational equity.

Travel Assistance Fund Soaring to New Heights!

Over 70 people joined us at “Shaker Travels the World Together,” a fundraiser for the Shaker Schools Foundation’s Travel Assistance Fund, on October 18 at Craft Collective. Over $5,200 was raised through the basket and trip raffles - contributing to over $32,000 that has been raised so far this semester. With this support and additional funds from the Foundation, plus generous support from the Shaker Heights Band Boosters for the band trip, over $50,000 in travel assistance was provided to help 30 students participate in this year’s travel opportunities. During the 2022-2023 school year Shaker students will travel to France, Quebec, Puerto Rico, Fiji, Costa Rica, Goslar, Chile and India. If you didn’t get a chance to donate, it’s not too late - visit shakerschoolsfoundation.org/travel-assistance and help a Shaker student see the world!

A Night for the Red & White!

Volunteers are needed for our 31st annual gala which will take place on March 18, 2023 at the Hilton Cleveland Downtown. Please email Erica Verderber at verderber_e@shaker.org if you would like to join one of our many committees. Watch for more information on our event at shakerschoolsfoundation.org/events and on our social media.

Staying Connected

We want you to stay connected. In order to receive PTO emails and access to the directory, faculty/staff and families are asked to create an account on Membership Toolkit. There are no fees to join the PTO. A Membership Toolkit account will give you access to the district family directory. Once you are registered, you will have the opportunity to decide what, if any, of your family information is included in the directory. Visit www.ShakerPTO.org to register.

Sharee Thornton & Erika LoPresti

PTO Council Co-Presidents

Lee Road Action Plan Community Open House November 10

Join us at The Dealership, 3558 Lee Road, for a community open house to review the Lee Road Action Plan and share your feedback. The Plan is the result of extensive community engagement about the future of Lee Road in Shaker Heights. Everyone is welcome! Parking available in rear of building.

Chat With the Mayor at Van Aken District November 19

Join Mayor David Weiss at the Van Aken District Market Hall for a refreshing beverage and conversation. There’s no set agenda for this informal drop-in event. So stop by to talk about what matters to you — a current City project, a City service or anything else that’s on your mind. The Mayor will be joined by Patti Speese, the City's director of Public Works. All are welcome. Join us!

Note: The event will be in the public seating area behind Banter and just inside the Meade Road entrance to the Market Hall.