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! |
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The Shaker eNews is published weekly on Sundays. |
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Please note the following upcoming important dates:
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President's Day, Schools & Offices Closed | Monday, February 21
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Board of Education Work Session | Tuesday, February 22
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Sankofa | Friday & Saturday, February 25 & 26
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Click on the appropriate link below for school-level and building PTO news:
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Use these Quick Links to access the following District information:
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Forward Together Presentation and Community Sessions
Last Tuesday, the Shaker Heights Board of Education, City Council and the Library Board of Trustees held a special joint meeting to learn about the proposed concepts for the Forward Together facilities planning process. The ideas discussed will directly shape the District and our community for decades to come. If you were unable to attend the meeting or watch the livestream, please consider watching the recorded video available at www.shaker.org/BoardLive.
This event kicked off a series of engagement opportunities including in-person and virtual meetings, as well as an online survey, available now at forwardtogethershaker.com.
Each event will cover the same content, including a presentation of the concepts and steps taken to arrive at this point, followed by small group discussions and an opportunity to provide individual feedback. The engagement sessions are scheduled as follows:
- February 22 | 7-9pm at the High School's upper cafeteria
- February 23 | 11am-1pm at the STJ Community Building
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February 25 | 12-1pm virtual session via zoom (register at ForwardTogetherShaker.com)
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Forward Together Conversations With Dr. Glasner
Superintendent Dr. David Glasner invites families to sign up to host small group conversations to discuss Forward Together and long-term facilities planning for the District. Sessions are available in a variety of time slots and can be held virtually or in person.
Click here to register as a session host and invite your friends and neighbors to join Dr. Glasner in the conversation. More dates will be released in the future. A Shaker Heights Schools staff member will follow up to confirm session specifics.
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COVID-19 Protocol Changes Beginning March 1
Over the past several weeks, Shaker Heights and Cuyahoga County have seen a dramatic drop in the COVID-19 case rate.
While our protocols have been necessary during times of increased COVID-19 spread, it is also important to ease these during low transmission periods within our community.
Therefore, due to the significant decrease in cases, the District plans to adjust the following guidelines beginning Tuesday, March 1:
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PreK-12: Masks will be optional for students, staff, visitors and volunteers while indoors.
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Bus Riders & Transportation Staff: Per federal public transportation guidelines, masks will continue to be mandatory on all school buses, including for field trips and extracurricular activities.
This change in guidance is dependent on continued low COVID-19 case rates within our schools and our community. Accordingly, families and staff should continue to report any COVID-19 cases through the District’s COVID-19 Case Reporting Google Form.
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Shaker Heights High School Features Sankofa
Shaker Heights High School’s Black history program is called “Sankofa”. It showcases talented students who perform in this school-wide event; our talents are in the areas of dance, singing, and drama as we explore Black History events. The performance dates are Friday, February 25 at 6pm and Saturday, February 26 at 1pm.
Visually and symbolically, "Sankofa" is expressed as a mythic bird that flies forward while looking backward with an egg (symbolizing the future) in its mouth.
"Sankofa" teaches us that we must go back to our roots in order to move forward. That is, we should reach back and gather the best of what our past has to teach us, so that we can achieve our full potential as we move forward. Whatever we have lost, forgotten, forgone or been stripped of, can be reclaimed, revived, preserved and perpetuated.
This year the theme is “Where we are Now / How Far Have We Come?” We will explore past and current events to help us celebrate and embrace our black heritage and our bright and prosperous future.
Mr. Holliday, the teacher advisor, this is his second decade as Sankofa’s advisor. Sankofa is a school-sponsored activity that goes well beyond the levels of expectations. The show is a production that is largely student run; however, Sankofa wouldn’t be what it is without past Sankofa alumni, and current Sankofa student leaders. They bring different information and help to this experience from music, spoken word, historical references, stage-crew, and playwriting. Sankofa is an after school activity that takes months to prepare for, Sankofa goes above and beyond to prepare for this Awesome Event.
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Cafeteria and Food Survey
AVI Fresh, our culinary partner that operates our cafeterias, would love to hear from you regarding their services. Please take a few moments to share your thoughts and opinions on the school breakfast and/or lunch.
Simply click the survey link below before Thursday, February 24, 2022. AVI Fresh will review your feedback and use it as an opportunity to tailor their services.
We thank you in advance for your participation. Surveys may be submitted anonymously.
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Fundraiser for St. Baldrick's
Students at Shaker Heights High School have organized a St. Baldrick's event to raise funds for childhood cancer. For this fun event, kids raise funds by shaving their heads to support kids with cancer. The St. Baldrick's foundation has invested over $312 million in childhood cancer research grants worldwide- it's about never giving up until we have cures for all kids with cancer.
We have created school teams for friendly competition to see which school can raise the most money.
Date: March 4th, 2022
Time: 3:30
Location: SHHS Large Auditorium
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Shaker Heights Livestream Athletic Schedule:
This week's schedule of livestreamed athletic events includes:
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- Wednesday, February 23 | Boys Basketball, 7 p.m. - OHSAA Playoff Game
- Saturday, February 26 | Boys Basketball, 7 p.m. - OHSAA Playoff Game
All livestream events can be found on the Athletic Department website.
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Cultural Learning in Action at Woodbury
Mrs. Ann Radefeld's sixth grade French classes are getting a unique, immersive learning experience this month as they learn about the French-speaking western-African nation of Senegal.
Mrs. Radefeld introduced the country's rich culture to her class through their coursework. They were then joined for a special presentation by two members of the Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM), Kimani Fowlin and Okai Musik, who discussed the founding of Dance Africa, a program at BAM that brings African dance and culture to the United States. They also shared information about Senegal and taught the students the importance African drumming has on spiritual, cultural and entertainment rituals.
After that, the students were invited to get on their feet for Kimani;s traditional African dance lessons. The class learned several steps and performed them while Okai played the drum. Then the students watched a professional African dance performance to see if they recognized any of the steps they learned.
The entire class go into this immersive experience! Two of the sixth-grade classes enjoyed this experience last week, while the remaining two classes will participate this coming week.
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Lift Your Foot
by Danielle Tall, DEI Department Intern
Someone once told me that holding a grudge was like stepping on someone’s neck. The person beneath you cannot move because of the weight you put on them. However, with your foot on their neck, you cannot move either. This applies to people, things, events, etc.
I like to think of life as a path of stepping stones. The bigger stones represent major goals and achievements I dream to accomplish. The smaller stones represent the little victories that I make along the way to reach my dreams. I could dwell on my past, but that would prevent me from controlling my present and affecting my future. I was asked to lift my foot and take baby steps, not a leap of faith. Now, as I pass on this word of advice given to me, I ask you, “What is holding you back from traveling on your pathway of life? What will it take to lift your foot and take a step forward?”
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Support Shaker Students at A Night for the Red & White!
This popular annual event hosted by the Shaker Schools Foundation provides funding for important programs and initiatives that benefit all Shaker students, in every Shaker building. This year’s event will support wellness and success for students in grades PreK through 12.
Who Comes to the Red & White?
Shaker parents, teachers, staff members, alumni, business owners, and community members all enjoy this lively event that features:
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Dinner and drinks by Driftwood Catering at the newly-renovated Landerhaven
- Student performances by the jazz band, Sankofa, a cappella and string ensembles, plus amazing student PreK- 12th grade artwork and student emcees
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Live music and dancing to the No Name Band
- Two amazing raffle packages and online silent auction
How Will Funds Be Used?
This year’s event supports our District’s Commitment to Wellness & Success for all Shaker students, from PreK - grade 12. Funds raised will support:
- Social-emotional learning programs
- Behavioral and mental health resources
- Mentoring
- Academic support and more
Thank you for celebrating and supporting our students at A Night for the Red & White!
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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.
Meanwhile, mark your calendars for the next PTO Council meeting scheduled for May 16, 2022. Have a wonderful week!
Michelle Jones and Randi Nathenson
PTO Council Co-Presidents
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Don’t Miss Out - Get Red & White Tickets Now!
You can also support the Red & White by purchasing raffle tickets to one or both of these amazing packages:
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Get into a NEW YORK STATE OF MIND with a two-night stay at the iconic Park Lane hotel near Central Park, two tickets to the hit Broadway play HADESTOWN, travel gift card, tickets to the 9/11 Museum and Memorial, and a special behind-the-scenes tour of the Met Cloisters.
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Or, make family memories to last a lifetime with the DESTINATION DISNEY package, featuring a $1500 gift card good for any Disney theme park, resort, cruise line and more, along with travel gift card and a special Pixar swag bag.
Tickets to this raffle are $100 each and only 200 tickets will be sold. Anyone over 21 may purchase, whether or not they attend the event - so share the link with friends and family. All proceeds support wellness and success for our students!
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Equity Unscripted Podcast
"Shaker Schools Foundation Presents A Night for Red and White"
Tune in for this special presentation of Equity Unscripted, as we're joined by Kiki Stout, Laura Orazi and Miriama Whyte as they discuss the work of the Shaker Schools Foundation, the upcoming fundraiser, A Night for Red and White, and why this work is so important to the Shaker Heights School community.
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Forward Together - Can You Picture It?
Take advantage of the opportunity to share your input on concepts for Shaker facilities, including school buildings, Thornton Park and more. There are several ways to engage: Choose from two drop-in events on February 22 from 7-9 pm at Shaker High School Upper Cafeteria, or February 23 from 11 am-1 pm at the Stephanie Tubbs Jones Community Building. There’s also a virtual event on February 25 at noon. An online survey will be available from February 16-March 6.
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Lee Road Action Plan public meeting
In February, the City of Shaker Heights will launch a community engagement process to help create a visionary reinvestment plan for Lee Road south of Chagrin Boulevard. This process will help to transform the area into a commercial district that is more vibrant, walkable, bikeable and transit-friendly. The first meeting will be held Thursday, February 24 at 6:30 pm. Get more details.
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