Shaker Heights Schools eNews

March 12, 2023

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:

Kevin Clayton Event | March 13
Board of Education Meeting | Tuesday, March 14
Rising Grade 7 Orientation | Wednesday, March 15
High School - The Spongebob Musical | March 16-18
A Night for the Red & White | March 18
Board of Education Work Session | March 20
High School Band Pre-Tour Concert | March 20
Incoming Kindergarten School Visits | March 21
High School Band Performance Tour | March 22-30
PreK-4 PTO CommUnity Speaker Series | March 22
Spring Recess | March 27-31

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

Use these Quick Links to access the following District information:

Tickets on Sale Now for Our 31st Annual Gala, A Night for the Red & White: A Benefit for Shaker Schools

A Night for the Red & White: A Benefit for Shaker Schools - Purchase tickets by Tuesday!

Saturday, March 18, 2023

Hilton Cleveland Downtown, 7 pm

We are less than a week away from our 31st annual fundraiser, A Night for the Red & White. Over forty years ago ,when the Foundation was established, it was the first private non-profit formed in Ohio to support a public city school district. Thirty-one years ago, A Night for the Red & White was established to help grow the foundations reach in our school community.

To this day we are leading the way in providing one of a kind support for our students PreK-12! That’s every grade and every school building in our community. This is only made possible by our generous donors near and far! Events like the Red & White are the backbone of our fundraising efforts and we need our entire community to support our public school district.

You can support Shaker students by doing any of the following:

Joining us next weekend at our annual fundraiser. Please purchase your

EVENT tickets today!

Purchase RAFFLE tickets!
BID on our silent auction items! Opening Monday, the 13th!
Make a DONATION!

VIEW an important message from our foundation Board President, Carter Strang!

Learn more at: shakerschoolsfoundation.org/redandwhite/ or email redandwhite@shaker.org

Kevin Clayton to Speak on March 13

Save the date! The Shaker Schools Foundation, Shaker Sports Boosters and Shaker Athletic Department are excited to host Kevin Clayton on Monday, March 13, for a talk about DEI strategies and athletics, and his foundational experience as a Shaker student. Kevin is the Senior VP, Head of Social Impact and Equity for the Cavs, as well as a Trustee of the Shaker Schools Foundation and a Shaker Schools alumni!

Pizza dinner will be served at 6:30, the program begins at 7. Please RSVP so we may plan for dinner accordingly!

There will also be raffle prizes, including Cavs and Guardians tickets, Shaker Heights athletics passes and Shaker gear! Don't miss this great event!

Shaker Heights Schools Job Fair on April 5

Join Shaker’s team! The Shaker Heights City School District is hosting a Teacher & Paraprofessional Job Fair from 10 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, April 5, at the Shaker Heights Public Library, 16500 Van Aken Boulevard. Interviews will be held every 30 minutes based on grade band. Availability is on a first-come, first-served basis, and registration is required. To register, go to https://forms.gle/ftSmjUr9qMLRNGUe9.

To learn more about working for Shaker, go to https://www.shaker.org/careers.

Preschool Parent Education Program

All parents of preschool-aged children are invited to attend the Early Childhood Program Parent Meeting on March 14, from 6:00 - 7:30 p.m. at Onaway Elementary School. The purpose of the program is to provide parents with Positive Behavior Strategies to use with their children. Sessions offered:

Social Emotional Learning
Sensory Regulation Strategies
A Successful Start to Kindergarten
Fostering Executive Functioning Through Play and Routines

Sessions will be facilitated by the Early Childhood Program staff. If you are interested in attending, please complete the RSVP by clicking here.

Note: This meeting is for parents only, childcare will not be provided.

Assessment News

Ohio’s State Tests

State achievement tests inform families and teachers of how well our students are growing in the knowledge and skills outlined in Ohio’s Learning Standards. Every student in grades 3 - 8 is assessed in English language arts and mathematics, using the assessment that corresponds to their learning standards. Students in grades 5 and 8 are also assessed in science.

End-of-course assessments (EOCs) are the state achievement tests that are administered to high school students upon completion of specific courses. This includes an Algebra EOC that some Shaker students take in middle school. To earn a high school diploma in Ohio, students must demonstrate competency on the Algebra and English language arts EOCs. EOCs in other subjects offer students the opportunity to earn graduation seals, another requirement to earn a high school diploma in Ohio.

State testing will begin after spring break. Each building will be in contact with families to share specific test dates.

Shaker Heights High School Presents The Spongebob Musical

The Shaker Theatre Arts Department proudly presents The Spongebob Musical, a collaboration that features songs from a variety of artists including Jonathon Coulton, Sara Bareilles, John Legend and Panic! At the Disco. Showtimes are March 16 and 17 at 7 pm and a matinee performance on Saturday, March 18 at 2 pm, in the Large Auditorium at Shaker Heights High School.

A company of over 40 students and adults has come together to bring this family-friendly underwater adventure to life. Directed by Department Chair, Scott Sumerak, this co-curricular production engages students enrolled in multiple areas of the Shaker Heights High School Theatre Arts Department. The production team also includes Chuck Tisdale (Tech Director), Nick LaPete (Music Director), Jai Harris (Choreographer), Vanessa Cook (Costume Coordinator), Marina Wasserman (House Manager) and Laurie Brem (Box Office).

Tickets are $12 for adults, $7 for students and senior adults and are on sale now at www.shakertheatre.ludus.com, and will be available at the door on performance days.

Patrons at the Associate level receive two complimentary tickets - redeem by calling the Theatre Arts Department office at 216-295-6357 and leaving a voicemail.

Tree Planting Event, Hosted by the Innovative Center, Needs Your Support

On May 5, 2023, Ms. Hay and IC Students will host a tree-plenish event with the goal of planting enough trees to offset our school’s energy consumption.

Tree-Plenish is an organization that empowers students to “create a more sustainable and equitable future through community tree-planting.”

We are striving to plant at least fifty new trees, and there are three ways you can help.

Purchase a tree sapling. They are $5 each and can be ordered through our Tree-Plenish website.
Volunteer on event day. Help us set up, plant trees or clean up. Sign up to volunteer through this form.
Donate. Your donation can help us purchase tree saplings. Donations can be made by completing this form.

Trees will be available for pick up or can be planted at your home or business!

Eighth Grade Students Wow at Community Project Presentations

Congratulations to our eighth-grade students, who presented their Community Projects last week to visiting sixth-grade students, staff and community guests! The Community Project is a collaborative action research project that allows students to develop attributes of the IB learner profile, build their approaches to learning skills, take action on a community issue of their choosing and foster the development of lifelong learning.

During the Community Project, students work in groups and meet with their teacher-mentors over the course of several months to work on their service project. The Community Project presentations last week was a chance for students to explain their work, research, results and next steps.

The student groups did an excellent job and practiced valuable presentation skills! Well done to all!

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

Shaker Heights High School Alumni Hall of Fame Nominations Now Open

Shaker Heights High School Alumni Hall of Fame nominations are now OPEN! Know of a deserving Shaker Alum that should be nominated for the 2023 Shaker Schools Alumni Hall of Fame? Nominate them today! Anyone may nominate a Shaker alumni for this honor. Please share with everyone! The nomination form is available at shakerschoolsfoundation.org/alumni or submit online nominations here! Nominations will be accepted online until April 3, 2023.

DEI Community Conversation Thursday, March 16

Join us to keep the conversation going about diversity, equity and inclusion in Shaker Heights. This Community Conversation will be with the City's Building & Housing Department at The Dealership, 3558 Lee Rd. from 7-8:30 pm. All are welcome. Bring a neighbor! Light refreshments will be served. Please submit questions in advance. There will also be opportunity for discussion during the event.

March is Tree Maintenance Season

Regular maintenance helps our City’s street trees grow well and stay healthy. Throughout the month of March, crews will be performing a variety of maintenance activities across the City. This includes trimming young trees and pruning dead wood/damaged limbs from mature trees.