Shaker Heights Schools eNews

March 17, 2024

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:

Rising Grade 5 Information Night | Monday, March 18, 6 p.m.
Board of Education Work Session | Tuesday, March 19, 5 p.m.
Kindergarten Information Night | Wednesday, March 20, 6 p.m.
Spring Recess | Monday, March 25-Monday, April 1
Board of Education Meeting | Wednesday, April 3, 6 p.m.
No School for Students, Solar Eclipse Day | Monday, April 8
No School for Students/Teachers, Eid-al-Fitr | Wednesday, April 10
Kindergarten Kickoff | Saturday, April 20, 1-4 p.m.

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

Use these Quick Links to access the following District information:

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, are 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. Additional information about the tests can be found here.

Information about all of the assessments and our District assessment calendar can be found on the testing page of shaker.org.

Cell Phone Survey and Panel Discussion on Student Cell Phone Use

Shaker Heights Schools seeks feedback from families, students, faculty and staff regarding student cell phone use during the school day. To that end, the following surveys aim to develop a deeper understanding of the impact of cell phones on student learning, engagement, health, well-being and safety in the Shaker Heights Schools.

Please complete the appropriate survey below to provide input into the shaping of the District's policy as it pertains to in-school cell phone use. This survey will close on March 22, 2024. Thank you!

Faculty and staff received survey links separately.

A panel discussion on student cell phone use will be held on Thursday, April 4, at 6 p.m. More details about the event and panelists will be shared soon!

Youth Field Hockey Clinics

New and experienced players can learn to play field hockey in clinics hosted by current High School Field Hockey players. Clinics consist of drills, games and skill building, and are for students in Grades K-8.

Clinics will be held at the High School turf field. The cost is $60 for six sessions or $15 drop in rate. The dates and times are as follows:

Sunday, April 7th (9-10 AM)
Sunday, April 14th (8-9 AM)
Saturday, April 20th (9-10 AM)
Saturday, April 27th (9-10 AM)
Saturday, May 4th (9-10 AM)
Saturday, May 11th (9-10 AM)

To register, go to https://forms.gle/LU8y2dGGwCuoLpyC6 and Venmo @kerryfenton. Email fieldhockey@shaker.org with questions.

Save the Date: Woodbury Celebration on May 17!

The Shaker Heights Schools and the Shaker Schools Foundation are planning a celebration of Woodbury's history and legacy on Friday, May 17, from 5-7 p.m. All members from the community, past and present, are invited to this open house event to enjoy the history of Woodbury and take a walk through the building prior to the renovations. More details will be shared soon.

Champions Offering Spring Break Camp

The District's contracted childcare provider, Champions, is offering a spring break camp Monday-Thursday, March 25-28, at Onaway Elementary School for any Shaker Heights student in Grades K-6. The camp hours are 8 a.m.-5 p.m. More information is available at the Champions website.

To resister for camp, please create or log into your Champions account and select the spring break camp location at Onaway.

Upcoming FACE Events

The Office of Family and Community Engagement will be hosting the following events featuring literacy and Dyslexia.

The events are open to all. Please use the following links to register:

Let's Talk About the Dyslexia Law with Attorney Kerry Agins

Tuesday, March 19 from 6:30-8:30 p.m. held via Zoom

A Walk in the Shoes Dyslexia Simulation

Thursday, April 4 from 6-8 p.m.

Delisle Options Center

Fernway Students Hold Poetry Jam

Fernway third graders had a blast creating poetry magic with Isaiah Hunt, a poet laureate on a 3-year assignment with John Carroll University. Mr. Hunt spent a week with our third grade classes doing daily writing lessons, which stretched the students’ creativity and imagination, encouraging them to explore the use of similes and metaphors while engaging in collaborative writing. Students were also challenged to select a random word card for a noun, a verb and an adjective, and write a line of their poem incorporating those three words. The results were amazing!

Students presented their best work during a poetry jam session for friends and family.

This wonderful learning opportunity was part of their IB unit How We Express Ourselves.

Stay up to date by following the Shaker Schools Foundation on our social media platforms, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn!

A Night for the Red & White in support of Every Student, Every Grade, and Every School was a HUGE success! Our gala event was held on March 2 at the High School. We had over 500 attendees, raised over $53,000 in donations during our showcase in the High School Auditorium, sold over 180 auction items, and raffled off three big packages! Thank you for your continued support of our amazing Shaker students!

Were you unable to join us this year?

You can view photos and our mission video from the event here and make a monetary DONATION to support our mission today! Your support is crucial to our success and very much appreciated!

Learn more at shakerschoolsfoundation.org.

Shaker Heights High School Alumni Hall of Fame Nominations Open!

Know of a deserving Shaker Alum that should be nominated for the 2024 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 8, 2024.

From the Margins to the Center

Celebrating Women's History Month, Vol. 7

Dr. Gholdy Muhammad

Madeline Short

Individuals & Societies Teacher, Shaker Heights High School

This week, in honor of Women’s History Month, I am highlighting the groundbreaking work of Dr. Gholdy Muhammad. Dr. Muhammad is best known for her dedication to promoting equity in education, particularly through her development of the Historically Responsive Literacy framework. This framework was designed to assist teachers in structuring their curriculum to be more inclusive so that all students can be successful. HRL utilizes a four-layered model that places a student’s skills on an equal plane with three other learning pursuits: identity, intellect, and criticality. She is also the author of the best-selling book, Cultivating Genius: An Equity Model for Culturally and Historically Responsive Literacy. Through her research and advocacy, she emphasizes the importance of incorporating diverse literature and culturally relevant pedagogy into classrooms to empower students.

Dr. Muhammad has had a profound impact on my teaching philosophy and practices. She has inspired me to work towards creating inclusive learning environments that honor and uplift the voices and experiences of all my students. I believe that her work aligns with the District’s goal to create an environment in the classroom and in the school building where every student confidently feels that they belong here.

Additional Resources

The SHHS Flower Sale is Now Open!

PRE-SALE ORDER DEADLINE MAY 6th

Click here to order!

PROCEEDS BENEFIT: Teacher and Staff appreciation, Black Student Conference, Bridges Summer Program, Career Awareness Events, Spirit Days, Senior Celebrations, After Prom, Innovation Center Requests, AP/IB Testing, Student Activity Fair, MLK Day- just to name a few!

Order early as favorites tend to sell out! Follow us on Facebook.

Questions? Call Tiffany Goldstein at 216-577-5968 or goldeezgirl@me.com

*We are only doing online ordering this year. If you need assistance placing your orders, please call Kate Blaszak at 216-314-4724 or kateblaszak@me.com

Thank you for your continued support!

PTO Council Update

The Parent Teacher Organization will be disbanding the Woodbury PTO Unit as we update the bylaws to better align with the District’s new facilities plan. More details can be found at shakerpto.org . For questions or suggestions, please email ptocouncilpres@gmail.com.

Friday Night DJ Skate at Thornton Park Ice Arena March 22

Meet up with friends and get your skate on during the last DJ Skate session this month on Friday, March 22, from 7:45-9 p.m. at Thornton Park Ice Arena (3301 Warrensville Center Rd.). Public skating admission fees apply.

Cuyahoga County launches 2024 Reappraisal process

The Cuyahoga County Fiscal Officer has notified the City that it will start the 2024 Reappraisal process in the coming weeks. Appraisers will be reviewing all residential and commercial properties in Shaker Heights. Get details about upcoming information sessions.