Shaker Heights Schools eNews

May 14, 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:

Rising Grade 5 Tour and Info Night | May 18
Board of Education Work Session | May 22
PYP Exhibition - FE, ME, LO, ON | May 25
Memorial Day, Schools and Offices Closed | May 29
PYP Exhibition - BD | June 1
PreK Last Day of School | June 1
Commencement | June 6
Last Day of School | June 7

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

Use these Quick Links to access the following District information:

End of School Year Reminders

The end of the school year is an exciting one - with many dates, times and activities to remember! Be sure to check the District calendar and click the link above each week for your school's newsletter to help keep track of all the important end-of-year information you need!

Here is a list of a few important end-of-year dates:

PreK Last Day of School and Clap Out - June 1
School Clap Outs:
Boulevard - June 6 from 3-3:30
Fernway - June 6 from 2:30-3:15
Lomond - June 6 from 2:30-3:15
Mercer - June 6 from 2-2:45
Onaway - June 6 from 2:30-3:15
Woodbury - June 7 from 10:30-12:30
High School Commencement - June 6 at 6 p.m.
Middle School Grade 8 Recognition Ceremony - June 7 from 8:15-10:15
Last day of School - June 7

Board of Education Special Meeting on May 22

The Shaker Heights Board of Education will hold a special meeting at 5 p.m. on Monday, May 22, in the High School small auditorium. The Board will vote on the OFCC Master Plan Resolution at this meeting. This session will be open to the public to attend in person and will also be livestreamed at shaker.org/boardlive and via Boxcast.

The District’s long-term facilities plan includes:

Segment 1
Renovate Ludlow to accommodate expanded PreK program
Renovate and expand Woodbury as a Middle Years Building (Grades 6-8)
Renovate Boulevard, Lomond, Mercer and Onaway and convert elementary school buildings to include Grade 5
Build addition to Fernway to accommodate Grade 5
Segment 2
Build new High School near current campus site

(Please note, the order of the buildings within each segment does not necessarily indicate the order of construction.)

South Africa Cultural Exchange Information Session:

The Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (ODEI) is thrilled to announce the first South Africa Cultural Exchange (SACE) in Johannesburg and Cape Town, South Africa during Spring Break 2024.

SACE is a unique international learning experience for students who will be in their sophomore or junior year during the 2023-2024 school year. All students who are interested in learning more about this international learning should attend an information session from 2:15-3:15 on Tuesday, May 16 in the high school large auditorium. Please review this flyer and share with other interested students.

We are excited about what this historic, unique and extraordinary learning opportunity SACE will provide for Shaker Heights students.

Woodbury Elementary School Rising 5th Grade Tour and New Family Information Nights

Meet our Administrative Team

Take a Tour of Our Building

Meet Shaker Parents and Guardians from other K-4 buildings

Learn about opportunities to get involved

Remaining Dates:

Thursday, May 18

Tuesday, June 20

Wednesday, July 12

Wednesday, August 2

If you have not attended a prior New Family night, we encourage all rising 5th grade and new 6th grade parents and guardians to come and see what Woodbury offers for your child. These New Family Nights have replaced our traditional orientation evening program. Each program is the same so you can pick the date that works best for your calendar. Questions? 216-295-4150

Volunteer for the 2023-24 School Year

The Shaker Heights Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) is dedicated to the educational success and well-being of all children. All parents and caregivers are automatically members, so we invite you to participate with us as much as your schedule allows! There are many opportunities to get involved - click on a link below to look over the full list of PTO positions for the upcoming school year at your student’s school.

Innovative Center for Personalized Learning Hosts Exhibition of Learning

The Innovative Center for Personalized Learning (the IC) hosted their second annual Exhibition of Learning last week. Students at the IC had an opportunity to showcase their learning at the first IC Exhibition of Learning. During this open-house event, student work was on display, students discussed their projects with guests and multiple presentations and panel discussions were offered throughout the event. A big congratulations to students and staff at the IC on a job well done!

For More School News...

To see some of the other exciting things that have been happening around the Shaker Heights Schools, click the links below:

Senior Benjamin Jamal Named $2,500 National Merit Scholarship Winner

Fourth-Grade Students Experience Woodbury Through ‘Fifth-Grader for a Day’ Program

Dr. Glasner Lunches with Woodbury Students

Congratulations to Our Graduating SHHS IB Diploma Programme Candidates!

Ohio Educational Library Media Association Honors Boulevard’s Kristen Roope & Middle School’s Debra Quarles

Cleveland Orchestra Fellow, Composer & Flautist Allison Loggins-Hull Visits with SHHS Students

Boulevard Student Among Winning Fourth-Grade Entrants in Young Entrepreneur Pitch Challenge

Shaker Heights Hosts Traveling Exhibit from Miami University

Shaker Heights Schools has been granted access to Telling A People's Story, a Traveling Civil Rights Exhibit from Miami University of Ohio. The traveling exhibit has been on display in various buildings throughout the District. For the first time, African-American children’s literature is the focus of a museum exhibition featuring art produced for book illustrations. The presentation of this genre offers a look at the cultural, historical and social makeup of African-American cultural identity, while also shedding light on the long-neglected world of African-American authors and illustrators within children’s literature. Telling A People’s Story addresses:

The presentation of African-American identity and history in a creative, educational and respectful manner.
The role African-American illustrators and authors play in the development and growth of the field of children’s literature.
The topic of social justice throughout African-American history.
The need for awareness of the challenges African-American children’s book authors and illustrators face in a field lacking sufficient representation of minorities.
The importance of appreciating the culture and history of a people who are deeply rooted in the American story.

SHHS PTO Flower Sale

Thanks to the entire Shaker community for your generous support of this year’s flower sale. The sale raises $23k+ EVERY year and the money benefits ALL SHHS students as well as staff. It is essentially the only fundraiser for the high school and your participation is completely voluntary and results in beautiful flowers for you and all of Shaker to enjoy.

Knowing it is VOLUNTARY and the ONLY SHHS fundraiser, PLEASE consider volunteering for a 2-3 hour shift to distribute the flowers to the community. There are many different shifts available and all volunteers are greatly appreciated.

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0f4caaa922abf58-2023#/

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

Looking for an End of Year Gift for a Teacher?

Make a DONATION in their name to the Shaker Schools Foundation! We invite you to write a personalized note that will be forwarded to the educator/s of your choice. It’s another WIN-WIN for our Shaker students and schools!

Coming Soon: New Fashion Design Studio!

Our high school will be creating a new curriculum in partnership with Kent State University School of Fashion and our students will be able to take the following classes!

Fiber Arts 1st Semester - Fiber Arts will investigate the historical context of clothing and society and the impact that textiles have had on our society at large. Students will develop skills in fabric dyeing, embroidery, needlepoint, sewing, knitting, and sewing machines.

Fashion Design 2nd Semester- Focus on drawing fashion template models and designing garments. Students will gain a better understanding of how to use a sewing machine. The curriculum will include a study of Fashion Design through the ages using an Art History lens. Students will have team-building opportunities to create a selection of clothing that will be showcased in an end-of-year fashion show during Art Exposed. Other opportunities could include working with Jewelry metals to create clothing that works with jewelry pieces and working with the Kent Fashion Design program.

The Shaker Schools Foundation is raising funds to help support the new Fashion Design Studio that will be the hub for these new classes. Learn more and lend your support by visiting https://shakerschoolsfoundation.org/fashion-design-studio/

Stay Connected to the Foundation

The Shaker Schools Foundation’s work continues throughout the summer, supporting Opportunity Assistance Scholarships and summer programs in the District. Follow us on Facebook or Instagram or visit us at shakerschoolsfoundation.org for more information on how the Foundation uses your generous donations to support Shaker students!

Chat with the Mayor May 20 at Shaker Square Farmers Market

Residents are invited to stop by the North Union Farmers Market at Shaker Square to chat with Mayor David Weiss Saturday, May 20 from 11 am-12 pm. There's no set agenda for this drop-in event, so mark your calendar now and plan to come talk about a City project, a neighborhood issue, or whatever else is on your mind. All are welcome!