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. | |
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Visit our District Calendar online for a complete list of upcoming activities, events and athletic competitions.
Please note the following upcoming important dates:
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Rising 9th Grade Information Night | Thursday, February 9, 7 p.m.
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Board of Education Meeting | Tuesday, February 14, 6 p.m.
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Conferences, No School for Students | Thursday and Friday, Feb 16-17
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President's Day, Schools and Offices Closed | Monday, February 20
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Sankofa | Friday and Saturday, February 24 and 25
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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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Watch the January 31 Board of Education Work Session
The Tuesday, January 31, Board of Education Work Session addressed long-term facilities planning. We encourage families and staff to watch the recording of the discussion here. The link includes a video index to highlight the video segments below, which you will see on the right side of the page. Please click on the topic link or scroll to the noted timestamp.
Based on the Board of Education’s consensus and direction, the District will be further exploring the following facilities plans:
- Expanding K-4 elementary schools to include Grade 5.
- Locating a Middle Years Building (Grades 6-8) at the current Woodbury site.
- Locating a preschool site in the Ludlow school building and potentially maintaining the current program at Onaway School.
- Locating the District administration offices in the Ludlow school building, with the option for relocation if the PreK program requires expansion in the future.
- Implementing the facilities plan with a single bond issue (rather than dividing up the plan into two separate segments)
Highlights from the meeting include:
- Chief Strategic Priorities Officer Dr. Marla Robinson and Chief Operating Officer Jeff Grosse: PreK Expansion (0:07:36)
- Chief Operating Officer Jeff Grosse and Treasurer Bryan Christman: Segmenting Options (0:58:00)
- Superintendent Dr. David Glasner: Decision Points, Timeline and Next Steps (1:45:52)
Discussions will continue in the coming months with a projected Board of Education vote on a master facilities plan in the Spring of 2023.
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Fundraiser for St. Baldrick's
Shaker Heights High School students are sponsoring a St. Baldrick's event to raise funds for children's cancer research. The event will take place on Friday, February 24, from 3-5 p.m. at the High School.
Interested in participating? You can sign up to raise funds by shaving your head or make a donation to childhood cancer research. All ages are welcome and schools can create teams for a friendly competition. This is always a fun event for the community to support children with cancer. Contact Parker Roeder with any questions. proeder@stu.shaker.org
Visit https://www.stbaldricks.org/events/SHHS2023 for details on participation and donations.
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A Message from Dr. David Glasner Regarding College Board's AP African American Studies Curriculum
The College Board’s inclusion of a new Advanced Placement (AP) African American Studies course in its curriculum provides an opportunity to celebrate and elevate a long-neglected part of the American student educational experience. Culturally informed and responsive education allows all students to see themselves in their curriculum and better understand the world we live in. It fosters inquiry-based learning that is balanced, reflective and knowledgeable about our global and multicultural society.
That’s why we were disappointed to see that on Wednesday—the beginning of Black History Month—the College Board chose to eliminate subject matter from its new course subject that had angered some elected officials. Regardless of its intent, the College Board’s decision represents a missed opportunity to include references to subjects such as LBGTQ+ studies, slavery reparations, the Black Lives Matter movement and Black feminist literary thought—subject matter that was contained in the draft curriculum.
To read the entire statement, click here.
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PreK Interest Survey
The District is considering an expansion of PreK programming to serve more families of three- and four-year old children. As we plan, we need your input. Please fill out this PreK survey so that we may learn more about your PreK needs. Please also forward this survey to other families who you may know who have children who are not yet school-age and live within the Shaker Heights City School District.
These decisions will not alter District practices for students who have an identified need for special education and related services.
Survey responses will be accepted until noon on Monday, February 13.
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Shaker Heights Schools Sweetheart Dance
Friday, February 17, 6-8 p.m. at the Shaker Heights Middle School
It will be a night to remember with your sweet, special someone in Grades K-4!
All attendees MUST be pre-registered. NO walk-ins.
Tickets: $20.00 for 1 adult and 1 child. ($10.00 for each additional child or adult)
Photo Booth: $10.00 per photo
Corsages: $5.00
No Refunds.
Please make checks payable to Shaker Heights City School District and return by Friday, February 10, to your school office. Payment may also be made via PaySchools Central.
Any questions, please call Ms. Billie at 216-295-4366 or 216-295-4050
Flyers were sent home last week. If you cannot find one, please call the school office.
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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.
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Purchase a tree sapling. They are $5 each and can be ordered through our Tree-Plenish website.
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Volunteer on event day. Help us set up, plant trees or clean up. Sign up to volunteer through this form.
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Donate. Your donation can help us purchase tree saplings. Donations can be made by completing this form.
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Shaker Heights Preschool Peer Model Application Open through February 10
The Shaker Heights Preschool Program is looking for Peer Models for the 2023-2024 School Year. Housed at Onaway Elementary, there are a total of 5 preschool classrooms: 2 Full Day classrooms and 3 classrooms with both AM and PM sessions. Shaker's Preschool Program is the only program in the state of Ohio to incorporate the prestigious International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme philosophy with continuation in K-12. This application will close on February 10 at 5 p.m. Apply here.
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Woodbury Students Learn About Senegal Through Music and Motion
Woodbury French students engaged in an interactive virtual presentation on Senegal by representatives from the Brooklyn Academy of Music, followed by a fun lesson on the traditional dance, Kuku! Students learned new Wolof words and danced to the Djembe.
Eagle eyes may even spot a special guest who learned the dance alongside the students and their teacher, Ann Radefeld. (Hint: It's Dr. Glasner!)
It was interactive learning at its best!
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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.
Sharee Thornton & Erika LoPresti
PTO Council Co-Presidents
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State of the City Address Recording
If you missed Mayor Weiss’s recent State of the City address, sponsored by the Shaker Heights Chapter of the League of Women Voters, you can watch a recording.
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Help Develop the Van Aken Bikeway
Do you regularly walk or bike in Shaker and have ideas about making travel from the Van Aken District area to western neighborhoods safer? Join the City of Shaker Heights to help develop the Van Aken Bikeway at one of the following events: An in-person open house Wednesday, February 8 at 5 pm. Learn more and take the online survey.
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