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!

Visit our District Calendar online for a complete list of upcoming remote learning student activities, virtual events and athletic competitions.

Shaker Heights Schools has been honored once again with the Best Communities for Music Education (BCME) designation from The National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) Foundation for its outstanding commitment to music education. The District is one of only 686 school districts across the nation to receive the designation. Congratulations and thank you to the outstanding music faculty at Shaker Heights Schools for their commitment to another year of high-quality music instruction for our students! Read more.

Commencement for the Class of 2021 will be held at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, June 2 at the Shaker Heights High School Football Field. Read more.

Enroll your incoming kindergarten student or new student now for fall 2021! Please share this information with your friends and neighbors. Learn more and enroll online.

The Shaker Heights Schools invite all incoming kindergarten families to join us for a special Zoom presentation of Kindergarten Kickoff at 1 p.m. on Saturday, April 24! Families and students will have a chance to meet their building principals and to learn more about kindergarten at Shaker Heights Schools. Learn more about kindergarten and register for Kindergarten Kickoff!

District Superintendent Dr. David Glasner will join Akron Public Schools CFO Ryan Pendleton and Richmond Heights School District Superintendent Dr. Renee Willis in the League of Women Voters Webinar "Equitable Public School Funding NOW: Why It Matters and How to Get There," at 7 p.m. on Thursday, April 29. Learn how the Fair School Funding Plan will provide an equitable, comprehensive, transparent funding model that will change the face of public education for 600+ School Districts and 1.7 million students across Ohio. RSVP online.

The District Student Health & Safety Guidelines and Staff Health, Safety, Screening & Absence Guidelines have been updated to reflect the latest guidance from national and local health authorities and to include information on limits for visitors during and after the school day. Please review these updated guidelines with your students.

As a best practice, the District asks that families with onsite students continue to complete the daily health assessment/COVID-19 screening. Learn more about the daily health assessment/COVID-19 screener.

As we head into allergy season, the District's School Nurses share this helpful Venn diagram from the CDC regarding the overlap of seasonal allergy symptoms and COVID-19. Learn more from the CDC.

Catch up on Episodes 1-4 of Equity Unscripted, a series of one-on-one equity-focused conversations, hosted by Executive Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Dr. JeffriAnne Wilder. Episodes are just 20-30 minutes long and include insights and discussion designed to provide you with a better understanding of equity work and its importance at Shaker Heights Schools, in the community, across the country and around the world. Visit our Equity Unscripted webpage to watch (or listen to) each of our episodes.

You can cheer on the Raiders via livestream on the Shaker Heights High School Live Games page! Catch the competitions on this week's lineup:

On Sundays in April and May, the Shaker Heights High School Field Hockey team will conduct youth field hockey clinics for boys and girls in Grades 2-8 at the Shaker Heights High School stadium. No experience is required. New players can learn the game and experienced players can build their experience! Dates are Sunday, April 11, 18 & 25 and May 2, 9 and 16. Cost is $60 for all six clinics or $15 to drop-in. Registration is required—download a registration form and waiver. For more details, download the Field Hockey Clinic flyer. 

Girls in Grades 4-12 are invited to attend a summer volleyball camp, hosted by the Shaker Heights High School Volleyball team and coaches! Learn more about the game, build your serving, setting and blocking skills, and have some fun! Cost is $125 per player. Register online. Questions? Contact Varsity Volleyball Coach Denise Johnson.

Learn more about the event and sponsorship opportunities.

The Shaker Crew team has tents available for your graduation parties and other outdoor parties through its Lend-A-Tent program. Shaker Crew has five large tents (3 white tents and 2 red tents) available. Each tent is 10' x 20'. Shaker Crew team members will set up the tent the day of your event and take it down the following day. There is a suggested donation (tax-deductible!) of $200-$250 per tent. The tents are available from mid-May through Labor Day weekend. For more information or to reserve a tent for your event, please contact Rachel Feinleib. Support Shaker Crew and their Lend-A-Tent program!

The Shaker Heights High School Athletics Department shares this online list of local youth sports programs so that families can learn more about sports and fitness opportunities for children.

Complete this Youth Sports Programming Information Form to be considered for inclusion on the list. All responses will be reviewed by the Athletic Department. 

The Community Learning Center at Cleveland State University hosts free drop-in remote tutoring via Zoom for students in Grades K-12 on the following days and times:

Log in here via Zoom.

The District encourages all families to submit an application for free- or reduced-price meal eligibility regardless of family income. The percentage of students qualifying for meals is a data point utilized by the federal government to provide the District with certain funds that benefit all students. There is no application deadline; families may apply at any time. One application must be completed for each household each school year. Families can learn more about Free/Reduced-Price lunch and apply online.

If you are interested in an available position, please email ptocouncilpres@gmail.com.

Co-Presidents: Michelle Jones & Randi Nathenson

1st Vice President(s): TBD

VP Communications: Diana Ramirez Bergeron & Carrie Rhodes

VP Educational Enrichment: Sharee Thornton

VP Financial Management: Schen Griest

VP Outreach: Nikki Byrd

VP Parent Education & Advocacy: Mity Fowler & Marla Walker

Secretary: Erika LoPresti

Treasurer: TBD

Assistant Treasurer: TBD

Recruitment Chairs: Kim Harris & TBD

SAMS and Community Chaplains invite the community to meet on Zoom to talk about how some of us are dealing with the trial related to George Floyd. We will discuss and share about how we are impacted by it being back in the forefront of the news and back into our daily lives. Let's Talk, community conversations, will take place on Thursday, April 8, 15, 22 and 29 at 7 p.m. Please see the image for information on the conversation and use this Zoom link to join: 

Order from Choolah in Orange Village on Thursday, April 15 from 11 a.m.-8 p.m., mention Mercer PTO and Choolah will donate 30-percent of those sales to the Mercer PTO.

Order online at choolah.com and use the code MERCER at checkout!

Order online now through Monday, May 3, with curbside pickup currently scheduled at the High School on May 14 and 15. The PTO will share additional pickup information after the sale closes.

Feel free to pass the ordering link on to your neighbors, friends and family who might be interested, too! Thank you for your continued support! Order online today!

Submit your high-res photos for the Shaker Heights Landmark Commission’s ninth annual Preservation Month Photo Contest. Entries must reflect what makes Shaker "Shaker" to you. Submit photos via Instagram with hashtag #PreserveSH21 through June 11. Get details.

Visit the Recreation Department’s online calendar or browse the online registration system to view spring sports programs including soccer, tennis, basketball, flag football, ice skating and more. Summer camp registration is now open for Camp Discovery (for grades K-2), Camp EXPlore (for grades 3-5), and a wide variety of sports camps.  Also, the Thornton Park Pool will be open this summer! When details are finalized, more information will be posted on the rec department's Facebook and Instagram pages, and on the pool webpage.