August 29, 2021
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 for the 2021-2022 school year will release 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:

  • First Day of School Monday, August 30 | PreK
  • Labor Day Monday, September 6 | Schools and Offices Closed
  • Rosh Hashanah Tuesday, September 7 | Schools and Offices Closed
  • Curriculum Nights:
  • Wednesday, September 8 | Boulevard, Fernway, Lomond, Mercer, Onaway
  • Grades 1-4 only
  • Thursday, September 9 | Shaker Middle School
  • Monday, September 14 | Shaker High School
  • Monday, September 20 | Woodbury
  • Wednesday, September 22 | Boulevard, Fernway, Lomond, Mercer, Onaway
  • Kindergarten only
Russell Rupp Stadium, Under the Lights

The Shaker Heights High School Russell Rupp Stadium received temporary lighting on Tuesday, August 24. This pilot program will be in place for several weeks while the Athletic Department test runs five night practices and four night home games for a variety of varsity-level sports. The following are the four night games that will be played under the lights at Rupp Stadium:

  • Monday, September 20 | Field Hockey vs. Hathaway Brown @ 7:30 p.m.
  • Friday, September 24 | Football vs. Garfield Heights @ 7:00 p.m.
  • Saturday, October 9 | Girls Soccer vs. Valley Forge @ 7:00 p.m.
  • Tuesday, October 12 | Boy Soccer vs. Howland @ 7:00 p.m.

This project provides our student-athletes and community with a unique and rewarding opportunity to enhance the athletic experience at Shaker Heights High School. It was made possible through a coordinated effort by the community, Shaker Sports Boosters, Shaker Heights Foundation and Athletic Department.

Tickets for all home games must be purchased through the Athletic Department website.
Check out the Shaker Heights High School Marching Band at the Labor Day Parade!

Be on the lookout for the sights and sounds of the Shaker Heights High School Marching Band as you enjoy the Shaker Heights Labor Day parade on Monday, September 6 at 9 a.m. Details about the parade can be found below in the "City of Shaker Heights News" section of this newsletter.
Free/Reduced-Price Lunch Applications

We encourage all families to submit an application for free- or reduced-price meal eligibility regardless of family income. While the USDA has announced that all students will continue receiving free meals throughout the 2021-2022 school year, it remains crucial to the District that families still submit applications for free- and-reduced-price eligibility. 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. Families may also qualify for fee waivers for the ACT, PSAT, SAT and AP tests if qualified for free and reduced-price meals.
Shaker Heights Schools District Calendar is Now Available

Shaker Heights Schools is excited to share the printable 2021-2022 District calendar with our school community! This calendar contains important information and Districtwide event dates for your reference.

Families may download a digital PDF of the calendar for at-home printing and populating with building-level student and family events. We encourage families to regularly check the online calendar at shaker.org for the most up-to-date event information.

Click here to download the 2021-2022 Shaker Heights District Calendar. For more calendar and school start/end time information, please go to www.shaker.org/calendarsbellschedules.aspx. 
Stay Connected with the PTO

Shaker Heights PTO uses the Membership Toolkit portal and app for family directory, volunteer signups, and email communications. It’s secure, easy to use and free to families.

Instructions on how to sign up 
  • Go to: shakerpto.org
  • Click on the Login button or the Registration button.
  • If you already have an account with another organization that uses Membership Toolkit, you can use the same email and password to login. 
  • If you do not have a Membership Toolkit account, select “Create Account” and fill in your name and email, and create a password.
  • Click “verify my email” and then check your email for a link to complete the process. The link expires in 2 hours. If you do not receive the email, check your spam or junk folders.
  • After you have verified your email address, log back in and finish the registration process.
  • Complete the Parent/Family and Student Information forms.
  • Complete the Directory/Publish Preferences. (You control the info you want everyone to see and also don’t forget if you want an email and push notifications to set that option as well.) Once these forms are complete, you will be connected.
  • Once the Primary Account is set up, the Primary User can “invite” other email addresses to access his/her account. This allows a Secondary User (such as a spouse or co-parent) to have their own login information, but still have access to the family account.
 
How will the Shaker PTO use Membership Toolkit? 
The PTO will use the email you give us as the primary method of communication between the PTO and parents. We will send out emails about events (Speaker Series, fundraisers, school events), our needs (opportunities for volunteers), as well as resources for parents.   

What is the Directory? 
The Shaker PTO Online Directory is for use by the families of the school, compiled by the PTO. If your child wishes to socialize with classmates outside the classroom (play dates, birthday parties), this directory is an essential source of contact information. We have decided to put our directory online to save on volunteer time, costs, and paper. We are using MTK to accomplish this task. The online database gives you and us the ability to have information automatically updated each year and allows families to change information easily. 
Get to Know the Shaker Schools Foundation

Welcome to the new school year! If you’re not yet familiar with the Shaker Schools Foundation, we invite you to learn about our mission: to support all Shaker students by cultivating community resources to advance equitable access and enhance opportunities in and out of the classroom. 

What does this look like in action? With the support of individual donors, corporate sponsorships and grant funding, the Foundation has helped our students enjoy hands on learning at the Woodbury Makerspace; take machining, robotics and engineering courses at the High School; travel overseas with performing arts and service learning trips; learn from visiting artists and authors; build motorcycles at the Middle School; design with state-of-the-art graphics tools; become entrepreneurs and leaders; increase their strength and fitness at the Raider Athletic Center; and so much more. 

Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter for more examples of how the Foundation supports our students, and to learn about the exciting programs and opportunities we’ll be supporting this coming year! 
Residents Invited to Volunteer for DEI Committee

The City is working to promote diversity, equity and inclusion in our community, particularly as these issues intersect with the work of the City. To accomplish this goal we are forming a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee as well as several subcommittees to help focus our work. If you are interested in volunteering or would like to learn more, read the Volunteer form. The deadline to apply is Friday, September 3.
Labor Day Parade

The Labor Day Parade will take place Monday, September 6th at 9 am, beginning at the intersection of Van Aken Blvd. and Lee Road and will march 1.5 miles eastbound, ending at the Van Aken District. Visit bit.ly/ShakerParade for more information.