September 26, 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:

  • International Families Picnic | Thursday, September 30, 6:30 p.m.
  • Board of Education Meeting | Tuesday, October 12, 6:00 p.m.
  • Conferences - No School | Thursday and Friday, October 21-22
  • Board of Education Work Session | Tuesday, October 26, 5 p.m.
District to Host Candidate for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Post

The District is pleased to announce a finalist for the position of Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer. The District is hosting Dr. Lawrence Burnley for a final interview on Friday, October 1, which will include a recorded virtual community interview that will be posted to shaker.org for the community to view and provide feedback. The District’s Equity Advisory and Action Team, which is a representative group of faculty, staff, administrators, students and community members, will have the opportunity to provide questions for this interview session.

Dr. Burnley currently lives in Dayton, Ohio, where he serves as the Vice President for Diversity and Inclusion at the University of Dayton. Dr. Burnley established his position for Dayton, developing a comprehensive strategic plan to advance diversity, equity and inclusion for the university, among other accomplishments. He also serves as the Chief Executive Officer, President and Co-Founder of Inclusive Engagements, LLC, a consulting firm providing professional services on various topics related to diversity, equity and inclusion. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania.

Dr. Burnley, a 1974 graduate of Shaker Heights High School, serves on the Board of Trustees of the Shaker Schools Foundation.

In addition to the recorded community interview, Dr. Burnley will spend the day touring school buildings and meeting with various stakeholders, including students, faculty and staff.
"Using Data to Drive Learning and Teaching" Presentation Available for Viewing

If you missed the Learning and Teaching Team’s presentation to the Board of Education during the Work Session on Thursday, September 23, you can watch it here. The presentation, titled “Using Data to Drive Learning and Teaching," details how the District uses data to create high expectations and high achievement for all students. 
Health & Safety Guidelines Update

The District has updated the 2021-22 Health and Safety Guidelines to include guidance on when students and staff members should remain home, as well as information on quarantine lengths for unvaccinated individuals. The District encourages all families to review the updated guidelines, which are available here.
Forward Together Workshops

The City of Shaker Heights, the Shaker Heights City School District and the Shaker Heights Public Library are jointly funding and leading a process to develop a Facilities Master Plan. The process to develop the Facilities Master Plan is called Forward Together.

Are Shaker Heights schools, libraries and city facilities important to you? Do you want to guide their future direction? Join Forward Together as we begin to implement the vision for Shaker Heights facilities! For information about upcoming community workshops, click here.
District Conferences to be Held Virtually

In light of the continuing pandemic and rising COVID cases in the state of Ohio, all conferences on Thursday and Friday, October 21 and 22, will be conducted virtually. Reducing the number of visitors to the Shaker Heights school buildings at one time will support our efforts to continue to provide undisrupted in-person learning for our students.

Additionally, we found last year that virtual conferences provide a greater level of access for our families, eliminating the need for families with young children to find child care and making it easier for multiple parents/guardians to attend from a single household and provide an excellent opportunity for older students to conference with their teachers. 

Further instructions on the schedule will be shared prior to the conference days from your building principal.
Shaker Heights Night Game and Livestream Athletic Schedule:

This week's schedule of livestreamed athletic events includes:

  • Monday, September 27 | Girls Soccer, 5 p.m.
  • Saturday, October 2 | Girls Soccer, 9 a.m.
  • Saturday, October 2 | Varsity Football, 2 p.m. Homecoming!

All livestream events can be found on the Athletic Department website.
Recognizing National Hispanic Heritage Month

September 15 marked the beginning of National Hispanic Heritage Month. This month-long celebration highlights the achievements and contributions of Hispanic Americans. Montserrat Mireles, a Shaker Heights High School student says, “Hispanic Heritage Month means many things to me. It gives me a chance to learn more about my heritage and a chance to connect with my past. As part of the first generation of Mexican immigrants, I think that Hispanic Heritage Month is a way to not only learn more about my heritage but myself. My heritage is part of who I am and learning more about Mexico and my roots helps me discover more about myself.”

Hopefully you and your family will join communities across the nation who are honoring and reflecting on the legacy and diversity of Hispanic Heritage. Ava Bribriesco, a Shaker Heights High School student says, “Bringing awareness to the Hispanic culture is really important to me because, while we talk about many European accomplishments, we spend little time talking about the legacy of Spanish speaking people. I want to feel represented this month as a Mexican-American, but I would also like to be exposed to other cultures. The word 'Hispanic' groups together many different nationalities and races so there is a lot we could learn.”

Your family can learn and celebrate by reading a Hispanic Heritage Book together from the district’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Resource Guide. At the dinner table, discuss any new learnings that may have been discovered during your time together. Additionally, there are many community events throughout the Cleveland area in connection to Hispanic Heritage Month – to learn more these events click here.

Our district wants to continue to learn with you, so please share any new learnings, reflections or resources that you believe will be beneficial to dei@shaker.org.
SGORR Tryouts

The Student Group On Race Relations (SGORR) tryouts will be held before and after school on Wednesday, September 29 virtually and in person. SGORR is an organization of diverse high school students in the Shaker Heights schools that promotes positive social relations across all boundaries of difference. Tryouts are for any student in 9th, 10th, 11th or 12th grade who wishes to participate in SGORR, no matter if they have tried out before or not. If you or a student that you know is interested in trying out, SGORR encourages you to fill out this interest form. For more information on tryouts, please follow us on Instagram (@shakersgorr) or email the SGORR Adviser - G. Tiara Sargeant (sargeant_g@shaker.org).
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. 
Join Us Tomorrow Night to Kick Off the Red & White 

 A Night for the Red & White turns 30 this year! Join us for cocktails and conversation tomorrow night, Monday, September 27 from 5:00 to 6:30 pm at the Shaker Historical Society, 16740 S. Park Blvd, as we kick off this beloved event in support of the Shaker Schools. Light refreshments and beverages will be served as we gather outside in the garden behind the museum. (There is a covered option in case of inclement weather.)  

Whether you are a past Red & White volunteer or have never been to this gala celebration, we want to hear your ideas and suggestions. Bring a friend! We want to grow this special 30-year Shaker tradition which benefits all Shaker students and supports key initiatives in every building.

Please RSVP so we can plan for refreshments. Not able to attend, but want to share your ideas or stay in the loop? Email us

COVID-19 Testing at Shaker Heights Fire Station

The Cuyahoga County Board of Health and MetroHealth is once again offering free COVID-19 testing for individuals age two and older. Testing will take place at the Shaker Heights Fire Station at 17000 Chagrin Blvd. You must pre-register to be tested. Visit the City website for registration codes, or call 216-957-3939, Tuesday to Friday, 8:30 am-4 pm.