Shaker Heights Schools eNews

March 10, 2024

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:

Board of Education Meeting | Tuesday, March 12, 6 p.m.
Facilities Update Webinar | Wednesday, March 13, 12 p.m.
Much Ado About Nothing | Thursday-Saturday, March 14-16
Rising Grade 5 Information Night | Monday, March 18, 6 p.m.
Board of Education Work Session | Tuesday, March 19, 5 p.m.
Spring Recess | Monday, March 25-Monday, April 1

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

Use these Quick Links to access the following District information:

High School Releases Master Schedule for 2024-2025

The High School Master Scheduling Committee has finalized the 2024-2025 SHHS Master Schedule.

Key details include:

Eight instructional periods.
There will be four, 90-minute periods per day.
Classes will end at 3:10 p.m. each day.
3:10-4 p.m. is designated as meeting time and conference time.
There will not be a designated Flex Block time.
In order to increase instructional time, Crew time is not included in this schedule. Activities such as surveys, course selection, required testing, etc., will occur during class time.

Key changes in this schedule include:

Four lunch periods every day to significantly reduce the number of students in the cafeteria, which will also increase the number of Safety Monitors in hallways during lunch.
17 minutes between each lunch period ensures students do not have to wait in the main second-floor hallway to enter the cafeteria.
The same start and end times every day.
The same duration of periods every day.

Key elements that are unchanged:

An after-school conference and meeting period.
Five minutes of passing time between classes.
The contractual day remains 8 a.m.-4 p.m.
The daily start time remains 8:20 a.m.

Cell Phone Survey and Panel Discussion on Student Cell Phone Use

Shaker Heights Schools seeks feedback from families, students, faculty and staff regarding student cell phone use during the school day. To that end, the following surveys aim to develop a deeper understanding of the impact of cell phones on student learning, engagement, health, well-being and safety in the Shaker Heights Schools.

Please complete the appropriate survey below to provide input into the shaping of the District's policy as it pertains to in-school cell phone use. This survey will close on March 22, 2024. Thank you!

Faculty and staff received survey links separately.

Save the date for a panel discussion on student cell phone use on Thursday, April 4, at 6 p.m. More details about the event and panelists will be shared soon!

Youth Field Hockey Clinics

New and experienced players can learn to play field hockey in clinics hosted by current High School Field Hockey players. Clinics consist of drills, games and skill building, and are for students in Grades K-8.

Clinics will be held at the High School turf field. The cost is $60 for six sessions or $15 drop in rate. The dates and times are as follows:

Sunday, April 7th (9-10 AM)
Sunday, April 14th (8-9 AM) *
Saturday, April 20th (9-10 AM)
Saturday, April 27th (9-10 AM)
Saturday, May 4th (9-10 AM)
Saturday, May 11th (9-10 AM)

To register, go to https://forms.gle/LU8y2dGGwCuoLpyC6 and Venmo @kerryfenton. Email fieldhockey@shaker.org with questions.

Shaker Heights High School Athletics Speaker Series

"Strength Training for the Female Athlete"

Tuesday, March 12, 6:30 p.m.

Middle School Auditorium

Join us on Tuesday, March 12 at 6:30 p.m. at Shaker Middle School as the SHHS Department of Athletics and Cleveland Clinic Sports Medicine partner for a free town hall meeting, Strength Training for the Female Athlete. Dr. Sami Rifat and Dr. Molly McDermott will discuss this important topic relating to female athletes of all ages and provide a Q & A session at the end of their presentation:

Injury prevention and long-term health
Improved on-field performance
Stereotypes and misconceptions about female athletes and strength training
Click here to learn more about this event's speakers, Dr. Rifat and Dr. McDermott

For more than 30 years, Cleveland Clinic Sports Medicine has been the proud medical provider for Shaker Athletics. Many thanks to the Cleveland Clinic for their sponsorship of this program and continued support of Raider Athletics.

Contact Mike Babinec (Athletic Director) at babinec_m@shaker.org for more information.

District to Distribute Eclipse Glasses

In preparation for the April 8 total eclipse, the District will distribute approved eclipse viewing glasses to all students and staff in the coming weeks. More information will be provided soon about the timing and logistics of this distribution.

Additional eclipse glasses are available at the front desk of City Hall, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday-Friday, while supplies last. Limit: 4 pairs per household. Shaker residents only, please.

Champions Offering Spring Break Camp

The District's contracted childcare provider, Champions, is offering a spring break camp Monday-Thursday, March 25-28, at Onaway Elementary School for any Shaker Heights student in Grades K-6. The camp hours are 8 a.m.-5 p.m. More information is available at the Champions website.

To resister for camp, please create or log into your Champions account and select the spring break camp location at Onaway.

Upcoming FACE Events

The Office of Family and Community Engagement will be hosting the following events featuring literacy and Dyslexia.

The events are open to all. Please use the following links to register:

Let's Talk About the Dyslexia Law with Attorney Kerry Agins

Tuesday, March 19 from 6:30-8:30 p.m.

Shaker Heights Library, Boulevard Room

A Walk in the Shoes Dyslexia Simulation

Thursday, April 4 from 6-8 p.m.

Delisle Options Center

Onaway Preschoolers Learn About Mailing Letters

Last week, students from the Onaway preschool took a walk to the administration building to learn about how to mail a letter. Students wrote letters, learned about including an address to get their letter where they wanted it to go, and got to run their letters through the District postage machine.

Their loved ones will have a sweet surprise in the mail when their letters arrive!

Stay up to date by following the Shaker Schools Foundation on our social media platforms, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn!

Thank you, Thank you, and THANK YOU again!

Our Shaker community is unbelievable! What an AMAZING night! Our High School was transformed into a beautiful event space with over 500 attendees! You continue to show up year after year in support of our students! To all of our donors, THANK YOU for your generosity and dedication to A Night for the Red & White in support of Every Student, Every Grade, and Every School!

A special THANK YOU to our excellent emcees, Shaker Alums Mariama Whyte, Class of 1993, and David Pogue, Class of 1981, for leading our amazing student showcase! THANK YOU to our superb Shaker students who joined us to showcase their unbelievable talent! Our Raider Reps, Shaker Cheerleaders, Vocal Ensemble, Strings Ensemble, Jazz Ensemble, Theatre, and Sankofa performances blew away guests! We also had fantastic student artwork on display from every school building in our District, spanning all grade levels! These efforts could not have occurred without our outstanding teachers, staff, and administration, so another huge THANK YOU to each of you!

Photos from the event and our latest mission video can be viewed here!

Were you unable to join us this year?

It’s not too late to help raise funds; make a monetary DONATION! Your support is very much appreciated. Funds raised support opportunities for all Shaker students PreK-12! THANK YOU!

Learn more at shakerschoolsfoundation.org.

Shaker Heights High School Alumni Hall of Fame Nominations Open!

Know of a deserving Shaker Alum that should be nominated for the 2024 Shaker Schools Alumni Hall of Fame? Nominate them today. Anyone may nominate a Shaker alumni for this honor. Please share with everyone! The nomination form is available at shakerschoolsfoundation.org/alumni or submit online nominations here! Nominations will be accepted online until April 8, 2024.

From the Margins to the Center

Women's History Month Resources, Vol. 6

William Warren

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Program Coordinator

The Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion is proud to share national and local resources and events that acknowledge and celebrate Women’s History Month.

According to the National Women’s History Alliance, this year’s theme for Women’s History Month is “Women Who Advocate for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion ." We invite you to view a document of educational resources, curated by Dr. Nicole Patterson, Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Professional Learning. The information contained is designed to enhance your own knowledge and understanding of the contributions of women throughout our history, and also support Women’s History Month learning all year long.

Women have been making history in the greater Cleveland community for decades, from the early 20th century suffrage movement to breaking the glass ceiling today in corporate America, as several regional companies in greater Cleveland have female Chief Executive Officers. As we continue to push on, driven by the Shaker Heights City School District’s commitment to educational equity and inclusive excellence, we affirm and recognize the sacrifices, accomplishments and achievements of women throughout history.

Additional Resources

The Parent Teacher Organization will be disbanding the Woodbury PTO Unit as we update the bylaws to better align with the District’s new facilities plan. More details can be found at shakerpto.org . For questions or suggestions, please email ptocouncilpres@gmail.com.

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.

Chat with the Mayor March 16

Got a question for Mayor Weiss? Stop by the stage area at Van Aken District Market Hall on Saturday, March 16 from 11 am-12 pm for an informal chat. There's no set agenda for this drop-in event; just stop by to talk about a City project, a neighborhood issue, or anything else you’d like to discuss.

Submit Your Nominations for the 2024 Preservation Awards

The Shaker Heights Landmark Commission is seeking nominations for the 2024 Preservation Awards program. Exterior projects on any building in Shaker Heights that were completed after March 2022 are eligible. Submissions will be accepted through March 31, 2024. Learn more and submit a nomination.