The eScoop
December 8, 2017
The eScoop is a weekly publication of the Shaker Heights Middle School PTO.  
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SMS Weekly Calendar
Two weeks until Winter Break!

Visit the  Online Calendar  and filter by Shaker Heights Middle School for more upcoming events.
From Mr. Glasner
Hello Shaker families!

Congratulations to the SMS Robotics Team for an excellent showing at the Brookside Holiday VEX IQ competition last week. Overall, the Team did very well against a field of 32 other teams. A special shout out to Katy Christian and Ben Schattinger who earned the top overall middle school Excellence Award, and who will represent SMS at the state robotics competition in February! Also, we would like to recognize Hannah Whitney and Sarah Marcus who earned 6th place in the teamwork challenge. Great job to the Robotics Team and a special thank you to our advisors, Ms. Popple and Ms. Warren. For students who are interested in joining the Robotics Team, it is not too late! See Ms. Popple, Ms. Warren, or your school counselor for additional information.

This past week, all students completed the winter MAP benchmarking assessment in mathematics and reading. These assessments provide teachers with valuable data to help measure a student’s academic progress and to provide targeted instruction moving forward. Also, please note that world language midterms will take place during the week of December 18.

As the weather gets cooler, I would like to remind everyone that students are not permitted to wear jackets, gloves, or hats to classes during the school day. This is also a reminder that we now have a crossing guard during arrival and dismissal times at the Warrensville Center Road/Shaker Boulevard intersection.  Please remind your children to cross at this intersection to get across South Woodland and Warrensville Center Road.
Finally, I would like to thank the PTO in advance for sponsoring our annual teacher appreciation lunch this Friday. We appreciate all that you do for our school community!!
Sincerely,

From Your PTO Co-Presidents
The PTO strives to build community with the teacher and staff at SMS. One way we do this is to award teacher grants each year. Teachers and staff members submit their requests and the PTO reviews the information with Principal Glasner. This year, we are happy to report that we have awarded approximately $4,000 to various projects at the middle school! Here are just a few examples of the projects:

Drill Team Uniform Scholarships We are supporting the drill team by providing scholarships for students who need assistance with uniform costs

Music in the Park We are providing financial support for students in choir and orchestra to compete at a Music in the Park event at Cedar Point. 

Aquaponics We are investing in a fully operational ecosystem in one of our science classrooms. The fish tank houses fish whose waste is used to feed the plants that sit on top of the fish tank and whose roots dangle into the water. The plant in turn give the fish their food to grow and have a safe environment! 

IB Cross-curriculum Art Project; Chinese Club; Chinese Book Collection We are supplementing classroom instruction about Chinese culture and history with several art projects and textbooks.

A big thank you to Sue Buddenbaum for her hard work on the teacher grants these past two years. She gave a lot of time to manage this great partnership with the SMS teachers and staff!  

SMS News & Events
Show Your Love...And Give Some Gloves

The Shaker Middle School African American Female Scholars are sponsoring a community outreach. 

Glove & Mitten Drive
Monday, 11/13/17 – Friday, 12/15/17
Collection boxes located throughout the school
(Main Office, Cafeteria, Security Desk)

The Shaker Middle School African American Female Scholars organization encourages all students, staff, families, and community members to donate new, unused gloves & mittens to be given to those less fortunate. Spread the word, and bring in a ton of gloves and mittens from Monday, November 13 through Friday, December 15 . Let’s do all we can to “Show our love…and give some gloves!”  

College Credit Plus (CCP) offers students the opportunity to earn college credit while still in High School. This is called "dual credit," since a student earns both high school and college credit for the same course.
 
Did you know...

Students must complete a Letter of Intent to Participate in College Credit Plus by April 1, 2018, to participate in the 2018/19 school year. The Letter of Intent must be submitted to the College Credit Plus Coordinator at Shaker Heights High School. Students must complete a new Letter of Intent each year they participate. The Letter of Intent indicates interest, but does not lock a student into participating in CCP. The 18/19 letter will be available at the January 10 meeting (see below).

Information about the program is available on the High School/School Counseling page and on the Ohio Department of Education website . 
 
Students and parents/guardians interested in 2018/19 or future years are encouraged to come to our College Credit Plus Information Meeting on Wednesday, January 10, at 7pm in the Large Auditorium at SHHS.  College representatives and school counseling staff will provide an overview about the benefits and challenges of the program. Contact Gabrielle Perrin, College Credit Plus Coordinator, with questions or for more information at [email protected] or 216-295-4220.
Still Time to Sign Up for the
8th Grade Trip to DC

There are currently 282 students registered for the trip with 17 seats left for the first 6 buses. But... if we are able to get to 315 paid students by December 25, Discovery Tours will reserve a 7th bus for us. Please contact Mr. Sears if you're interested and need more information.

T-shirts are available for purchase to raise money for scholarships. The cost is $12 per shirt and all proceeds go directly to scholarships so that as many students as possible may travel to Washington this year. For more information please contact [email protected] or [email protected] . 
Support our Student Athletes

Wondering where your (or another family's) student athlete is making their mark on the world of sports any given afternoon? Check out the SMS Sports Master Schedule for all the information!
Box Tops

Welcome back! SMS has been very fortunate to have amazing parents and students who are diligent about collecting Box Tops. If you have a stash of Box Tops that you have been collecting over the summer, please send them into the office. Each Box Top collected earns the school 10 cents. That adds up quickly! 
Heinen's Teaming Up for Education

Don't forget: when you use your Tasteful Rewards Card throughout the school year, Heinen's will donate 1% to Shaker Middle School. Be sure to select SMS as your preferred school this year, either online at Heinens.com/schools or in-store at the Customer Service Desk.
Helpful Links
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