The eScoop
January 12, 2018
The eScoop is a weekly publication of the Shaker Heights Middle School PTO.  
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SMS Weekly Calendar
Upcoming Events

Wednesday, January 24 | Winter Band Concert I, 7pm
Thursday, January 25 | Winter Band Concert II, 7pm
Friday, January 26 | Counselor Coffee, 8:15am

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

Happy New Year! I hope everyone had a restful vacation.
The first semester ends next week on January 18. Please encourage your children to spend the final days of the first semester working hard and completing all assignments prior to the end of the semester. All 8th grade students will have an assembly on Monday, January 22, during 1st period to go over second semester expectations and opportunities. Additional information about 8th grade events and activities will be sent home by mail in the next week.

Shaker Middle School was featured in the most current edition of Shaker Life magazi ne . The article is a testament to the hard work that our teachers do every day and speaks volumes about the community we have built here together with our students and families. A special shout out to our SMS “celebrities,” Ms. Casey, Mr. Sears, Ms. Hitchens, and Mr. Wyman and congrats to everyone for all of their hard work!!

Prior to the break, our Honors Choir sang the National Anthem at the Cleveland Monsters’ game. Also, we had a number of 8th grade visual art students earn awards at the 2018 Regional Scholastic Art & Writing Awards contest. Several of our student art pieces are on display at the Cleveland Institute of Art from January 13 until February 2. Congrats to our choir and visual arts students!

I encourage everyone to participate in our MLK Day of Service at the High School on Monday, January 15.

Thank you, as always, for your support of our Middle School community!
Sincerely,

From Your PTO Co-Presidents
With frigid temperatures and overflowing shelters, the needs of neighbors experiencing homelessness are even more difficult to imagine. Please join Shaker Schools families as we come together to bring light to children and teens in need, and to honor the legacy of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.  

We still need your help!
  • Make a donation via payforit.net to allow us to buy materials to make warm fleece blankets and care kit materials for children and teens. Under the "Fundraiser" tab, click on MLK Day and give whatever amount is comfortable for you.
  • Drop-off clean plastic grocery bags at either Shaker library—they will be used to make durable sleeping mats for the homeless.
  • Contribute clean, gently used T-shirts that will be up cycled into cloth bags for care kits. Email Stacey Hren to coordinate.

We hope to see you and your family Monday, January 15, from 10am–noon at Shaker Heights High School for a morning of service, community building, play and support, and to hear Dr. King's inspiring works performed.

Here’s the link to volunteer:


SMS News & Events
8th Grade Washington, DC Trip Fundraisers

Washington, DC T-Shirt Sale

All proceeds from the t-shirt sale will go towards providing scholarships for 8th graders who need financial assistance to travel to Washington, DC. Available in adult small, medium, or large.

Shirts can be purchased via PayForIt.  
  1. Follow the link
  2. Log in if you're already a user
  3. Click on the Fundraiser tab
  4. Choose Shaker Heights Middle School

Cost for the shirts is $13. Once an order is placed on PayForIt and the size emailed to one of the coordinators (listed below), the t-shirts can be picked up at the Middle School main office via Stacie Shaw.

We will also plan to sell the t-shirts at Middle School events in the coming months.


SAVE THE DATE
Bottlehouse Brewing Company Event
Friday, January 26, 2018, 7-10pm

The Bottlehouse is located at 2050 Lee Road in Cleveland Heights. This adults-only event will include a visit from the High School principal Jonathan Kuehnle. Light appetizers will be provided and we will also be raffling off a great item. Cost is $25 per couple or $15 per person. You may pay for this on PayForIt or you can pay at the door.

If you cannot partake in the above fundraisers, but would like to make a contribution there is a donation line item on PayForIt .

If you have questions, please reach out to any of the trip coordinators:

Band Boosters

We have another round of concerts coming up!

Attire
Black skirt or pants, solid white blouse or button-down shirt, black socks, (belts) and shoes. Dark neck tie for boys. Check to see if your clothing still fits. We have a limited amount of clothing to borrow at SMS—have your child contact a band director for more information.
  
All concerts are at 7:00pm.

Thursday, January 18 | Jazz Invitational

Wednesday, January 24 | 7th Grade Concert Winds; 7th Grade Symphonic Band; 8th Grade Symphonic Winds

Thursday, January 25 | 7th Grade Concert Band; 7th Grade Concert Band; 8th Grade Concert Winds

For more information, contact Elizabeth Roeder .

SMS students are caring, risk takers, and open minded!! So, we are shaving our heads (or cutting 8" off for wigs) to raise money for childhood cancer research! Childhood cancer research is extremely underfunded. So we decided to do something about it by raising money for cures. St. Baldrick's (the 2nd highest donor to kids cancer after the government) is having an event March 25 in Cleveland Heights specifically for kids. Team Shaker Middle School is looking for students to become shavees (or get their hair cut) and others to support them in this endeavor. This is a really fun event that does something wonderful for children in need. Shaker elementary schools have formed teams along with many Cleveland Heights schools, with a friendly competition as to who can raise the most money. Please join us for this fun and worthwhile event. For more information, to join, or to donate, go to our Team Page or contact Elizabeth Roeder .
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 . 
 
Contact Gabrielle Perrin, College Credit Plus Coordinator, with questions or for more information at [email protected] or 216-295-4220.
Incoming 9th Grade Orientation

All 8th grade students and their parents or guardians are strongly encouraged to join us for Incoming 9th Grade Orientation on Tuesday, February 6, 7pm-8:30 at Shaker Heights High School in the Large Auditorium.

This program will help you plan a high school course of study for the next four years. Special attention will be given to decisions that need to be made this spring in preparation for 9th grade. We will share information about graduation requirements, grade point average, attendance/behavior expectations, grade placement, college requirements, and more. 

All 8th graders will receive information about high school course options during meetings with the staff at the Middle School. Course selections will be finalized during March at individual meetings with 8th grade families and a high school counselor. Letters regarding these individual meetings will be sent in February, after Orientation.  

If students are unable to attend, parents should attend the meeting. If parents are unable to come and students are available, students should plan to attend. Our students perform best when counselors, teachers, parents, and students work together!

If you have questions, please contact Gabrielle Perrin at the High School at 216-295-4220.
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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