March 3, 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:

Rising Grade 7 Information Night | Tuesday, March 5, 6 p.m.
Webinar: Detracking Data and Research | Wednesday, March 6, 7 p.m.
Rising Grade 6 Information Night | Thursday, March 7, 6 p.m.
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:

Watch the Facilities Webinar from Wednesday, February 28

The recorded facilities webinar from Wednesday, February 28, is now available. Hear updates on the timeline, decisions to date, answers to attendee questions and receive information on the working process for this exciting and transformative project for the Shaker Heights Schools!

Watch the webinar here.

Take the District's Cell Phone Survey

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.

District to Host Research Panel Webinar

The District has partnered with NWEA and Rowan University, to conduct data analysis and research for the District’s detracking efforts. Representatives from both institutions will join the District for a webinar on Wednesday, March 6, from 7-8 p.m. Participants will include:

Dr. Scott Peters of NWEA (the nonprofit organization that administers the Measures of Academic Progress - MAP), who will be providing a comparative analysis to better understand Shaker student performance in relation to other similar districts and children.
Dr. Margaret Thornton of Rowan University, who will be leading a mixed-method research design consisting of interviews and focus groups to understand the lived experiences of teachers, students, administrators and families. These qualitative approaches will put assessment data into context by uplifting the voices of participants to guide further development.

Please click the link below to join the webinar:

https://shaker.zoom.us/j/96580578014

Course Selection Reminder for Grades 5-11

This is a reminder that students in Grades 5-11 have received information pertaining to course selections for the 2024-2025 school year. These selections should be made in the PowerSchool Portal. See this Help Doc for steps to follow in PowerSchool.

District Finalizes Single-Subject Classes for Grades K-8 in 2024-2025

The District is revising single-subject programming and scheduling in the elementary and middle years in response to the addition of fifth graders to current K-4 buildings and moving sixth graders to the current Middle School beginning in the 2024-2025 school year. These revisions for K-5 include the following:

Spanish and Physical Education

Spanish will enter the K-5 rotation once a week for a 50-minute instructional period.
Previously, students experienced Spanish for 25 minutes weekly.
Students will begin Spanish in kindergarten.
Physical Education will remain in the rotation once a week rather than twice a week.
Students will have recess each day for physical activity.

Art and Library

Programming will remain the same.

Music

As previously reported, current elementary music teachers will integrate instrument introductions throughout Grades 4 and 5.

Middle Years (6-8) Electives

Language Acquisition will be offered daily for all students in Grades 6-8.
Previously, students had language every other day in sixth grade.
A choice of Band, Orchestra or Choir will be offered daily in sixth grade.
Previously, band and orchestra were not offered daily, and choir was not available in Grade 6.
The quarterly rotation in sixth grade will include:
Wellness
Design
Physical Education
Art
Seventh and eighth grade course offerings will remain the same.

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:

The Right to Read Screening

Tuesday, March 5 at 6:30

Virtual link will be shared with registrants

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

Shaker Heights Welcomes the Year of the Dragon

All Shaker Heights Chinese language students welcomed the Year of the Dragon during a beautiful and festive Chinese New Year celebration! The event included student performances along with 20 local Cleveland Chinese artists who showcased traditional dancing, singing, musical instruments and martial arts performances.

A special thank you to Raina Li and Dr. Feng Laughlin for another great celebration of Chinese culture, and to the Shaker Schools Foundation for supporting the event.

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

Did you MISS A Night for the Red & White?

It’s not too late to help raise funds for this event!

You can BID on our silent auction items until noon tomorrow (Monday, March 4th) or you can make a monetary DONATION! However you choose to support, it is very much appreciated.

Thank you for supporting Every Student, Every Grade, Every School!

Learn more at: shakerschoolsfoundation.org/redandwhite/ or email redandwhite@shaker.org

Nominate a Deserving Alum Today

The nomination period for the 2024 Shaker Schools Alumni Hall of Fame is open through April 8, 2024! Anyone may nominate a Shaker alum for this meaningful honor. Please start working on your nomination today!

Nomination form: https://bit.ly/3RSJaD6

From the Margins to the Center

Equal Pay for Women, Vol. 5

Melanie Walton

Junior at SHHS, ODEI Student Intern

The wage gap between women and men in the workplace has existed for decades, and has changed little, even as our society appears to progress. In the last 20 years, women have earned an average of 82 cents for every dollar earned by men.

This pay gap has persisted in the workplace due to factors like having children and the types of jobs women and men take due to family needs. Also, gender stereotypes and discrimination (the “glass ceiling”) play a part in the wage gap.

Even as women make gains in education and employment in higher-paying occupations, they are still being paid less than men in the same positions with the same education and experience level. Black and Latinx women have the lowest percentage of wages earned, earning 63 cents and 55 cents respectively, for every dollar earned by Black and Latinx men. The wage gap exists even with celebrities and athletes. Taraji P. Henson, star of the film The Color Purple, spoke out about being underpaid and undervalued in Hollywood. The U.S. women's national soccer team recently won a class action equal pay lawsuit against the U.S. Soccer Federation, receiving millions of dollars owed since 2016.

As a young woman who will soon be a part of the working world, I hope that more is done to address the wage gap and finally bring more equal pay for women doing the same work as men.

Additional Resources

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.

Keep Up to Date with the March City ENews

ICYMI: Check out the March 2024 City ENewsletter. Find information on how the City is being recognized for its financial reporting; get details about a Solar Eclipse watch party; the March Mayor’s Chat; how to submit nominations for either the Preservation Awards or the Heritage Tree Awards; how to watch the State of the City Forum video archive, and much more.

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.