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. | |
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Visit our District Calendar online for a complete list of upcoming activities, events and athletic competitions.
Please note the following upcoming important dates:
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K-12 Conferences (No School for Students preK-12) | Thursday, October 31
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K-12 Conferences (No School for Students preK-12) | Friday, November 1
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Election Day (Schools Closed) | Tuesday, November 5
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FACE/PTO Panel on Cyberbullying and Teen Violence | Tuesday, November 12
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Board of Education Meeting | Wednesday, November 13
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International Families and Friends Potluck Dinner | Thursday, November 21
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PreK-12 Professional Day (No School for Students preK-12) | Monday, November 25
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PreK-12 Professional Day (No School for Students preK-12 | Tuesday, November 26
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Thanksgiving Break (Schools and District Offices Closed) | Wednesday, November 27 to Friday, November 29
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Click on the appropriate link below for school-level and building PTO news:
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Use these Quick Links to access the following District information:
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Renovation Set to Begin for Ludlow Early Learning
The construction fence is up at Ludlow! Renovations will begin shortly as we prepare for the opening of the Ludlow Early Learning Center in Fall 2025. Ludlow will accommodate an expanded pre-Kindergarten program, so all Shaker students have a strong foundation for lifelong learning.
This space is designed with early learning in mind, featuring spaces to accommodate occupational and physical therapy, preschool-aged playground equipment and outdoor learning spaces, flexible furniture designed for our youngest learners, smart storage and more! The Ludlow school building will have 11 classrooms, a physical therapy room, a gymnasium, a multipurpose room and a secure vestibule entrance.
Read more about the Ludlow Early Learning Center here.
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Grade 6-12 Report Cards on PowerSchool This Week
Report cards for the 1st grading period will be available this week on the PowerSchool Parent Portal. Families of students in grades 6-12 may login on Wednesday, October 30, after 12 noon, to view the report cards from the 1st grading period. Click this Help Doc for step-by-step instructions; email powerschool@shaker.org for assistance with Parent Portal access. Students in our K-5 elementary schools use a trimester calendar, so those report cards will be available in early December.
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Mental and Behavioral Health Prevention Services
The Shaker Heights City School District partners with Bellefaire JCB for mental and behavioral health prevention services. Professionals from Bellefaire JCB work closely with Shaker Heights Schools administration and educators to support our students and school community.
Some of the topics that may be covered in the prevention services include:
- Social-emotional and communication skills
- Stress management, anger management and problem-solving
- Response to a recent difficult event such as a death
- Information about mental and behavioral health
- Referral and linkage to ongoing services
Some ways that prevention services may look in the Shaker Heights Schools:
- Providing one-time guidance to an individual student who has experienced a difficult event or is reporting an immediate need (often referred to as “consultation”)
- A classroom presentation
- Smaller group participation with peers
- Supporting student after a school community experiences a loss
Prevention services are not medical treatment, counseling or therapy. If your student is in need of additional support, we will contact you to discuss it further. You can also request a referral for ongoing services for your student by contacting the Bellefaire support person for your building.
If you DO NOT wish for your child to be eligible to participate in these prevention services, please fill out the Bellefaire Opt-Out Form in the PowerSchool Portal. You can find it in the portal under the “Forms” navigation item.
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Tag Day Raises More Than $15,000 for Music Departments
Thank you, Shaker Heights! Our inaugural Tag Day raised $15,627 for all SHHS music departments — choir, orchestra, band, and the raiderettes and flag corps. Your generous support will help fund international student travel and programs determined by their directors. For years, the Shaker Heights City School District has been recognized as one of the best for music education, with a variety of options for students to experience music.
We hope to see you at an upcoming performance, and at Tag Day 2025! And a special thanks to all of the students, adult volunteers, donors and contributors who made the day a success including: Gary Adams, Academy Music, Bialy’s Bagels, Cilantro Taqueria, Karen Nordstrom/Howard Hanna, Heinen’s, Giant Eagle, and Mitchell’s Ice Cream.
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Lomond Students Forecast Weather Live on Fox 8
There was a special visitor at Lomond Elementary School this week! Fox 8 meteorologist Alexis Walters joined Mrs. Edwards' third grade class for Weather School Wednesday. Students learned about severe weather, the seasons and more while broadcasting live throughout the morning! Check out the segments here.
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By William Warren, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Program Coordinator, Shaker Heights Schools, and Joey Pompignano, Individuals & Societies (I&S) Teacher, Shaker Heights High School
The month of October acknowledges and celebrates several different communities and their heritage and history throughout time. Last week’s feature celebrated National Disability Employment Awareness Month.
In observance of National Italian American Heritage Month, I had the pleasure of speaking with Joey Pompignano, a proud fourth-generation Italian-American and native Clevelander. I learned that Pompignano’s great-grandparents immigrated to the United States from the island of Sicily in 1923, settling in the Cedar/Central area, known then as Big Italy. The family relocated to the Clark/Fulton neighborhood near St. Rocco Parish, where Pompignano was raised, baptized and confirmed as a youth. Pompignano fondly rekindled memories of aunts, uncles and cousins gathering for family dinners and spending time with his grandmother, who he mentions chose not to teach him her native Italian language out of fear that her grandson would not be accepted by others. Initially pursuing a career in journalism that included a stint with the Cleveland Call & Post, Pompignano found himself in education facilitating social-emotional leadership workshops with middle school and high school students. This led to a pursuit of a Master of Arts in Teaching from Kent State University, and he is now in his third year of teaching Individuals & Societies (I&S) at Shaker. In addition to teaching, Pompignano is an accomplished and published author, poet and spoken word artist. His novel, Labor Days, “a work of sociological fiction” inspired by his upbringing, was published in August 2023.
Pompignano knows first-hand about the stereotypical perceptions of Italian-Americans; in fact, he shared with me that he intentionally dresses in a professional manner during the school day so that “mob movies aren’t the only time people see Italians dressed nicely.” He recommends visiting the Alta House in Little Italy, as a way for everyone to observe and learn more about the rich Italian American heritage of Cleveland.
Additional Resources:
Italian American Museum of Cleveland
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Stay up to date by following the Shaker Schools Foundation on the following social media platforms:
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Woodbury Memorabilia Auction November 11-22 | |
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The Shaker Schools Foundation is excited to announce an online auction featuring Woodbury memorabilia! The auction will offer over 50 unique items, including:
- Original Signage
- Autographed Posters
- Painted art room cabinet doors
- Decorated benches
- Framed quilts
Don’t miss this chance to own a piece of original Woodbury memorabilia! All proceeds will support the students and staff when they return to the newly renovated Woodbury building, which will serve as a middle school for grades 6 to 8. The online auction will be open to the public, and all items must be picked up in person; shipping is unavailable. Spread the word to your friends, neighbors, and fellow alumni!
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Community Trick-or-Treating October 31
Trick-or-treating for all the roaming minions, princesses, superheroes and the like takes place Thursday, October 31 from 6-7:30 p.m. Rain or shine. Motorists: please drive with extra care.
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Preservation Month Photo Contest
Have you taken a great photo of Shaker this fall? Consider submitting it for our 2025 Preservation Month Photo Contest. While the 2025 contest doesn’t officially kick off until March, you can post your submissions anytime between now and May 31 on Instagram with the hashtag #PreserveSH25. Make sure you follow us @shakerheights and we’ll DM you in March with details on how to finalize your submission.
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