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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Finance & Audit Committee Meeting | Monday, September 16, 6 p.m.
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FACE Academy: Let's Talk About Attendance | Wednesday, September 18, 9 a.m.
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K-5 Fatherhood Walk | Thursday, September 19, 8 a.m.
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Board of Education Work Session | Tuesday, September 24, 5 p.m.
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Rosh Hashanah - Schools and Offices Closed | Thursday, October 3
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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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Eight Students Named National Merit Semifinalists
Eight seniors at Shaker Heights High School were named National Merit Semifinalists in the 2025 National Merit Scholarship Program. This year’s Semifinalists from Shaker Heights include Tyler Bordeaux, Ezra Ellenbogen, Lara Girault, Rubin Harris, Ingrid Holda, Miles Lipman, Zachary Nathenson, and Anna Rosenbaum.
Our group represented the second-highest number of National Merit Semifinalists among public schools in Cuyahoga County, the fourth-highest number among public schools in Northeast Ohio, and the eight-highest among public schools in the state.
Congratulations, Raiders! To read more, head to shaker.org.
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Eight SHHS Alumni Inducted into Hall of Fame
The newest class of the Shaker Schools Alumni Hall of Fame was celebrated with a student assembly at the High School Friday morning and a dinner and induction ceremony Saturday evening at the Shaker Heights Country Club and hosted by the Shaker Schools Foundation.
This year’s inductees include eight Shaker graduates who have made significant contributions to the fields of healthcare, community impact, economic development, law, architecture, engineering, the arts, K-12 education and advocacy.
Head to https://shakerschoolsfoundation.org/hall-of-fame-2024/ to read all about this year's inductees!
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District Again Exceeds State Standards of State Report Card
For the second consecutive year, the District earned an overall rating of four stars on the annual State Report Card, which was released Friday, September 13, by Ohio Department of Education and Workforce. A four-star rating means the District exceeded state standards.
This is the second year districts and schools received overall ratings, which are comprised of five rated components: Achievement, Progress, Gap Closing, Early Literacy and Graduation. Star ratings are assigned to each of the five components. A sixth component, College, Career, Workforce and Military Readiness, will be rated beginning in 2025.
The District met or exceeded state standards in all five rated components. Highlights included:
- The District exceeded state standards earning five stars in Gap Closing, meaning it continues to reduce learning gaps between and among subgroups of students. Student subgroups are identified by race, ethnic origin, English language learners, economically disadvantaged and students with disabilities.
- The District exceeded state standards earning five stars for the academic growth of Gifted students. The measurement, called “value-added,” compares current achievement to prior achievement.
- The District exceeded state standards earning four stars for its Graduation Rate. This metric combines four-year and five-year graduation rates.
- In the area of Early Literacy, the percentage of third-graders demonstrating reading proficiency continued to rise. The District met state standards earning three stars in this category.
While the report card is only one measure of academic performance, data from the state show that Shaker Heights Schools students continue a steady rebound from dips experienced nationwide immediately after the pandemic and subsequent student learning losses.
The District will explore this year’s State Report Card data in depth during a September 24 Board of Education Work Session. Additional information about the District will also be shared in Measuring What Matters, our annual report to the community, in October.
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Grab a Coffee With the Superintendent
The next “Coffee with the Superintendent” session is scheduled for Tuesday, October 15, from 7:30-9:30 a.m. at the Van Aken District in the Market Hall.
This informal event is designed for community members to ask questions and for the Superintendent to share important information.
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New Visitor Sign-in Procedure At Schools
There is a new visitor sign-in procedure at each of the District’s five elementary schools, Shaker Heights Middle School, and Shaker Heights High School.
When visitors arrive, their driver’s license will be scanned and the person’s name will be run through a sex offender database.
The receptionist or security guard at the entrance will print a visitor pass.
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Join the Shaker Heights High School Boys Soccer Team Youth Night!
All elementary and Middle School students are welcome at the Shaker Heights High School Boys Soccer Team Youth Night on Tuesday, Sept 17, SHHS vs Brunswick.
Families should arrive at 6:30 p.m., and the game begins at 7p.m. There will be free admission for those who bring a non-perishable food item to donate.
Students will have the opportunity to walk out with the varsity team when they are announced at the beginning of the game and play soccer on the turf during half time. In addition, 10 fourth graders will be chosen to be ball boys/girls.
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Reminders:
September is Attendance Awareness Month. The District continues work to reduce chronic absenteeism through a variety of strategies, including the Cleveland Browns’ Stay in the Game! attendance initiative.
Let's Talk About Attendance The Office of Family & Community Engagement is hosting a virtual information session on school attendance. Please join us virtually on Wednesday, September 18, at 9 a.m. Please register to receive the Zoom meeting link.
Don’t miss this year’s “Fatherhood Walk.” The event will take place Thursday, September 19, at all elementary schools. It is part of the Cuyahoga County Fathers Walk, an annual event where dads and other caregivers across join children in their walk to school.
PSAT testing set for October 8. The PSAT is provided free of charge to students in Grades 10 and 11. Families choosing NOT to have their child participate, should complete the non-participation form via PowerSchool by Friday, September 13.
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Lomond Third Grade Students Visit City Hall
More than 80 third grade students from Lomond Elementary School, accompanied by teachers and parents, visited council chambers at Shaker Heights City Hall on Thursday, September 12.
Shaker Heights Mayor David Weiss, Shaker Heights Police Department Chief Wayne D. Hudson and Shaker Heights Professional Firefighters Chief Patrick Sweeney took questions from the students as they learn about local government and Shaker Heights history as a part of their current International Baccalaureate unit of inquiry, "Where We Are in Place and Time." Way to go, Lomond learners!
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From the Margins to the Center, Vol. XVIII - Hispanic Heritage Month Student Feature
By William Warren, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Program Coordinator
Montserrat “Montse” Mireles Perez- Shaker Heights High School Senior
Santiago “Santi” Mireles Perez- Shaker Heights High School Freshman
This week’s “From the Margins to the Center” feature, in celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, consists of two siblings of Mexican-American heritage who live a unique experience- living an authentically Mexican home life with their family while also navigating an American environment that often asks them the question “What are you?”
Best known by their friends and family as Montse and Santi, along with their younger brother Ramon, the Mireles Perez children can trace their family lineage beyond Mexico, where both of their parents were born and raised. Their paternal grandfather’s ancestral tree traces back to the Mayan people, while their maternal grandparents came to Mexico while escaping the Spanish Civil War of the 1930s.
Family is a huge part of their lives, as Santi and Montse both reflected on fond memories of spending time in Mexico each year, celebrating holidays like Dia de los Muertos and Mexican-themed Christmas. At home, Spanish is the primary language and the family consistently enjoys traditional Spanish/Mexican meals like bacalao, sopes and tortilla soup, and if you want to enjoy a restaurant that tastes like their home, they recommend Cilantro Taqueria in Shaker Heights and La Plaza Supermarket on the westside of Cleveland.
Montse remarked about the challenges that have existed growing up as a Mexican-American, including the confusion that persists with being incorrectly labeled as Hispanic (a Spanish-speaking person) when she identifies as Latinx (a person of Central or South American descent).
Santi spoke about the “double consciousness” that exists when the native Mexican children he interacts with in Mexico say that he has a “funny accent” and some White-American classmates ask “how did you get so dark?” “If it’s hard to fit into Mexican culture and American culture, you start to question who you are in a negative way,” Santi said. Both agreed that Hispanic Heritage Month is an important time for all to become better informed of Hispanic/Latinx culture and heritage, and to increase the awareness of issues that directly affect their community.
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Stay up to date by following the Shaker Schools Foundation on the following social media platforms:
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Join Us for Two Amazing Events! | |
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Shaker Speaks: Shaker Travels the World
Featuring Theresa J. May, SHHS Class of 2002
October 17, 2024, 7-8:30 pm
You're invited to join us and experience Theresa's unique blend of trumpet and electronic music as she shares her Shaker story from her travels around the world. Our International Travelers panel including a Shaker student, teacher, and parent will discuss the educational impact of visiting other countries and cultures.
Tickets are available for $50 per person by visiting https://shakerschoolsfoundation.org/theresa-may/. The event will be hosted at a Shaker residence and will include light refreshments. 100% of the ticket revenue will support international travel scholarships for Shaker students!
Unable to attend but want to support a deserving Shaker student? You can make a donation to our International Travel Assistance Endowment Fund, providing scholarships for Shaker Heights High School students traveling in 2024-2025.
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Touch-A-Truck event September 21
Head to the Van Aken District for lots of fun at Touch-A-Truck Saturday, September 21 from 9 a.m.-1 p.m.! Kids can touch and explore a variety of City trucks and vehicles, from the Recreation, Public Works, Police and Fire departments. From 9-10 a.m. is a ‘sensory hour’ with no horns or flashing lights. Free, no registration required
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Get Information on Fair Housing Rights
Did you know…the City has a Fair Housing Office in the Law Department - that can help with questions and concerns about your fair housing rights? If you or a family member need an accommodation or modification in a rental property due to a disability, or if you were denied housing because you have kids, email Lisa Gold-Scott. To learn more about your rights, click here.
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