February 2019
Last month, Onaway first-grade students in Miss Burns' class built, coded and raced LEGO cars in a collaborative project with students from Citizens Academy. Read more about STEAM funding at our schools in this issue!
 
The Shaker Schools Connection
Inside this Issue...
Student Spotlight: Meet Middle School student and accomplished violinist Lizzy Huang.
Student News: Read about our students' accomplishments over the past month, including Senior Nasir Rashid's commitment to attend and play football at the US Air Force Academy and other student awards; and watch a video recap of the MLK Day of Service.
Shaker Heights Schools Celebrates African American History Month: Learn about Mercer's Heroes with Heart and learn how African art influenced the work of Pablo Picasso.
Raider Athletics News: Eight Raider athletes sign Letters of Intent of participate in NCAA athletics.
School Spotlight: Middle School launches Eighth Grade Community Project.
Employee Spotlight: Learn more about High School teachers James and Victoria Schmidt.
Around the District: Changes to District WiFi, Academic Planning Guide and Course Catalog now online, Superintendent Search updates, February concert calendar, SELF registration and more.
Shaker Schools Foundation: A Night for the Red & White is March 2 and Hall of Fame is accepting nominations.


LizzyStudent Spotlight: Eigh th Grader Lizzy Huang
Shaker Heights Middle School 8th grader Lizzy Huang
Shaker Heights Middle School student Lizzy Huang is an easy-going, modest 13-year-old who wants to do her part to introduce more young people to classical music (and maybe, just maybe, add it to their playlists). She has been playing the violin since she was five and last month, she won the 20th Annual Cleveland Pops Jean L. Petitt Memorial Music Scholarship. As the contest winner, she played a piece from her favorite composer, Pablo de Sarasate, with the Pops on February 2 at Severance Hall. "The music world is so diverse. A lot of people dismiss classical music and they haven't even heard some of the pieces that were so famous back then," she says. "Classical music is truly pure and everyone should listen and get involved with it. It's something that should never die out." 

Watch a video of Lizzy playing her performance piece, Sarasate's Duo, Navarra with her performance partner, Alex Zhu of Solon, and read on to learn how she manages her time and finds balance in her life as a musician, student and athlete. Click here to read more about the talented Lizzy Huang.


Lizzy Huang and partner playing Navarra's Sarasata at Severance Hall
Lizzy Huang and her partner playing Navarra's Sarasate Duo at Severance Hall on February 2
StudentNewsStudent News, Awards and Recognitions
Senior Nasir Rashid to Attend US Air Force Academy
SHHS Senior and future Air Force Academy Cadet Nasir Rashid
Next fall, Shaker Heights High School Senior and IB Diploma Programme Candidate Nasir Rashid will attend the United States Air Force Academy, where he will also play middle linebacker for the USAFA Falcons. He will sign his National Letter of Intent on February 6.

"This has been the best decision of my life," Nasir says. "I wanted to play football in college and I wanted to grow as a person. The Air Force Academy will help me have a great career in academics and in athletics." Nasir says he's considering focusing his studies on either civil engineering or medicine.

At Shaker Heights High School, Nasir also has been an active member of the Student Group on Race Relations, where he serves as a core leader, and a four-year member of MAC Scholars. This year, he is the Sergeant of Arms on the High School Student Council and is a Class Council Representative. As an IB Diploma Programme student, Nasir hopes he has inspired other African American students to choose the two-year Programme and to pursue Advanced Placement, Honors and IB classes. Read more about Nasir Rashid
Freshman to Represent SHHS at Cleveland Shakespeare Competition
Freshman Ben Rakow
Congratulations to freshman Ben Rakow, winner of the in-school portion of the English-Speaking Union's National Shakespeare Competition. Ben advances to the Cleveland competition at Westlake High School on Saturday, February 23. Break a leg, Ben!

Congratulations to all this year's participants: Seniors Harlan Friedman-Romell, Hallie Dial and Adonis Fryer; and Freshmen Nora Konrad and Somiya Schirokauer.


Seven SHHS Students Earn Awards on National Classical Etymology Exam
Congratulations to the seven Shaker Heights High School students who took the National Classical Etymology Exam and earned medals!  Award winners included:

Gold Medal
Ryan Shane (Level II)

Silver Medals
Meg Bennett (Level III),  Sam Klein (Level III),  Matt Schiavone (Level IV)

Bronze Medals
Craig Bush (Level IV),  Max Feinleib (Level IV),  Owen Lockwood (Level III)
SHHS Student Artists Earn Additional Scholastic Art Awards
On Saturday, January 19, Shaker Heights High School student artists earned additional awards at the Scholastic Art Competition Ceremony, held at the Cleveland Institute of Art.

Seniors Shekinah Hooper and Miles Callahan were among the nine students selected for the Cleveland Institute of Art Recognition Award. Each winner receives a $20,000 scholarship upon admission to the Cleveland Institute of Art.

Shekinah also earned a Gold Key and Best in Category recognition in Jewelry. She received a $100 cash prize for her honor. In addition, Shekinah was one of five Gold Key recipients from our region to be nominated for the American Vision Award. The National Committee in New York City will select a winner from nominees from across the country.

Senior Maria Maldonado earned a Gold Key and Best in Category recognition in Portfolio and in Painting. She received a $100 cash prize for each honor.

Finally, Senior Jaia Briggs received the Sue Wall Painting Award.

Shekinah Hooper's Motherland
Fourth Annual MLK Day of Service a Success
Thank you to the hundreds of students, teachers, Shaker Heights Schools families, PTO CommUnity Builders and community members for supporting another successful MLK Day of Service. Your efforts make a difference here at home and around the world. Watch the video below to see a recap of the day's events:

MLK Day of Service - January 21, 2019
MLK Day of Service Video

AAHistoryShaker Heights Schools Celebrates African American History 
ibinaction
Mercer student Priscilla Gomez' created this game to honor NASA mathematician Katherine Johnson
Shaker Heights Schools Celebrates African American History
Administration Building Administrative Assistant Karen Dunbar 
IB in Action: Mercer Elementary School's Heroes with Heart

Last year, Mercer Elementary School launched Heroes with Heart, an African American History Month project. The project was open to any student who wanted to learn more about an African American Hero with Heart. Last year, more than 45 students participated, so the school decided to offer the project again. For Heroes with Heart, students choose their own hero and share why and how that person demonstrates an attribute in the IB Learner Profile. 
 
Stop in the Mercer Action Gallery this month to see which heroes students selected and what they learned about them!
Admin Building's Karen Dunbar Researches African Influence on Picasso

For the past nine years, Administration Building administrative assistant Karen Dunbar, researches one aspect of African American History and posts what she's learned on a bulletin board inside the Administration Building's break room.

This year, she when she began researching African art, she learned that Pablo Picasso's work was influenced by African art from 1907-1909. She compiled images of several African masks and works by Picasso as part of her research project this year. Click on the image of Mrs. Dunbar above to learn more about her findings. 

raiderRaider Athletics

Catch our High School and Middle School Raider athletes in action this month. View the February Athletics competition calendar

Be sure to follow our Raider athletics news on our new Athletics website  or follow us on Twitter @raidersofshaker .
Eight Raider Athletes Sign National Letters of Intent
Congratulations to our eight Raider athletes who will sign National Letters of Intent on Wednesday, February 6:
  • Josh Ailiff - Erie Community College (Football)
  • Rasheen Ali - Marshall University (Football)
  • Elizabeth Brown - Swarthmore College (Soccer)
  • Cameron Jones, Jr. - Ohio Wesleyan University (Football)
  • Nasir Rashid - Air Force Academy (Football)
  • Will Schinabeck - Bates College (Lacrosse)
  • Makari Stanberry - Alderson-Broaddus University (Football)
  • Molly Stewart - Denison University (Soccer)
SHHS Announces Change in Athletic Conference in 2020
On January 8, the Board of Education on Tuesday gave notice of its plans to accept the invitation for Shaker Heights to rejoin the Lake Erie League (LEL) beginning with the 2020-2021 school year. The Board unanimously approved the move out of the Greater Cleveland Conference (GCC) pending an impact review in January 2020 of a series of benchmarks, such as scheduling, transportation and costs. The Board will ensure that all Shaker athletic teams understand and are comfortable with this sports league change prior to the start of the 2020-2021 athletic season.

The purpose of this change is to improve overall athletic competitiveness, reduce travel costs, and better support the socio-emotional development of our students. The change allows some sports greater flexibility to schedule out-of-conference games while other sports are not impacted at all. Learn more about this change and how it impacts Shaker Heights High School athletic teams.
teacherTeacher Spotlight: James and Victoria Schmidt
Shaker Heights High School Teachers  James and Victoria Schmidt
February is a time for lovebirds, so this month, the Shaker Schools Connection chatted with High School teachers (and married couple) James and Victoria Schmidt. They're the parents of two Shaker students, fan favorites of High School students and funny to boot (both are skilled deadpanners). Mr. Schmidt teaches AP Physics, Computer Science, IB Physics, Honors Physics, IB Computer Science and 9 Honors Physical Sciences. Mrs. Schmidt teaches 9 Honors English, 11 Core and Honors English, 12 AP English and Composition. Combined, they've been teaching at Shaker for 22 years. Learn more about how this couple met, how they came to be teachers and why they love teaching in Shaker
schoolSchool Spotlight: Middle School Launches Eighth-Grade Community Project
Eighth-grade math teacher Robin Hegele mentors students during their Community Project
Last month, Shaker Heights Middle School launched the Community Project, a new collaborative service project for all eighth-grade students. The Community Project provides an opportunity for eighth graders to develop attributes of the International Baccalaureate learner profile, build their approaches to learning skills, take action on a community issue and foster the development of lifelong learning. 

Addie Tobey, the Middle Years Programme Coordinator at Woodbury and Shaker Heights Middle School, says that the Community Project was two years in the making. "We felt like there was a service project gap between Woodbury Creating Change and the Tenth Grade Personal Project," says Ms. Tobey. "One way to keep kids engaged as IB learners and to grow participation in the Tenth Grade Personal Project was to initiate this new program."

During the Community Project, students will meet with their Middle School teacher-mentors ten times on a direct or indirect service project of their choosing. Projects can range from writing a letter to a company/organization or simply leaving kind/inspirational messages on student lockers. Students are not assigned to a group, instead they self-select. "We talked to schools in other large districts and they told us that allowing students to self-select gave the students a sense of empowerment and pride. We want students to celebrate what they have in common," Ms. Tobey explains. "Overall, our goal is to emphasize the importance of service learning and to show our students that they can have a voice locally."

Parents, family, staff, and community members are invited to listen to student presentations about their respective Community Projects on February 21, from 4-5:30 p.m. at the Middle School. 
districtnewsAround the District
Academic Planning Guide is Now Online!

The District encourages families of students in grades 5-12 to use our new online Academic Planning Guide and Course Catalog as they make their course selections for the 2019-2020 school year. Families and students can search the catalog by grade level or by subject.
The guide also features course pathway charts highlighting the succession of courses in each subject area from grades 5-12 -- use these charts to guide course choices now and in future years. Access the online Academic Planning Guide and Course Catalog today!
February Fine and Performing Arts
Join the audience for any February performance featuring our student musicians, vocalists and actors.

February 6, 1:15 p.m.: Middle School Band Concerts (These are daytime concerts rescheduled from the January 30 & 31 school closures. They will be live streamed on shaker.org and on the District's Facebook page.)
February 7, 7 p.m.: Middle School Orchestra Concert, Middle School Auditorium
February 8 & 9, 7 p.m.: February 10, 4 p.m.: Onaway Little Theater, Onaway gym
February 20, 7 p.m.: High School Band Contest Preview Concert, High School Large Auditorium
February 22, 7 p.m. & February 23, 1 p.m.: Sankofa, High School Large Auditorium
February 27, 7 p.m.: High School Evening of Percussion, High School Large Auditorium
February 28, 7 p.m.: Middle School Choir Concert, Middle School Auditorium
School Closure Information
The weather for the 2018-19 school year has been one of extremes, for sure. With two heat days and three cold days, some families and students have wondered: Will we have to make up school days?

The answer is no. Here's why: the State of Ohio bases school calendars on a required number of instructional hours, not required number of days. The school calendars for all Shaker Heights Schools has always exceeded the State's minimum number of instructional hours because the District builds in extra hours to allow for any necessary/unexpected school closures. We no longer make up inclement weather days, as our calendar exceeds the minimum number of instructional hours.
Changes to District Wi-Fi
Beginning Monday, February 4, the "ShakerGuest" and "ShakerStuStaff" Wi-Fi networks will no longer be available. This change impacts District guests, employees, and students using personal portable devices (i.e., not a District-issued/owned portable device). In addition, guests (those who do not have a Shaker network account) will no longer use the District phone number as a Wi-Fi connection password. These changes will increase network security and provide insight into network utilization via a more structured Wi-Fi access control system.

Beginning February 4:
Instructions are also available online at shaker.org: www.shaker.org/WiFi.aspx.
PreK-4 Sweetheart Dance is February 15

All PreK-4 girls are invited to attend the Sweetheart Dance from 6-8 p.m. on Friday, February 15 at Shaker Heights Middle School. Join the fun with your parent, guardian or special adult!

Download this form, complete it and hand it in to your school office or teacher.

No School for Students February 15 & 18
There is no school for students on Friday, February 15. District teachers and staff will report for a professional/clerical day. Monday, February 18 is President's Day and all schools and administrative offices are closed. Enjoy the long weekend!
Summer Exploration Learning and Fun (SELF) Registration Begins February 26
Online registration for Shaker Heights Schools Summer Exploration, Learning and Fun (SELF) summer programs begins Tuesday, February 26 at 9 a.m. SELF provides an array of summer program options for all students in the District. SELF addresses barriers that currently exist and focus on equity, excellence and exploration by providing differentiated services and enrichment opportunities for all Shaker students at the elementary, middle and high school levels.  

Programs will have a focus on the arts, STEAM, global languages, skill, career and personal development. All of our programs offer a robust curriculum that includes a focus on the Literacy and Math standards. Information on this summer's SELF programs is coming soon. Stay tuned to our SELF page on shaker.org.
Kindergarten Kickoff is Saturday, April 27
Join us for Shaker Heights Schools Kindergarten Kickoff on April 27, 2019, from 1-3 p.m., at Onaway Elementary School, 3115 Woodbury Road. Bring your incoming kindergartner and learn more about the District including registration, transportation, food service, health and immunization information, communications, special education supports and more. Also meet your building principal and PTO volunteers!

Please fill out our registration form to attend.
Stay Up-to-Date on the Superintendent Search
Visit our special Superintendent Search section of the District website to learn more about the Board of Education's search for our next superintendent. The section includes information on:
Read the Board's most recent Superintendent Search Update, from February 1, 2019.

i3All Shaker Schools Receive i3 Grants from Shaker Schools Foundation's Innovation Fund
On January 11, the Shaker Schools Foundation and the District announced it will grant nearly $437,000 from its Innovation Fund to support Shaker Heights Schools' i3 Initiative at all eight school buildings. The Innovation Fund was launched last March to bolster the International Baccalaureate curriculum and STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math) learning at all grade levels within Shaker Schools and is actively supported by parents and community partners who are involved in STEAM fields. The i3 Initiative -- led by a committee of teachers, administrators, community stakeholders and business partners -- advances opportunities for student inquiry, innovation and imagination through increased integration of design learning experiences, STEAM curriculum from grades PreK-12, and accessibility to and use of 21st century technology and tools. Learn more about the allocations by school and how to support the Innovation Fund.
foundationShaker Schools Foundation News
Glitter and Shine at A Night for the Red & White
Enjoy a night out with friends, while supporting the Shaker Schools at the 27th Annual A Night for the Red & White, March 2, 7 p.m. at the Hilton Cleveland Downtown. Since 1992, this annual gala has raised more than $2.7 million for educational enrichment opportunities focusing on STEAM initiatives, arts, technology, health and fitness for all students of Shaker schools. This year, Shaker resident Russ Mitchell of WKYC-TV will serve as emcee for a special presentation at the event. Guests will enjoy dinner, dancing, live music and a fantastic silent auction. They will also see student artwork and performances, have the opportunity to drive a robot, and learn more about the District's i3 (Inquiry, Innovation and Imagination) Initiative. Purchase tickets online at shakerredandwhite.org or by calling the Shaker Schools Foundation at 216-295-4319.
Hall of Fame Nominations are Due April 30
2018 Hall of Fame Inductees
Do you know of an illustrious Shaker Schools alumnus who deserves to be recognized for his or her contributions? Please consider making a nomination for the Class of  2019 Shaker Schools Alumni Hall of Fame. More than 275 Shaker Heights High School graduates have been inducted since its inception in 1986. These distinguished alumni represent excellence and achievement in all walks of life, including business, medicine, law, education, the fine and performing arts, government and public service, among other pursuits. View a complete list of inductees.

The 2019 festivities will include a Hall of Fame high school assembly the morning of Friday, October 11 and a dinner honoring the inductees on the evening of Saturday, October 12. Nominees must be available to attend on those dates.  To make a nomination, please complete the Nomination Form and submit by April 30, 2019.
FROM THE CITY OF SHAKER HEIGHTS

SHFD to Install Free Smoke Detectors
The Shaker Heights Fire Department plans to install more than 2,000 new photoelectric smoke detectors in the homes of Shaker residents between now and August 2019. FREE! This offer ends when the supply of detectors is exhausted. Find out if you qualify and sign up for the program by completing the online request form or by calling 216-295-3400.  

Winteractive Lights Up the Van Aken District February 7-10
Bundle up the kids and join the fun at Winteractive, a free outdoor exhibition of interactive light-based art presented by Arts Van Aken. Installations will be illuminated nightly from 4-10 p.m. in the Van Aken District. All are invited to the opening night celebration, from 5-8 p.m. on Thursday, February 7. Check out the light installations, get warm by the fire pit and then head into the Market Hall for a DJ dance party, roaming performances by Fire and Light Arts, and free Rising Star hot chocolate and On the Rise cookies. Learn more at https://www.artsvanaken.org/winteractive.
We Want your Feedback
Have a comment, suggestion or concern? Share it with us using our new Feedback form on the District's website, www.shaker.org . Simply choose the "Contact" drop-down menu at the top of the website and click on "Feedback." You can select the particular department you want to receive your message.  

QUICK LINKS
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15600 Parkland Drive, Shaker Heights OH 44120
 shaker.org ยท 216-295-1400