April 13, 2011

At the regular meeting of the Shaker Heights Board of Education on April 12, 2011, the Superintendent reported the following:

• High School seniors Nathaniel Henry and Ilana Polster are semifinalists in the United States Presidential Scholars Program. The Presidential Scholars award is one of the highest honors bestowed upon high school seniors. Nationwide, about 500 semifinalists have been selected, and from this group, 141 will be named Presidential Scholars and recognized at a ceremony sponsored by the White House in June in Washington, D.C. Scholars are selected on the basis of their accomplishments in many areas, including academic and artistic success, leadership, and involvement in the school and community.

• Narayan Sundararajan, an eighth grader at the Middle School, is the new reigning champion of the Ohio Geographic Bee. Narayan outlasted more than 100 contestants at the state competition by answering increasingly difficult questions about geography. In the end, he won by naming Pakistan as the only predominantly Muslim nation to use the rupee as its currency. Narayan now advances to the National Geographic Bee in Washington, D.C. in May. Sponsored by the National Geographic Society, the competition is designed to promote the teaching of geography, spark interest in the subject, and increase public awareness about geography.

• Mark Kinney, a senior at the High School, has been named a National Achievement $2500 Scholarship winner. He is among approximately 800 students nationwide who have won Achievement Scholarship awards for college undergraduate study this year. The National Merit Scholarship Corporation, businesses, and professional associations finance these awards. The National Achievement Scholarship category is one of several categories to be announced this spring in conjunction with the National Merit, National Achievement, and National Hispanic Scholarship programs. Further announcements are expected in the coming weeks.

• Fifty-five High School students will advance to the state-level National History Day competition after capturing 23 of the 29 slots available at the district level. The next round of competition will be held on April 30 in Columbus. Shaker students were honored in the following categories: Research Paper - First Place: Joan Thompson; Individual Websites - First Place: Lukun Zhang, Third Place: Sam Hertz; Group Websites - First Place: Clara Kao and Evelyn Ting, Second Place: Joshua Barnett, Zachary Findling, and Kendall Kinoshita, Third Place: David Graham Fine, Michelle Cahn, and Katherine McFarlane; Individual Performances - First Place: Hannah McCandless, Second Place: Jonah Weinstein, Third Place: Cara Sutherland; Group Performances - First Place: Alysse Eberhard and Barbara Craig, Second Place: Sarah Jackson, Juliet Bellin-Warren, and Jennifer Mawhorter, Third Place: Emily Hirsch, Alexandra Wagner, and Ian Mercer; Individual Documentaries - First Place: Shoshana Bieler, Second Place: Matthew Krantz, Third Place: Nathaniel Wood, Honorable Mention: Naomi Hill; Group Documentaries - First Place: Elizabeth Jacob, Pearl Ernat, and McKenzie Clark, Second Place: Mia Wang, Julia Scharfstein, and Emmett Sweeney, Third Place: Grant Johnson and Colin Sweeney, Honorable Mention: Ilana Kramer and Jessie Garson; Individual Exhibits - First Place: Claire Lo, Second Place: Becca Christman, Honorable Mention: Erin Cullen; Group Exhibits - First Place: Lauren Woyczynski, Leighah Scully, Kate Connors, and Ella Schneiberg, Second Place: Maggie Butler, Shelby Bauer, Bryson Mercer, and Walker Smith, Third Place: Ana Sinicariello and Kate Friedman, Honorable Mention: Marissa Miller, Arielle Cronig, Honorable Mention: Alissa Poolpol, Hannah Lyness, Grace Clements, and Diana Ponitz.

National History Day was created in 1974 by David Van Tassel, a professor at Case Western Reserve University. Initially intended as a local competition, it grew to become a national program with about 700,000 participants each year. Top entries at the state-level competition in April will proceed to the national finals at the University of Maryland in June. High School faculty members Amanda Ahrens, Sarah Davis, Tim Mitchell, Dann Parker, Elizabeth Plautz, and Terry Pollack provided guidance and suggested resources along the way.

• The Woodbury Science Olympiad team won first place overall at the Cleveland State University Elementary School Science Olympiad after competing in 24 events against 16 other area schools. The team also took first place in seven events, earned first through fourth place medals in 19 events, and placed in the top six in 22 events. Team members included Anushree Aneja, Gautam Apte, Zach Assel, Krysta Aulak, Colin Conn, Edie Duncan, Max Gustafson, Blake Himes, Austin Hise, Karissa Huang, Alula Hunsen, Phillip Kalafatis, Vishnu Kasturi, Jacob Maury, Chris Miklos, Charlie Morgan, Asher Pollack, Trisha Roy, Sheila Scanlon, Sophia Solganik, Sriram Sundararajan, Maria Suresh, Jocelyn Ting, Anna Walker, Sarah Weeks, and Evan Yule. The students were coached by Amy Brodsky, Jim Carter, Jen Halapy, Carol Hochman, and Larry Miller with help from Bela Apte, Suneel Apte, Kathy Brewster, Ken Gustafson, David Miklos, Mary Strouse, Allison Ting, Deborah Tynes, and Bruce Yule.

• Lynn M. Cowen, principal of Onaway Elementary School, will retire at the end of this school year. Cowen joined the Shaker faculty in 1986-87 as a teacher at Ludlow Elementary School. She subsequently taught at Lomond Elementary and became assistant principal there in 1994. After a year as associate principal at Shaker Heights Middle School, she was appointed principal at Onaway in 2002. A search for a successor will begin immediately and both internal and external candidates will be considered. Candidates may apply at www.shaker.org/employment.

• Members of Shaker Heights Middle School's Model UN club made a number of outstanding contributions at the Junior Ohio Model United Nations (OMUN) competition held in Columbus in March. Kieran Aulak, Max Cassell, Max Cowan, Ben Robertson, Anav Sood, Zane Steiber, and Narayan Sundararajan of Team Maldives wrote a resolution about global climate change that advanced out of committee to the General Assembly. Max Cowan won an Outstanding Delegate award for his participation in debates and his presentation on global warming. Narayan Sundararajan from Team Maldives won the Current Events contest and earned a Leadership Award. Bhavani Srinivas of Team Myanmar won the World Problem Solving essay contest about protecting the whale population. Social Studies teacher Michael Sears is the Model UN club's sponsor.

• High School junior Caira Lee is the winner in Ohio's sixth annual Poetry Out Loud competition. Caira prevailed over 38 other students with her recitations of I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud, by William Wordsworth; And Soul, by Eavan Boland; and Celebration for June 24, by Thomas McGrath. With her victory comes an all-expense-paid trip to Washington, D.C. to compete in the national finals, a $300 cash prize, and a $500 stipend for the High School. A total of $50,000 in scholarships and school stipends will be awarded at the national level, including a $20,000 cash prize for the winner.

• High School social studies teacher Andrew Glasier is among 60 educators nationwide selected for the 2011 Summer Fellowship in Korean Studies program. During their two-week stay in South Korea, participants will attend seminars on Korean history, culture, society, art, education, and economics; interact with students and staff at Korean high schools; and tour sites of cultural, historical, and economic significance. The Korea Society sponsors the program.

• Young Audiences will feature artwork created by Woodbury students during the Pennies for Peace campaign on its 2011-12 program guide. Art teacher Deanna Clemente Milne submitted a dozen works to the organization’s student art contest, and the judges liked them so much that they selected all twelve as winning entries. The artists whose work will grace the program cover are: Aneesah Bennett, Dominique Bowden, Haley Brady, Hannah Givens, Mikayla Hall, Claire Lewis-Wright, Taylor Roland, Deja Simmons, Jason Suh, Cheyenne Vazquez, Char Ray Washington, and Tahj Wilson.

• Shaker students participated in a number of international travel opportunities over spring break. Sixty-seven students from the High School’s a cappella choir and orchestra were accompanied by 15 chaperones on a tour of the Alps, Provence, and Barcelona from March 23-31. The students performed in Le Petit Temple in Nimes, the Basilica Saint-Nazaire in Carcassonne, and Le Seu Gothic Cathedral of Barcelona. Robert Schneider conducted the choir and Donna Dehn conducted the orchestra. Sightseeing highlights included a tour of the Palace of the Popes in Avignon, the Roman ruins at Arles, and a panoramic tour of Barcelona.

Seven students from Shaker’s Asian Studies program participated in the program’s first trip to India, accompanied by faculty members Terry Pollack and Paul Springstubb. Now in its 25th year, the Asian Studies program focuses on the cultures of China, Japan, and India. The students visited Delhi, Agra, and Varanasi, meeting with local people, taking classes in Hindi, yoga, dance, and music, and touring sites of cultural importance.

Four students traveled to France with their French teacher, Suzanne Gyurgyik. The students toured all the major sights of Paris, including a full day at Versailles, then enjoyed a home stay in Rennes (Brittany). The trip was funded in part through a $2,000 grant from Maison Française de Cleveland, a non-profit organization that promotes Franco-American cultural activities.

• Eleven early childhood educators and administrators from 10 nations visited the District on March 14 to learn more about preschool and primary education in the United States. The Cleveland Council on World Affairs brought the international delegation to Cleveland under the auspices of the U.S. State Department.

The members of the delegation visited pre-K-grade 4 classes at Onaway and met with Shaker staff members to discuss instructional approaches and diversity issues. The visitors are teachers, administrators, and curriculum specialists in their home countries: Angola, Bahrain, Burma, Egypt, Jamaica, Malawi, Mexico, Oman, Russia, and Trinidad and Tobago.

• Members of the Shaker Class of 2011 have thus far been admitted to some 200 colleges and universities. Admission decisions continue to be reported to applicants and the High School. Following is a partial list of schools to which Shaker students have been admitted.

Ohio Public: Akron University, Bowling Green State University, University of Cincinnati, Cleveland State University, Cuyahoga Community College, Kent State University, Miami University, The Ohio State University, Ohio University, University of Toledo, Wright State University.

Out-of-State and Private: Allegheny College, Art Institute of Chicago, Carleton College, Case Western Reserve University, Carnegie Mellon University, Columbia University, Cornell University, Dartmouth College, Duke University, Georgetown University, Harvard University, Haverford College, Howard University, University of Michigan , University of North Carolina, Northwestern University, New York University, Oberlin College, Pomona College, Princeton University, Smith College, Spelman College, Stanford University, Tufts University, Tulane University, Washington University, Yale University.

• The Shaker Heights schools will open their doors to the community as students showcase their musical, theatrical, artistic, and academic accomplishments during this year's Shakerfest celebration, which began on April 11. Shakerfest, an annual event, will include such activities as school open houses; student art shows; band, orchestra, and choral concerts; theatre performances; and displays and demonstrations of student projects. The complete Shakerfest schedule is available at all school offices and on the District's website, www.shaker.org.

The Board heard the following: • A welcome from Lomond Principal Susan Alig.

• A presentation by six faculty members who discussed the impact of the International Baccalaureate program on their professional growth and everyday instruction. Panelists were Denise Brown (Onaway), Jason Clemens (Middle School), Amy Davis (Middle School), James Henry (Lomond), Miata Hunter (Middle School), and Noel Polantz (Mercer).

• First readings of revisions to Policies DJC (Bidding Requirements), DJCA (Awarding Competitive Bids), DLCA (Mileage Expense), EHA (Data and Records Retention), and KBA (Public Records Request).

• Second readings of revisions to Policies DFA (Statement of Investment Guidelines and Objectives) and DJ (Purchasing).

The Board approved the following: • The strategic plan setting the course for the District. Developed by a committee of parents, residents, and educators, the plan is heavily based on findings from Imagine Shaker, the community engagement project involving more than 900 in-depth interviews with students, teachers, and residents. The plan may be read in full at www.shaker.org/strategicplan.

• Personnel items, including changes in assignment, temporary employees and substitutes, changes of rate, curriculum writing and instructional planning, supplemental contracts, leaves of absence, special assignments, non-renewals, and resignations. Included were the retirement of Lynn Cowen (Principal/Onaway), effective July 31, 2011, after 24 years of service, and the following retirements at the end of the 2010-11 school year: Jill Schumacher (Art Teacher/Lomond) after 33 years of service; Elizabeth Strickler (Reading Teacher/Middle School) after 34 years of service; and Mary Ann Wonson (Math/High School) after 14 years of service.

Also included were awards of tenure to Amanda Ahrens (Social Studies/High School), Nicole Campbell (Special Education/Woodbury), Mary Coffey (Latin/High School), Jamie Harden (Grade 4/Fernway), Ryan Hastings (Mathematics/Middle School), Nathanael Hsu (Science/ High School), Sara Joyce (Social Studies/High School), Joseph Kulikowski (Music/Woodbury), Sarah Manary (English/High School), Caroline Markel (Mathematics and Computer Science/High School), Donald Readance (Physical Education/High School), Laura Robbins (Speech & Language Pathologist/Onaway & High School), Ellen Roberts (Spanish/Middle School), Daniel Watkins (Science/High School), and Jeanne Wiemer (Science/High School).

• A bid to replace the pool roof at the Middle School.

• Financial statements and interim investments for March 2011.

• Revised Policies DLBA (Salary Deductions/Tax Sheltered Annuities) and JEE (Student Attendance Accounting) and deletion of IGBA (Education of Students in Special Programs), replaced with Resolution No. 9-10-117, and IIAB (Textbook Materials and Equipment Selection and Adoption Policy), replaced with Resolution No. 11-01-07.

The next regular meeting of the Board of Education will take place on Tuesday, May 10, 2011 at 8 p.m. at Onaway Elementary School.