March 14, 2018—Today, Shaker Heights Schools students in Grades 5-12 gathered with their peers in a variety of activities to advocate for national and local change.
Shaker Heights High School student leaders formed a committee and developed a walkout plan in response to the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in Parkland, Florida. At 10 a.m., the students proceeded quietly to the football stadium for a memorial in which they were silent for 17 minutes, one minute for each of the victims.
During the walkout, High School students also organized a sit-in to show their disapproval with the response to racial incidents that have occurred nationally and in Shaker. Approximately 100 students participated in the sit-in that lasted beyond the duration of the walkout.
Middle School students and staff who wished to participate in an observance met in the school auditorium at 10 a.m. for a student-led and staff-supervised commemoration of the Parkland shooting victims, followed by a march around the building. Students who participated held signs they made at an after-school work session on Tuesday. Students and staff who did not wish to participate remained in classrooms.
Woodbury students participated in community circles by classroom and reflected on ways that they could continue to live the school’s theme this year: Be Kinder Than Necessary. Each classroom’s idea on how they could show kindness was read aloud via public address at 10 a.m. Parents who expressed interest in their child participating in an alternative observance could sign out their child and supervise them during the commemorative period.
“The activities at each of our participating schools were age-appropriate and safe for all,” said Superintendent of Schools Dr. Gregory C. Hutchings, Jr. “I’m proud for our young people today who used their voices and took action to denounce gun violence, racial issues and inequities, and to promote compassion. They are our future and already, they serve as models for us all.”