WELCOME MERCER FAMILIES!

ABOUT THE MERCER PTO

Did you know? 

All parents or guardians of students in the Shaker Heights School District are automatically members of PTO. There are no membership fees, dues, or requirements. Any parent or guardian is welcome to attend any PTO meeting or event.

 

Families New to Mercer after School Starts

 

Contact mercerfamilies@gmail.com.  We will welcome your family and help you get acquainted with Mercer. 

 

UPCOMING EVENTS

        

PROGRESS WITH CHESS - SPRING SESSION

 

 

To download the flyer/registration form, click here.

SPIRIT STORE OPEN!

The Mercer Spirit Store is open! Shop for Meerkat stuffed animals, pencil toppers, sunglasses, tote bags and more!

 

  

VOLUNTEER REQUIREMENTS

 

All Mercer volunteers need to complete the volunteer registration and have a background check, including fingerprinting. The district wants to make sure that anyone spending time around Shaker students and staff is legally cleared to do so. 

 

Who needs to be fingerprinted?

  • Classroom volunteers - YES
  • Field trip parent chaperones - YES
  • Volunteers at school-based PTO events - YES
  • Volunteers alone with students at anytime - YES

 

The scheduling and processing of all volunteer fingerprints/background checks will take place in the Office of Family and Community Engagement located on the second floor of the Shaker Heights Public Library Main Branch, 16500 Van Aken Blvd., Shaker Heights 44120. To schedule an appointment contact:  volunteer_face@shaker.org or call 216-295-6268. 

 

Check with the Mercer office to see if you are already registered or need to update your status. Background checks must be completed every three years.

 

WE NEED YOU! HELP LEAD THE PTO IN 2023-2024! 

 

The Mercer PTO is made up of volunteers who plan, organize and lead the efforts to strengthen our school community and support our students, families, teachers and staff. Every parent/guardian and teacher of a Mercer student is a member of the Mercer PTO.

 

If you have thought about getting more involved with the Mercer PTO, now is a great time to help. We are looking for volunteers to serve on the 2023-2024 Executive Board and to fill a variety of committee/event chair positions as we seek to build a diverse team of volunteers. Ranging from year-long commitments to just a few hours, in-person or at home, the PTO offers something for everyone. 

 

Executive Board, Activity, Event and Committee Chair Positions - To learn more about various PTO Executive Board, activity, event and committee chair positions for the 2023-2024 school year including the approximate time commitment, please refer to the 2023-2034 Mercer PTO Event Coordinator, Committee and Executive Board Roles document.  

 

To sign up to chair an event or committee, or to volunteer for an Executive Board position, please view the 2023-2024 Mercer PTO Volunteers (Executive Board and Committee Chairs) Sign Up Genius

  

Questions? Please contact our Recruitment Chairs, Carmen Kottha and Christine Reynolds.

  

 

SHARE YOUR TIME AND TALENTS WITH THE PTO!

  

Volunteer Interest Form - If you are not interested in chairing an event, but would like to be contacted during the 2022-2023 school year to assist as the event/activity gets closer, please complete the online Volunteer Interest Form. Your contact information will be shared with the event chairs who will reach out to you as the event approaches. Expressing interest on this form does not commit you to volunteering at the events.

 

MERCER PTO BOARD FOR 2022-2023 SCHOOL YEAR

(Co-)1st Vice Presidents: Open
VP of Communication: Open
VP of Educational Enrichment: Monica Gurbach
VP of Outreach: Dominque Frazier
VP of Parent Education and Advocacy: Kristen Doud 
VP of Financial Management: Courtney Adler and Nadia Greenhaigh-Stanley
Secretary: Kayla Korte
Treasurer: Open
Co-Nominating Chairs: Carmen Kottha and Christine Reynolds

 

FUNDRAISERS

MERCER OLYMPICS 2022

I BELIEVE THAT MERCER WINS!

Congratulations to the entire Mercer Community! What a wonderful time we had during the Mercer Olympics. Students, teachers, and staff alike took part in various Olympic-themed activities in the classroom and during Physical Education classes. Ask your student about the warm up dance! Did your student enjoy throwing a foam “javelin” to a target on a wall or scooting across the gym as if on a bobsled? Throughout the week, students also demonstrated various IB traits, teamwork and school spirit! 

 

Our Mercer community raised $12,878.25 and, once again, celebrated 100% participation. Everyone, especially Mercer, is a winner. Thank you for your generosity and support.

 

100% of the money raised by the Mercer PTO supports both our students and teachers through teacher grants, educational enrichment opportunities such as in-person and/or virtual field trips and assemblies, activities such as the Meerkat Club, Mercer Times (student newspaper), family nights, community building activities and more.

  

Stay Active at Home!

 

Complete the Mercer Olympics B-I-N-G-O board! You can get a different B-I-N-G-O each day, if desired.

 

 

Mercer Read-A-Thon

 

Hello, Mercer Meerkats! We hope that your family had fun reading and celebrating literacy with the Mercer community during our 2023 Mercer Meerkat Read-A-Thon! 

 

We are pleased to announce that together we raised $3,020 and students logged 6.052 minutes of reading during the 2023 Mercer Meerkat Read-A-Thon. In the first three years of the Read-A-Thon, we have raised over $14,000 and logged over 23,000 minutes of reading.

 

All funds will be used by the Mercer PTO to support both our students and teachers in new and creative ways, including teacher grants to enhance your student’s learning experience, educational enrichment opportunities and community building activities. 

 

Thank you for your generosity and for encouraging literacy and community while raising funds for our school!

 

2023 GUEST READERS

 

Watch Mercer faculty and staff, along with other guests from the Mercer community, read some of their favorite stories:

 

Day 1 - Mercer Librarian Mrs. Daberko reading "The Quickest Kid in Clarksville" by Pat Zietlow Miller

Day 2 - Shaker Heights Mayor David Weiss reading "Just Help! How to Build a Better World" by Sonia Sotomayor

Day 3 - Shaker Heights School District Superintendent Dr. David Glasner reading "Kamala and Maya's Big Idea" by Meena Harris

Day 4 - Mercer Intervention Specialist Mrs. Kara Horvat reading "Click Clack Moo - Cows That Type" by Doreen Cornin

Day 5 - Mercer parent Mr. Jeff Bartsch reading "Last Stop on Market Street" by Matt de la Pena 

Day 6 - Mercer parent Mr. Christian Gindlesperger reading "Dragons Love Tacos" by Adam Rubin

Day 7 - Mercer parent Ms. Dominique Frazier reading "Ron's Big Mission" by Rose Blue and Corinne J. Naden  

 

2022 GUEST READERS

 

Watch Mercer faculty and staff, along with other special guest, read some of their favorite stories:

 

Day 1 - Dr. David Glasner, Superintendent, Shaker Heights Schools, reading "A Visitor for Bear" by Bonny Becker

Day 2 - Ms. Roneisha Campbell, Principal, Mercer Elementary School, reading "The Gruffalo" by Julia Donaldson

Day 3 - Ms. Martin and Mrs. Richards, Fourth Grade Teachers at Mercer, reading "I Color Myself Different" by Colin Kaepernick and "Dog Breath!" by Dav Pilkey

Day 4 - Mrs. Daberko, Librarian at Mercer, reading "Creepy Carrots" by Aaron Reynolds

Day 5 - Mrs. Gaines, Kindergarten Teacher at Mercer, reading "A Friend for Henry" by Jenn Bailey

Days 6 & 7 - Ms. Horvat, Intervention Specialist at Mercer, reading "The Retired Kid" by Jon Agee, Ms. Weed, First Grade Teacher at Mercer reading "The Bad Seed" by Jory John, Mrs. Feinstein, Second Grade Teacher at Mercer, reading "Fry Bread: A Native American Family Story" by Kevin Noble Maillard, and Mr. DiScenna, Second Grade Teacher at Mercer, reading "Poetree" by Shauna LaVoy Reynolds 

Day 8 - Mrs. Ng, Administrative Assistant at Mercer, reading "The Mitten" by Jan Brett

 

2021 GUEST READERS

 

Listen to Mercer faculty and staff read some of their favorite stories:

 

Mrs. Stamm reading "The Bear and the Piano" by David Litchfield

Mr. Florence reading some poems from "Where the Sidewalk Ends" by Shel Silverstein

Mrs. Kerns reading "Pete's A Pizza" by William Steig

Ms. Schlein reading "Dragon's Love Tacos" by Adam Rubin

Mrs. Janosek reading "The Day the Crayons Quit" by Drew Daywalt

Mr. DiScenna reading "Rachel: Preserving a Sense of Wonder" by Joseph Bruchac and Thomas Locker 

 

Mystery Readers

 

Can you figure out who our mystery readers are for the Mercer Read-A-Thon?

 

Mystery Reader #1 reading "Need a House? Call Ms. Mouse" by George Mendoza

Mystery Reader #2 reading "Oscar, Cat-About-Town" by James Herriet

Mystery Reader #3 reading "Red: A Crayon's Story" by Michael Hall

 

Live Reads

 

Watch the recordings from our live reads!

 

Monday, March 22, 2021 - Mrs. Ng, Mrs. Hartley and Mrs. Daberko

Tuesday, March 23, 2021 - Mrs. Richards, Mrs. Horvat and Ms. Martin

Wednesday, March 24, 2021 - Dr. David Glasner, Superintendent, Shaker Heights City School District

Thursday, March 25, 2021 - Mr. Lindsay Florence, Retired Mercer Principal

  

 

 

Upcoming Events

 

  

 

2022-2023 PTO Calendar of Events (updated)

 

UPCOMING PTO MEETINGS

   

03-22-2023 (at Onaway Elementary School)

05-10-2023 (at Fernway Elementary School)

 

MERCER PTO MEETING MINUTES

 

Did you miss the PTO meeting? Find out what happened!

 

2022-2023 School Year

 

08-31-2022 (Fall Planning Meeting)

09-22-2022

11-16-2022

01-18-2023

02-01-2023 - Virtual Spring Planning Meeting

 

2021-2022 School Year

 

09-29-2021 

11-17-2021

01-19-2022 

03-23-2022

05-11-2022

 

2020-2021 School Year

 

09-24-2020

09-30-2020

11-4-2020

11-18-2020

01-20-2021

03-11-2021

05-12-2021 

 

 

 

COMMUNITY SPEAKER SERIES

 

 

 

 

If you missed the presentations, you can watch the recordings:

 

2021-2022:

 

09-29-2021 presentation by Dr. Rob Adams, Clinical Psychologist, titled Emotionally Healthy Kids Post/During(?) COVID

 

11-17-2021 conversation with Dr. David Glasner, Superintendent of the Shaker Heights School District about Forward Together & Facilities Planning

 

2020-2021 Archive:

 

9-30-2020 presentation by Dr. JeffriAnne Wilder, Executive Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion for the Shaker Heights School District

 

11-4-2020 conversation with Dr. David Glasner, Superintendent of the Shaker Heights School District

 

1-20-2021 conversation with Keith Langford, Family and Community Engagement (FACE) Coordinator, Shaker Heights School District

 

3-11-2021 conversation on Positive Parenting with Judi Miller Levy, Licensed Independent Social Worker

 

5-12-2021 presentation on Student Pathways from Pre-K - Grade 12 given by John Moore, District International Baccalaureate Coordinator & Diploma Programme Coordinator, Addie Tobey, Middle Years Program IB Coordinator, Denise Brown, PYP Coordinator at Onaway and Kristen Clark, Instructional Coach Liaison.

STAY CONNECTED

 

 

 

Stay up-to-date with the Mercer Elementary PTO Facebook page.

 

Mercer Class Facebook Pages

 

Join the Facebook pages for your child's grade.

 

Note: These class pages are created by Mercer parents for Mercer parents. They are not official pages of the Mercer PTO, Mercer Elementary School, or the Shaker Heights City School District.

 

Class of 2035 (K 2022-2023)

Class of 2034 (1st 2022-2023)

Class of 2033 (2nd 2022-2023)

Class of 2032 (3rd 2022-2023)

Class of 2031 (4th 2022-2023)

  

Mercer Messenger

 

Weekly newsletter that provides updates from Principal Roneisha Campbell, school events and PTO news. It is published by the school district on Sunday evenings and automatically emailed to all families. Look for a Shaker email and click on the link for Mercer. District news is also included in the email.

 

PTO Directory

 

The Shaker PTO Directory allows you to stay connected with your Shaker school community.

 

Please create an account and register your information with Membership Toolkit to be included in the Shaker PTO Directory.  Only registered members of our community can receive important communications, access the directory, and collaborate together on PTO activities.

 

Register or Sign In now!

 

FINANCIAL FORMS

 

2022-2023 PTO Budget (draft)

Tax Exempt Form (Mercer PTO cannot reimburse for sales tax. Please use this form when making approved purchases for Mercer PTO.)

Check Request / Reimbursement Form

Deposit Form

Cash Box Form

 

If you have questions, please contact either Nadia Greenheigh-Stanley, Kristina Gobel or Courtney Adler.

 

CITY BARBEQUE FUNDRAISR

 

  

Thank you for your support of the City Barbeque restaurant day and night on January 26. City Barbeque will be donating $147.28 to the Mercer PTO.

  

CILANTRO TAQUERIA FUNDRAISER

 

 

Thank you for your support of the Cilantro Taqueria fundraiser on November 30. Thanks to your support, Cilantro Taqueria will be donating $284.10 to the Mercer PTO!

 

CHOOLAAH GIVES FUNDRAISER

 

 

Thank you for your support of the Choolaah Gives! fundraiser on September 29. Choolaah will be donating $229 to the Mercer PTO!