On Working and Living in Shaker Heights:
We moved here last summer from South Euclid. With
my daughter Maya starting kindergarten, it felt like
it would be easier to be on the same schedule and to
have her in a district I trusted to start her academic
schooling. (Maya attends Boulevard Elementary
School. Younger sister, Priya, is two.) ¶ Living here
has given us more quality time together. I can get
my kid to school in five minutes instead of 35, and I
can walk to work. On the weekends, we like to spend
time at the High School football games and see the
marching band. We always did that before we had kids,
and now it’s just that much easier to go to the things
my students are inviting me to, like a dance concert.
¶ We also love to spend time outdoors here – at the
parks, the playgrounds, on the bike paths. When we
hear the kids skating on the outdoor rink behind our
house we think, “That’s why we moved here.” Maya just
started ice skating lessons at Thornton Park so she can
be out there with her friends. ¶ Right after we moved
in, we took the girls to Nepal for three weeks, where
Dipendra is from, to visit family. I felt immediately
comfortable having our new neighbor watch our cats
even though we had just met. When we came back,
the neighbors brought us all sorts of bread and cakes.
¶ We also joined the Boulevard PTO international
Partners, which helps to welcome international
families when they move to Shaker. We didn’t know
Boulevard had such a strong International presence
when we moved here; it was just a happy coincidence!
Contact: shrestha_e@shaker.org SL
SHAKER LIFE | SPRING 2015 41
Emily at work in English class