Middle School Blast Aug 22, 2025

New Year, New Gear – Spirit Day TODAY

During the week, every student received a new piece of Seven Hills spirit wear as a gift from the school to kick off the 2025-26 year. 

We hope they’ll wear their new Seven Hills shirt today, Friday, Aug. 22 for our first Spirit Day of the year. We can’t wait to see everyone’s Stinger Pride and to celebrate a great first week in style!

Middle School Pick-Up Times and Details

Parents are to pick-up their Middle Schoolers between 3:15-3:30 p.m. at the bottom of the Middle School steps. It is extremely important that you have an 8 ½ x 11 sheet of paper with your child’s last name in large, bold letters, preferably hanging from the passenger side rear view mirror. The signs help with a safe and efficient dismissal. It is important that parents do not arrange to pick-up their Middle Schooler at any other nondesignated area on campus. The exception is for those Middle Schoolers who have siblings on campus. For Middle Schoolers with Upper siblings, it is OK to have the Middle Schooler walk to meet their sibling at the Upper School.  

Please note, this year the Middle Schoolers who have siblings in Lotspeich will dismiss with Lotspeich students. We will have a Middle School representative walk the students over to meet their younger siblings and carpool from The Red Barn.

Shuttle and Bus Info
The Doherty Shuttle and Mason bus will continue to collect students from the bottom of the Middle School steps (in front of Schiff). Please make sure your child knows their plan for dismissal. Changes to those plans after 2 p.m. are difficult to communicate and cannot be guaranteed. You should always email your child those changes when they are known. Students are encouraged to check their email at the end of the day in Advisory.

Encore After School Program

As in the past, we will be offering free-of-charge for parents unable to pick up their Middle Schoolers by 3:15, after school supervision, known as The Encore Club. When school is dismissed at 3:15 p.m., students are expected to leave campus property unless they are under the supervision of a teacher or a coach. Students who are not picked up by 3:30 p.m. and are not involved in an adult supervised activity (e.g. sports practice or play rehearsal), are to go to The Encore Club inside the Middle School in room 213. When parents arrive at school to pick-up their child from Encore, they should come to the Encore Club. The Encore supervisor can be reached at 513.600.0007.

Canvas Set-Up For Parents

Parents are invited to be “observers” for their children’s classes. An observer can see assignments, due dates, and if any assignments are missing.  Middle School is a time for independence, so we ask you to coach your children on connecting with their teachers if they have questions, but as parents, we can act as an important safety net to make sure nothing falls through the cracks. See below for how to set up an account and gain observer status. Here is a PDF version of the instructions.

Parent Night — Tuesday, Aug. 26

Sixth Grade Off-Campus Class Retreat — Friday, Aug. 29

The sixth grade will hold our annual retreat on Friday, Aug. 29. The primary focus of our retreat is to get to know each other better! We will spend a bit of time in the morning doing a variety of activities on campus and then head to Main Event in West Chester. We will return to school in time for dismissal. The retreat is a fun and relaxed time for your child to get to know their new classmates and teachers. We will have pizza for lunch provided by Main Event. If you have questions/concerns, please contact Jennifer Licata, sixth grade team leader.

Seventh Grade Class Retreat — Friday, Aug. 29

On Friday, Aug. 29, the seventh grade will have an on-campus retreat, a day for us to do fun activities and bond as advisories and classmates. The school will provide snacks and lunch.  If you have any questions, please get in touch with seventh grade team leader Carri Haskins.

Picture Day — Sept. 4 and 5

Picture Day is Sept. 4 and 5. Bring your smiles! See the Picture Day flyer for more information.

Eighth Grade Adventure Trek — Sept 8-11

The eighth grade trip to North Carolina is coming soon. We will leave at 6 a.m. on Monday, Sept. 8, and return around 10 p.m. on Sept. 11. All forms were due on Aug. 20.

Forms can be found on the Middle School parent portal in Veracross and the Middle School parent page on the website. Please complete and sign them as soon as possible. Printed forms can be turned into the Middle School office. Digital forms can be emailed to Hannah Hanley.

An informational meeting for parents will take place Thursday, Aug. 28 at 7 p.m. via Zoom. Look for an email with the link on Wednesday, Aug. 27. 

Free Theater from Cincinnati Shakespeare Company

We’re excited to share a wonderful theatrical performance from the Cincinnati Shakespeare Company. “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” is being performed for free in local parks around the city as part of their annual Shakespeare in the Park series!

This is a fantastic chance for all students to experience Shakespeare live on stage. Our eighth grade students will especially benefit as they will be studying this play in the spring, and these performances provide a fun and engaging preview for the play.

Cincinnati Shakespeare’s productions in the parks are open to the public, family-friendly, and completely free — just bring a blanket or lawn chair and enjoy the show under the stars!

To find dates and locations near you, visit the Cincinnati Shakespeare Company’s website. They will be performing at the University of Cincinnati on Aug. 22, in Evendale on Aug. 27, and at Summit Park in Blue Ash on Aug. 29. We hope many of our students will take advantage of this enriching and entertaining theatrical experience!

Get Your Homecoming Spirit Wear!

We’re excited to announce that Homecoming T-shirts and hoodies are now available for purchase through our Athletics Square store!

Order here: Seven Hills Athletics Store

When placing your order, please include the following information in the “Notes” section at checkout:

• Your child’s full name
• Grade (oldest child, if multiple)
• Homeroom teacher or adviser

This information will help us organize distribution. Orders will be delivered to students before Homecoming on Sept. 19.

Parent Veracross Guides

If you are new to Seven Hills or just need a refresher about using Veracross, check out our parent guides: 

• Parent Platform Guide
• Parent Communications Guide

Library News from Head Librarian Megan Whitt

At The Seven Hills School, we strive to include a wide variety of high-quality books in our libraries. As professionals in our field, librarians use our many years of expertise to select the best titles for our students. Because the Middle School shares The Young Family Library space with the Upper School, our library collection includes young adult books. Some young adult books contain mature content, like strong language and graphic descriptions. Middle School students can explore all areas of the library at various times throughout the day, including homeroom, after school, and with their English classes.

Students are reminded at the beginning of every year that, while they have access to YA titles, books with mature subject matter may not be for everyone. Students are encouraged to be responsible, use their best judgment, and have conversations with parents and guardians about their personal comfort level with YA books. Middle School is a great time for students to explore and learn about themselves and others, and books are an excellent way to do this. Many of our students read above their age level and are ready to challenge themselves with mature themes and content.

However, we understand not every student is ready for that. Middle School students have their own section within the library with age-appropriate books and magazines. Reading above age/grade level is a personal choice, and talking with your children about the books they are reading is a great way to connect with them.