Upper School Blast Aug 28, 2026
Key Dates
Friday, Aug. 28 — A2. Show Your Spirit! Spirit Wear Day with Mr. Snowie at lunch
Monday, Aug. 31 — B2
Tuesday, Sept. 1 — A3
Wednesday, Sept. 2 — B3. Parent Association Board Meeting, 8:30 a.m. Upper School Parent Night (Meet the Teachers), 6:30-9:15 p.m.
Thursday, Sept. 3 — A4. Soccer Showcase, JV Games at 5 p.m. and Varsity Games at 7 p.m.
Friday, Sept. 4 — B4. Upper Picture Day
Monday, Sept. 7 — Labor Day. No School
Tuesday, Sept. 8 — Senior Family Meeting with College Counselors, 7-8 p.m.
Wednesday, Sept. 9 — Coffee with a College Counselor, 9-10 a.m. Board of Trustees Meeting, 6:30 p.m.
Monday, Sept. 14-Friday, Sept. 18 — Spirit Week!
Wednesday, Sept. 16 — Upper Parent Association General Assembly Meeting, 9-10 a.m.
Friday, Sept. 18 & Saturday, Sept. 19 — Homecoming
Friday, Sept. 18 — Family Grill-Out, 5-7 p.m.
Monday, Sept. 28 — College Cost and Financial Aid Presentation, 7-8:30 p.m.
Tuesday, Sept. 29 — Seven Hills Association of Rainbow Events (SHARE) Parent Forum, 6:30 p.m.
Wednesday, Sept. 30 — New Parent Cocktail Social, 5:30-7:30 p.m.
Grade-Level Key Dates Docs
Ninth Grade
Tenth Grade
Eleventh Grade
Senior Experience Doc
Photos of the Week
Class President Will Stock helps to kick off the all-school assembly along with Vice President Gabe Herman.
What to Know Now
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 2026-27 year.
We hope they’ll wear their new Seven Hills shirt today, Friday, Aug. 28, 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!
Upper Parent Night — Wednesday, Sept. 2, at 6:30 p.m.
Upper Parent Night begins at 6:30 p.m. in The Schiff Center auditorium, followed by an opportunity to walk through your children’s classes in the Upper School and meet their teachers. Administration will be available at 6 p.m. in The Schiff Center lobby with copies of your children’s schedule and to answer any questions. During free blocks, we will have informational tables from the college office, experiential learning, student life, and the Parent Association to answer any overall questions about the year.
Soccer Showcase — Thursday, Sept. 3
Save the date for a Soccer Showcase on Sept. 3. Our junior varsity and varsity boys and girls soccer teams will be playing at the same time on the upper and lower fields. Come out and support our soccer teams! Junior varsity games begin at 5 p.m., and varsity games begin at 7 p.m.
Upper Picture Day — Thursday, Sept. 3 & Friday, Sept. 4
Upper picture days will take place on Sept. 3 and 4. Students will be assigned a day based upon when their English class will meet. This schedule will be shared with them on Monday, Aug. 31, to ensure they are prepared for their photo.
Retakes will only be held for those who miss their photo due to circumstances out of their control. These will take place Oct. 14.
Introducing our LEAD Together Lineup for First Semester
We are excited to Learn, Educate, and Discuss (LEAD) Together with new programming for this year. Through these collaborative sessions, we hope to foster strong partnerships among families and educators to support student learning, belonging, and success.
As we get closer to each event, we will share more detailed information in the Blast. Please see this semester’s lineup on the flyer below, and RSVP for all events through this Google form.
Therapy Dog at Seven Hills
We are excited to welcome Cruz, our new school therapy dog, to the Seven Hills family! Cruz is a friendly, well-trained, double doodle mix — half Australian labradoodle and half goldendoodle. As he becomes familiar with his new surroundings and the school community, his time and activities on campus will gradually increase.
Participation in the therapy dog program is completely voluntary. If you prefer that your child not participate in activities involving Cruz, please complete our Therapy Dog Opt-Out Form. If you have questions about the program or the opt-out process, please reach out to Director of Safety & Security Jun Cho.
Calling All Parents
Are you interested in being interviewed as part of our schedule redesign process?
This year, we are redesigning our schedule across all divisions for the 2027-28 school year when we come together as a unified campus. As part of this process, we are shadowing students and interviewing faculty members, students, and parents. In these interviews, we are hoping to learn more about your experiences with how we use time at Seven Hills.
These 30-minute interviews are conducted one-on-one by a faculty member. If you’re interested in participating, please fill out a family interview interest form.
Questions? Reach out to Laura Leonard.
Deck by the Hillsdale Commons is Temporarily Closed
The deck situated between the Upper and Middle School buildings is temporarily closed while it undergoes maintenance. It is currently blocked off, and students have been notified.
Field House Lot Closed Remainder of School Year
As construction progresses on the new Lower School building, the Field House parking lot (Lot H) will be closed for the remainder of the school year. The drop-off and pick-up area and accessible parking spots are still available. A new parking lot recently opened off of Ellmarie Drive and is available for use while the Field House lot is closed.
Parent Association News
Walking Group Kickoff — Wednesday, Sept. 2
Start your morning with good conversation and great company! Join us for our first walk on Wednesday, Sept. 2, at 8:15 a.m.
Whether you stay for the whole loop or just pop in for 20 minutes, all fitness levels and schedules are welcome. We walk, talk, and cover topics ranging from the everyday to the extraordinary — and if the weather turns sour, we skip the walk and head straight for coffee!
Stay in the Loop
Join the WhatsApp Parent Walking Group to get route updates and weather calls.
Upper Parent Association General Assembly Meeting — Wednesday, Sept. 16, from 9-10 a.m.
For more information or to RSVP, please visit the e-vite. You can also respond on ParentSquare!
Parent and Faculty Social — Sunday, Oct. 4, from 4-7 p.m.
For more information or to RSVP, please visit the e-vite. You can also respond on ParentSquare! New this year, a prize will be given to swarms based on parent representation.
Senior Corner
Check in here for senior updates and happenings!
Senior Sunrise (Student-only Event)
Senior Sunrise is on Sept. 4, at 6:30 a.m. That’s right … early. This is for students only and is a Seven Hills tradition to start off senior year. Food support will be provided by parents, with more information to be shared.
Stronger with You — Share Your Talents and Expertise with the Parent Association
Please sign up today to volunteer for the Parent Association! There is something for everyone. You make our community better and stronger. And, if you do not see something you like, please reach out to the Upper Parent Association, and we can build it together (reach out any time!).
Show Your Seven Hills Spirit!
The Spirit Shop is located in the lobby of the Kalnow Gym on the Hillsdale Campus. During the school year, we’re open most school days from 11 a.m. to 1:15 p.m.
Can’t make it in person? Shop anytime at our online store.
Want to Get Involved?
The Spirit Shop runs on the enthusiasm of our community — and we’d love your help! We’re looking for volunteers who can commit to a once-a-month shift during regular shop hours as well as folks who’d enjoy helping out at our occasional pop-up events throughout the year.
If you’re interested in either opportunity, sign up to volunteer!
Email us if you have Spirit Shop questions. We’d love to have you on the team. Go Stingers!
— Leesa Pruett Ceron & Lindsay Cassady
Announcements
Senior Family College Counseling Presentation — Tuesday, Sept. 8, at 7 p.m. on Zoom
Parents and guardians of seniors are invited to join the college counseling team to discuss the fall application process, the latest news in the world of college admission, student and family expectations, financial aid, and more. A link to the meeting will be shared on the Class of 2027 Canvas page. A recording of the meeting and slide copies will be posted to Canvas by Sept. 10.
Add/Drop Deadline — Friday, Sept. 11
This is a gentle reminder that the add/drop deadline for fall courses is Friday, Sept. 11. Students interested in changing or adding classes have a form that parents should sign to confirm the request. For more information on the add/drop process, please review the Schedules and Add/Drop Process document.
Homecoming — Friday, Sept. 18 & Saturday, Sept. 19
Save the date for Friday, Sept. 18, and Saturday, Sept. 19, for a fun weekend of homecoming festivities.