Upper School Blast Mar 15, 2024
Dear Families,
I’m writing about two of the Upper Schoolers’ favorite events: Spring Break and the Prom. The first message is a simple one: I hope all of our Upper School families have a wonderful time during Spring Break. I want to talk in a little more detail about prom, in the hopes of encouraging all of our Upper Schoolers to attend.
Prom will be held on Saturday night, April 6, at Music Hall. One of my favorite aspects of the Seven Hills Prom is that it is open to all grade levels. Students do not need to have a date for the Prom, because they will have plenty of friends and classmates to socialize with. By the same token, while some students will gravitate to the dance floor, there are lots of other spaces, games, and activities for students to participate in. Finally, there are appetizers and dessert at the Prom, so students shouldn’t feel like they have to go out to dinner beforehand. In short, it’s an all-inclusive event. If your child is on the fence about whether to go to Prom, I would encourage them to attend.
Below you’ll find logistical information about the prom, as well as our policies. All of these policies are designed to keep students safe and to ensure that the Prom is a fun-filled but responsible event. We have a great track record with our Prom, because students take our expectations and policies for the event seriously. It’s going to be a great night that students of all grade levels will remember fondly.
A big thanks to the student Prom committee, Mr. Catalan, and Ms. DiRoma for organizing this year’s Prom, and to the faculty chaperones. Please reach out to us if you have any questions.
Best,
Matt
Key Dates & Events
Monday, April — B1. Advisory
Tuesday, April 2 — A2. All-School
Wednesday, April 3 — B2. Extra Help
Thursday, April 4 — A3. Class Meeting
Friday, April 5 — B3. Extra Help
Announcements
Community Service Opportunities During Spring Break and Summer
Spring break is a perfect time for students to do service in the community (and earn service hours!) Please reference the following with your child when making decisions about service:
- Community Service Graduation Requirements Overview
- Guide to Service Opportunities — 102 organizations listed, plus links to search engines for volunteers!
Summer is another great time for serving! Seven Hills’ Community Service Sampler Summer Camp will run June 17-21, 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Please note, there will be no camp on June 19. See page 24 of the brochure for details. Sign-up on Ultracamp. The camp does count toward the Upper School service hours requirement.
Senior Graduation Information
Parents, the following information was sent to your senior in their student Blast regarding graduation.
Seniors:
- Cap and Gown: Reminder, your cap and tassel are yours to keep. The gown is rented and will need to be returned the night of graduation. You normally will receive your cap and gown during May Term week. We will keep you posted.
- Diploma: Please fill out the 2024 Seniors Names and Pronoun Preference form to enter in the name you would like on your diploma. The deadline for this is April 1. Parents, please check this document to ensure your student has filled it out correctly.
Senior Photos for the showcase are due the last week of April. The criteria for these are as follows:
- 4×6
- Black & White or Color
- Vertical
- Printed; we do not have the capacity to print these in the office.
Graduation Announcements
As mentioned previously, we have traditionally ordered five announcements and envelopes per senior. We often end up with a full box of unclaimed announcements and would like to take a vote on if you would like us to order announcements for this year. Please fill out the graduation announcements online poll and vote on whether you would like to receive these announcements or plan on another avenue to announce your senior’s graduation. Majority vote will be used. Poll will close on April 1. Please continue to check your emails daily. As we get closer to graduation, you will receive several time-sensitive emails.
Family Food Truck Spirit Night for all Seven Hills Families — Friday, April 12
Come celebrate our spring athletes and have some fun! Cheer on the Upper School baseball (5 p.m.), girls lacrosse (5:30 p.m., 7 p.m), softball (4:30 p.m.) and boys tennis (4:30 p.m.) teams as they compete. Lower School spring athletes will be recognized at 6:30 p.m. on the lower field. Food will be available for purchase from four delicious food trucks: Big Dogs Pizza, Quite Frankly, Maya Indian Food, and Kona Ice. See you there!
Join Seven Hills to Celebrate Our 50th Anniversary — April 13
The entire Seven Hills community is invited to the school’s 50th Anniversary Celebration on Saturday, April 13, 7-10 p.m. in the Field House on the Hillsdale Campus! This momentous occasion commemorates 50 years since the merger of the College Preparatory School (CPS) and the Hillsdale-Lotspeich School in 1974. Featuring live entertainment by 13-piece band Soul Pocket and current Seven Hills students and alumni. Food and drinks provided by Eat Well. Tickets are $50 per person. Purchase your tickets now!
The ABCs of Artificial Intelligence
If you missed the event last week, the slides from the presentation are posted on Schoology. The video recording will also be posted soon.
Seeking Host Families for International Students
The Seven Hills Upper School is pleased to be welcoming new students from China for the 2024-25 school year. We are seeking families within the Seven Hills community to host these students. If you would like to learn more about the responsibilities and rewards of welcoming an international student into your home, please contact Nancy Clark. Interested families will be connected with an approved agency that will share program details and monthly stipend information.
Introduction to the ACT
Thirty-Six Education is offering on Introduction to the ACT prep course from July 29 to Aug. 2, 9:30-12:30 p.m. The class costs $699 and financial assistance is available to students who qualify. This 15-hour, in-person course will introduce students to the format and content of the English, math, reading, and science sections of the ACT. Students will learn key test-taking strategies, review high-impact content areas, and complete nightly homework assignments. Students will be given access to Thirty-Six Education’s extensive library of proprietary lessons, practice questions, and answer explanations, and they will receive personalized recommendations for areas of further study based on nightly homework assignments during the course. At the conclusion of the week, students will take a full, proctored practice ACT and receive a score report with detailed feedback to help guide further study. This course is perfect for rising juniors getting started with their test preparation. Class size will be limited to 12 students. Register for Introduction to the ACT.
Introduction to the dPSAT
Thirty-Six Education is offering an Introduction to the dPSAT prep course from Aug. 5-9, 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. The class costs $699 and financial assistance is available to students who qualify. This 15-hour, in-person course will introduce students to the format and content of the digital SAT (dSAT) and PSAT (dPSAT) Reading and Writing and Math sections. Through proprietary Thirty-Six Education instructional materials and official College Board SAT/PSAT practice questions, students will learn the tests’ most commonly tested question types and key strategies for navigating the dSAT/dPSAT. Students will complete nightly homework assignments. This course is perfect for rising sophomores and juniors looking to familiarize themselves with the structure of and strategies for tackling the dPSAT in advance of its administration in October 2024.Class size will be limited to 12 students. Register for Introduction to the dPSAT.
Seven Hills Prom 2024 “Masquerade Ball”
Prom will be on Saturday, April 6, from 8-11 p.m. at the Music Hall Ballroom, 1241 Elm St., Cincinnati, OH 45202. We strongly encourage students to be dropped off and picked up from Prom. Due to the FC Cincinnati game at 7:30 p.m., non-reserved parking will be extremely limited. Since Prom begins after the FCC game, traffic in front of Music Hall will be light. Parking spaces can be reserved through SpotHero and similar sites (currently $10-20) near East Central Parkway. Passes for the Mercer Commons Garage are available through FCC’s ticketing partner, SeatGeek (currently $15), and access is allowed after 4:30 p.m. See below for more information about Prom.
Who goes to Prom? What should I wear?
Seven Hills believes Prom should be an inclusive and welcoming environment for all students. Prom has no formal dress code, and all ninth to 12th grade students are invited and encouraged to attend. In 2023, over 350 students from all grade levels attended Prom.
Registration
Purchase Prom tickets now. Cash, check, or credit card will also be accepted at the door, although pre-payment is strongly preferred. Financial aid is available to defray the cost of Prom tickets for qualifying students. Please get in touch with Dr. Bolton for more information.
Entertainment and Food/Drink
While many students go out to eat before Prom, we will have a selection of appetizers and desserts. Entertainment includes music from DJ Etrayn, four interactive photo and caricature experiences, games, and more!
Guests
Students can bring one guest and must submit the required Guest Agreement Form. Completed forms can be emailed to Ms. DiRoma, dropped off in the Upper School Office, or turned in at Prom. Guests must enter Prom with their host.
Security
Prom is staffed by a large group of faculty, Music Hall staff, and Cincinnati Police, who will assist with arrival and pickup. To ensure students have not been drinking alcohol, we use a breathalyzer machine at check-in. A school administrator will ask randomly selected students to blow into the breathalyzer machine, which measures their blood alcohol level. Students and their guests must cooperate if asked to use the breathalyzer. If a student has been drinking, we will notify parents/guardians and require them to pick the student up from the event, and serious disciplinary consequences will follow. The school likewise takes very seriously the possession of drugs or alcohol, whether in a student’s car or on their person.
Dismissal
Prom ends at 11 p.m. (and students can leave starting at 10:30 p.m.). Students will be dismissed directly from Music Hall, and parents/guardians are responsible for ensuring that the rest of their night goes well and that they get home safely. Please coordinate with your student about how they are getting home after Prom.
Lost? Running Late? Not coming? Emergency? Additional Questions?
If you need to reach one of the faculty about Prom, students or parents can call/text 773.818.5039 or email Alex Catalan.
Arts Alive Coming Soon!
Mark your calendars for the third annual Arts Alive celebration. On Friday, April 26, from 3:30-8:40 p.m., first through 12th grade students will showcase their artistic talents throughout the Hillsdale Campus. There will be games, arts and crafts, live performances, food trucks, and much more! Join us for an evening of festivities for the entire family. Food trucks and desserts will be available from 3:30-8 p.m. Stay tuned for more details.
3:30-4:10 p.m.
The Schiff Center: Lotspeich First and Second Grade/Doherty Unit I Combined Musical Performance, Doherty Unit III Musical Performance, Seventh Grade Instrumental Ensemble, and Upper School Contemporary Ensemble
4:20-4:50 p.m.
Donovan Arts Center Black Box Theater: Lower School Strings
Schiff Room 102: Upper School Theater
Stage 1 (Next to the Lotspeich Fine Arts Building): Irish Dancers
Stage 2 (The Deck): Elan and Maya Little
5-5:40 p.m.
The Schiff Center: Lotspeich Third and Fourth Grade Musical Performance, Sixth Grade Instrumental Ensemble, Eighth Grade Instrumental Ensemble, and Upper School Symphonic Ensemble
5:50-6:20 p.m.
Donovan Arts Center Black Box Theater: Upper School Film and Animation
Schiff Room 102: Lower School Theater
Stage 1 (Next to the Lotspeich Fine Arts Building): Upper School Solo and Ensemble Performance
Stage 2 (The Deck): The Ceron Brothers Concert
6:30-7:10 p.m.
The Schiff Center: Lotspeich Fifth Grade Musical Performance, Doherty Unit II Musical Performance, Seventh and Eighth Grade Chorus, and Upper School Theater
7:20-7:50 p.m.
Donovan Arts Center Blackbox Theater: Upper School Film and Animation
Schiff Room 102: Middle School Theater
Stage 1 (Next to the Lotspeich Fine Arts Building): Junior Kyle Wang
Stage 2 (The Deck): Boot Reer Student Rock Band
8-8:40 p.m.
The Schiff Center: Sixth Grade Chorus, Middle School Theater, Junior Keliang Yao, and Upper School Chorus
3:30-8 p.m.
Donovan Arts Center: Upper School and 3D Middle School Art
The Schiff Center: Lower School and 2D Middle School Art
Between Donovan Arts Center and Kalnow Gym: Arts and Crafts Booths
Reminder for Walking Club
We are a group of parents who get together bi-weekly on Wednesdays after morning drop off to talk and walk the lower soccer field. All divisions are welcome, and no RSVP required. This group provides you a great opportunity to connect with other community members all while getting your steps in! Please park in the lower field parking area. When inclement weather occurs, we gather at Element Eatery to chat. Our next meetups are scheduled after Spring Break on April 10 and April 24. I look forward to chatting with you soon. Carolyn Klein (mom of Spencer, 11th grade, and Courtney, seventh grade)