Doherty Blast Sep 11, 2026
Key Dates
Friday, Sept. 11 — Grades 1-5 Picture Day
Monday, Sept. 14-Friday, Sept. 18 — Spirit Week!
Thursday, Sept. 17 — Book Fair Begins
Friday, Sept. 18 & Saturday, Sept. 19 — Homecoming
Friday, Sept. 18 — Family Grill Out, 5-7 p.m. Youth Recognition Night, 6:45 p.m.
Thursday, Sept. 24 — No school for students. Parent Teacher Conferences
Friday, Sept. 25 — No school for students. Parent Teacher Conferences
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.
Wednesday, Oct. 7 — Parent Association Board Meeting, 8:30 a.m.
Thursday, Oct. 8 & Friday, Oct. 9 — Fall Break
Monday, Oct. 12 — No School. Records Day
Tuesday, Oct. 13 — No School. Faculty Professional Development Day
Photos of the Week
Through a confetti reveal, Doherty students discover their Hive — multi-age groups that bring students from every grade level together to build friendships and community.
NEW! Listen to The Blast
Click the play button below to listen to this week’s Upper School Blast, read by an automated reader. Please note that the Key Dates section is not included in this audio.
What to Know Now
Announcement Labels:
ES – Pre-kindergarten families
LS – Kindergarten through fifth-grade families
ES/LS – Pre-kindergarten through fifth-grade families
LS: Picture Day — TODAY
Picture day for grades 1-5 is Friday, Sept. 11. Be sure your student brings their best smile! View the Doherty picture day flyer for more information.
ES/LS: Spirit Week Dress Up Days — Sept. 14-18
The week leading up to Homecoming is a Spirit Week across divisions. Help your student(s) get involved. Check out the flyer below to see the daily themes.
ES/LS: The Lower School Book Fair Is Just Around the Corner
We’re thrilled to announce that the Bookshelf in Madeira and the Lower School libraries are teaming up to bring the Book Fair back to our school. Here are all the important details:
- Dates: Thursday, Sept. 17-Sunday, Sept. 27
- Location: Lotspeich and Doherty libraries
- For Students: During their library class, students will have the opportunity to preview the books available at the Book Fair right in the Lotspeich and Doherty libraries.
- For Families: For added convenience, we’ll also have book browsing available during conferences on Sept. 24-25.
- Online Orders: On Sept. 17, you’ll receive an email with a link to the website for ordering books. It’s a great way to explore even more options and make your selections.
- Delivery: Most books ordered from the Book Fair will be delivered directly to your child’s classroom in mid-to-late October.
- Questions? If you have any questions or need more information, please don’t hesitate to reach out to Lotspeich Librarian Lori Suffield or Doherty Librarian Jo Schnirring.
ES/LS: Homecoming — Friday, Sept. 18
Homecoming is a wonderful opportunity to come together and celebrate our Seven Hills community, and we want to make sure even our youngest Stingers can join in the fun! The grill out will begin at 5 p.m., and starting at 5:30 p.m., all pre-k and kindergarten students from both campuses will have access to the Early School playground until 7 p.m., giving our youngest Stingers a safe and fun way to be part of the Homecoming festivities.
For the full lineup of events, check out the flyer below.
ES/LS: After the Bell
Registration is now open for the following programs:
Fall Enrichment Programs
If you registered for the Annual After The Bell (ATB) Plan, please use the code Annual26-27 at checkout to receive your 50% discount.
Stinger Staycation (formerly known as Holiday Care. Doherty and Lotspeich will join together at Lotspeich)
Registration is now open for:
- Sept. 24 & 25
- Oct. 12 & 13
View the 2026-27 Stinger Staycation dates.
Both registration links can be found in your Veracross Parent Portal. Please scroll to the bottom of the page to access them.
Reach out to Jill Romerill if you have any questions. I’m happy to help!
ES: Pre-kindergarten 11:30 a.m. Pick-up Reminder
For the 11:30 a.m. pick-up, please remember that there is no parking on either side of Johnstone Place. There are posted “No Parking” signs along the right-hand side, and parking on the left-hand side while facing the wrong direction is also prohibited.
You may park on either side of the driveway as long as you are not blocking traffic or the driveway. If those spaces are full, there is a parking lot available across the street for your convenience.
Please be sure to share this information with anyone who may be picking up your child, including nannies, grandparents, or other caregivers.
Thank you for helping us keep pick-up safe and moving smoothly!
Parent Association News
ES/LS: The Seven Hills Network of African-American Parents (SNAAP) Back-to-School Cookout — Saturday, Sept. 12, 2-5 p.m.
SNAAP is kicking off the new school year with a Back-to-School Cookout on Saturday, Sept. 12, from 2-5 p.m. at the Winton Woods — Cherry Hill Shelter.
The event will bring together Seven Hills families from Early, Lower, Middle, and Upper School for an afternoon of food, fun, fellowship, and plenty of Stinger spirit! It will be a wonderful opportunity for families to connect, build community, and celebrate the start of another great school year.
ES/LS: NEW Stinger Strolls Walking Group — Step Into Community on Friday, Sept. 18, at 8:30 a.m.
The Seven Hills Doherty Parent Association is excited to launch Stinger Strolls this school year, and we’d love for you to join us! Whether you’re looking for a little exercise, a chance to meet other parents, or simply some time to chat and unwind, we will host two walks each month through the end of 2026 (see dates below). Come walk with us, make some new connections, and shake off a little school-year stress. The group will meet in front of Jones Hall — we hope to see you there!
Future 2026 Stinger Strolls dates:
- Wednesday, Sept. 30
- Friday, Oct. 16
- Wednesday, Oct. 28
- Friday, Nov. 6
- Wednesday, Nov. 18
- Wednesday, Dec. 2
- Friday, Dec. 11
Please text or call Shireen Desai (pre-k and kindergarten mom) at 513.560.2248 with questions or for day-of coordination if needed.
ES/LS: Seven Hills Association of Rainbow Events (SHARE) — Parent Forum on Tuesday, Sept. 29, at 6:30 p.m.
All Seven Hills parents, caregivers, and staff are welcome to attend our kickoff event for the new school year. Whether you are an LGBTQ+ parent/caregiver, raising an LGBTQ+ child, or an ally, come join us in the Upper School library for a relaxed evening of meaningful conversation and light refreshments.
Register for the event and connect with fellow families, share experiences, ask questions, and build community.
Can’t make it to the parent forum but want to stay informed? Join the SHARE mailing list.
ES/LS: Thank You from the Parent Association
Thank you to Sara Phillips for hosting the pre-parent night gathering! It was wonderful to see so many parents come out to join us.
A Heartfelt Thank You & Overview of Our First Parent Association Gathering
A huge thank you to everyone who joined us for our first PA gathering of the year!
Instead of a typical presentation, we spent the morning in small group discussions, connecting over our shared hopes for our kids, sharing honest feedback, and making voluntary commitments to support our school community. The energy and ideas in the room were truly inspiring.
Missed the meeting? It’s not too late to jump in!
Building a strong school community takes all of us. If you’d like to lend a hand, share an idea, or support an upcoming event, please reach out to Natalie Martin or Stephanie Helmer, or drop a note in our Community Connection form.
Save the date for our next gathering on Wednesday, Oct. 14, at 8:30 a.m. We’d love to see you there!
Announcements
ES/LS: 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.
Thank you to everyone who came out this week to hear Heidi Tringali speak about school readiness! Looking forward to more learning together at future LEAD Together events. Please check out the flyer and mark your calendars!
Athletics
LS: Mark Your Calendars — Winter Sports Registration Opens Wednesday, Sept. 16
Registration for winter sports will open on Wednesday, Sept. 16, and close on Wednesday, Sept. 30. Be on the lookout for an email from the athletic department with a direct link to register. To find out more about the Seven Hills athletic program and our winter teams, visit gostingers.com.
If you’re already looking ahead to spring and fall 2027 sports, please note the registration dates below:
- Spring sports registration: Opens Dec. 2 and closes Dec. 16
- Fall 2027 sports registration: Opens April 14 and closes April 28
LS: Homecoming and Youth Recognition Night — Friday, Sept. 18
Save the date for Friday, Sept. 18, for a fun evening of homecoming festivities. Our youth teams will be recognized after the varsity girls’ soccer game on the upper field around 6:45 p.m.