Doherty Blast Oct 16, 2026

Announcement Labels:

ES – Pre-kindergarten families
LS – Kindergarten through fifth-grade families
ES/LS – Pre-kindergarten through fifth-grade families

ES/LS: New Visitor Check-in System Across All Divisions

A new visitor check-in system is now in place across all divisions. Following a successful pilot at the Middle School earlier this year, we are expanding the process to strengthen campus safety and ensure we can account for visitors in case of an emergency.

Beginning Monday, Oct. 19, visitors coming to campus during school hours must check in at a designated kiosk in their division’s front office and present a driver’s license or other government-issued ID. This system is also used to conduct background checks for contractors and visitors. After checking in, visitors will receive a red visitor lanyard to be worn throughout their visit.

Visitors should park closest to the school building they are visiting, if space is available. If you are walking to and from buildings and not wearing your visitor lanyard, you may be stopped by a staff member. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause, but these measures are in place to ensure campus and student safety.

As we implement this new process across our community, we recognize that there may be questions and opportunities to make the experience smoother for everyone. If you would like to share a suggestion or ask a question, please contact Director of Safety & Security Jun Cho.

Thank you for your patience and partnership as we work together to make this process as effective and seamless as possible.

Frequently Asked Questions:

When do parents need to use the new visitor check-in system?

Parents visiting campus during school hours (aside from drop off and pick up) must check in at the kiosk inside their division’s front office, present their ID, and wear a red visitor lanyard for the duration of their visit.

Are there any exceptions?

In the following instances, parents will not be expected to check in or wear lanyards:

• Parents dropping off or picking up their children, or dropping something off at the building entrance
• Parents attending events outside school hours, such as athletic events or parent meetings
• Parents attending large outdoor events during school hours where they remain outside (such as Pumpkin Day)

How does the process apply to Parent Association meetings or walking groups?

If a large turnout is expected for a Parent Association meeting, the administrative assistant(s) for your division will utilize a paper sign-in sheet instead of the kiosk. For smaller meetings, 10 people or fewer, parents will be expected to sign in at the kiosk as usual.

The Hillsdale walking group will meet with an Upper School representative at the track. They will utilize a paper sign-in sheet and be given red lanyards to wear while on campus.

ES/LS: Campus Dining Enhancements & Culinary Updates

Dedicated Support for the Doherty Campus

Harold is on-site at Doherty throughout the day, fully dedicated to meeting the campus’s dining and nutritional needs. He works closely with the culinary team to enhance food quality, variety, and overall dining experiences.

As part of these efforts, the salad bar has been refreshed to feature fresh salad greens, new salad dressing options, and freshly made pasta selections, providing students with more variety and opportunities to enjoy nutritious meals.

School-Wide Nutritional Improvements

We continue to prioritize fresh, nutritious offerings across both the Doherty and Hillsdale campuses. As part of this commitment, we are in the process of phasing out our prepackaged fruit and now provide fresh fruit daily at both campus kitchens. We are also phasing out our current inventory of caffeinated beverages at both locations.

Elevated Hot Plate Lunches

Our hot plate lunch program continues to evolve with an expanded selection of homemade comfort foods designed to offer familiar favorites with a fresh, culinary-focused approach. Current offerings include homemade meatloaf, grilled chicken, baked cod, black bean and chicken tinga tacos, Palak paneer, and turkey Manhattan, with additional selections to come as we continue developing and expanding our new recipe database.

Our Ongoing Commitment

These enhancements reflect our continued commitment to improving campus dining through fresh ingredients, expanded menu variety, chef-driven offerings, and attentive service tailored to the needs of each campus. We look forward to building on this momentum and continuing to elevate the dining experience for our students and school community.

LS: Lunch Pricing

With all of the new offerings in the kitchen, we would like to clarify lunch pricing. The prices will also be added to the lunch menu on Nutrislice.

Hot plate lunch – $7.75

Soup/Salad Bar (for Unit III) – $7.75

These items are priced individually and cannot be mixed and matched. For example, if a student gets the hot plate lunch and the salad bar, the cost is $15.50.

ES/LS: Halloween Parade — Friday, Oct. 30, at 8:40 a.m.

Join us for our Halloween parade at 8:40 a.m. in the driveway. Come cheer on our pre-kindergarten for 2-year-olds through fifth grade students as they show off their costumes and celebrate Halloween together!

While we understand that most families celebrate Halloween, we do want to acknowledge and respect the fact that other families do not celebrate. If you are a family who does not want your child to participate in the costume parade, please email Tracy Murch, and we will be happy to provide an alternative fall activity for your child.

A Note About Costumes

We ask that students avoid bringing props or costume pieces that we would not permit as play equipment in school (guns, swords, arrows, etc.). When choosing a costume, please also keep in mind that children will need to navigate steps and move along a parade route. We have found that large box costumes or very bulky outfits can make this particularly difficult.

Halloween offers lots of fun costume options! Please help us ensure that our children’s costumes do not stereotype, mock, or make fun of another person, group, or human condition. Thank you for helping us make Halloween fun and respectful for everyone!

Lastly, please do not send makeup to school or have your child wear makeup, as it may become itchy or distracting throughout the day.

LS: Pathways for Prevention — Nov. 2-6

Seven Hills students in grades 5 and 7, along with all Upper School students, will participate in scheduled visits and lessons from our Pathways for Prevention specialist, Glenn Hall. “Mr. G,” as he is known to the kids, will deliver an evidence-based curriculum of developmentally appropriate education on substance misuse trends, healthy coping skills, peer pressure, and addiction.

Mr. G has a keen ability to build rapport and maintain elevated levels of student engagement. His sessions are filled with his personal recovery story as well as current information and trends to make this a relevant and informative experience for our Seven Hills students.

If you have questions or would like to know more, please access Pathways for Prevention’s website for more information or reach out to Angie Bielecki, Doherty school counselor.

ES/LS: After The Bell (ATB)

ATB Drop-in

We are currently at capacity for ATB drop-in for:

• Pre-kindergarten for 2-year-olds

Stinger Staycation

• View all 2026-27 Stinger Staycation dates.

Fall Enrichment

• Resumes on Wednesday, Oct. 14, and ends on Thursday, Nov. 12.

If you have any questions, please reach out to Jill Romerill.