Lotspeich Blast Jan 19, 2024
Dear Parents,
As we celebrated Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on Monday, I hope you and your family had an opportunity to reflect, engage in community service, or somehow acknowledge the contributions he made to the Civil Rights Movement. He had a dream! And while progress has been made, there is a journey that still lies ahead as we look to be an active part of creating a nation where people are not judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. I’d love for you to join us in thinking about how to involve our students in service to our local community in future years as a way to honor Dr. King’s legacy. It’s never too early to begin brainstorming what we want to do in the future. I’d love to hear your thoughts.
Tomorrow, our “Brick Wolfz” Lego Robotics team will head to Loveland Intermediate School to participate in the First Lego Robotics District Competition. If you want to cheer on our students (and coaches), the open competition will begin around 12:30 p.m. We wish the team all the best and couldn’t be prouder of their accomplishments while displaying gracious professionalism!
Students and teachers have often engaged in discussions about online safety, specifically focusing on their responsible use of the internet. As many students explore the realm of social media, they are encountering associated challenges. As parents, navigating when to allow your child to enter this digital world can be challenging. To support you in this, all fourth and fifth parents are invited to a community meeting on Feb. 8, at 7 p.m. in The Schiff Center. This meeting, also open to Middle School parents, will address the impact of smartphones and social media on our children’s social and emotional development. Head of Middle School Bill Waskowitz will introduce the Wait Until 8th parent program to alleviate the pressure felt by both students and parents.
Save the date for our STEAM fair for kindergarten through fifth grade families on Jan. 28 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the Middle School. Led by eighth grade students under the guidance of their science teacher, Ken Revell, this promises to be an exciting event you won’t want to miss! RSVP no longer required. More details and volunteer opportunities can be found below.
Don’t forget, it’s re-enrollment time. Re-enrollment contracts for the 2024-25 school year are now available via your Veracross Parent Portal. To secure your student’s space for next fall, kindly submit the re-enrollment contract and deposit by Monday, Jan. 22.
Enjoy your weekend, and stay warm!
Susan
Key Dates & Events
Thursday, Jan. 25 and Feb. 1 — Grade 5 Ski Club
Friday, Jan. 26 — Kindergarten Field Trip to Newport Aquarium
Sunday, Jan. 28 — STEAM Fair at the Middle School
Week of Jan. 29 — Prevention Solutions Week
February — Black History Month
Friday, Feb. 16 — Faculty Professional Development Day. No Classes.
Monday, Feb. 19 — Presidents Day. No School. All buildings and offices are closed.
Announcements
Re-enrollment Contracts Reminder
Re-enrollment contracts for the 2024-25 school year are available via your Veracross Parent Portal. To secure your student’s space for next fall, please submit the re-enrollment contract and deposit by Monday, Jan. 22. Thank you.
Lower School STEAM Fair — Sunday, Jan 28, at the Middle School. RSVP No Longer Required.
Kindergarten through fifth grade families are invited to an exciting morning of STEAM — Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math! This annual Seven Hills Lower School STEAM event will take place from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. in the new Middle School on the Hillsdale Campus, and you are invited to this free event! Your child will walk through the Middle School visiting 18, hands-on STEAM stations covering topics such as elasticity, electroscopes, drone racing, circuits, pulled string art, and more. All stations will be led by eighth grade students under the direction of their science teacher, Mr. Ken Revell. As your child completes each station, they will receive a stamp on their STEAM passport. As you leave, they’ll turn in their completed passports to be eligible to win a STEAM raffle prize! You really don’t want to miss this fun and educational event. If you already RSVP’d, thank you. If you have not, don’t worry about it. Just show up on Jan. 28! A few parent volunteers are needed to help with registration and direct participants. Please fill out the volunteer form. For questions, contact Susan Schaefer.
Girls on the Run
We are pleased to be able to offer Girls on the Run to our third through fifth graders again this year! This is a self-esteem building program that culminates in a 5K in May with other GOTR teams across the city. Practices this year will be 3:30-4:45 p.m. Mondays and Wednesdays. Please view the flyer to learn about the lottery which takes place Jan. 29-Feb. 7.
Parent Conferences
Our winter parent conferences will be on Thursday, Feb. 22, and Friday, Feb. 23. On Thursday, first through fifth graders will have an early dismissal (11:30 a.m.), and conferences will be held from 12-8 p.m. Our pre-kindergarten and kindergarten students will have a full day of school with conferences from 4-8 p.m. On Friday, Feb. 23, all students have a day off of school, and conferences will be held from 8 a.m. to noon.
Holiday Care during Parent Conferences
On Thursday, Feb. 22, Holiday care will be available for first through fifth grade students from 11:30 a.m.-6 p.m., and the regular times for pre-kindergarten and kindergarten students (with only the normal fees).
On Friday, Feb. 23, Holiday Care will be available for everyone from 7:30 a.m-4:30 p.m.
Save the Date — Books for Lunch 2024!
The 2024 Books for Lunch committee, chaired by Seven Hills parents Lisa Briquet and Lalitha Chunduri, is honored to present this year’s guest author, Pulitzer Prize-winning author Andrew Sean Greer! Please join us in the Madisonville Ballroom at The Summit Hotel on Feb. 2 for lunch, community, and an engaging address from Greer. Please visit 7hills.org/BFL to purchase tickets and learn more about the events, Greer, and his work.
Delay The Phone! Parent Meeting — Feb. 8, 2024
All fourth and fifth grade parents are invited to a community meeting, along with Middle School parents, on Feb. 8, starting at 7 p.m. in The Schiff Center, to understand the serious and detrimental effects that smartphones and social media have on our children’s social and emotional development. As a part of understanding this important issue, Head of Middle School Bill Waskowitz will also be introducing the Wait Until 8th parent program to help reduce the pressure felt by both students and parents over kids having smartphones. No need to RSVP; just show up for this important meeting that is focused on what is best for our children.
Summer Program 2024 — Mark Your Calendars
Make 2024 the best summer ever! Make friends, discover new passions, and create memories that last a lifetime! With eight weeks of action packed camps, beginning June 17 through Aug. 9, there are all kinds of adventures and opportunities for your child to explore to make this the best summer ever. Priority registration for Seven Hills families opens at 9 a.m. Tuesday, Feb. 13.
February Holiday Care — Registration Required.
- Friday, Feb. 16 — 7:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. at Lotspeich
- Thursday, Feb. 22 — 11:30 a.m.-6 p.m. at Lotspeich for Grades 1-5
- Thursday, Feb. 22 — 3-6 p.m. at Doherty and Lotspeich for Pre-kindergarten and Kindergarten
- Friday, Feb. 23 — 7:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. at Lotspeich
Parent Community News
We have a lot of upcoming activities, including our winter Stock the (Teachers’) Lounge, so please mark your calendars!
Save the Date — More details below!
- Parent Community Meeting — Friday, Jan. 26
- Lower School STEAM Fair — Sunday, Jan. 28
- Stock the (Teachers’) Lounge — Monday, Jan 2
Stock the (Teachers’ Lounge) – Monday, Jan. 29
Our teachers’ lounge is all out of goodies! Please help us restock by ordering from this Amazon Wishlist. Please try to have your orders placed by Monday, Jan. 29 and include a gift note with positive words/thanks. We’ll again hang them around the lounges to brighten their days. All items will be delivered to a central location (Kelly Carrier’s house) and volunteers will assist in transporting them to the lounges in the ECC and Lotspeich buildings. If you’d like to volunteer to set up the items in the teachers’ lounges, please let us know. Thank you in advance for your support!
Teacher Appreciation Week — Valentine’s Day Week Feb. 12-15
Teacher Appreciation Week is coming the week of Feb. 12-15. The theme for Teacher Appreciation Week will be showering our teachers/staff with love. Please note, students are off on Friday, Feb. 16. Last year, we added recess and lunch duty, which both teachers and parents loved. This year, we’ve tweaked it a little bit and are offering teachers two 30 minute slots where they can sign up for parents to read to their class, help with clerical duties (copying, etc.), and also offer recess/lunch duty. Teachers will select time slots over the two-week period of Teacher Appreciation Week and the following week leading up to spring conferences (Feb. 12-22). Please sign up to secure a slot. It’s a big week. If you’re interested in helping to coordinate Teacher Appreciation Week activities, please reach out to Emily Emeneker.
Parent Community Meeting + Sip and Shop — Friday, Jan. 26, 8:30 a.m. in The Commons
This is the third of four meetings we host throughout the year. All parents are welcome and encouraged to come hear about upcoming activities, provide feedback, and mingle with other parents. We’re excited to announce the Spirit Shop is opening early just for us, so come browse all the great new items! We’ll have some coffee but feel free to bring your own, too. Most of our agenda will be focused on upcoming events, brainstorming ideas, and meeting with Committee Chairs to start planning logistics for the winter and spring activities. Teacher Appreciation, Conference Dinner, VIP (formerly Grandperson’s) Day, May Fete, and Fifth Grade Closing Ceremony are all on the horizon. We could use a lot of hands, so if you’re interested in volunteering to help, we hope to see you at this meeting! If you’re not able to make it but would still like to volunteer, please email Alisa Pitocco and Kelly Carrier.
Staff Appreciation Notes — Spread the Love!
Take two minutes to say “thanks” with a staff appreciation note!
Yearbook Photos — Please Submit!
The yearbook needs your pictures! Please send photos to lotspeichyearbook@7hills.org to be added to the yearbook!
Parent Basketball Group
All parents are invited to join the Seven Hills Parent Basketball Group (PBG). The PBG is a weekly standing pickup basketball game at the Hillsdale Campus for parents of students in all divisions of the school. The court will be open to parents starting at 7:45 p.m., and the pickup game(s) will begin at 8 p.m. Day of sign-up via SignUpGenius is required.