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Lotspeich Blast May 1, 2026

  • Key Dates
  • What to Know Now
  • Parent Community News
  • Announcements

Key Dates

Friday, May 1  — Senior Circle. All School Spirit Day and Cookout for Students
Friday, May 1 — May Fete, 5:30-8 p.m.
Wednesday, May 6 — First Grade Plant Sale, 8 a.m.
Wednesday, May 6 —Early School Discovery Day
Thursday, May 7 — LEAD Together: Screen Smart at Seven Hills. See Below
Friday, May 8 — Grade 3 Cincinnati Expo, 8:30 a.m.,
Friday, May 8 — Second Grade Arcade Day
Saturday, May 9  — Early School Ribbon-cutting Ceremony, 9:30 a.m.
Saturday, May 9  — Science Spectacular, 10 a.m.-1:30 p.m.
Wednesday, May 13 — Board of Trustees Meeting, 6:30 p.m.
Thursday, May 14 — Field Trip: Kindergarten to Krohn Conservatory
Saturday, May 16 — SNAAP Year-End Celebration, 3 p.m.
Tuesday, May 19 — Rising First Grade Parent Coffee
Wednesday, May 20 — Early School Water Day
Friday, May 22 — Grades 1-4 Concert, 1:15 p.m.
Wednesday, May 27 — Field Day. Last Day of School for Pre-K-Grade 4
Thursday, May 28 — Grade 5 Closing Exercises, 10:15 a.m.

Rotational Day Calendar

Photos of the Week

  • The fifth grade class took the annual Lotspeich trip to Dearborn, Michigan.
  • Second graders welcomed visitor and parent Liz Vitale, who told the students about her trip to Egypt and The Nile River as part of their social studies unit on rivers.
  • Kindergartners worked on their addition skills.
  • Pre-kindergartners made cloud paintings during art class.

  • Assistant Head of School Laura Leonard visited the pre-kindergartners to show them the rendering video of the new Doherty Lotspeich Lower School.

What to Know Now

Summer Program — Fees Due Today!

As a reminder, below is our cancellation policy for Summer Program. Final payment is due May 1:

  • A $50 per program deposit is due at the time of registration. All deposits are non-refundable. All fees are due in full by May 1. You may pay via credit card or check. If your registration is not paid in full by May 1, your registration is canceled and deposit forfeited.
  • If registering after May 1, the program fee is due in full upon registration.
  • If payment is not received by above dates, your child may lose their spot.
  • All program changes and cancellations must be completed by May 15. Families who cancel their Summer Program enrollment by this date will receive a full refund minus the $50 deposit per program.

First Grade Plant Sale — May 6

We are excited to announce the First Grade Spring Plant Sale! On Wednesday, May 6, from 8-8:45 a.m., stop by the track area outside the Lotspeich Project Math room to purchase student-grown items for your home and garden! All items cost between $3 and $10, and the profits from the Plant Sale will be reinvested to help maintain a sustainable garden program for our students. Cash, check, or credit card only. Cash is preferred. Students will not be able to charge their school accounts.

Screen Smart at Seven Hills — May 7

Do you want to set up healthy technology boundaries at home before the summer starts? Do you want to learn recommended practices for technology use at home?

Please join us on May 7 to:

  • meet our new Chief Technology and Innovation Officer Tony DePrato.
  • get the first look at our grade-level Screen Smart guides for school and home technology use.
  • bring personal devices to learn how to set up parental controls and get tips about creating age-appropriate guardrails.
  • chat with Upper School students, counselors, and others to learn more about student technology use.

We’ll offer this session at three different times: 8:30 a.m. in the Lotspeich Library, 5:30 p.m. in the Upper School Library, and 7:30 p.m. via Zoom. The Zoom session will not include the full workshop that the in-person sessions will have; videos and handouts will be sent out in the call. RSVP for Screen Smart.

You’re invited! Early School Ribbon-cutting Ceremony — May 9

Join us on Saturday, May 9, at 9:30 a.m. for a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Taft Early School addition. There will be crafts, activities, refreshments, and tours of the new space! After the ceremony, join us at the first Science Spectacular, which starts at 10 a.m.

Science Spectacular — May 9

Please join us on Saturday, May 9, from 10 a.m.-1:30 p.m. to celebrate science at Seven Hills. Middle and Upper School students will be leading booths for our Early and Lower School students to take part in science-related activities. Please join us for an hour or the whole event! 

Activities include hands-on stations across multiple science disciplines, interactive demonstrations, a nature walk, and a native species planting project in our creek bed. We’ll also have food to purchase with a variety of food trucks, including coffee, food, and Kona Ice.

Announcement for LEGO Robotics Team 2026-27

We are excited to offer the opportunity for next year’s fourth and fifth graders to join Lotspeich’s FIRST® LEGO League robotics teams. We are pleased to announce there will be two teams again next year. New league rules state there can be a maximum of eight students per team. Because of league and coaching changes, we are not able to automatically guarantee past LEGO Team members a spot on one of our teams. Every student who would like to be considered for a team must fill out a handwritten application and turn it in to Ms. Berting by 3:15 p.m. on Friday, May 8. Applications will be distributed by May 1.

Additionally, both students and parents need to sign the Team Participation Pledge that is included with the application.

This year, our Robotics Team selection will be based on the quality of applications and coach evaluation. We encourage all applicants to complete the application thoughtfully and reflectively. Students who consistently demonstrate gracious professionalism and a collaborative team spirit will be given strong consideration. We are grateful for every student’s interest and enthusiasm for robotics!  

Students not selected will automatically be offered a spot in our Robotics Enrichment program for the winter session!

Parent Community News

Grade Level Meetups

  • Pre-Kindergarten — Thank you to our Pre-K reps for planning a great play date at Julifs Park!
  • Second Grade — Immediately following Arcade Day
  • Kindergarten — Saturday, May 16, 1-3 p.m. at Fifty West Brewing Burger Bar. 
  • First Grade — Wednesday, May 27, 3:45-5:45 p.m. at Stephan Field Playground. RSVP!

Yearbook 

Pictures are collected all school year! If you are volunteering at an event, chaperoning a field trip or watching a sporting event, don’t forget to send your best photos to lotspeichyearbook@7hills.org.

Announcements

Happier Parenting Webinar with Dr. Laurie Santos

Thank you to everyone who joined us for the LEAD Together event this past week. If you weren’t able to make it on Wednesday, you can access the webinar and the resources. As Dr. Santos noted, more than 40% of college students report being too depressed to function most days. In this webinar, Dr. Santos highlights five evidence-based insights for happier parenting and how to help our kids flourish at all ages and stages of development.

Fifth Grade Living Landscapes Expo — May 15

The fifth grade students are pleased to invite you to their Living Landscapes Expo on Friday, May 15, from 8-9 a.m. in Founders Hall. They have dedicated significant effort in science class to researching biomes, constructing detailed dioramas, and preparing informative poster presentations to create an engaging and immersive exploration of ecosystems from around the world. We hope you will be able to join us for this special event.

Rising First Grade Parent Coffee

Holiday Care — May 28-June 5 (Held at Doherty)

The end of the school year is approaching, and we have child care covered from May 28-June 5. Details below:

  • All dates hosted at the Doherty Campus
  • Hours: 7:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
  • Cost: $76/day

Please note that on May 29 for the closing at Doherty, students may join us for the half day!

Register via Veracross or click the green button in your parent portal that says End of the Year Holiday Care at Doherty. Spaces are limited!

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Accreditations:

  • National Association of Independent Schools
  • Independent Schools Association of the Central States
  • Ohio Association of Independent Schools
  • State of Ohio
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