Lotspeich Blast Sep 25, 2026
Key Dates
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. LEAD Together Event: “Neuromyths: False Ideas About the Brain and Learning,” 5:30 p.m.
Wednesday, Oct. 14 — Board of Trustees Meeting, 6:30 p.m. Grade 3 Field Trip to Makino Park
Tuesday, Oct. 20 — Picture Retake Day
Saturday, Oct. 24 — Doherty Lotspeich Combined Trunk or Treat, 4-6 p.m.
Friday, Oct. 30 — Parent Coffee, 8:30 a.m. Halloween Parade, 9:15 a.m.
Photos of the Week
Second graders assist kindergartners at the Lower School Book Fair, helping them write down their chosen titles.
NEW! Listen to The Blast
Click the play button below to listen to this week’s Lotspeich 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
ES/LS: The Lower School Book Fair Is Open A Few More Days
The Lower School Book Fair will remain open today and through the weekend. Here are all the important details:
- Online Orders: To place an online order or see what’s available, browse the Lower School Book Fair website.
- Dates: Sept. 17-27
- 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 today, Sept. 25.
- Delivery: Most books ordered from the Book Fair will be delivered directly to your child’s classroom by early November.
- 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.
LS: Upcoming Parent Webinar: Executive Function Needed to “Do School” — Tuesday, Sept. 29
Our school has access to the 2026-27 ISACS Parent Series. This is a series of six webinars for independent school parents and caregivers.
The first webinar is with executive function expert Sarah Ward. She’ll go into greater detail about executive function skills, such as working memory, time awareness, and task initiation and organization. This webinar is great for parents of children in grades 3-12.
Register for the webinar to join live on Tuesday, Sept. 29, at 7:30 p.m. or access the recording later.
For more details about this webinar and future webinars, please visit the ISACS Parent Series website.
ES/LS: After The Bell (ATB)
ATB Drop-in
We are currently at capacity for ATB drop-in for:
- Pre-kindergarten 2-year-olds
- Pre-kindergarten
- Grades 1–3
We cannot accept additional drop-in registrations for these groups until space becomes available.
Fall Enrichment Programs
If you registered for the Annual After The Bell Plan, please use the code Annual26-27 at checkout to receive your 50% discount on our fall offerings.
Stinger Staycation (Formerly Known as Holiday Care)
Doherty and Lotspeich students will join together at Lotspeich for Stinger Staycation.
- Registration is now open: Oct. 12 & 13
View all 2026–27 Stinger Staycation dates.
You can find both the Fall Enrichment and October Stinger Staycation registration links in your Veracross Parent Portal. Please scroll to the bottom of the page to access the links.
If you have any questions, please reach out to Jill Romerill.
Parent Association News
ES/LS: Thank You
Thank you to the parents who volunteered and fed our teachers and staff during parent teacher conferences. Everyone enjoyed a great meal and was fueled for a night of celebrating student achievements!
What’s Coming Up
ES: Monthly Coffee in the Commons — Friday, Oct. 2, 8-9 a.m.
Stay after drop-off for coffee and conversation with other Early School parents. No sign-up, just come as you are.
Save the Date
ES/LS: Trunk or Treat — Saturday, Oct. 24, on the Doherty Campus
This is a joint Doherty and Lotspeich event, and this year it is hosted at Doherty. Families decorate the trunks of their vehicles with Halloween decor and hand out candy or other goodies from a campus parking lot, so kids can trick-or-treat safely and families can get to know each other. Costumes are encouraged but not required. Flyer, sign-up, and parking details to follow.
ES/LS: Halloween Parade, Parent Coffee, and Time with Kerryn Hinds — Friday, Oct. 30
On Friday, Oct. 30, meet and greet with Kerryn Hinds, Head of Lotspeich Lower School, from 8-8:30 a.m., then enjoy Parent Association coffee from 8:30-9 a.m. before the annual Lotspeich Halloween Parade.
ES/LS: Lotspeich Parent Association Quarterly Meeting — Friday, Nov. 13
Lori Suffield, the Lotspeich librarian, joins us as our guest. All Lotspeich parents are welcome, and coffee will be available. There are only four of these meetings all year, so it is worth putting on the calendar now. Time and room to follow.
All Year
ES/LS: Where We Could Use a Hand
Three co-chair spots are open right now: Trunk or Treat, the Family Winter Dance, and May Fete. The Trunk or Treat and Winter Dance co-chairs work alongside the Doherty team, since both events are joint. None of them require a year-long commitment. If one sounds like your thing, email Lauren Bonaminio and Emily Emeneker.
Announcements
ES/LS: Upcoming LEAD Together Event: “Neuromyths: False Ideas About the Brain and Learning” — Tuesday, Oct. 13
Our next LEAD Together event takes place on Oct. 13, starting at 5:30 p.m. in the Schiff Center. Come hear from Tracey Tokuhama-Espinosa, Ph.D., a leading voice in mind, brain, and education, about “Neuromyths: False Ideas About the Brain and Learning.” Tracey will be working with our teachers throughout the school day, and this evening event is an opportunity for parents and caregivers to learn from her as well. Parents and caregivers of children of all ages — from pre-kindergarten through grade 12 — are welcome. Sign up for the event to let us know you’re coming. Need childcare? No problem! Sign up by Oct. 6 to secure childcare.
ES/LS: Priority Admission Deadlines
- Pre-kindergarten-Grade 5: Nov. 15
- Grades 6-12: Dec. 1
Because we have limited space in several grades and our application pool is quite competitive, we recommend completing the application process as early as possible. Sibling admission applications are given priority status within the applicant pool as long as we receive the admission application by Nov. 15 for pre-kindergarten-grade 5 and Dec. 1 for grades 6-12.
To submit an admission application for another child, please log in to your Veracross Parent Portal. Using the column icon at the top of the page, select “Admission,” then “Manage Candidate Applications.” You will then be able to select the box with a plus (+) sign, “Add a New Candidate/Applicant.” The application fee is waived for current families using the waiver code ABC.
Re-enrollment for the 2027-28 School Year for Currently Enrolled Students
Families of currently enrolled Seven Hills students do not need to submit an admission application for their children. You will receive detailed re-enrollment information in January.
Athletics
LS: 2026-27 Winter Sports Registration — Closes on Wednesday, Sept. 30
Winter sports registration is officially open for grades 2-5! Please register your student(s) for the upcoming season through Veracross. Registration will close on Wednesday, Sept. 30. If you have any questions or need assistance, please contact k6athletics@7hills.org. We can’t wait to see your student-athletes out there this winter!