Middle School Blast Dec 15, 2023
A busy week culminates in a highly anticipated two week Winter Break! What a wonderful week this has been! On Monday, representatives from The Caring Place picked up several truckloads of donated toys, books, and stuffed animals, which will be handed out to less-fortunate families in neighboring communities. A tremendous thank you to those families who were able to participate in this year’s toy drive.
Tuesday evening’s choral concert performance was a spectacular way to welcome the holiday season as audience members marveled at the strength and beauty of the sixth and seventh/eighth grade choruses. Wednesday and Thursday, our seventh grade was off campus, visiting downtown Cincinnati (OTR, the Reds Stadium) and iSpace in Evendale. Our eighth grade participated in the traditional bread baking efforts that benefit those less-fortunate served by downtown’s Tender Mercies organization. Add in a spirited week of holiday themed outfit days (e.g. winter sweater day, pajama day, holiday accessory day), our Middle School community was literally and figuratively buzzing with activity.
Between now and our return on Jan. 3, 2024, I wish all of our families a happy and joyous Winter Break!
Key Dates & Events
Saturday, Dec. 16-Monday, Jan. 2 — Winter Break
Tuesday, Jan. 2 — Faculty Professional Development Day. No School
Wednesday, Jan. 3 — School Resumes
Thursday, Jan. 11 — New Parent Cocktail Social, 5:30-7 p.m.
Monday, Jan. 15 — Martin Luther King Jr. Day. No School.
Wed, Jan. 17 — Lower School Looking Ahead to Middle School, Zoom
Announcements
Spring Sports Registration
The athletics department is excited to announce that registration is still open for the 2024 spring sports programs. Parents of students in kindergarten through grade 12 can log into the Veracross parent portal and follow the appropriate link (located in the parent links section) to register and complete payment by the deadline of Friday, Dec.15. If you had already registered for kindergarten through sixth grade please log back in and register again and complete payment. Veracross had a glitch that has now been fixed. Thank you!
2024 Baseball (Grades 1-6): Team practices are scheduled to start tentatively the week of March 4, with sessions taking place twice per week at the Hillsdale Campus. Games will be held during the week and on weekends.
2024 Lacrosse (Grades 3-6): Team practices are set to begin tentatively the week of March 4, taking place twice per week at the Hillsdale Campus, with games scheduled on weekends.
2024 Softball (Grades 1-6): Practices will be held twice per week starting tentatively the week of March 4 at the Hillsdale Campus, with games during the week and on weekends.
2023 Track and Field (Grades K-6): New this year! We’re thrilled to extend our track and field program to kindergartners this year. Practices are generally once per week, starting around the week of March 4 at the Hillsdale Campus, with meets scheduled on Saturdays throughout April and May.
We look forward to an exciting and active spring season. Your participation and support make these programs a success. Should you have any questions or need assistance with the registration process, please don’t hesitate to contact Amy Ilg. Thank you for your attention to these deadlines and for encouraging your children to participate in our spring sports.
Sixth Grade Field Trip — Friday, Jan. 5
The first Friday after Winter Break, Friday, Jan. 5, the sixth grade will be off-campus for a field trip for most of the school day. More details will be sent home after the return from break, but please plan appointments, etc. accordingly.
Seventh Grade Exploring Engineering Presentations on Jan. 9 and 11
Mr. Keagan O’Mara, our Middle School Innovation Lab director, is thrilled to invite our community to see the culmination of our seventh grade exploring engineering class’ semester-long journey into student-directed projects, guided by problem based learning principles. Parents are invited to attend any of these presentations on Tuesday, Jan. 9, from 11:25 a.m. to 12:45 p.m., and Thursday, Jan. 11, from 11:25 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. in the Innovation Lab, Middle School room 301. Please RSVP by emailing Keagan O’Mara. Feel free to reach out to Keagan if you have any questions or requests. Thanks for your interest and support!
December Parent Connext — Brought to You by the Counseling Department
Seven Hills values partnering with parents to address the development of the whole child. Parent Connext allows us to explore some of today’s most relevant topics in your child’s social/emotional development, while offering practical tools for parenting. Please feel free to connect with your student’s building counselor if you would like more conversation or support around this topic.
Real Talk Series
As part of the school’s commitment to diversity, inclusion, justice, and equity, the Middle School is continuing the Real Talk Series to create ongoing opportunities for students to hear directly from people of different backgrounds and points of view. We hope these conversations will give our students a chance to attain a certain level of understanding and acceptance of the diversity at Seven Hills. “Family Ties” is the second of three panelist discussions we will host this year. Advisory activities precede this presentation to familiarize our students with this topic. During this Real Talk discussion, panelists will discuss their family dynamics, sharing the joys and traditions that make their experiences special. They’ll also address any misconceptions about their family structures.
Please print, sign, and return the opt-out form to your child’s adviser if you DO NOT want your child to participate in “Family Ties,” which includes Advisory activities around this topic and the Real Talk panel presentation on the morning of Jan. 26, 2024.
Girls Circle Group
We have moved the weekly Girls Circle Group to Thursdays (it was originally scheduled for Wednesdays). The group will begin on Jan. 11 and take place from 3:30-4:15 p.m. The cost for the group will be $320 for the eight sessions payable to Best Point Behavioral Health. If your daughter is interested in joining please complete this interest form. If you have any questions, please contact Dayna Sargent.
Robotics Competition Volunteers Wanted
After a successful event last year, Seven Hills fifth grade will once again host a robotics competition. One thing that made it so successful was the many volunteers who helped out. We are looking for volunteers for this year’s event. Please see all the details and sign up via SignUpGenius.
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.
Summer Program 2024 — Mark Your Calendars
Make the summer of 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 and going 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, 2024.
Middle School Parent Community Upcoming Events and Happenings
MS Parent Community Meetings
Future MSPC meeting dates are as follows in the Sixth Grade Commons:
- Feb. 23 — 8:30 a.m.
- April 5 — 8:30 a.m.
- May 3 — 8:30 a.m.
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.