Upper School Blast Sep 22, 2023
Dear Families,
Spirit week and the lead-up to Homecoming has made for a fun-filled week in the Upper School, with pep rallies, costume contests, and events like the faculty vs. students tug-of-war. Coming up this weekend, we’ll have the picnic, fireworks, cross country meet, games, a 50th anniversary kick off, and, of course, the Homecoming Dance.
All of this fun does not come at the expense of learning; rather, it is the foundation for learning. Decades of academic research have shown that having a sense of belonging is critical to students’ academic success. When they feel like part of a community and feel connected to their teachers and peers, students thrive in and beyond the classroom. Visiting classes and teaching my own class these past few weeks, I can speak to this dynamic firsthand: there’s a sense of engagement and enthusiasm among the students that is as apparent in a classroom discussion or project as it is on a tug-of-war team.
This sense of belonging and engagement is also evident in Upper School-wide events and initiatives. We’ve had many occasions already this year to gather as a division in order to learn from and with each other. In kicking off our alumni speaker series, for example, Marsha Williams ’77 urged students to see high school as a time to “discover who you are.” As part of our student-organized multicultural summer reading program, we read books that served as mirrors of or windows into other cultures and last week welcomed a panel of leaders from Cincinnati’s LatinX community. See Chris’s article in this Blast for more information on the program. Next week, we’ll host author Pablo Cartaya as this year’s speaker in our “Between the Pages” author series.
Whether gathering for cultural and academic events like these or for a fun-filled pep rally, our aim is to foster a sense of belonging that will lead students to thrive in the Upper School and beyond.
Best,
Matt
P.S. it was great seeing so many of you at this week’s Parent Community coffee, and a big thanks to the entrepreneurship class for providing coffee and snacks!
Key Dates & Events
Friday-Saturday, Sept. 22-23 — Homecoming
Friday, Sept. 22 — Family Picnic, 5-7 p.m.
Sunday, Sept. 24 — Yom Kippur Begins at Sundown
Monday, Sept. 25 — Yom Kippur
Friday, Sept. 29 — “Between the Pages” author visit
Tuesday, Oct. 2 — College Financial Aid Workshop, 7 p.m.
Wednesday, Oct. 3 — Upper Choral Concert, 7 p.m.
Thursday-Friday, Oct. 5-6 — Fall Break. No School
Monday, Oct. 9 — Faculty Professional Development Day. No School
Sunday-Wednesday, Oct. 15-18 — ISACS Accreditation Team Visit at Seven Hills
Announcements
Homecoming Schedule
Please see the flyer for the detailed schedule of the Homecoming events on Friday, Sept. 22, and Saturday, Sept. 23. We hope to see you all there!
Author Visit — Friday, Sept. 29
We are excited to have young adult author Pablo Cartaya visit on Friday, Sept. 29! Seven Hills Middle and Upper School students will have a chance to hear Mr. Cartaya speak and purchase his books to be signed! Books are available through pre-order or purchase on the day of the event. Students are welcome to charge book purchases to their school library account or pay via cash or check. If your child would like to preorder one of the below titles, please email librarian@7hills.org or ask them to see Mrs. Bloom or Ms. Whitt in the library.
- “The Last Beekeeper” — $10
- “Leo El Magnifico” — $13
- “Each Tiny Spark” — $9
- “Marcus Vega Doesn’t Speak Spanish” — $9
- “The Epic Fail of Arturo Zamora” — $9
- “El Épico Fracasode Arturo Zamora” (Spanish edition) — $9
Winter Sports Registration
Winter sports registrations are now live. Please log in to your Veracross Parent Portal to complete registration forms before Friday, Sept. 29.
Challenge Project Piano Recital in The Schiff Center — Saturday, Sept. 30
Senior Oliver Szabo will be performing a piano recital in The Schiff Center on Saturday, Sept. 30, 1 p.m. for his Challenge Project. The concert will consist of works from Beethoven, Debussy, and George Gershwin. See the flyer for more information.
Taiwan Trip
Friendly reminder, Taiwan trip registration is due next week on Oct 1. The school was able to secure the funds to sponsor the trip, which brought the cost down from $4,300 to $3,120. Please let Ms. Wu knows if your student is planning to participate in the trip.
Upper Chorus Concert — Tuesday, Oct. 3, 7:30 p.m.
Students should be seated in the chorus room by 6:30 p.m., wearing their chorus attire. For this concert, we are also featuring our Middle School choruses, and we’re looking forward to a great night of singing!
Alternate Routes during Dismissal
During dismissal from the Hillsdale Campus, Red Bank Road can become quite backed up as cars head toward Red Bank Expressway. Did you know there are alternate routes to reach main roads like I-71 and Montgomery Road? This map highlights these alternate routes to ease your commute and cut down on traffic congestion as you leave campus.
MyKidsSpending Update
The Seven Hills Business Office would like to thank all our families for their patience as we integrate MyKidsSpending (MKS) in both our kitchen and Spirit Shop. Most families have been successful in loading funds onto their accounts, but for those families yet to deposit funds, please don’t hesitated to reach out to John Brooks via email or by phone at 513.728.2388 for assistance. You can also visit the Business Office with cash or a check, and we will be happy to deposit the funds into your student’s account.
Please note that funds deposited in MKS are available for use in both the kitchen and Spirit Shop. The transactions will be commingled together when you view your student’s transaction on the MKS website. If you prefer your student not to use their MKS account in the Spirit Shop, the store also takes cash and credit cards as forms of payment.
50th Anniversary Video
In celebration of The Seven Hills School’s 50th Anniversary of the merger, our Upper School students gathered on the field to form a “50” for a commemorative photo during the first week of school. Thank you to the teachers and students for helping to create this iconic shot and to celebrate this historic occasion.
Yearbook Senior Page Instructions — All Materials due April 5!
Below you will find specs for all yearbook senior page elements, including the senior picture.
By now your child has received an email granting access to a personalized Google Drive folder. Please upload all materials to the folder. If you are having trouble finding the email or the folder, your child can search for “2024 Senior Page” in the “Shared With Me” section of Google Drive or in the email inbox. Be sure they are signed into their school account and not a personal Gmail account.
If you have any questions, you can reach out to one of the Yearbook advisers: Megan Whitt or Shauna Whelan. We are more than happy to resend the folder link or talk you through the process.
Often, families use professional photographers for the main photo. Though professional photographers are not required, if you are in the market for one, the yearbook staff recommends Amanda Cawdry at a2cphotography. One of the best photographers in the city, she is the parent of two Seven Hills graduates. She takes photos at our sporting events, teaches photography at our May Term workshop, and helps out in countless other ways.
Main Photo (Senior Picture) — Required
- Save in Google Drive folder — Senior Page Main Photo.
- Be sure there are no watermarks from the photographer.
- Please save only your main photo in this folder.
- Specs:
- Must be 300 dpi
- 4×6 vertical or horizontal (no square photos please)
Additional Photos — Recommended
- Save in Google Drive folder — Senior Page Additional Pictures.
- Up to six photos.
- Include the highest quality version you have.
- 300 dpi is preferred.
Quotes — Recommended
- Save in Google Doc — Senior Page Quotes (doc file).
- Choose up to six.
- Include the quotation and the author.
- Remember that the book has a broad reach, including students in other grades and families with small children. Avoid profanity, mature themes, and inside jokes impossible for a neutral party to decipher.
- If the yearbook staff suspects a quote has been chosen because it is inappropriate, your page will appear without any quotes.
Fall Parent Socials – RSVP today!
Join us for a long-standing tradition among the Seven Hills parent community. Fall parent socials are the perfect opportunity to connect, relax, and socialize with other parents from your student’s grade. We look forward to kicking off the 2023-24 school year with you all!
- Ninth Grade Parent Social – Saturday, Sept. 30, at Fulton Yards Coffeehouse and Spirits, 3-5 p.m. RSVP here!
- 10th Grade Parent Social – Friday, Sept. 29, at the Kennedy Residence, 6:30 p.m. RSVP here!
Volunteering
If you are interested in being part of the volunteer team, please reach out to Regina or Marnie or you may sign up with the SignUpGenius.
Walking Club — New Meet-Up Location
We are a group of parents who get together bi-weekly on Wednesdays after morning drop off to talk and walk the lower soccer field. All divisions are welcome, and no RSVP required. This group provides you a great opportunity to connect with other community members all while getting your steps in! Please park in the lower field parking area. Campus guest passes will be passed out to ensure visibility, for security purposes. When inclement weather occurs, we gather at Element Eatery to chat. Our next meet up is scheduled for Wednesday, Sept 27, from 8:30-9:30 a.m. Subsequent dates are Oct. 11 and 25, Nov. 8 and 29, Dec. 13, and Jan. 10, 2024. I look forward to chatting with you soon. Carolyn Klein (Mom of Spencer, 11th grade, and Courtney, seventh grade)