Upper School Blast Sep 29, 2023
Dear Families,
From the family picnic to the fireworks, from dress-up days to the dance, from games and meets to alumni meet-and-greets, it was a terrific Homecoming week. There’s a tremendous amount of positive energy in the Upper School and a real sense of community among the students and faculty.
One of the themes we’ve been sounding in the Upper School this year is the importance of “showing up” as part of the community. Whether by joining a club or team, cheering on friends at a game or performance, looking out for our younger and newer students, or just bringing their best attitude to their everyday classes, we want the kids to see the value in us all being present for each other. After the challenges of the pandemic years, we are refocusing on the importance of the students being here together and in person. As a reminder, here are the school and division’s attendance policies.
In this same spirit, I would ask you to look ahead to December and to save the dates for our semester exam week, which runs from Monday, Dec.11 to Friday, Dec. 15. Last year, we had several requests from families for students to take tests early and to start the break early. It is hard both on the students themselves and on the division as a whole for us to reschedule exams. Please plan on your child attending school and taking exams through Friday, Dec. 15.
Thank you for your partnership as we encourage the Upper Schoolers to be active members of the community.
Best,
Matt
Key Dates & Events
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
Friday, Oct. 20 — Last Day of the Quarter
Announcements
Veracross Attendance
Did you know that the easiest, quickest way to alert the school office and teachers about absences, tardies, and early dismissals is to report them on the Veracross Parent Portal? This method is the preferred way to share any attendance changes. Here are the steps to report on line:
- Visit the Veracoss Parent Portal.
- Click the Report Attendance button on the portal page, circled here:
- From here, choose the child who has a change and fill out the form.
- The form will immediately be sent to the office and approved.
- You will receive a response email that communicates that we are aware of the change. Once the Upper office approves the change, the teachers will see the note under their teacher portal student list. This method cuts out additional communication between teachers and the office.
We hope you will check out this helpful tool on Veracross. We are currently working on implementing a similar tool for dismissal changes. Stay tuned!
Winter Sports Registration — Last Call
Friday, Sept. 29 is the last day to register for winter sports. Please log in to your Veracross Parent Portal to complete registration forms.
We need your help
We encourage you to tell your friends, family members, and co-workers about upcoming admission events for prospective parents. Please refer interested families to 7hills.org/explore for details and to register. Thank you in advance!
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.
College Cost and Financial Aid Workshop — Monday, Oct. 2, 7 p.m., Zoom
Just as students have applications, essays, and deadlines, the college financial aid and scholarship process comes with its own set of requirements. This year’s seniors will experience a one-time non-traditional financial aid application timeline due to the federal government’s revision of the FAFSA. Parents and guardians of seniors can begin to apply for financial aid on Oct. 1. If you have a student applying via EA or ED plans, you may need to complete parts of this process as early as Nov. 1.
Join us on Zoom as we dive into topics such as sticker vs. net price and value, how colleges calculate financial aid, FAFSA, CSS/Profile, federal aid, institutional aid, loans, deadlines, and more. This presentation is geared toward families of seniors and juniors, but all are welcome. Slides and a recording of the meeting will be posted to Schoology in the days following the meeting. The Zoom link to the presentation is available on the College Counseling Schoology groups.
AP Exams Outside of Seven Hills
If your student is planning to take any AP Exams in subjects outside of the Seven Hills classes they’re enrolled in, please have them email the names of any and all such AP exams to Dr. Paull by Wednesday, Oct. 4.
Marine Science Trip to Key Largo, Florida, for Current Ninth-11th Graders
The science department is excited to offer a student trip to Marine Lab in Key Largo, Florida, this coming June 8-11. Through daytime boat and snorkel excursions and evening class and lab work, students will learn about mangrove, seagrass, and coral reef ecosystems. Lessons could include water quality testing, sponge spicule dissection, invertebrate diversity studies, microplastics analysis, and more. New this year — in conjunction with Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium, Marine Lab now offers class and field experiences in which students participate in their coral restoration program!
An important informational meeting for parents will be held via Zoom at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 12. During the meeting, we’ll provide additional information about the trip, including a per-student cost estimate (actual cost is dependent on the number of boats needed, so it can’t be calculated until student numbers are confirmed). Financial aid is available for this trip; cost should not prohibit any interested student from attending.
Please register for the informational Zoom meeting and to indicate interest in the trip. The Zoom link will be emailed to you after registration. We look forward to speaking with you and sharing this amazing experience with your child!
Donate Blood on Oct. 26 in the Upper School Library — Save a Life!
According to the Red Cross, every two seconds someone in the U.S. needs blood. It is essential for surgeries, cancer treatment, chronic illnesses, and traumatic injuries. The Upper School Red Cross Club and HOSA are partnering to host a blood drive on Oct. 26 in the Upper School library, 10:30 a.m.-3:15 p.m. Parents are encouraged to sign up (and bring a friend!). Students 16 and older are also able to donate (16 year olds must bring a parent consent form signed by a parent).
Tickets for “CLUE!” Now on Sale!
Advance online ticket sales for “CLUE!” are now live! Performances will take place on Oct. 20-22 — a total of four performances. Tickets can be purchased through Ticketleap. Be certain to read the note below before you purchase tickets. “CLUE!” has TWO CASTS and so be sure to note which actors are in which cast before purchasing your tickets.
The Candlestick cast will be performing on Friday, Oct. 20 at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday, Oct. 21 at 2 p.m. The Revolver cast will be performing on Saturday, Oct. 21 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, Oct. 22 at 2 p.m. The Candlestick cast is Oliver Szabo, Grace Guminey, Isabelle Anthony, Nora Donovan, Susie Stahl, Aaron Howard, Kaeden Iyoha, Brett Woffington, Evie Horner, Ronan Blair, Noah Ring, Maya Little, Will Stock, Tyler Wells, and Carmen Cormier. The Revolver cast is Mikul Wyer, Lily Plum Gartenlaub, Nell Tlozek, Margaret Tenney, Sophia Schuermeyer, Carson Crane, Danile Choi, Ed Li, Grace Trindle, JJ Beatty, Rory Bauman, Maya Little, Chase Bevacqua, Gabe Herman, and Carmen Cormier.
Volunteers for Diwali Celebrations
Interested in helping plan Diwali celebrations and activities for our students across Seven Hills? Our student planning committee would welcome your ideas, talents, and collaboration. Please fill out this volunteer form to be part of the 2023 Diwali planning team!
Walking Club — New meet up location
We are a group of parents that 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, Oct. 11 from 8:30-9:30 a.m. Subsequent dates are Oct. 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)
Resale Shop
It’s time to clean out closets, cabinets, drawers, etc., and bring what you don’t need any more to the Resale Shop! We are in need of household items, clothing, artwork, furniture, linens, etc. We are open from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Monday through Saturday and we are located across the street from the main entrance on the Hillsdale Campus.