Upper School Blast Nov 10, 2023
Dear Families,
It was wonderful seeing so many of you in the Upper School these past two days for Parent Teacher conferences. I hope that meeting with your children’s teachers and other members of their team helped to strengthen the connection between home and school and to ensure that we are working together to support the Upper Schoolers. Earlier in the week, we hosted the eighth graders, who spent a day with us learning more about life in Upper. In fact, hosting guests in the division has really become a theme of our semester. During the next few weeks, we’ll welcome to campus a group of finalists for the role of Head of the Upper School. We’re excited about these outstanding candidates and are looking forward to getting to know each of them better. I’m confident that we’re going to find a terrific new Head of Upper.
This past week also saw us hosting a performance of the show “label●less” in our own Schiff Center. “label●less” has been staged at Playhouse in the Park and at the Aronoff Center, and is now in the midst of a multi-city tour, so we were thrilled to be able to welcome the cast to our campus. A combination of spoken word, dance routines, and rousing musical performances, “label●less” explores the pressures on young people today. It focuses on topics such as cyberbullying, eating disorders, mental health issues, the threat of school violence, and discrimination. The show calls on us to look beyond labels in order to accept each other for who we are. As the opening monologue puts it:
“We are being taught to ‘tolerate’ each other’s differences. It’s time to do away with ‘tolerance.’ It is time to move towards acceptance and love. A love that realizes that we might not understand all of our differences but encourages us to try. A love that does away with judgment and focuses on empathy. A love so strong that it pushes the fear of the unknown so far from our minds that our hearts are able to see the truth. A truth that sees past what we’ve heard or been told. Past the tags and labels. Past our doubts and insecurities. And in return allows us all to be who we truly are … label-less.”
The show’s message reinforced our own Seven Hills’ value of “respect for others and appreciation of diversity” and seems to really have resonated with the students. After the performance, the Upper Schoolers had the opportunity to talk with the cast and with creators Drew and Lea Lachey. It was a touching and inspiring morning that got us all thinking about how we can better show our acceptance of others and how we can continue to make the Upper School a supportive and inclusive community.
A big thanks to Mr. Raia, Ms. Leonard, and Mr. Tatum, for connecting us with “label●less” and coordinating the day, and to the two Seven Hills families who generously sponsored the event. Below please find a few photos of the performance of “label●less” in the Schiff Center.
Best,
Matt
Key Dates & Events
Monday, Nov. 13 — B1. Advisory.
Tuesday, Nov. 14 — A2. All School: Alumni Visit.
Wednesday, Nov. 15 — B2. Class Meetings.
Thursday, Nov. 16 — A3. Resource Groups / Wellness Activities.
Friday, Nov. 17 — B3. Stinger Day. Extra Help.
Tuesday, Nov. 21 — Thanksgiving Break begins at 3:15 p.m.
Wednesday, Nov. 22-Friday, Nov. 24 — Thanksgiving Break. No School.
Monday, Nov. 27 — School Resumes
Announcements
Parking Lot Reminder: Numbered Spaces Reserved for Students
Parking spaces with numbers are assigned spaces for students. Please do not park in any numbered space. If you are a visiting parent, please park in the short-term parking spots in Lot A (the main lot adjacent to the Upper School and Lotspeich) or the spaces without numbers near the Resale Shop. Additionally, spots 201-208 across from the Red Barn are unassigned and available for visitors.
May Term Intensives Brochure and Registration
As a signature program of the Upper School, the May Term Intensive courses provide students in ninth through 11th grade with an innovative and immersive learning experience. On Wednesday, Nov. 15, a brochure describing the course offerings for May 2024 will become available to students and parents in Veracross. Please review and discuss courses with your child(ren) before registration opens on Nov. 20. Contact Karen Glum with questions.
Last Call for Volunteers (Eligible for Student Service Hours)
As part of People Working Cooperatively’s “Prepare Affair” event, Stingers will come together on Saturday, Nov. 18, to rake leaves for people who are elderly or living with physical limitations. We’ll meet in the Resale Shop parking lot across from the school at 10 a.m. Gloves, rakes, and bags will be provided for each volunteer so be sure to register each person separately. Please note — you will need your own transportation between school and the homes where you will rake leaves. Make the following selections when registering:
- Sign up as a “crew member” by Wednesday, Nov. 15
- Crew leader name: Karen Glum
- Volunteer team name: The Seven Hills School
- Nov. 18, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. (or when finished)
- Please use this registration link. Be sure to select “next,” then review and hit “submit” on the next page. You should receive an email confirmation of your registration.
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 Madison 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 event, Greer, and his work.
Parent Walking Club
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 is 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, Nov. 29, from 8:30-9:30 a.m. Subsequent dates are 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)