Upper School Blast Oct 3, 2025
Key Dates
Monday, Oct. 6 — B1. TSHS Parent LEAD Together Series: Social Skills with Lisa Damour
Tuesday, Oct. 7 – A2. TSHS Parent LEAD Together Series: DEI Parent Book Club inspired by “A Kids Book About” series
Thursday, Oct. 9-Friday, Oct. 10 — Fall Break. No Classes
Monday, Oct. 13 — Records Day. No Classes
Wednesday, Oct. 15 —Board of Trustees Meeting, 6:30 p.m.
Photos of the Week
AP Latin students Sai Basava, Ethan Avera, and Tyler Imrie attended the Ohio Junior Classical League Fall Forum, which included academic competitions, games, and educational sessions.
What to Know Now
Last Day to Register for Winter Sports
Winter sports registration is officially open! Registration is being handled through FinalForms. Please see the required OHSAA documents for FinalForms. Registration closes today, Friday, Oct. 3. If you have any questions or need assistance, please contact Erin Wierzba, Brandon Williams, or Mike Combs.
President of SCAD Visiting — Monday, Oct. 6
Paula Wallace, president and founder of the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD), will be visiting Seven Hills on Monday, Oct. 6, at 8:30 a.m. President Wallace founded SCAD in 1978 and has since led its growth into one of the world’s premier universities for creative careers, offering programs in art, design, film, fashion, architecture, digital media, and more.
Students with creative interests, or even those who are simply curious about innovation, entrepreneurship, or learning from higher education leaders, are encouraged to take advantage of this opportunity. Interested students should reach out to their college counselor by Sunday, Oct. 5, for more information.
First LEAD Together Event — Monday, Oct. 6
Our first LEAD Together event for families and faculty is on Monday, Oct. 6, 5:30-7:30 p.m., in the Lotspeich Library. Childcare and a pizza dinner will be offered for our Lisa Damour webinar viewing and discussion. Registration is now open. RSVP today! We have a few childcare spots left, so please RSVP to claim your spots. The LEAD Together flyer includes all events for our first semester.
Damour opened with idea that “the kids who do well over time know how to work and how to do work that they don’t feel like doing.” She focused on how to support our kids in becoming more emotionally durable and adaptable. This webinar is great for parents of kids of all ages.
PSAT Digital Readiness Check — Tuesday, Oct. 7, during Community Time
All 10th and 11th grade students will complete a PSAT digital readiness check to ensure iPads are properly compatible with testing. We’ve encouraged all students to have the latest version of the Bluebook app and update their iPads to the most recent operating system before Community Time on Tuesday, Oct. 7. Students will receive an email with their room assignment to complete this tech check. All 10th and 11th graders will take the PSAT on Oct. 22.
Fall Break Movie Night — Wednesday, Oct. 8
Kick off the fall break right! Join the Upper School Black Student Union on Wednesday, Oct. 8, for an awesome movie night with face painting, pumpkin painting, and more. We will be watching “Soul.” If you haven’t seen it, it is a must see, and if you have seen it, it is worth seeing again! Activities will start at 6 p.m. along with pizza, drinks and snacks in The Schiff Center lobby. The movie will begin at 7:15 p.m., but no food or drinks are allowed into the theater so come early and enjoy the fun and community! All proceeds go to charity. Hope to see you there!
Parent Community News
Sign Up for the Faculty Appreciation Potluck
The Seven Hills Upper School Parent Community has a tradition of providing meals for the faculty during conferences as a way of showing our gratitude for their efforts. The Faculty Appreciation sub-committee is looking for volunteers for set-up and clean-up, as well as food providers. Please sign-up today.
Featured Book — The Science of Motivating Young People by David Yeager, Ph.D.
Never heard of it? Now you have! This is the book that we all need in our bag for the moment we are living right now. Understand your child, understand yourself, and choose who you want to be in this story.It doesn’t have a stale cardboard read that some self-improvement books can have. It’s fresh, interesting, relevant, and applicable.
Head of Upper School Rick Tate is giving a prize to the first three people who let him know they read this in The Blast. Check our other interesting reads (maybe a show or two if that isn’t considered cheating).
Parent Walking Group: Step into the Conversation — Monday, Oct. 6
This group consists of Seven Hills parents from all divisions with the occasional faculty visitor. This is a casual and welcoming group. We get our steps in while meeting new people and learning more about what is happening at school. Our next meetup will be on Monday, Oct. 6, after morning drop off on the lower soccer field on the Hillsdale Campus. Very casual. Very fun. Please use this link to join the WhatsApp Chat for the meeting schedule and details.
Is your Student Responsibly Using AI?
Please join this important discussion on Seven Hills’ approach to teaching and utilizing AI. This tool is rapidly being integrated into our daily lives. Understanding how to use it as an asset is critical for students. Join this conversation so you can support your student with greater understanding. Let’s reduce fear around this technology and embrace possibility. Please register for the event held on Oct. 15 at 8:15 a.m. in the Hillsdale Commons.
Register Today for Guest Speaker Dr. Renee Mattson — Wednesday, Oct. 22, 6:30 p.m.
Parents requested outside speaker Renee Mattson to join our community to talk about the evolving role of the parent and how you can support your student in their future pursuits. Your children need you more than ever as they are tackling serious life choices and pressures, all while being a teenager in an ever-changing world. Please register!
We hope to show the importance of having outside experts come into our community. Your presence shows your support.
Are You in the Know?
Stay up-to-date on Upper School community happenings. You can also email us at us.pa@7hills.org. We did not get any jokes shared with us last week. Maybe this week?
Announcements
Explore the Gorge: May Term Camping Trip — Informational Zoom, Oct. 15
We’re excited to offer a new May Term trip! Students will spend four unforgettable days exploring the wild beauty of Red River Gorge, hiking sandstone trails, kayaking through caves, ziplining over the forest, climbing the rocks, and camping under the stars. This is going to be an outdoor adventure, but more; it’s a chance for students to build real skills and discover who they are as a teammate and leader. With faculty support, they will take ownership in planning and running the trip, from buying and preparing meals to charting our course to setting up and taking down camp. Alongside the breathtaking scenery, they’ll also explore their group, abilities, and themselves, returning with new confidence, stronger connections, and stories worth sharing!
There will be an information session for any interested students today during lunch in room 219, followed by an informational meeting for parents via Zoom at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 15. Use this form to register for the informational Zoom meeting. The trip is open to ninth to 11th graders, will have a per-student cost (somewhere in the neighborhood of $400 depending on sign up numbers), will take place May 19-22, and will count for May Term credit. The school will provide most of the necessary equipment.
Marine Science Trip to Key Largo, Florida for Current Ninth-11th Graders — Informational Meeting Oct. 16
The science department is excited to once again offer a student trip to Marine Lab in Key Largo, Florida this coming June 6-9. Through daytime boat and snorkel excursions and evening class and laboratory work, students will learn about mangrove, seagrass, and coral reef ecosystems. Lessons include water quality testing, invertebrate diversity studies, microplastics analysis, and so much more. In conjunction with Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium, students will also participate in coral restoration by preparing live coral for Motes’ nursery program!
An important informational meeting for parents will be held via Zoom at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 16. During the meeting, we’ll provide additional information about the trip including per-student cost which, depending on the number of trip participants, will be between $1,500 and $2,500. Financial aid is available for this trip; cost should not prohibit any interested student from attending.
Important to Know Regarding May Terms
Students going to Marine Lab will engage in pre-trip lessons and activities for two days during our May Term Intensives week. These activities will occur May 20 and 21. Trip participants will not attend school for the remaining days of May Term (Friday, May 22, Tuesday, May 26, and Wednesday, May 27). Students attending the school’s world language trips during May Term may request a spot on the Marine Lab trip but priority placement will be given to those who participate in the pretrip work on May 20 and May 21. (We are able to accommodate between 12 and 18 students on the trip.)
Registration for Informational Zoom
Please use this form to register for the informational Zoom meeting and to access the Zoom link. Please direct any questions that require a more immediate answer to Karen Glum. We look forward to speaking with you and sharing this amazing experience with your child!
Free Virtual Practice ACT Opportunities for 10th and 11th Grade — Oct. 25 and Jan. 24
Revolution Prep, one of the nation’s leading test prep organizations, is partnering with college counseling to offer free practice ACT exams to 10th and 11th grade students. Students can take these digital, full-length, proctored practice tests from home at no cost on Saturday, Oct. 25, and Saturday, Jan. 24 at 9 a.m. As the preferred test prep partner of the ACT, Revolution Prep offers a practice test that mirrors the new digital version of the ACT. Afterward, Revolution Prep will provide a free, detailed score report with personalized feedback and preparation recommendations.
Taking a practice ACT in 10th or 11th grade helps students become familiar with the test format, identify areas for improvement, and build confidence before the official exam. While some juniors choose to test earlier, most students take their first official ACT or SAT between December and March of 11th grade. Many then plan a second test in late spring or summer and, if needed, a final attempt in early fall of 12th grade before college application deadlines. Visit Revolution Prep’s website for more information and test registration.