Upper School Blast Oct 24, 2025
Key Dates
Monday, Oct. 27 — A2. Conference Sign-ups Open, 8 a.m.
Tuesday, Oct. 28 — B2
Wednesday, Oct. 29 — A3
Thursday, Oct. 30 — B3
Friday, Oct. 31 — Special Schedule. Grades and Comments available on Parent Portal, 3 p.m.
Saturday, Nov. 1 — S.H.A.R.E. Pumpkins and Popsicles, 2-4 p.m.
Tuesday, Nov. 4 — Conference Sign-ups Close, 4 p.m.
Thursday, Nov. 6 — Teacher-Parent Conferences 12-8 p.m. No Classes
Friday, Nov. 7 — Teacher-Parent Conferences 8 a.m.-12 p.m. No Classes
Monday, Nov. 10 — Junior Family Meeting #1 with College Counselors, 7-8 p.m.
Wednesday, Nov. 19 — Coffee with a College Counselor, 12-1 p.m. Board of Trustees Meeting, 6 p.m.
Tuesday, Nov. 25 — Thanksgiving Break begins at 3:15 p.m.
Wednesday, Nov. 26-Friday, Nov. 28 — Thanksgiving Break. No School
Photos of the Week
Honors physics students in Lenore Horner’s class work together to get individual data sets as they test their knowledge of circular motion, force, and acceleration.
What to Know Now
Teacher-Parent Conference Sign-ups
On Nov. 6-7, we invite all parents to visit with your children’s teachers in 1:1 conferences. Sign-ups for appointment slots will go live Monday, Oct. 27, at 8 a.m. through the Veracross Portal and will be open through Nov. 4, at 4 p.m. Please keep an eye on your email as you will receive several reminders, instructions on sign-ups, and the link itself. If you have any questions, please contact the Upper office. While slots to meet with your child’s adviser are not available (to prioritize classroom teachers), you may always reach out directly to advisers if you need to connect.
Experiential Ed Day — Friday, Oct. 31
Friday, Oct. 31, is an Experiential Ed day, in which students will participate in special events by grade level in the morning followed by all-school Halloween festivities in the afternoon. Details about morning activities for each grade level are listed below. Students are encouraged to bring costumes to change into for the afternoon and will be provided with time to change.
Grade 9 — Zoo Trip
Ninth graders will attend a field trip to the zoo organized by their biology teachers. Students should plan to pack or buy lunch at the zoo. Please remind your child to dress appropriately for the weather.
Grade 10 — Service Learning
The Poverty Liberation Collective will be on campus with sophomores, building on the work we did last year with the Ozanam Center. A pizza lunch will be provided or students can pack a lunch if they prefer.
Grade 11 — Holocaust Exhibit at the Cincinnati Museum Center
Juniors will be off campus to experience the exhibit “Auschwitz. Not long ago. Not far away” at the Cincinnati Museum Center. See more information about the exhibit. A pizza lunch will be provided by the school or students can pack a lunch if they prefer.
Grade 12 — College Application Work Day and Activities
Seniors will have a variety of options from which to choose in the morning, including time to work with college counselors on submitting fall college applications and making the transition to applications with December and January deadlines. Additionally, our student leaders have a series of other class-bonding activities throughout the morning.
Parent Community News
Please Sign-up Today — Show Your Gratitude
As a way of showing our gratitude, the Seven Hills Upper School Parent Community provides meals for the faculty during Parent-Teacher Conferences. Our Faculty Appreciation committee is looking for volunteers to drop off food, as well as set up and clean up. Please sign-up today.
How Can My Student Gain Leadership Experience? What is a Challenge Experience?
Are you in the Know?
Stay up-to-date on Upper School community happenings. Please say hello at us.pa@7hills.org.
Announcements
Upper Grades and Comments
Quarter 1 grades and comments (for those applicable) will be viewable on your Veracross parent portal on Oct. 31 at 3 p.m.
Community Service Requirement Introduction for Ninth Graders
This past Wednesday, ninth grade students participated in their first service experience as a class. Students donated their time and energy to make a difference with seven different nonprofit organizations throughout Greater Cincinnati. From decorating for a Halloween party for residents of St. Joseph Home, to helping shoppers get what they need at the Catino Food Pantry, students served their community well.
Next week, students will get a formal introduction to our community service graduation requirement including how to document their service hours. Please see the community service graduation requirement overview for more information. Here is a list of service organizations. Please note that this list is not comprehensive but is a starting point to help students find service opportunities.
Growing Together: Doherty Oak Tree Planting Event
Please join us on Saturday, Nov. 1, to help plant 180 oak saplings, grown from a Doherty tree. We will plant them in a temporary location at Hillsdale Campus and then move them to create a Doherty Grove once the new Lower School building is finished. Please drop in anytime 9 a.m.-12 p.m. to help plant, play, and tour the future Lower School site. No RSVP required and all ages are encouraged to join us as we start to build the future Lower School environment
Pumpkins and Popsicles with S.H.A.R.E. — Saturday, Nov. 1, 2-4 p.m.
All are welcome to S.H.A.R.E.’s fun family event on Saturday, Nov. 1, 2-4 p.m. at the Pavilion on the Hillsdale Campus. Enjoy a fun-filled afternoon with family activities, including decorating pumpkins with words of kindness in honor of World Kindness Day. S.H.A.R.E. stands for Seven Hills Association of Rainbow Events. We are an affinity group for anyone with a family member or who is an ally to the LGBTQIA+ community. Let us know you are coming by emailing SHARE@7hills.org.
LEAD Together — “Setting Kids up for Success” Webinar
Thank you to all the parents, faculty and administrators who came to learn from Psychologist Lisa Damour about “Setting Kids up for Success.” If you weren’t able to make it, we highly encourage you to listen to the webinar (about 55 minutes). Please access the webinar. It will be available until Jan. 31.