Upper School Blast Nov 14, 2025

Pathways to Prevention Week — Nov. 17-21

We are excited to host Pathways for Prevention and Glenn Hall next week to speak with the students about substance misuse and  prevention. Please see the flyer for more information.

Lanyard Check

We’re making a renewed push to be sure every student has — and wears — a lanyard each day. Lanyards are an important part of campus safety. They help students access buildings and ensure everyone on campus is easily recognized as part of our community. Any student who doesn’t currently have a working lanyard can now charge a replacement directly to their family account (no cash needed) at the tech office. If they only need a plastic sleeve, these are available for free from the dean of students. Please take a moment to check that your student’s lanyard is working and ready to go. We’ll be doing quick lanyard checks during morning advisory and lunch the week of Nov. 18.

November Food Drive

The Seven Hills School will hold its annual Thanksgiving Food Drive this November. If you would like to contribute, we will have bins in Four Corners to drop donations. This year, we are collecting for La Soupe, and we are concentrating on collecting rice, pasta, dried beans, lentils, and tomato paste.

Coffee with a College Counselor — Wednesday, Nov. 19, 12 p.m., Zoom

All Upper School parents and guardians are invited to join the college counselors for an informal lunchtime discussion about current topics in college admissions on Wednesday, Nov. 19, 12 p.m., via Zoom. Bring your questions and any topics you’d like to discuss — the floor will be open for conversation. A Zoom link is available in all college counseling Canvas groups, and a recording will be posted afterward.

Get Your Tickets to “Mean Girls” — Nov. 21 and 22

Tickets for the Upper theater department’s fall musical “Mean Girls” are now on sale. And they’re going fast! Simply go to Ticketleap to buy your advanced reserved seats. 

“Mean Girls” performances are Friday, Nov. 21 at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday, Nov. 22 at 2 p.m. The show is recommended for ages 12+.

PSAT Score Release for 10th and 11th Grade Students

College Board has released PSAT/NMSQT scores. Remember that this is a practice exam that only reflects a student’s mastery of the test’s content at one moment in time, so it should be treated as a starting point or as a baseline.

Students can access their scores by logging in to their College Board account. These instructions have also been posted to the college counseling Canvas groups.

• If the student already has a College Board account, go to studentscores.collegeboard.org and sign in. 

If the student still needs to create a College Board account, they can create one with their school email on the College Board website.

May Term Course Registration is About to Begin!

May Term is a signature program of the Upper School spanning the five school days following the spring semester exams. Each student in ninth through 11th grade is enrolled in a single course for the duration of the week, allowing for a unique immersive learning experience. We’re excited to launch this year’s course brochure! 

A few things to know:

• May Term will occur Wednesday-Friday, May 20-22, and Tuesday-Wednesday, May 26 -27. 
• Successful completion of three May Term courses is a graduation requirement, so please protect this time.
• Students rank and are typically placed into one of their top three choices. Juniors register first, followed by sophomores, then freshmen. Filled courses will be removed from the registration form so that students do not rank courses they will not be able to take this year.
• Course registration will occur as follows:
  • 11th grade — Nov. 17-21
  • 10th grade — Nov. 24-Dec. 5
  • Ninth grade — Dec. 8-12 
    • Ninth-grade advisors will review the brochure and the details of May Term with their advisees the week of Nov. 17.
• Registration forms will be sent to students’ school email accounts. There is a different form for each grade level, so students should not forward their registration form to students in other grades.
• Students attending a world languages trip or participating in the Marine Lab May Term are still expected to complete the registration form. (Reminder: the Marine Lab students will only attend May 20 and 21, and will complete their May Term by participating in the trip in June).

Please review the brochure for course descriptions and more information. Please direct any questions to Karen Glum.

LEAD Together: Jonathan Haidt Webinar and Discussion — Dec. 3, Founders Hall

Please join us on Wednesday, Dec. 3, 8:45-10:45 a.m. for a webinar featuring social psychologist and author Jonathan Haidt. We’ll watch the webinar together in Founders Hall and then break up into discussion groups. This webinar is meant for families in Lower, Middle, and Upper. Coffee and breakfast treats included. RSVP here. 

Upcoming Instrumental Concert

The Upper School Instrumental performance is quickly approaching! The first performance is on Saturday, Dec. 6 at 4 p.m. in The Schiff Center. This will be a formal event. If you have questions, please email Mr. Rising.

First Semester Final Exams

At the end of each semester, students take comprehensive final exams in most courses. To preserve testing integrity, students are required to take the tests at the assigned times. Please see the schedule below to assist you with planning.

Monday, Dec. 15

• 8:30 a.m. – History
• 12:30 p.m. – Computer Science

Tuesday, Dec. 16

• 8:30 a.m. — Science
• 12:30 p.m. — Double Science

Wednesday, Dec. 17

• 8:30 a.m. — English
• 12:30 p.m. — Double Computer Science

Thursday, Dec. 18

• 8:30 a.m. — Math

Friday, Dec. 19

• 8:30 a.m. — World Language

In case of inclement weather, exam will be moved to the afternoon slot on the next day.

Second Semester LEAD Together Events

Save the dates for our second semester LEAD Together programming! Come to one or come to many and learn alongside other parents, faculty, and administration.

Save the Date for Books for Lunch!

Join us for the Seven Hills 39th Annual Books for Lunch on Feb. 6 at The Lightwell in Covington! Enjoy an engaging afternoon featuring New York Times bestselling author Ariel Lawhon as our keynote speaker. The cash bar opens at 11 a.m., followed by a delightful luncheon and Lawhon’s talk at 12 p.m. Don’t forget to snag your copy of “The Frozen River,” a Good Morning America book club pick, for a special signing after the event. Hurry, tickets are selling fast. Secure your ticket and book now. Sponsorship opportunities are available, please consider supporting this important event. Questions? Email us at booksforlunch@7hills.org.