Upper School Blast Apr 17, 2026
Key Dates
Saturday, April 18 — Prom (Open to All Students in Grades 9-12)
Wednesday, April 22 — LEAD Together: Happier Parenting with Cognitive Scientist Laurie Santos
Friday, April 24 — Upper School Play, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, April 25 — Upper School Play, 2 p.m.
Friday, May 1 — Senior Circle and All School Cookout for Students and Senior Parents, 10:30 a.m.
Sunday, May 3 — Instrumental Concert, 4:30 p.m.
May 4-8 — Teacher Appreciation Week
May 4-15 — AP Exams
Thursday, May 7 — LEAD Together: Screen Smart at Seven Hills
Saturday, May 9 — Early School Ribbon-cutting Ceremony, 9:30 a.m.
Saturday, May 9 — Science Spectacular, 10 a.m.-1:30 p.m.
Wednesday, May 13 — Board of Trustees Meeting, 6:30 p.m.
Saturday, May 16 — SNAAP Year-End Celebration, 3 p.m.
May 14-19 — Spring Exams
May 20-27 — May Term
Monday, May 25 — No School. Memorial Day
Thursday, May 28 — Last Day of Classes. Upper Awards Day
Friday, May 29 — Graduation at Music Hall Ballroom, 6 p.m.
Photos of the Week
What to Know Now
Information for Prom 2026 “A Night In Paris” — Saturday, April 18
Location
Prom will be at the Mercantile Immersive, 120 E. 4th St., Cincinnati, OH 45202.
Date/Time
Saturday, April 18, 8-11 p.m. Students must arrive by 8:30 p.m. Students are allowed to leave at 10:30 p.m., and the event ends at 11 p.m.
Registration
Purchase tickets to Prom via Square until 3:15 p.m. on Friday. Tickets are $65 each. Cash, check, or credit card will also be accepted at the door, although pre-registration is strongly preferred. Financial aid is available to help defray the cost of Prom tickets for qualifying students; please contact Mr. Catalan or Ms. DiRoma for more information.
Who goes to Prom? What should I wear?
Seven Hills believes Prom should be an inclusive, welcoming event for all students. There is no formal dress code, and all students in grades nine through 12 are invited and encouraged to attend. In 2025, more than 325 students from across all grade levels attended Prom.
Entertainment and Food/Drink
Most students go out to dinner before Prom. Assorted sodas and an extensive dessert selection are provided at Prom. Entertainment includes music from DJ Etrayn, an interactive photo booth, and a variety of immersive entertainment experiences.
Guests
Students can bring one guest and must submit the required Guest Agreement Form. Copies are available in the Upper Office and on the ticket sale website. Completed forms can be emailed to Ms. DiRoma, dropped off in the Upper School Office, or turned in at Prom. Guests must enter Prom with their host.
Drop-Off, Pick-Up, and Parking
Students can be dropped off and picked up at 120 E. 4th St. Driving students are encouraged to park in the Fountain Square Garage, which offers a flat parking rate of $9. From Fountain Square, it is a one-block walk to the venue. Please see the walking directions from Fountain Square.
Security and Safety
Prom is staffed by a large group of faculty, venue staff, and security, who will assist with arrival, pickup, and event safety. To ensure students have not been drinking alcohol, we use a breathalyzer machine at check-in. A school administrator will ask randomly selected students to blow into the breathalyzer machine, which measures their blood alcohol level. Students and their guests must cooperate if asked to use the breathalyzer. If a student has been drinking, we will notify parents/guardians and require them to pick the student up from the event, and serious disciplinary consequences will follow. The school likewise takes the possession of drugs or alcohol very seriously, whether in a student’s car or on their person.
Students will be dismissed directly from Mercantile Immersive, and parents/guardians are responsible for ensuring that the rest of their night goes well and that they get home safely. Please coordinate with your student about how they are getting home after Prom. Seven Hills faculty will stay with all students who are waiting to be picked up from the venue.
Lost? Running Late? Not coming? Emergency? Additional Questions?
If you need to reach one of the faculty about Prom, please call or text 773.818.5039 or email Alex Catalan.
Women Helping Women and Healthy Visions
Last week, ninth and 10th graders participated in specialized workshops focused on building a culture of empathy and respect. While the ninth graders met with Women Helping Women and the 10th graders worked with Healthy Visions, both groups focused on the same essential goals: navigating healthy platonic and romantic relationships, understanding consent, and establishing personal boundaries. These sessions provided students with a safe environment to discuss the social complexities of both friendships and dating, offering practical tools for maintaining healthy interpersonal dynamics throughout high school and beyond.
LEAD Together: Happier Parenting — Wednesday, April 22
Save the Date for Upper’s Spring Play “You Can’t Take It With You” — April 24 and 25
The Upper School theater department is proud to present its spring comedy “You Can’t Take it with You.” This Pulitzer Prize winning show features Martin Vanderhof and his large extended family of charming eccentrics. Performances will be on Friday, April 24, at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday, April 25, at 2 p.m. in The Schiff Center. The show is appropriate for all audiences. Tickets are on sale now. Buy your tickets!
Fall Sports Registration is Open
Registration closes April 29. If you have any questions or need assistance, please contact athletics@7hills.org.
Parent Community News
Senior Parents: Still Time to Sign-up for the Senior Potluck
Announcements
Upcoming Instrumental Concert!
The Big Spring Instrumental Concert will be on Sunday, May 3 at 4:30 p.m.(please note the time change). Details will be posted on Canvas. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to email Mr. Rising.
Screen Smart at Seven Hills — May 7
- meet our new Chief Technology and Innovation Officer Tony DePrato.
- get the first look at our grade-level Screen Smart guides for School and Home technology use.
- bring personal devices to learn how to set up parental controls and get tips about creating age-appropriate guardrails.
- chat with Upper School students, counselors, and others to learn more about student technology-use.
Science Spectacular — May 9
Please join us on Saturday, May 9, from 10 a.m.-1:30 p.m. to celebrate science at Seven Hills. Middle and Upper School students will be leading booths for our Early and Lower School students to take part in science-related activities. Please join us for an hour or the whole session!
Activities include hands-on stations across multiple science disciplines, interactive demonstrations, a nature walk, and a native species planting project in our creek bed. We’ll also have food to purchase with a variety of food trucks, including coffee, food, and Kona Ice.





