Upper School Blast Sep 18, 2026

Final Day of Spirit Week — TODAY

Today is the final day for your student(s) to get involved in Spirit Week (and earn Swarm points)! Students can show their school pride by wearing their grade colors or Stinger spirit wear.

Homecoming — TODAY & Saturday, Sept. 19

Tonight and Saturday, Sept. 19, come join the Seven Hills community for a fun lineup of Homecoming festivities. Check out the flyer below to see what’s in store.

Homecoming Dance — Saturday, Sept. 19, from 8-11 p.m.

The “Southern Nights” themed Homecoming dance is Saturday night from 8-11 p.m. For student safety, all students must arrive no later than 8:30 p.m. and leave no earlier than 10:30 p.m. The dance cost is $10 cash at the door.

Black College Fair — Saturday, Sept. 26, 12-3 p.m.

The Black College Fair, sponsored by the Cincinnati Association of Black University and College Alumni, will be held on Saturday, Sept. 26, from 12-3 p.m. at The Well Church.

This annual event connects students and families with HBCUs while also providing valuable information about college access, financial aid, and scholarships. Students interested in exploring HBCUs are encouraged to take advantage of this free opportunity to learn more and make connections.

Streaming Media Options for School-Managed iPads for Grades 6-12 Families and Students

We are beginning this process by gathering information from families about their preferences for streaming media on school-managed iPads. Once we know how many families are interested, we will test different policies and settings with the goal of creating the most flexible option possible for families while maintaining appropriate school security and management.

The App Opt-Out Form allows parents/guardians to request that the Streaming Media category be blocked on their child’s school-managed iPad. This does not apply to family-owned laptops used by students in grades 11 and 12.

Please discuss this choice with your student. Students will be aware of the change, as permissions and available apps on their iPad may change.

Blocking Streaming Media may prevent access to many common music, video, and entertainment services, including:

1. YouTube Music and Shorts (regular YouTube access will remain available)
2. Spotify
3. Apple Music
4. Netflix
5. Disney+
6. Hulu
7. Amazon Prime Video
8. Max
9. Peacock
10. Paramount+

A few things to keep in mind:

• The restriction applies to the entire Streaming Media category, rather than individual apps or websites.
• Other streaming services not listed above may also be affected.
• Because these categories are maintained by a third party, the school cannot guarantee that every streaming service will be blocked or provide individual exceptions.

Families who choose to continue access to Streaming Media should be aware that some services require a personal account. Parents/guardians are responsible for providing and managing those accounts and the email addresses associated with them. For example, if you allow Spotify, you will need a personal account to use it. School accounts will no longer work, as they do not meet the terms of service.

Student@7hills.org email addresses may not be used to create or maintain streaming service accounts. YouTube is the exception because student access is managed through the school’s Google Workspace environment.

To designate your preferences, scan the QR code below to fill out the App Opt-Out Form. If you have any questions about the policy, submit your questions through the App Opt-Out Policy Questions Form.

Coming Soon: Parent iPad Management

We are also preparing an additional option for families. Parents will soon receive an invitation to an app that can provide additional management of their child’s school iPad after school hours.

We will begin by testing these options and gathering feedback before finalizing the policies. Our goal is to give families useful and flexible controls at home without interfering with the iPad’s use as a learning tool during the school day.

Everyone will be invited to this service, but you are welcome to opt out.

Welcoming a New Counseling Intern to Seven Hills

This school year, the Seven Hills Counseling Department is working with the University of Cincinnati to host a graduate student intern. Taye Ogundipe will be working with Angie Bielecki, the Seven Hills counseling department chair, as well as his supervisor at UC to complete his internship for his Master’s of School Counseling program.

“Mr. Taye” will be gaining direct student hours through observation, student counseling opportunities, and teaching opportunities at all divisions while at Seven Hills.

We are excited to use this opportunity to enhance our counseling program and provide mentorship opportunities through partnerships with our local universities.

Updates to Campus Dining

One of our primary objectives this year is to enhance the culinary program for students, faculty, and staff. As we wrap up the fourth week of school, the culinary team continues to demonstrate exceptional dedication and change.

Food and Beverage Changes:

In Founders Hall, we are now offering two plate lunch options, which include a Build Your Own (BYO) Bar.

• The salad bar has been improved with a wider selection of nutritious, house-made choices.
• We are transitioning away from pre-packaged grab-and-go options; please look forward to healthier alternatives. Additionally, we are working toward only offering fresh fruit, instead of pre-packaged fruit.
• As we sell our current stock of beverages, we will eventually provide only white milk, chocolate milk, and water.
• We will also be offering more healthy choices for snacks, such as fruit cups, hummus, crackers, and baked chips.

College Cost and Financial Aid Workshop — Monday, Sept. 28, at 7 p.m. on Zoom

Just as students have applications, essays, and deadlines, the college financial aid and scholarship process comes with its own set of requirements. Join us on Zoom to dive into topics such as sticker vs. net price and value, how colleges calculate financial aid, FAFSA, CSS/Profile, federal aid, institutional aid, loans, deadlines, etc. We will also introduce College Money Method, a new online resource and webinar series available at no cost to all Seven Hills families. This presentation is geared towards families of seniors and juniors, but all are welcome. A Zoom link will be posted to all College Counseling Canvas pages. Slides and a meeting recording will be posted to Canvas Pages in the days following the meeting.

2026-27 Winter & Spring Sports Registration — OPEN NOW

This year, we are holding two registration periods for students in grades 7-12. Fall sports registration took place last spring, and this second registration period covers winter and spring sports. This approach helps us plan for the number of athletes participating throughout the rest of the school year.

Grades 7-12 must register through FinalForms. Please confirm that your student’s sport(s) are selected in FinalForms.

If you are new to FinalForms, you will need to create an account. If you need assistance, please review these step-by-step instructions. If your student is not registered in FinalForms, they will not be placed on a roster or receive team communications.

It is imperative that all forms are completed and a current physical is uploaded in FinalForms prior to the first practice. Any student-athlete who is not in compliance will be required to sit out until all forms and documents are submitted.

Registration will close on Wednesday, Sept. 30. If you have questions or need assistance, please contact athletics@7hills.org.

A Note About Upper School Spring Sports:

We are exploring two new Upper School sports for this spring: boys volleyball and girls flag football. While students have expressed interest in both, neither program is guaranteed to run. Both are OHSAA-sanctioned sports and require the same level of commitment as any other varsity sport on campus. Please register only if your student intends to make a full commitment to the program, rather than participate as a secondary sport. We will move forward only if enough athletes are fully committed.

Costa Rica May Term

• When: June 2-12 (Extends beyond May Term and includes Graduation Date)
• Why go: Students will develop and do their own research project, work with scientists, and have fun — ziplining, night hikes, waterfalls, going to the beach, and more. All of this will happen in one of the most biodiverse regions of the world!
• Finances: The trip will cost approximately $5,400. The cost includes everything except transportation to and from the airport here, trip insurance, souvenirs, food purchased at the airport, and other miscellaneous purchases. In addition, trip insurance including health coverage is about $150.

Students can also opt to obtain three college credits from Augustana University South Dakota (an extra $150).

If a student has financial aid for Seven Hills, then there is also some available for the trip. Speak with Rick Tate.

The commitment date is Oct. 1, and there is a $1500 nonrefundable deposit due (we need a minimum of 12 students to attend, so if this is not reached, this will be refunded).

Questions? Email Bridget Ancalmo.

Free Practice ACT/SAT/PSAT Exams

Seven Hills has partnered with several test prep organizations to offer free practice ACT, SAT, and PSAT opportunities for our students. View the 2026-27 Practice Test Opportunities for Seven Hills Students document or check out your student’s College Counseling course in Canvas for more information. With the approaching October PSAT for 10th and 11th grade students, there is a digital practice opportunity on Oct. 3. For ninth grade students interested in trying a practice PSAT, another digital practice exam will be offered on Feb. 20.

Priority Admission Deadlines

• Pre-kindergarten-Grade 5: Nov. 15
• Grades 6-12: Dec. 1

Because we have limited space in several grades and our application pool is quite competitive, we recommend completing the application process as early as possible. Sibling admission applications are given priority status within the applicant pool as long as we receive the admission application by Nov. 15 for pre-kindergarten-grade 5 and Dec. 1 for grades 6-12.

To submit an admission application for another child, please log in to your Veracross Parent Portal. Using the column icon at the top of the page, select “Admission,” then “Manage Candidate Applications.” You will then be able to select the box with a plus (+) sign, “Add a New Candidate/Applicant.” The application fee is waived for current families using the waiver code ABC.

Re-enrollment for the 2027-28 School Year for Currently Enrolled Students

Families of currently enrolled Seven Hills students do not need to submit an admission application for their children. You will receive detailed re–enrollment information in January.

Instructions for Pairing Canvas Accounts

We are now ready for parents and guardians to begin pairing their Canvas accounts with their students. We intentionally waited to begin this process so that faculty members had the opportunity to pair with students first in their roles as advisors.

Canvas pairing codes are valid for seven days from the time they are created and can only be used once. Because of this, students should generate a new code for each parent or guardian when they are ready to complete the pairing process.

You must have this six-digit code from your student. These codes are generated by students.

Each observer (parent) needs their own unique pairing code.

To generate a code:

• Have your student log into Canvas
• In Global Navigation in the top left, click Account (by your picture)
• Click Settings
• On the right side, click Pair with Observer
• Copy the six-digit pairing code (this code expires after seven days or its first use)
• Click OK

If you have an issue, please reach out to your student’s advisor/homeroom teacher.

This information — as well as frequently asked questions — can be referenced on the Seven Hills website Canvas page.

Experiential Learning — Student Opportunities

Each week in Upper’s all-school assembly, Director of Experiential Learning Karen Glum shares new opportunities that have become available to students. Each week, a list of these opportunities will be shared in the Parent Blast as well, including links to additional information when possible and appropriate.

The following new opportunities were shared with students this week and are posted on the experiential learning bulletin board:

• TurnUp Voter Registration Fellowship (Paid): TurnUp is a non-partisan, non-profit organization dedicated to increasing youth voter registration and turnout to strengthen our democracy. TurnUp is hiring high school students for $100 to serve as campus voter registration fellows. Fellows will perform a total of two to four hours of work over the course of two weeks to help register students to vote in their high school. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis, and interested students can submit a Google form to apply.
• John P Parker School is looking for after-school tutors and dance instructors. These activities count toward the students’ service hours requirement.
• Youth at the Booth: The Hamilton County Board of Elections is looking for students ages 17+ who want to be poll workers. Training is provided and required.
• University of Cincinnati Speech Language Hearing Sciences Showcase: UC is hosting an event designed specifically for juniors and seniors interested in Speech Language Hearing Sciences. The showcase is on Wednesday, Oct. 21, from 5:30-7:30 p.m. Register for the event now!