Upper School Blast Sep 25, 2026

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.

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.

A New College Funding Resource for Seven Hills Families

Families received an email from the Upper School college counseling department yesterday about a new resource to help families learn about saving, planning, and paying for college. We have partnered with Paul Martin, founder of College Money Method, to give families access to expert guidance on college pricing, financial aid, merit scholarships, saving, borrowing, and planning. College Money Method gives families two ways to learn: a series of live online workshops and a dedicated Seven Hills School Resource Center.

The first workshop is Tuesday, Oct. 13. See yesterday’s email for a complete list of workshops. The College Money Method is linked in the Veracross Parent Portal (password: shscmm). Questions? Please reach out to Co-Directors of College Counseling Alex Catalan or Julie DiRoma.

Upcoming Parent Webinar: Executive Function Needed to “Do School” — Tuesday, Sept. 29

Our school has access to the 2026-27 ISACS Parent Series. This is a series of six webinars for independent school parents and caregivers.

The first webinar is with executive function expert Sarah Ward. She’ll go into greater detail about executive function skills, such as working memory, time awareness, and task initiation and organization. This webinar is great for parents of children in grades 3-12.

Register for the webinar to join live on Tuesday, Sept. 29, at 7:30 p.m. or access the recording later.

For more details about this webinar and future webinars, please visit the ISACS Parent Series website.

2026-27 Winter & Spring Sports Registration — Register by Wednesday, Sept. 30

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. Please email Rick Tate with any questions.

The commitment date is Oct. 1, and there is a $1,500 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 Saturday, Oct. 3. For ninth grade students interested in trying a practice PSAT, another digital practice exam will be offered on Feb. 20.

Choral Concert — Tuesday, Oct. 6, at 7 p.m.

The fall choral concert for Middle and Upper School is Tuesday, Oct. 6, at 7 p.m. Everyone is welcome! Performers should report to the chorus room at 6:30 p.m. dressed for the performance. Middle School students should wear black on the bottom and white on top, with boys in a tie (any color). Upper students should wear their concert attire. Hope to see you there!

Upcoming LEAD Together Event: “Neuromyths: False Ideas About the Brain and Learning” — Tuesday, Oct. 13

Our next LEAD Together event takes place on Oct. 13, starting at 5:30 p.m. in the Schiff Center. Come hear from Tracey Tokuhama-Espinosa, Ph.D., a leading voice in mind, brain, and education, about “Neuromyths: False Ideas About the Brain and Learning.” Tracey will be working with our teachers throughout the school day, and this evening event is an opportunity for parents and caregivers to learn from her as well. Parents and caregivers of children of all ages — from pre-kindergarten through grade 12 — are welcome. Sign up for the event to let us know you’re coming. Need childcare? No problem! Sign up by Oct. 6 to secure childcare.

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.