2017 Fall Magazine by The Seven Hills School

F A L L

2 0 1 7

B U I L D.C O N N E C T.I N S P I R E . BUILDING ON OUR HISTORY OF EXCELLENCE

Contents

04 06 12 22 26 36 55

Build.Connect.Inspire. Brick by Brick: Building on our History of Excellence By Head of School Christopher P. Garten

School News School News - Sports School News - Arts Alumni News and Class Notes Upcoming Alumni Events Front cover photo: Renderings of Seven Hills’ future community spaces: Our athletic Field House (top) and Center for Arts and Leadership.

Fall 2017

Special thanks to Keith Neu for his sports photography. Seven Hills Magazine is a publication of The Seven Hills School.

Christopher P. Garten Head of School Margo Kirstein Director of Development

Chris Hedges Director of Marketing & Communications

Karla Dejean Writer & Project Manager, photographer

Sarah Ott Lautar ’05 Director of Alumni Engagement

THE SEVEN HILLS ANNUAL FUND ENRICHING THE EXPERIENCE

YOUR GIFT MAKES LEARNING COME ALIVE!

CLASSROOM TECHNOLOGY & CAMPUS ENHANCEMENTS

THE SEVEN HILLS ANNUAL FUND

THE POWER OF PARTICIPATION * % 100

FACULT Y AND STAFF

STUDENT PROGRAMS, SPEAKERS, AND FIELD TRIPS

* % 75 PARENTS

* % 18

FACULTY RESOURCES AND PROGRAMS

ALUMNI

B UM

E R OF DON

131

398

1,5

191

T H A N K YOU

TOT AL

WHO GIVES?

135 126

561

398 Parents 561 Alumni 126 Faculty and Staff 135 Friends 131 Grandparents 191 Parents of Alumni

FOR YOUR GENEROUS SUPPORT!

Over the past three years, grants totaling $250,000 have been given to the school from foundations, in part because of our high annual giving participation from the Seven Hills community.

*2016-17 Annual Fund totals

TO MAKE A GIFT OR FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE VISIT WWW.7HILLS.ORG/ANNUALFUND. Questions? Contact Andi Simon, Director of Annual Giving 513.728.2436 or andi.simon@7hills.org.

*2016-17 Annual Fund totals

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

ATHLETIC FIELD HOUSE AND NEW TENNIS COURTS

CENTER FOR ARTS AND LEADERSHIP

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

In keeping with the excellence synonymous with our educational experience, the Seven Hills community has embarked on an exciting facilities expansion plan to build the Center for Arts and Leadership, an athletics field house, and six tennis courts. Our capital campaign, titled BUILD.CONNECT.INSPIRE., has served as a guiding light for the next phase of our schoolâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s inspiring growth. Thanks to invaluable support from generous donors and committed volunteers, the Seven Hills community continues to edge ever closer to our goal to raise $20 million for these exciting new school facilities. We invite you to read the following update from Head of School Chris Garten, who offers a glimpse into the vision, purpose, preparations, and energy that are building around our comprehensive vision.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

BRICK BY BRICK BU IL DING ON OUR HISTORY O F EX C EL L EN C E By Christopher P. Garten, Head of School

Great schools like Seven Hills

T W E LV E Y E A R S AG O, the

initiated extensive renovations at

are built brick by brick. Each

Critical Assets campaign raised

Doherty Campus, including two

generation of school leaders

$17.6 million to nurture the school’s

stimulating playscapes; refurbished

crafts its own strategic vision,

most valuable asset—our superb

classrooms, laboratories,

its own blueprint for the

teaching faculty. Those new

library, and a new makerspace

school’s future, and then calls

endowment funds provided the

in Jones Hall; and, most recently,

upon us all to work together to

resources we needed to attract

a comprehensive redesign of

make that dream a reality.

and retain the very best teachers

the gymnasium and cafeteria in

available and to provide the on-

Doherty’s Brooks Hall.

T W EN T Y Y E A R S AGO, in a

going training that would unleash

communal effort aptly called The

their creativity and galvanize a

Though these new facilities are

Campaign for One and All, that

vital and innovative 21st century

the most visible expression of our

generation of school leaders focused

curriculum.

continuing evolution, the most

their energy on three signature

significant gains have sprung

buildings: Haile Hall, Doherty’s state-

Just T H R E E Y E A R S AG O,

from the steady work done by the

of-the-art early childhood center,

another impassioned Board

faculty to modernize and enhance

the Donovan Arts Center, which

initiative built, on the Hillsdale

our curriculum. Think of these, just

has catalyzed the dramatic growth

Campus, both the Nellie Leaman

some of the new programs that

of our visual and performing arts

Taft Early Childhood Center, a

have been launched in the last

program, and, of course, the Upper

gorgeous and inviting space for

five years—Doherty’s Creation

School building, a long-wished-for

our youngest learners, and our

Studio, Lotspeich’s Project Math,

academic facility, commensurate

enviable Lower Fields Athletics

the Middle School Innovation Lab,

with the strength of Seven Hills’

Complex and newly resurfaced

and several new Upper School

faculty and educational program.

track. At the same time, this group

courses in computer science,

We are achingly close to realizing this, the latest iteration of our evolving dream of Seven Hills’ future...And when our work is done, we can all take pride in what we have built, not only for our current students, but for the generations of young people who will walk these halls long after we have left our mark.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

engineering, and entrepreneurship;

is in terrific shape. We have wise,

We want them to explore their

new classes in Spanish and Chinese

experienced school administrators,

options and to find something

and a host of new global travel

a superb faculty recruited from all

that inspires them, something that

opportunities; and the new Lower

over the country, and a stimulating

connects them with the world or

School counseling and learning

and astonishingly comprehensive

with other people, and something

support programs, the Middle

educational program.

upon which to build a foundation

School’s Second Step program

We have, in short, just one stone

for the rest of their lives.

left to lay.

And for many of our students, the

This fall, after 36 months of quiet

thing that truly inspires them, at

work, Seven Hills formally launched

this time in their lives, may not

yet another ambitious fundraising

be academic. For some, it is the

effort, a $20 million capital campaign

chance to connect with other

called BUILD.CONNECT.INSPIRE.

students or work together as part

Once completed, this campaign will

of an arts troupe or athletic team.

build two much-needed facilities—

For others, that spark may be a

the Center for Arts and Leadership

real-world experience: a meeting

and a four-court field house.

with an inspiring guest speaker, an

for social-emotional learning, the Upper School’s four-year college counseling program and Experiential Learning strands. As a community, we can take great pride in all the gains we have made— in our more robust world language and global awareness programs, new STEM and Experiential Learning courses, and significant advances in social - emotional learning. THE STRATEGIC PLAN OF 2013 has propelled us forward in many exciting ways, and now, by every conceivable measure, Seven Hills

WHY NOW? At Seven Hills, our mission goes far beyond preparing students for college; we want to help them begin to find their way in life.

internship or a leadership role, at school or elsewhere. For others, it could be a travel experience or a meaningful service commitment that kindles a new sense of purpose.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

With our ambitious mission in mind,

required semesters of arts courses,

we are now focused on adding

and many choose to deeply

two new facilities that will help

immerse themselves in the

Build our community and Inspire

performing arts throughout their

our students to Connect with one

Upper School careers.

another and with the larger world.

So, one obvious imperative for the

These two facilities, the Center

Center for Arts and Leadership is

for Arts and Leadership and a new 30,000-square-foot field house, are game changers that will enhance our studentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; learning and enrich their lives at Seven Hills.

to build a performing arts venue that are fundamentally ill-suited to

commensurate with the talents

the purpose.

of our students and faculty. The

Over the last two decades, Fine and Performing Arts Department Chair

FINDING THEIR VOICES: Seven Hills Center for Arts and Leadership

Tina Kuhlman and her colleagues

Each year, our Lower, Middle, and

and theater programs.

Upper School students mount more

In pre-kindergarten through grade

than 20 major performances in the

eight, 100 percent of our students

two cafetoriums on our Doherty

participate actively in music and

and Hillsdale campuses. Despite

theater classes and performances,

the limitations of these spaces, our

as well as a host of performance

arts teachers do an amazing job,

opportunities. In our Upper School,

staging magnificent productions in

the vast majority of students

spaces, built in the 1950s,

participate in more than the three

have overseen a period of rapid growth in our instrumental, choral

two-story facility, which will be built on the footprint of our existing tennis courts, adjacent to our Upper and Middle School buildings, will feature three large rehearsal spaces and a 40,000-square-foot, stateof-the-art performance auditorium with seating for 500 people. Kuhlman expects the new space both to provide an inspirational venue for our student artists and to unleash the creativity of our deeply talented arts faculty.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

“We’ve grown to the point where

orchestra rooms in the Donovan

together to enjoy common

we need new space just to keep

Arts Center.”

experiences and share their work

doing what we’re doing,” says Kuhlman. “But when we do have new space, the sky’s the limit. The Center for Arts and Leadership will allow students to perform collaborative choral and instrumental concerts—a long-time goal for the arts department—and technically complicated plays that feature more students. Once the performing arts and music classes

But the impact of the new facility will go far beyond the performing arts. As the name suggests, the Center for Arts and Leadership will be a focal point to build community and bring us all together. It will provide a showcase for all of our students, not just our performing artists, to share with their peers and teachers all they have been doing.

with one another. This also will be a venue for students in all four divisions to showcase their work in the Creation Studio or the Innovation Lab or to stage the culminating rounds of the Tournament of Greatness or Mock Trial, Certamen, and Model UN competitions. We see the new facility as a kind of town square, a venue not only to showcase student

move into the facility, the fine arts

We see a host of opportunities to

accomplishments, but to host a

programs will be able to expand

bring our two Lower Schools

more robust series of assembly

into the current choral and

programs, bringing to our campus inspirational speakers, entrepreneurs, artists, and community leaders, whose ideas will pique our students’ curiosity and kindle their dreams.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

A PLACE FOR CHAMPIONS: Seven Hills’ New Field House

teams compete with one another

For almost two decades, Seven

compete against other teams.

for space and time even before they

Hills has provided a comprehensive

To relieve this problem, plans

competitive athletic program for

have been drawn for a new,

students in grades one through 12.

30,000-square-foot, four-

Guided by our mission, we see athletics as a crucible of character,

Over the last five years, Seven Hills

a chance to learn responsibility,

has fielded an average of 110 teams

commitment, and teamwork, and

per year, serving 750 students,

also as a vehicle to forge deep and

approximately 80 percent of

lasting relationships.

our student body. Obviously,

Unlike many of the schools in our area, we seek to provide the benefits of a competitive athletic experience for all the students who wish to participate. Accordingly, each year we allow the demand from our students to dictate the numbers of teams we will field in each sport. The result of this commitment to “fullparticipation” athletics has been an explosion in the number of teams we offer each year.

the sheer volume of our program places significant demands on our limited athletic facilities. In the winter season alone, 22 basketball teams, in grades 1-12, share practice and game space in just three gymnasiums. The result is a complex schedule of practice and

court field house, adjacent to the track on the north side of the Hillsdale Campus. According to Athletic Director Brian Phelps, the construction of this new facility will be a “game changer,” impacting our 750 student athletes in all four divisions. The addition of this new facility will make it possible for at least seven teams to play or practice simultaneously, which will, in turn, means we can end practices much earlier in the evening.

game times that means many of our

“We want to give our students and

student athletes—Lower School

families top quality spaces in which

students included—must often

to practice and play, and even more

come back to campus for weekday

importantly, we want to get our

evening practices. In truth, our

kids home sooner,” said Phelps.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

“There’s no reason a third-grade

of the leading

girl or fourth-grade boy should have

independent

to be at practice until 8:30 at night.

schools in this

And we’re not a community where

part of the

everyone lives down the street.

country.

Some people have a 30-minute drive home after practice.”

FULFILLING OUR VISION After 36 months of quiet

But more than that, it will be a

Kalnow Gymnasiums and over to

visible expression of the spirit of this

Middle and Upper Schools, where

community.

our students learn to test themselves and one another and, over time,

fundraising, this August, Seven Hills

A great school like Seven Hills is an

publically launched the

discover who they are and what they

evolving organism, and its history is

Build.Connect.Inspire. campaign,

want to do with their lives.

written by all of those who feed its

with a pledge total of $16.5 million.

growth. Our campus itself tells the

Each generation has added its link to

Thanks to gifts from our generous

story of how we have grown and

the chain that connects us. And now

donors and our hard-working

developed, from one generation

it is our turn to do our part.

volunteers, over the last 12 weeks,

to the next, as each new group of

we have raised another $2.2

leaders leaves its legacy.

million, and we are now within $1.3

Think of the great thread of this

million of our $20 million goal!

institution wending its way from

With the generous support of more than 200 families, we have already relocated our tennis courts, and we are moving ever closer to completing the fundraising necessary to authorize the construction of both new facilities by the end of the current school year. If we can accomplish that goal, we will be able to complete construction by August 2019. This next round of building will be a bold, new step for our community, solidifying our reputation as one

Haile, Jones, Faran, and Brooks Halls on the Doherty Campus over to the Hillsdale Campus, to the Red Barn and Dellie’s Garden and the new Nellie Leaman Taft Early

We are achingly close to realizing this, the latest iteration of our ever expanding dream of Seven Hills’ future. With your full-blooded support and eager partnership, we will do our part to build upon the foundations laid by earlier generations of parents, alumni, and friends.

Childhood Center. It travels from

And when our work is done, we can

Briggs Hall to the Leyman Science

all take pride in what we have built,

Center, through the Lotspeich

not only for our current students,

building, once topped by a phoenix

but for the generations of young

that symbolized our resilience as a

people who will walk these halls

school community.

long after we have left our mark.

It weaves past the new Good/ Dewitt Field through the Donovan Arts Center, to the Stoehr and 11

SCHOOL NEWS

NEW FACES AT SEVEN HILLS We are pleased to welcome new Seven Hills faculty and staff! Ann Brock Development Database Administrator

Ann is currently earning her degree in business administration from the University of Cincinnati. She most recently served as the development coordinator at Cincinnati’s Sisters of Notre Dame, where she maintained the organization’s database, as well as mailings and reports, managed the development office’s workload, coordinated events, served as systems administrator of the computer network, and assisted with other tasks as needed. Ann also worked at Great American Insurance. She has skills in Microsoft Word and Excel, Raiser’s Edge, and can troubleshoot computer problems.

Nick Darnell Director of Transportation, Security, and Custodial Services

Nick studied at Mount Saint Joseph University and University of Cincinnati Clermont College. He most recently held the position of bus driver at Indian Hill Schools, where he transported students to and from school. At Indian Hill, he took part in the regional and state Road-E-O, a competition that helps drivers develop an organizational plan. He placed second in the regional competition in 2016. He also worked as a lifeguard at M.E. Lyons YMCA and Coney Island Amusement Park. He is certified in CPR and first aid.

Patty Dawson Middle and Upper School Interim Librarian and Writing Teacher Patty earned her B.A. in liberal arts and her master of 12

education from Xavier University. She most recently held the position of Unit III teacher at Seven Hills’ Doherty Campus, where she taught fourth- and fifth-graders for 10 years. Patty designed and spearheaded the campus’s annual Tunnel Walk to honor those lost in 9/11, as well as dynamic lessons in peace, global awareness, and journaling. Patty has also held positions at schools in Ohio and Kentucky, including A.D. Owens Elementary School in Newport, Kentucky, St. Bernard Elementary School in St. Bernard, and Erpenbeck Elementary School in Florence, Kentucky.

Karla Dejean Writer, Project Manager, and Upper School Journalism Teacher

Karla received her B.S. in journalism from Ohio University, as well as a certificate in education reporting from the Hechinger Institute at Teachers College, Columbia University. Karla has a dual role at Seven Hills, working as a writer and project manager in the school’s Communications Department and teaching journalism. She previously worked as a news reporter, covering criminal justice, government, and education at several daily newspapers, including the Grand Rapids Press in Michigan and the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. She also held the position of director of public relations at Pine Crest School in South Florida.

Phoebe Dierkers Lotspeich Fifthgrade Teacher

Phoebe received her B.S. in middle childhood education and her M.S. in educational leadership from the University of Cincinnati. She most recently held the position of seventh-grade math teacher at Bridgetown Middle School, where she developed activities and lessons that improved students’ physical, emotional, and social growth, and conducted small group

and individual classroom activities based on learning needs. She also served as the National Junior Honor Society adviser, seventh-grade team leader, and coached seventh-grade volleyball and seventh- and eighth-grade cheerleading. She has also worked as an intervention aide at Oakdale Elementary School.

Christina Durso Encore Program Leader

Christina received her bachelor’s degree in elementary education, with a minor in psychology, from Georgetown College and is currently earning her master of arts in school counseling from Northern Kentucky University. She most recently held the position of first-grade teacher at Howell Elementary School in Elsmere, Kentucky, where she taught reading, math, science, and social studies while cultivating a positive learning community. Christina also held the positions of volunteer English teacher in Honduras and first-grade teacher in Lexington, Kentucky. Christina has volunteer experience, working with St. Elizabeth Grief Support, Girls on the Run, and the Student Teaching Leadership project.

Taylor Markovits

Middle School Counselor Taylor received her bachelor’s degree in studio art and art history from Oberlin College and her master’s in counseling psychology: art therapy from Naropa University in Boulder, Colorado. She most recently held the position of assistant director at The Gardner School of Blue Ash, where she assisted in implementing operations in accordance with state guidelines that promoted a safe, nurturing, educational environment. Taylor has also worked as an inclusion coordinator and preschool teacher, grief counselor, art therapist, and group counselor. She has more than three years of clinical counseling

SCHOOL NEWS

experience, with a specialization in children and adolescents, and has scheduled and managed student assessments, placements, and transitions.

Charissa May-Riley

Middle School Study Hall Supervisor Charissa received her B.S. in biology from Northern Kentucky University. She most recently held the position of associate quality technologist at Kraft Heinz, where she supported the company’s food service division in various capacities and worked closely with the quality assurance team. Charissa has a background in food and food science, earning a culinary arts certificate from Cincinnati State and a food science certificate from The Ohio State University. She has also worked as a food technologist, senior quality assurance technologist, research technician, and a biologist since graduating from Northern Kentucky University.

Tiffany McFarland

Administrative Assistant to the Head of Upper School & Development Office Coordinator/ Assistant Tiffany received her B.S. in early childhood education and associate degrees in education and business management from the University of Cincinnati, as well as a post baccalaureate professional certificate in paralegal technology. She most recently held the position of toddler teacher at Mayerson JCC, where she created and implemented lesson plans for her students. Tiffany has also worked in law offices as a paralegal and legal assistant. During her time at the University of Cincinnati, she worked as an assistant for academic affairs at the University of Cincinnati Clermont Campus and studied abroad in Mexico. She has completed student teaching work in the Cincinnati area.

Angie Meadows

Lotspeich Pre-kindergarten Assistant Teacher Angie received her associate degree in early childhood education with a pre-kindergarten certification license from Northern Kentucky University and is currently earning her B.S. in early childhood education from the University of Cincinnati. She most recently held the position of business manager at Salon Oakley, where she oversaw and managed company operations, such as payroll, budgets, and filing monthly taxes. She completed human resources work for the company, managing reception staff and implementing marketing and advertising campaigns. Angie has also worked as a quality assurance consultant for Home Care Pharmacy.

Lynne Miller

Upper and Middle School Choral Accompanist Lynne received her bachelor of music degree in voice and piano from the Cleveland Institute of Music. She has served as an accompanist to the Seven Hills’ Middle and Upper School choirs since the 200203 school year. Lynne has extensive teaching experience and was an instructor at Cleveland Institute of Music, Broward Community College, Walnut Hills High School, and has taught private vocal and piano instruction for more than 25 years. She has also held various positions as accompanist, music director, chorus master, and more. Lynne is a member of the Ohio Music Education Association and the National Association of Teachers of Singing. She was also the winner of the ‘s-Hertongenbosch International Singing competition in the Netherlands and the winner of the Eleanor Steber Vocal Competition in New York City.

Eric O’Connor

Upper School History Teacher Eric received his B.A. and M.A. in history from the State University of New York at Buffalo and his Ph.D. in history from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He most recently held the position of upper school history teacher at Sidwell Friends School in Washington, D.C. At the school, Eric designed and taught a course in European history that emphasized critical thinking, analytical writing, and evaluating evidence. He also served as an advisor to clubs and an independent study course. He coached boys freshmen basketball and was an assistant coach of the boys JV baseball team. Eric was also a Max Weber Postdoctoral Fellow at the European University Institute in Florence, Italy, where he taught and completed research.

Kristina O’Connor

Middle School Math Teacher Kristina received her B.A. in elementary education from the University of Kentucky. She also completed graduate courses in Xavier University’s M.Ed. program and a mathematics course at the University of Cincinnati. She most recently held the position of private math tutor, where she tutored students in grades six through 12 in subjects including general math, prealgebra, algebra I, algebra II, geometry, and precalculus, and helped prepare them for ACT and SAT testing. Kristina has previously worked at The Seven Hills School as a teacher of Middle School math from 2005-06 and from 2012-16.

Dana Pease

Doherty Unit III Teacher Dana received her B.A. in English from the University of Vermont and her M.Ed. from Lesley University in Cambridge, Massachusetts. She most recently held the position of third-grade lead teacher at

SCHOOL NEWS

NEW FACES AT SEVEN HILLS We are pleased to welcome new Seven Hills faculty and staff! Graland Country Day School in Colorado, where she enjoyed working in an ever-changing elementary classroom environment. She has also worked as a teacher at Cincinnati Country Day School, as well as Milton Academy and Newton Public Schools, both in Massachusetts. Dana has served on several professional learning committees related to education, curriculum, admissions, and technology. She also has experience in coordinating service learning projects for students in kindergarten through eighth grade.

Anne Simpson

Lotspeich Pre-kindergarten for 2-Year-Olds Assistant Teacher Anne received her B.S. in early childhood education from the University of Georgia. She most recently held the position of first-grade teacher at St. Gabriel Consolidated School in Glendale, Ohio, where she developed lesson plans in various subject areas and taught students responsibility and independence. At St. Gabriel, she also taught fourth-grade math and science from 2011-13. She also worked as a first-grade student teacher at Barrow Elementary in Georgia. Anne has participated in several professional development activities, including a literacy conference and a workshop focusing on new works of children’s literature.

Abbey Sir Louis Lotspeich Physical Education Teacher Abbey received her B.A. in physical education from Ohio Wesleyan University. She most recently 14

held the position of physical education and wellness teacher at the Agnes Irwin School in Pennsylvania, where she cotaught physical education to students in pre-kindergarten through fourth grade. She also taught wellness classes on topics ranging from sports safety to healthy food choices. Abbey has also worked at Saint Gabriel School in Concord Township, Hudson Montessori School in Hudson, and the West Bloomfield School District in Michigan. She has coached field hockey at Summit Country Day, as well as lacrosse and volleyball at various schools in Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Michigan.

Lori Suffield

Lotspeich Librarian Lori received her bachelor’s degree in elementary education from Butler University and her master’s degree in library and information science from Kent State University. She most recently held the position of fourthgrade math teacher in the West Clermont Local School District. Lori has an extensive background in working with children. In addition to working at West Clermont, she has also served as a library media specialist, first-grade and kindergarten head teacher, and third-grade teacher. She has experience in educational technology. Lori is a member of the American Library Association, the American Association of School Librarians, and the Ohio Educators Library Media Association.

Margaret Walsh

Doherty Unit I Margaret received her B.S. in education and allied professions, with a focus in early childhood education, from the University of Dayton and is currently working toward her M.S. in education from the University of Dayton. She most recently held the position of Title I reading teacher in the Hamilton City School District, where she created language arts lessons focusing on

sight words, vocabulary, reading fluency and comprehension, and phonemic awareness. She also incorporated technology and multisensory lessons into the classroom. Margaret has many years of classroom experience, teaching students in first grade and second grade, and holding a position as an early childhood teacher.

Amaris White

Upper School Support Services Amaris received her B.A. in history from the University of Florida and her M.A. in history from Michigan State University. She most recently held the position of adjunct faculty in social science at Western Governors University, where she scored student assessments and encouraged student development in articulation, citations, content response, and intended outcomes. She also held various positions within Eureka Learners, an in-home tutoring company in Georgia, serving as assistant academic director from 2013-15. With a background in history, she has taught courses in U.S. and world history. She has served as a guest lecturer, conference presenter, and has been published.

Brandon Williams

Assistant Athletic Director Brandon received his B.A. in history from the University of Cincinnati. He most recently held the position of assistant director of Aquatic Programs and Special Events at Miami University, where he managed swimming, diving, water polo, and synchronized swimming events and assisted with administrative and coaching activities for the Mako swim team. Brandon is also a swim coach at Seven Hills. He led the boys swim team to a district championship in the 2016 season. He has served as a swim coach for other local teams, including the University of Cincinnati Masters.

SCHOOL NEWS

NATIONAL MERIT AND AP SCHOLARS Seven Hills Congratulates National Merit Achievers & AP Scholars Seven Hills continues its tradition of excellence with 18 students receiving recognition from the National Merit Scholarship program. Ten students were named Semifinalists and eight were named Commended Students in the 2018 National Merit Program.

National Merit Semifinalists Seven Hills National Merit Semifinalists are Michael Barresi, Natalie Choo, Tindar Cyr, Charlie Dwight, Jonathan Harsh, Bobby Kanter, Nick Purple, Mary Grace Ramsay, John Stewart, and Curtis Sun.

FRONT: JONATHAN HARSH, TINDAR CYR, NICK PURPLE, NATALIE CHOO, MARY GRACE RAMSAY, MICHAEL BARRESI BACK: JOHN STEWART, CURTIS SUN, CHARLIE DWIGHT, BOBBY KANTER

FRONT: JESSICA NORDLUND, SARAH ZHANG, KATE STEIN, CHRISTINE CAO BACK: ROBBY SHAFFER, NICK WILLIAMS, MATTHEW MARING NOT PICTURED: KALEB KEMP

National Merit Commended National Merit Commended Students are Christine Cao, Kaleb Kemp, Matthew Maring, Jessica Nordlund, Robby Shaffer, Kate Stein, Nick Williams, and Sarah Zhang.

AP Scholars

97% of AP Exam scores qualify for advanced standing in college Of the 288 Advanced Placement exams taken by 132 Seven Hills students in May 2017, 97% qualified for advanced college standing by receiving a score of 3 or better on the 1-5 national scale on at least one exam. Among those who qualified, 76 were named AP Scholars* by the College Board for their exceptional achievements for scoring 3’s or higher on more than three exams. Receiving National AP Scholar Awards for average scores of at least 4 or higher on all AP Exams taken and scores of 4 or higher on eight or more are 2017 graduates Calvin Arbenz, Samantha Chun, Nina Fatuzzo, Chase Gardner, Daniel Grass, Jason Guo, and Jack Lane.

Receiving AP Scholar with Distinction Awards for average scores of at least 3.5 on all AP exams taken and scores of 3 or higher on five or more are 2017 graduates Andres Antonsson, Calvin Arbenz, Michael Barresi, Elizabeth Bohinski, Chase Byington, Samantha Chun, Katie Corbett, Shelby Davis, Joe Dizenhuz, Samantha Eng, Nina Fatuzzo, Barret Gao, Chase Gardner, Charlie Goldsmith, Daniel Grass, Jason Guo, Trey Kieser, Rosie Kilcoyne, Esther Kim, Jack Lane, Henry Marquardt, Jake Moses, Devi Namboodiri, Alana Saggar, Abby Schneider, Quinn Shim, Sam Stevens, and Jake Weinstein; and seniors Lucy Callard, Christine Cao, Alex Kreines, Nick Purple, Curtis Sun, and Yuou Wang. Receiving AP Scholar with Honor Awards for average scores of at least 3.25 on all AP exams taken and scores of 3 or higher on four or more are 2017 graduates

Shane DiGiovanna, Grace Greenwald, Tim Hagemeister, Claire Kite, Jack Lu, Natalie Lucas, Emily McLennan, Noelle O’Neal, Reed Russell, Adam Shim, and Piper Spooner; and seniors Thomas Arya, Natalie Choo, Matthew Cook, Tindar Cyr, Matthew Maring, Mary Grace Ramsay, Nate Rising, Max Routh, and Sarah Zhang. Receiving AP Scholar Awards for scoring 3 or higher on three or more exams are 2017 graduates Eliza Clark, Lukas Geiger, Anjali Gupta, Sean Holcomb, Annie Jonas, Ashley Labrie, Ava Montague, Will Morriss, and Lauren Saggar; and seniors Ryan Curnow, Nina Dizenhuz, Charlie Dwight, Carly Jones, Louann Kovach, Brett Miller, Jessica Nordlund, Garrett Reich, Robby Shaffer, Caitlin Shaw, Kate Stein, John Stewart, and Nick Williams. *Based on scores received in August 2017

SCHOOL NEWS

HOMECOMING 2 0 1 7

The Seven Hills School community came together for a high-spirited Homecoming 2017. Letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s go Stingers!

1. Cheerleading clinic 2. Books for Lunch volunteers Rae Vuic, left, and Celeste Rooney, right, sit with a display of books by author Jane Smiley 3. A thrilling fireworks display capped off Homecoming 2017 4. Students were all smiles during the traditional cook out 5. Seven Hills families showed their pride with a cool collection of spirit gear 6. Soccer clinic 7. Volleyball clinic 8. Students were #FiredUp for Homecoming festivities 9. The Seven Hills community took the field during the exciting annual shootout 10. Tennis Clinic 11. Golf clinic 12. The crowd cheered on our soccer teams participating in the shootout 13. Students raised money for those affected by the 2017 hurricanes 14. Upper School students enjoyed burgers and hot dogs

16 6

14 12

17 13

SCHOOL NEWS

GAMBLE FACULTY CHAIR AWARDED TO KARLA BALSKUS

The Seven Hills School has awarded one of its highest faculty honors, the David G. Gamble Faculty Chair, to Karla Balskus, in recognition of the excellence of her teaching. Balskus teaches fifth grade in our Lotspeich Lower School. In an event that honored Seven Hills teaching excellence, Head of School

Chris Garten said of Balskus, “Much of Karla’s success in reaching each student stems from her deep experience of teaching young people across a wide range of ages. She has taught at every developmental level, giving her a unique perspective on the learning needs of children throughout their academic careers. “As a fifthgrade teacher, Karla carefully crafts her lessons to reach students across the full spectrum of development readiness. Her goal is to challenge and to support, to engender in each student a desire to stretch, and a chance to experience the pride that comes from hard-earned accomplishment.”

In her writing workshops, students learn to plan, draft, edit, revise, and to find the most fitting sentence or the most apt turn of phrase. In her literature classes, Karla encourages students to probe, to read beyond the surface, but her main goal is to help students connect, in a truly personal way, with the stories they read or the lives of the characters they encounter. Garten summed up by saying, “Undergirding all of Karla’s creative pedagogies is her abiding commitment to know each of her students personally, to help them discover their unique gifts and interests, and to guide them toward the true joy in learning.”

HILLSDALE CLASS OF 1956 AWARD FOR FACULTY EXCELLENCE: CASSIE LEVESQUE

The Hillsdale Class of 1956 Award is given to a member of Seven Hills’ Upper School faculty who fosters a love of, and excitement about, learning among Seven Hills students.

At a faculty and staff meeting last spring, Head of School Chris Garten announced the recipient of the

Hillsdale Class of 1956 Award, saying, “When you think back to high school, is there a teacher you still feel grateful for? A teacher you could count on for help with a class or for advice about life? A teacher who believed in you, and who helped you to believe in yourself? Cassie Levesque is that kind of teacher. Cassie brings enthusiasm, insight, patience, and good will to her classroom. By grounding mathematical concepts and operations in real-world scenarios and hands-on activities, she helps students to understand her subject and to recognize its importance to their lives.

“Cassie is the original pinch hitter and utility player, teaching various combinations of geometry, algebra 2, algebra 2 honors, and precalculus courses. Her colleagues in the math department are always delighted to teach sections of the same class as Cassie. A natural collaborator, Cassie brings energy and ideas to each of these partnerships. She is unparalleled in finding or developing exciting new activities for use in the classroom, which she generously shares with her colleagues.”

SCHOOL NEWS

BRODIE GRANTS HONOR TEACHING EXCELLENCE Three teachers are recipients of Brodie Grants for Excellence in Teaching from the Brodie Family Faculty Betterment Fund—Upper School teachers Dan Polifka (history) and Phil Thornberry (world language), and Middle School dean and history teacher Andy McGarvey. The Brodie Fund is an endowed trust that provides professional development opportunities for faculty and recognizes outstanding teachers at both early and later stages of their careers.

Dan Polifka and Phil Thornberry

Departing from our usual model, this time Seven Hills acknowledged not one, but two teachers, Dan Polifka and Phil Thornberry, for our Brodie junior award. In presenting the Brodie awards this fall with faculty and staff, Head of

School Chris Garten explained, “In their different ways, both Dan and Phil encourage their students to develop the important skills of critical thinking, meaningful collaboration, and creative problem-solving.” Dr. Thornberry, or Profé as he’s called by his students, is known for creating an engaging, varied, and immersive environment in his Middle and Upper School Spanish classes. “Profé is masterful at engaging and motivating

his students,” Garten explained. “His lessons combine clear instruction, compelling group activities, and fun games and contests. He is deeply invested not just in his students’ growth as Spanish speakers, but in their growth as people.” Likewise, history teacher Dan Polifka emphasizes development of important academic skills, such as reading and annotating historical sources, and also engages students in higher-order thinking. And he is committed to widening the circle of who is talking about history in the Upper School. Garten described, “Dan’s practice of leading lunchtime discussions of current events, moderating the Mock Trial team, and organizing contests like the faculty and student Constitution Day Quiz Bowl all serve as creative and engaging ways to show students that the past is always present and that a knowledge of history is a vital part of citizenship.”

Andy McGarvey

A shining star among our constellation of wonderful Middle School teachers, Andy McGarvey stands out as a person

who has served the Seven Hills community over the years in many capacities. Lower and Middle School teacher, Middle School basketball and cross-country coach, scheduler, Middle School dean, and mentor and adviser to many students and colleagues represent just a sampling of the roles Andy has served while at Seven Hills. In presenting the Brodie award, Head of School Chris Garten summed up his thoughts about Andy, saying, “More than anything else, it is Andy’s internal compass of compassion, patience, and kindness that has allowed him to be such an integral part of our community. For him, every experience at Seven Hills is an opportunity to build community and strive for excellence.”

Doherty cafeteria

Founders Hall

Exciting Spaces

Doherty cafeteria

Founders Hall

SCHOOL NEWS

RENOVATIONS UPDATE FAMILIAR SPACES on Hillsdale and Doherty Campuses

“

When the facility matches the quality of the program, it elevates the experience. It makes you feel good.

-Patti Guethlein, Head of Doherty Because of the extensive collaboration of The Seven Hills School family, faculty, and friends, Doherty’s gym and cafeteria, located in Brooks Hall, and Hillsdale’s Founders Hall have new life. With Doherty campus’s gym upstairs and

the cafeteria downstairs, Doherty’s Brooks Hall plays an important role in the day of a student. Renovations to the gym included new electric bleachers, a fresh coat of paint, and refinished floors featuring Seven Hills’ mascot, the Stinger bee, right in the center. Head of Doherty Patti Guethlein said the renovations bring a focus to Doherty’s physical education program and highlight its importance. “When the facility matches the quality of the program, it elevates the experience,” she said. “It makes you feel good.” Gym teacher Ed Wiseman enthusiastically agreed. “The gym is wonderful, magnificent, and fantastic. It is so bright with the new efficient lighting and freshly painted walls,” he said. “The kids have always enjoyed coming to the gym, but now it is even more special.”

Downstairs in the cafeteria, the walls were painted, lunch tables were resurfaced, and the ceiling was dropped. The dropped ceiling has the largest impact. With the addition of a softer surface to the space, it’s easier for students to hear and listen. “What we did was very simple, but very important at the same time. With the new ceiling, there’s a way to absorb extraneous sound,” Guethlein said. On the Hillsdale Campus, Founders Hall, which is used as a cafeteria and performance space for students in all grades, underwent extensive changes. Robert Horne, Seven Hills’ director of finance and operations, said Founders now has a new floor, tables, chairs, dropdown drum lights, and eight additional windows. “Founders Hall is geographically the center of the Hillsdale Campus, but also is the center of campus in that it’s the one building that everybody uses every day,” Horne said. “If you’re a Lotspeich student or a 12th-grader, or you’re a Lotspeich teacher or an Upper School teacher, you’ll find that Founders Hall is a main thoroughfare.” Throughout the school year, Founders Hall is home to several productions, ranging from Upper School choral performances to Lower and Middle School plays. The stage now features a new curtain and the room has acoustical absorption panels in a variety of colors on the walls. Performances are also enhanced by a sound and lighting booth for those working productions.

Doherty gym

In fall 2017, students on the Hillsdale and Doherty campuses came back to school to find some well-loved spaces had not only new coats of paint, but revived energy.

Horne said for both Doherty and Hillsdale renovations, board member and parent Tom Garber and parent Margot Good were instrumental in the design of Founders Hall and Brooks Hall. Guethlein said the gym was made possible with the help of the Athletic Boosters and the Doherty Parents Association. 21

SCHOOL NEWS - SPORTS

FALL SPORTS HONORS Talented teams, state competitions, and competitive student athletes The fall sports season was marked by talented teams, state competitions, and student athletes holding their own in tough competitions. Congratulations to our athletes and coaches who made the fall 2017 sports season successful, and for receiving welldeserved recognition during the fall sports awards ceremony, held Nov. 1. The Seven Hills varsity golf team made it to the state tournament for a second year in a row, competing at The Ohio State Universityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Scarlet Course. The Stingers, led by coach Doug Huff, placed sixth out of 12 teams. Egan DeWitt had the lowest individual score of 76, and the team had a total score of 673. Max Lane was named First Team All-City and DeWitt was named Second Team All-City. Team members included Lane, DeWitt, Louann Kovach, Ben Schiff, Michael Weirich, and John Stewart. Girls varsity tennis players Natalie Choo and Jillian Blatt competed as a doubles team in the OHSAA Girls State Tennis Tournament. Blatt and Choo competed in the first round against a doubles team from Toledo Central Catholic. Choo and Blatt placed first in the sectional tournaments, advancing through districts onto the state tournament. Singles players Neda Tehrani and Annika Alper and doubles team Anika Parameswaran and Lucy Callard also competed in the district tournament. The team came in second in the Miami Valley Conference (MVC), with a record of 4-2. The girls varsity volleyball team proved to be tough competition last fall, competing in the sectional tournament at the end of the season. The team was 14-2 in the MVC, and 20-5 overall. The Stingers were led by Mary Ellen Bryans, Ava Romerill, Avani Seshiah, and Madeleine Creech. 22

The boys varsity soccer team claimed the sectional championship in the fall

season. The team was 6-1-1 in the MVC and 10-5-3 overall, finishing third in the conference. Brennan Callow, Ricardo Godoy, and Carson Loring were named to First Team in the All Southwest District. Godoy and Loring were also named Southwest Ohio Senior All-Star Representatives. The boys varsity cross-country team had a strong showing during the fall season. The team placed second in the SWDAB Cross-Country Championships. Matthew Maring placed second overall in the MVC, with a time of 16:54. Seven Hills girls varsity soccer ended a dynamic season with a record of 3-40 in the MVC and a record of 7-11-0 overall. Maggie Kersting and Jessica Nordlund were named All-City players. Alexis Tucker received the Dick Snyder Sportsmanship Award, which is awarded to the students who display integrity and general sportsmanship throughout the season. Seven Hills had a total of 84 Scholar Athlete award recipients this season. To qualify, recipients must be a varsity athlete and have a minimum first quarter GPA of 3.495.

SCHOOL NEWS

SEVEN HILLS ABROAD Spain

Seven Hills Upper School students played host last fall to 26 students and two teachers from Spain, as part of a partnership with Colegio Askartza Claret in Leioa, Bilbao, which is a city located in the Basque region of Northern Spain.

Seven Hills students and their families to learn a great deal about Spanish culture by spending time as host families. This spring, the Spanish students will

Bardon said the Spanish teachers especially enjoyed visiting the classrooms and exchanging ideas with Seven Hills faculty.

From Sept. 13-27, our visitors from Spain immersed themselves in the culture and routine of Seven Hills, enjoying a number of Stinger traditions, such as Spirit Week and Homecoming festivities.

“

These types of experiences always make a profound impact on our guest teachers, and they see how fantastic and willing we are as a faculty. -Teresa Bardon

The students also attended classes across disciplines and participated in meetings and other events. The exchange allowed

reciprocate by hosting the same Seven Hills students and teachers in Spain. Upper School Spanish teacher Teresa

“They truly enjoyed seeing how we engage with small class sizes and how we teach in an 80-minute block,” said Bardon. “These types of experiences always make a profound impact on our guest teachers, and they see how fantastic and willing we are as a faculty.”

SCHOOL NEWS

CREATING CONVERSATIONS SPEAKER SERIES

Our annual speaker series features experts in their fields relating to raising bright, healthy, happy children.

s part of Seven Hills’ three-part Creating Conversations series, the school counseling department guided parents, friends, and community members through a viewing of Screenagers, a critically acclaimed documentary garnering the attention of

dealing with anxiety and stress, said children are being given very little time to play freely, without guidelines and boundaries. “Because of the lack of free play, we are seeing an increase of anxiety, depression, and lack of coping mechanisms,” said Conyers. “This is

MORE CREATING CONVERSATIONS Don’t miss New York Times columnist and best-selling author Lisa Damour’s special presentation on detecting healthy and unhealthy stress in children and adolescents. The presentation, entitled, “Under Pressure: Parenting in the Age of Anxiety,” will take place at 7 p.m. on Jan. 11, 2018, at St. Ursula Academy in Cincinnati.

The Seven Hills School speaker series, Creating Conversations, welcomes you, your family, and friends to attend these free-of-charge events. To register for the January event or learn more, visit www.7hills.org/parents/creatingconversations/.

scientists and parenting experts alike. More than 160 Seven Hills families and community members gathered on Sept. 28, in Founders Hall on the Hillsdale Campus to watch the film, which shared scientific opinions that excessive screen time is permanently changing the brain of adolescents. Parents in attendance considered a number of ideas for reducing screen time, including, creating a contract that regulates screen use of everyone in the family, establishing a family day to talk about technology, such as Tech Tuesdays, and setting clear expectations of the rules. Creating Conversations continued in mid-October, as Seven Hills’ School Counseling Department hosted two workshops titled, “The Importance of Play,” on the Doherty and Hillsdale campuses. Play therapist Glenda Conyers, who sees young patients

coming not only from academics but also from sports. Even vacations can be over-structured.” Conyers concluded the workshops with dynamic, interactive ideas for play while sharing the message, “slow down, play freely!” The Seven Hills School Speaker Series

SCHOOL NEWS - ARTS

“ Everyone

from the running crew, to the Foley artists, to the actors on stage did a wonderful job bringing this charming story and characters to life. Congratulations to the entire cast and crew, and especially to Jacob Hauser, who inspires his students to strive for excellence and take ownership of their character or job in the production. - Tina Kuhlman, fine and performing arts department chair

Some Play! Unique Interpretation of Middle School Play Product of Hard Work, Trust, and Collaboration

It’s hard to believe the main characters in Seven Hills’ 2017 Middle School play started out as two recycled Styrofoam cups. But they did.

captivated audiences in the production of Charlotte’s Web in fall 2017. Months before students took the stage in Founders Hall with their puppets, Middle School art teacher Elissa Donovan wrapped wads of

In less than two months, Seven Hills’ Middle School put on a fall play with components so unique, the story of how it all came together is almost as fascinating as the production itself. To cut through the theatrical suspense, the two cups provided the foundation for each of the emotive puppets that

visual art drama music visual art 26

SCHOOL NEWS - ARTS

masking tape around the cups, crafting eight, pint-size armatures that would transform into characters such as Templeton, Wilbur as a baby, Wilbur as an adult, Uncle the fair pig, Goose, Gander, Sheep, and Lamb. Meanwhile, 39 Middle School actors worked with theater teacher Jacob Hauser to execute their lines with feeling and master the art and skill of puppetry, and four students became more adept at the intricacies of technical production. In

two concentrated months, the puppeteers learned to transfer their feelings and fluid motion to what would be an otherwise inanimate object. Wilbur actor and puppeteer sixth-grader Sam Bevington said Charlotte’s Web taught him the importance of detail, connecting with the audience, and time management. “The puppets were so detailed and well-made it helped me to feel more connected to my character,” said Bevington. “I’m sure it also gave a better perspective for the audience.” Building upon his vision to incorporate

higher level technical appointments to this year’s play, Hauser asked colleague Middle School art teacher Elissa Donovan, early on, to incorporate her interpretation of puppets into her work. Hauser said he wanted to give students an opportunity to experiment with other forms of theatrical storytelling. “I felt that in this case, especially for some of the younger audience members, puppets would help deepen the emotional connection to the characters,” said Hauser. “Mrs. Donovan did an outstanding job creating each puppet.”

By early October, Hauser was walking a circuitous path through Founders Hall after school, checking in on the actors, popping into the narrow backstage to support students working on the set with technical theater director Trey Tatum, recycling props from his past plays, and asking his Foley artists to circle around as he showed them a passel of objects that would evoke just the right sounds on stage. Yes. Foley artists. Working from the belief that the more live aspects in theater, the better, Hauser wrote Foley art into the production. The 1920s-style art form of creating live sound effects for a production was carried out by six student artists. “It challenged the students to creatively problem-solve how to get the various

Donovan, who enlisted the help of Seven Hills mother Chrissie Blatt to complete the plaster figures, continued painting the smallest of details in the eyes of each puppet. Donovan concluded her work, always mindful of the age, size, and skill of the actors. “Jacob was hoping to add an interesting visual component to the characters with the puppets,” said Donovan. “I tried to scale their size so they could be seen by the audience but not overwhelming for the actors to work with.”

sounds without resorting to digital means,” said Hauser. “By placing the Foley artists right up front in view of the

drama music visual art drama 27

SCHOOL NEWS - ARTS

SOME PLAY, CONT.

audience, we allowed the crowd to feel more a part of that experience.” Dressed to complement the cast, the Foley artists devoted their theatrical

“

Foley artistry challenged the students to creatively problemsolve how to get the various sounds without resorting to digital means. - Jacob Hauser

studies to the fine art of creating believable sounds. When birds tweeted, owls hooted, crickets chirped, thunder clapped, and clocks ticktocked, it was all happening at the hands of the meticulous Foley troupe, who guarded their cues like hawks, their hands poised to move the storyline along in dramatic, melodic, and silence-crashing ways. Hauser’s bold directorial move to add Foley sound, incorporate puppetry, and train students in many aspects of both is a nod to the faith he has in his student artists, and in Seven Hills’ fine and performing arts program.

“This was one of the most complete productions we have done in the past few years. The storytelling was well supported by all the various elements

of the production,” said Hauser. “Visually, it was more unified and elegant. The depth of the story pushed the students in both comedic and dramatic directions. I am proud of the work the kids did bringing it all together.”

music visual art drama music 28

SCHOOL NEWS

BOOKS FOR LUNCH 2018

The 2018 Books for Lunch committee, co-chaired by Seven Hills parents Amy DeWitt and Beth Shaw, is honored to present Pulitzer Prize-winning author Jane Smiley. Smiley has written a wide array of novels that highlight her versatility as an author. Books for Lunch author Jane Smiley

She has been awarded several

community. If you

honors and distinctions in

haven’t participated

addition to a Pulitzer Prize for

before, you are invited

her 1991 novel, A Thousand

to come and see what it

Acres. “Most importantly

is all about. And if you

for our students,

have, please join us again

Ms. Smiley is a

for what promises to be

dynamic creative

an extraordinary event.

writing professor,”

Save the date for the

said Shaw. “We are

Feb. 2, 2018, luncheon

certain that Seven

at Xavier University’s

Hills students will benefit

Cintas Center.

from her ability to interact

Tickets are $50.

with young people who have a thirst for knowledge.” In its 32nd year, Books for Lunch invites noted authors to Seven Hills for a morning with Upper School students

Please visit 7hills.org/booksforlunch for more information about Smiley and her work.

and a luncheon with parents and the Greater Cincinnati

SCHOOL NEWS

B U Z Z STORIES

Samples from our online newsletter, The Buzz A GLOBAL PAGE TURNER

Pages across the globe were turning as students and their teachers opened the

same books during the Global Read Aloud program, which launched in early October 2017 and ended in November. Students in Bill Schmidt and Dana Pease’s Unit III classes read Peter Brown’s The Wild Robot, a story about a robot who lives among wild animals. Schmidt said teachers from around the world participated. Schmidt and Pease said they are reading the book to their classes four to five times a week for 20 minutes. Along the way, the teachers incorporated accompanying lessons to enhance students’ global reach. One such lesson included teaching students how to distill their thoughts on a certain passage from the book and write a concise post, which was added to their international blog for The Wild Robot. The students also had the opportunity to engage in a discussion through the blog with two classes in Stow, Ohio, and Ontario, Canada.

GLACIER EXPERIMENT As part of the new Unit II global discoveries program, teacher Jo Schnirring offered a heady blend of geography and science in her glacier/iceberg experiment

in late September. Modeling an iceberg, Schnirring filled a cup with water and ice to the brim. Then, to mimic a glacier, she poured water in another cup, placed a paper plate with holes poked in it on top of the cup, then set ice cubes atop the paper plate. The students used the scientific method to determine which experiment would melt first. Contrary to many of their predictions, students learned that the glacier model melts at a slower pace than icebergs, which offered the students a more realistic idea of the delicate ecological balance involved with both forms of water, and the animals that depend on them.

notebook for the lesson. She handed out small notebooks for students to decorate so they could keep notes like a real detective on the many mysteries they read!

WHAT MAKES A MYSTERY? How are mysteries different from other

PRE-KINDERGARTENERS LEARN (AND MAKE) THE RULES When you make the rules, you remember them. After learning their way around their new classroom at the beginning of the school year, pre-kindergarteners in Cicely Knecht’s class began a late August morning lesson with a discussion about rules. “What are some things we should do to take care of our classroom?” asked Knecht. The students offered a number of ideas. “Keep the blocks in the block center,” one student said. Then Knecht asked students about taking care of each other. “We can help our friends,” one student offered. “We can keep our hands to ourselves,” another said. After the brainstorm, Knecht and her students summarized their foundational rules and Knecht wrote them on a poster: 1. Take care

works of fiction? Danielle Necessary’s second-graders explored the genre in an early fall lesson that turned students into detectives. Students learned all the elements of a mystery, including clues and red herrings. After reading Ace Lacewing: Bug Detective, Necessary asked students the traits of a good detective. “In order to be a good detective, you have to have certain qualities,” Necessary said. Students shared words like “focused,” “observant,” and “hard working,” then the class talked about how Ace Lacewing demonstrated those qualities in the book. Necessary told students they needed a proper detective’s

SCHOOL NEWS

of ourselves. 2. Take care of our friends. 3. Take care of our school. As a show of collaborative agreement, all students signed the poster, which is displayed in Knecht’s classroom for the remainder of the year. PUZZLES WITH A PURPOSE Sixth-graders in the Innovation Lab learned new skills and created for a cause in the fall. As they learned how to use the tools found in the lab, students crafted puzzles for people with Alzheimer’s disease. According to Puzzles to Remember, an organization that provides puzzles to facilities aiding those with Alzheimer’s, studies say puzzles engage and stimulate patients and can even slow the progression of the disease. Karen Glum, science teacher and Innovation Lab director, said the project allowed students to do more than work with saws, jigsaws, and other tools. “The idea for the puzzles came from a

desire to make ‘puzzles for a purpose,’ hence the project name, rather than just making them in order to learn to use the jigsaw,” Glum said. Students used a scroll saw to cut the puzzle pieces and cut the frames using jigsaws. Students had help from outside the classroom as well. Bill Sand, from local organization May We Help, cut plywood and fiberboard for the puzzles and frames. Glum also spoke with Puzzles to Remember founder Max Wallack about the project. Wallack aided Glum in deciding that students should create puzzles with 12 pieces. The Alzheimer’s Association

of Cincinnati helped Glum and the students get the puzzles in the hands of caregivers and their patients. LEARNING ESPAÑOL CON MUSICA During a lesson, eighth-graders in Maggie Walker’s class stared intently at their worksheets while listening to an upbeat

song by Spanish pop group Las Lavalamps. Every few minutes they wrote down a new word until the song ended and their worksheets were completed. The students were engaged in a musical vocabulary lesson as part of Walker’s Musica Miercoles, or Music Wednesdays, in which she uses songs to teach Spanish vocabulary lessons. The fill-in-the-blank worksheet included lyrics from the song. When students heard Las Lavalamps sing the words on their vocabulary sheet, they filled in the blanks. Walker said the exercise paired student learning with relatable pop lyrics and an engaging atmosphere. “We’re incorporating learning about culture and listening skills,” said Walker. “They’re reviewing vocabulary and working on their reading comprehension in a way that is comfortable and natural.” Walker said her students enjoy the program because it also incorporates Muevas de Martes—Movement Tuesdays— and Juegos de Jueves—Game Thursdays. A CASE FOR FIGHTING A MODERN GRENDEL Imagining their teacher Marielle Newton as a descendant of the warrior Beowulf, Upper School honors English students imagined

that an oracle told Newton she would have to fight one of the monsters—either Grendel or Grendel’s mother—to save her community. In September, Newton taught her students that Grendels were symbols for threats to the Anglo-Saxon and Scandinavian cultural values. In order to determine who Newton would fight, her students had to reference their text to back up their arguments. “I asked the kids to focus on analysis of the values that the monsters threaten,” said Newton. “We prepared by first talking about society’s modern Grendels, or things that threaten our values as Americans, such as terrorism, hate groups, divisive politicians, and extremist ideas from any group.” Newton asked her students to use their modern Grendel discussion to go back to the text to see why Anglo-Saxons would have been preoccupied enough with the idea of outside threats tearing a community apart to write an epic poem about it. In the end, said Newton, the side that lobbied for Newton to fight Grendel’s mother won. “The whole debate is trying to show why these monsters represent something much larger than an adventure story—that they

actually reveal the ways in which community values keep a society unified and why something that threatens those values is a force worth fighting against.” 31

SCHOOL NEWS

BUZZ STORIES cont. Samples from our online newsletter, The Buzz WHAT’S THE PROBLEM? Upper School students in Cassie Levesque’s algebra II class took a long, hard look around them, then pulled from their environment to build word problems that could be solved using their knowledge of algebraic equations in a hands-on activity. Students came up with a number of word problems based on situations they observed in their Upper School environment, including the number of points two classmates scored at a game, how much money a classmate spent on a locker full of snacks, and the recurrence of certain sticky note colors on student lockers, to name a few. The students were tasked with taking a picture of a scene outside their classroom, creating a story or

word problem that relates to the picture, assigning a variable to the unknown parts of their problem, writing an equation to represent the scenario, solving for the variable, then answering their question. Levesque said the activity was a valuable exercise in problem-solving for students. “Students can be creative with math and think about math in their very own real world,” said Levesque.

ALL IN A CITY BLOCK Pre-kindergarteners in Judy Shuppert’s class learned about the components of a city block during an early fall lesson. Using a student-driven, experiential learning approach, Shuppert invited students interested in building the city to participate. Once the students engaged in 32

the project, they formed committees and documented the names of their city spaces by writing signs for areas within their city model, including stop signs, play areas, roads, and areas under construction. “They covered blocks to look more like roads, built a railroad track, and built a zoo,” said Shuppert. “The students learned to communicate with peers, make compromises, and collaborate.” Shuppert said the students worked on their phonetic skills to write the signs and their fine motor skills to cut construction paper shapes that represented roads. “When one of the students wanted to make a stop sign, we used that moment to talk about octagons and other shapes that are new for them,” said Shuppert. “The project was a fascinating, ongoing opportunity for discoveries.” REVOLUTIONARY AUTHOR ALEX MYERS VISITS SEVEN HILLS In poignant and engaging addresses to the Middle and Upper schools that were equal parts biographical, history lesson, and comedy, Alex Myers, author of the book Revolutionary, delivered thoughtful, game-changing commentary on his experience as a transgender man. Revolutionary is a novel about his ancestor Deborah Samson, who disguised herself as a man and joined the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War. Myers shared his own experience as a transgender man, growing up, and gender identity. Born and raised in Paris, Maine, Myers, a writer, teacher, and speaker, was raised as a girl (Alice) and left Maine to attend boarding school at Phillips Exeter Academy.

At Exeter, Myers came out as transgender, returning his senior year as a man after attending for three years as a woman, and was the first transgender student in that Academy’s history. “Gender is one way that we create units of belonging,” Myers told the Upper School during a fall assembly in Founders Hall. Myers held workshops with students and parents during his two-day visit. Myers’ visit came as the culmination of weeks of education and thoughtful advisory discussions about the definition of transgender men and women. Head of Upper School Matt Bolton thanked Upper School student clubs, such as the Gender Sexuality Alliance, and the Equity and Justice committee, as well as students and teachers who continue to create forums around the discussion of issues facing the LGBTQ community, and math department chair Anna Works-McKinney, who worked for a year to coordinate efforts to bring Myers to Seven Hills. Works-McKinney said her desire to bring Myers to Seven Hills began when she thought about her LGBTQ students. “It’s important for them to be able to have a healthy role model and for our non-LGBTQ students to meet a real transgender person to see that they are ‘normal’ human beings,” said WorksMcKinney. “I think Myers’ message of inclusion for all students is an important one regardless of how you identify and I think that his breakdown of gender roles and what that says about our society is one students of all genders need to hear.”

SCHOOL NEWS

NEW LEARNING SUPPORT DEPARTMENT Benefits All Learners “The creation of a formal department better enables us to work together across divisions to coordinate services and support students,” Lorenz said. “It opens up more opportunities to further enhance and differentiate our program.”

A new department is working to support the many types of learners at The Seven Hills School. The Learning Support Department, formed during the last school year for students in pre-kindergarten through grade 12, supports all types of learners in our Lower, Middle, and Upper School divisions. The department is co-chaired by teachers Liz Lorenz, who coordinates Lower School activities, and Meredith Brown, who coordinates the Middle and Upper schools’ activities. To better support the transition from Lower to Middle School, they share responsibility for the sixth grade. Lorenz and Brown said Seven Hills has always had a robust learning support program and the creation of a department makes it even stronger. It allows teachers to better support students through the different transitions they experience throughout their education.

The Learning Support Department encompasses a wide range of students’ needs. Some students may need classroom support or small group instruction, while others may do better in a one-on-one setting. “We’re here to help all students, and that help works in a variety of ways,” Brown said.

“

Our understanding of how students learn is changing and evolving. Meredith Brown, Learning Support Department co-chair

As students move through Seven Hills’ divisions, the focus changes from fundamental concepts, skills, and understanding to learning increasingly

Pictured are Learning Support Department chairs Meredith Brown, left, and Liz Lorenz, right.

complex content and reinforcing study skills. In addition to Brown and Lorenz, the department includes two faculty members in the Lower schools and five shared between Middle and Upper schools. The formation of the program parallels the recent creation of the School Counseling Department, which also serves students in pre-kindergarten through 12th grade. The two departments work closely together. “We have an overlap with counseling that’s natural because, like the work of the faculty in the Learning Support Department, the work of the counselors is closely connected to supporting kids,” Brown said. “There is a flexibility within both departments that allows us to proactively respond to student and teacher needs when they arise.” After developing vision and mission statements and department structure last summer, the department is working to streamline and coordinate in-school learning support efforts. “The department is collaborating with faculty to determine areas of need and ways in which we can better support them and the students that they serve,” Lorenz said. Brown said the research and knowledge of students’ needs have changed over time. “The creation of the new Learning Support Department enables the school to better employ our growing knowledge in serving all learners,” Brown said. “Our understanding of how students learn is changing and evolving.”

SCHOOL NEWS

PERSONAL CHALLENGE Evolution of a Vlogger Robby Shaffer Robby Shaffer’s watershed moment happened in an observatory. Determined to pursue his interests in aeronautical engineering, he headed to the Cincinnati Observatory for a workshop for high school students interested in the field of aeronautics. During a group discussion, most attendees shared their love for astronomy, robotics, and engineering. Shaffer’s story was a little different. “I started talking about that movie Interstellar, and how it made me want to learn more about space,” said Shaffer. Then, like the outcome of a climactic movie scene, Shaffer had a thought. “I realized I was actually inspired by the movie, by the cinematography and the special effects, not the aeronautics,” said Shaffer, a three-sport athlete and president of the senior class at Seven Hills. “I realized I was only at the observatory because of the movie.” That moment of realization spurred Shaffer to delve into all things cinematic. It would become the impetus for his Personal Challenge project to become a vlogger. Shaffer purchased a DJI Osmo—a handheld camera that allowed him to capture fluid, cinematic footage

using his cellphone as a monitor. In the spring of 2016, he took the versatile device with him as he embarked on a vlogging journey during a Seven Hills Spanish exchange trip to Getafe, Spain. 34

“From the moment we arrived at the Cincinnati airport, until the day we left Spain, and everything in between, Robby carried that camera like it was his most prized possession and filmed what he thought would be the best experiences,” said Teresa Bardon, Shaffer’s advisor and Spanish teacher. “It goes to show that when working on a challenge that is truly meaningful to the student, it isn’t about hours. It’s about rising to complete the challenge.” Looking back, Shaffer said he had very little knowledge of the subject and even his edited pieces were rough. But what happened in Spain laid a baseline of learning experiences that have informed what he said has evolved into his professional career and his purpose. PERSONAL

busy New York City thoroughfares. Most recently, Shaffer competed with

CHALLENGE IS A REQUIRED

Shortly after EXPERIENCE THAT SPURS SEVEN HILLS he returned STUDENTS TO EXPLORE A TALENT, INTEREST, from Spain, Shaffer started OR PASSION IN-DEPTH. PERSONAL a YouTube CHALLENGE EMBODIES THE SPIRIT OF SEVEN channel, then he started HILLS AND ITS DEDICATION TO EXPERIENTIAL producing LEARNING. STUDENTS MOVE OUTSIDE highly viewed gag videos with his friends. As Shaffer began to gain more knowledge of college film students to land a summer his work, he focused on more practical— job shooting and editing film for a and profitable— professional videography company in subjects. After Over-the-Rhine. filming and editing Shaffer said, while he has always been an energy-powered interested in film, his Personal Challenge college application pursuit helped him zoom in on his true video résumé of his interests. He plans to study cinematography sister’s volleyball and film production in college. skills, Shaffer received a steady “This is definitely what I want to do, and stream of requests now I am interested in shooting featurefrom collegelength films,” said Shaffer. “I know I have bound athletes a style. Right now, I am just having fun who saw his work figuring out what it is.” and wanted him to produce their videos. The evolution didn’t Download a QR code stop there. He later took his talents reader on your smartphone to vacation spots, where he captured or tablet and scan the heart-pulsing, beat-choreographed code to view one of Robby travel videos on the boardwalks of San Shaffer’s latest videos. Francisco, on Lake Michigan, and in

SCHOOL NEWS

PERSONAL CHALLENGE Leading the Charge Avni Varshneya A toggle switch, soldering iron, 22-gauge hookup wire, 3-by-5 inch solar panel, circuit board. And one very small diode. For several months during her junior year, tinkering with these main ingredients became routine for Seven Hills senior Avni Varshneya. Fueled by lessons in computer-aided design in engineering class, Varshneya said she originally wanted to build several cellphone chargers for her relatives in sunny Delhi, and Pune, India. After wading through a number of configurations and dead ends, however, she realized her project was much more complex than she originally thought. After several starts and stops,

Varshneya’s Personal Challenge goal also helped her pave a path to what she believes is her purpose. She said a job shadowing opportunity at Ethicon, organized by Experiential Learning Director Nick Francis, further inspired her interests in biomedical engineering.

“At Ethicon, they were designing surgical tools for minimally invasive THEIR COMFORT ZONES TO REACH NEW surgeries,” said Varshneya, who ACHIEVEMENTS, DISCOVER THE THRILL is also pursuing OF MASTERY, AND SATISFY THEIR NATURAL a Concentration in engineering CURIOSITIES. and design at IN TWO STORIES, WE SHARE A GLIMPSE OF Seven Hills. “I felt like I needed WHAT PERSONAL CHALLENGE HAS MEANT to do what FOR TWO SEVEN HILLS SENIORS. these engineers were doing. I know if I become a biomedical engineer, my work will Varshneya designed one solar-powered benefit the world in some way.” cellphone charger replete with a USB charging circuit, easy on-off switch, and pocket-size portability. “From start to finish, I made this on my own,” said Varshneya. “That’s what I like about engineering and design. It’s tangible and real.” Varshneya’s adviser Lenore Horner said Avni’s project shows how students have to become independent learners in order to complete their Challenge projects. “She had to take some of the knowledge and skills she had from classes and then figure out what else she needed to learn in order to make any headway in designing and building her solar-powered charger,” said Horner.

Download a QR code reader on your smartphone or tablet and scan the code to view Avni Varshneya’s solar-powered cellphone charger tutorial. 35

ALUMNI NEWS

IN MEMORIAM: Betty Keith Freyhof Johnson L’34, H’40 On Monday, Sept. 18, 2017, the Seven Hills community lost a lifelong supporter with the passing of alumna and former trustee Betty Keith Freyhof Johnson at age 95. Predeceased by her husband, Morse Johnson L’26, Betty leaves behind daughters Beth Johnson Fotheringill H’67 and Judith Johnson H’70, and granddaughter Lisbeth Fotheringill.

Betty grew up in Cincinnati and began attending Lotspeich when it was still located at the Lotspeich home in Clifton. She graduated from Hillsdale School in 1940 and went on to attend Wellesley College and Haverford College. During World War II, Betty served in the United Relations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration in Germany. She loved her time at Lotspeich and Hillsdale, which she once described as “an awfully happy period of my life,” during which “we always knew we were getting a fabulous education.” Betty served on the Board of Trustees of the school from 1988 to 1994. In addition to her lifelong support of Seven Hills, Betty served as the first female president of the Board of Trustees of Wellesley College and was an active supporter of the May Festival, Playhouse in the Park, the Greater Cincinnati World Affairs Council, Christ Church Cathedral, and the Adolescent Clinic at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital. “Mom was a tour de force and a woman ahead of her time,” said Betty’s daughter, Beth. “She cared immensely about her family, her city, and the world. Cincinnati is a better place because of Betty Keith Freyhof Johnson.”

ALUMNI NEWS

ANNUAL GIVING Why do you give to the Seven Hills Annual Fund each year? We checked in with a few Seven Hills alumni and asked them why they support the Seven Hills Annual Fund.

“

“I spent 14 years on Red Bank Road, and my children did the same. No other experience in our lives will ever measure up to the education we received and the friendships that were cemented there and are still strong today. It’s a second home that I still love to visit and where I feel the continuity of tradition. No better gift could ever be given!” - Lynn Schweitzer Rush H’68

“I give to the Annual Fund because the Seven Hills family played a foundational role in shaping my values. I know my donation will help create an environment where students learn to care about others and believe in their own power to make a difference in their communities.” - Ramsey Reid ’03

“I give to the Annual Fund because a proper education has and always will be important to my family. The academic foundation I received from Seven Hills helped me get to where I am today. Whether it is $10 or $100, any amount helps, and I know my donation will help enrich the life of a child, the way others’ gifts did for me.” - Kenya Brock ’98

“I give to the Seven Hills Annual Fund because I want to give back to a school that gave me so much. Ensuring that future generations have the same great experience at Seven Hills that I had is important to me.”

- Benjamin van der Horst ’05

To make your tax-deductible gift today, please visit www.7hills.org/annualfund or call the Seven Hills Development Office at 513.728.2430. Questions? Please contact Andi Fischer Simon ’98, Director of Annual Giving, at 513.728.2436 or andi.simon@7hills.org. Thank you for your support, and for helping to make Seven Hills the remarkable place it is today!

ALUMNI NEWS

CATCHING UP WITH JAMEE BENDER ’09 “I look back fondly on my time at Seven Hills. In particular, I benefited

from strong writing and research skills that I gained in my English classes during high school.”

Q: Please tell us about your

education and career path after graduating from Seven Hills.

A: After graduating from Seven Hills

in 2009, I completed my undergraduate degree at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland and then received my master’s from the University of Oxford. Thereafter, I worked in investment banking in London for a year and a half before relocating to Sydney, Australia. I’m currently in law school at The University of Sydney.

Q: What brought you to the country where you live today?

A: My husband is Australian, and

since the Brexit vote in the UK last year, there has been a lot of uncertainty in the financial sectors in which we both were working. Living in Australia makes sense for both our personal and professional goals.

Q: In what way did your time at

Seven Hills (teachers, classes, or friends) influence your career path?

A: I feel forever grateful for Mrs.

Sittenfeld’s AP Art History course, which I took during my senior year. Her class inspired me to study abroad for university and instilled a love of art and museums in me. Although my career has brought me away from art history professionally, I think her course has had a long-term impact in terms of my passion for travel and for learning about different cultures.

Q: How have you gotten involved in your community where you live now?

A: Since moving to Sydney, I have

joined a women’s running group that meets weekly in different parts of the city. This has been a great way to meet other like-minded women and to explore Sydney. Also, as I progress through law school, I have developed an interest in immigration-related legal issues, which are quite topical in Australia right now. I’m hoping to volunteer at a refugee legal clinic in my third year and work firsthand with people who have been displaced and who are trying to enter Australia legally.

Q: What is your favorite memory from Seven Hills?

A: There are so many. I look back

fondly on my time at Seven Hills. In particular, I benefited from strong writing and research skills I gained in my English classes during high school. Having a strong foundation in the basics of writing a research paper and forming a coherent argument has served me well—even if it felt painful at the time!

ALUMNI NEWS

CATCHING UP WITH PATRICK CONLON ’04 “Seven Hills prepared me for college, as well as later life in the professional world, where I spend much of my time conducting job interviews with people from all over the globe.”

Q: Please tell us about your

education and career path after graduating from Seven Hills.

Q: In what way did your time at

Seven Hills (teachers, classes, or friends) influence your career path?

A: After graduating from Seven Hills, A: Seven Hills always emphasized the I attended Denison University, where I majored in communication and minored in political science. Upon graduating, I began working for Shepler’s Mackinac Island Ferry, where I worked as dockmaster and handled all of the hiring, training, and scheduling of cast members. Today I live on Mackinac Island and am the director of human resources at Grand Hotel, the world’s largest summer hotel. Currently, we are in our 130th year of operation and employ roughly 700 people from over 14 different countries during our season (late April through late October).

Q: How involved are you in your community today?

A: Mackinac Island is a small

community, especially during the winter season. I am one of approximately 350 year-round residents, so most of us are on a first-name basis with one another and stay very active in the local community.

importance of good writing and verbal communication. All of my classes helped with this, but none more than Sandra Smythe’s journalism class. Writing for the Common Canvass and conducting interviews helped improve all aspects of communication for me. This prepared me for college, as well as later life in the professional world, where I spend much of my time conducting job interviews with people from all over the globe.

Q:. If you could give your high

school self one piece of advice, what would it be?

Andy McGarvey. We did everything from spelunking, to camping, to a road trip to Jekyll Island, Georgia. We had so much fun and I experienced things that I otherwise never would have.

A: Trust that your stars will align.

Don’t stress yourself out over things you can’t control.

Q: Please tell us about one of your favorite memories from Seven Hills.

A: I often look back on the fourth-

and fifth-grade trips that we took with

ALUMNI NEWS

GOODALL RECEPTION Seven Hills Honors Goodall Award Winner Riva Lehrer ’76 Classmates, former teachers, friends, and family gathered on Monday, Oct. 2, to honor the 2017 recipient of the Norma Martin Goodall Award for Distinguished Alumni, Riva Lehrer ’76. Each year, the school bestows the Goodall Award on an alumna or alumnus who has achieved distinction bettering the lives of others in a public or private career or activity. Riva works as an artist, writer, curator, teacher, and advocate for the disabled and the LGBTQ community. Her work focuses on issues of physical identity. She is best known for representing those with physical impairments and those whose gender and sexual identity have been stigmatized. Riva followed longtime former Upper School teacher Sandra Smythe’s introduction with an engaging talk about her art and her process, accompanied by slides of her work. She then spoke with a group of Upper School art students and art teachers Jason Knarr and Daniel Vance, providing a lesson on observing the planes of the skull to paint a portrait, using Knarr and a photo of Abraham Lincoln as models for the lesson.

An excerpt from Sandra Smythe’s introduction: “Riva was born with spina bifida—a devastating

physical condition. She had been a student at Condon School, but her parents—undoubtedly recognizing the fine mind and the ferocious will that would see her through a life that has been notable for achievement—thought she would benefit from the challenge of Seven Hills. We on the faculty thought long and hard about how we could support her, how we would help her to become integrated into a school that—let’s face it, as any alum will tell you, is a hard, fast league. “Well, we found out soon enough that she was more than a match, thank you very much, for any aspect of the school’s regimen. Whip smart and intellectually curious, she was also determined to manage things on her own. And manage she did. She arrived in class as breathless as the next kid, but she soaked up information and ideas as fast as we could offer them. She broke her own paths, and maybe she complained to somebody, but neither I nor her other teachers I have talked to can remember any complaints or a plea for quarter. She simply got on with the job—as she has, apparently, since she graduated. “More than 40 years ago, we loved and worried about a little girl with big hurdles to overcome. Today, we honor Riva Lehrer as a distinguished alumna and accomplished artist and humanitarian.”

The classes of 2003, 2008, and 2013 will celebrate their reunions on Saturday, Nov. 24, 2018. These classes are welcome to join the reunion festivities on April 13.

ION 2 0 • • • • •

All events are free-of-charge, courtesy of your Alumni Association and the Alumni & Development Office.

Class Representatives are needed to help make this a special weekend for your class. Please contact Director of Alumni Engagement Sarah Ott Lautar ’05 at sarah.lautar@7hills.org or 513.728.2432 to volunteer.

SEVEN HILLS classes of 1978, 1983, 1988, 1993, and 1998

WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU THIS SPRING!

LOTSPEICH classes of 1942, 1947, 1952, 1957, 1962, 1967, and 1972

April 13 & 14

CPS & HILLSDALE classes of 1943, 1948, 1953, 1958, 1963, 1968, and 1973

• • • • •

Reunion 2018

Spouses, guests, and families are welcome. All information is available at www.7hills.org/ reunion.

20 NI O N

CONGRATUL ATIONS TO THE CL ASS OF 1993 ON CELEBRATING YOUR 25TH REUNION

1993

ALUMNI NEWS

Reunion schedule Friday, April 13

Saturday, April 14

11:30 A.M.-1:30 P.M. CLASSICS LUNCHEON & STATE OF THE SCHOOL for CPS & Hillsdale classes of 1938-1968 and Lotspeich alumni from 1937-1967 Cincinnati Country Club 2348 Grandin Road, 45208

Blocks of rooms have been reserved at the following hotels:

2-3 P.M. CPS TOUR OF DOHERTY CAMPUS with Patti Guethlein, Head of Doherty 2726 Johnstone Place, 45206 5-5:30 P.M. TOUR OF UPPER SCHOOL AND EARLY CHILDHOOD CENTER Meet in front of the Upper School 5400 Red Bank Road, 45227 6-8 P.M. FLAVOR OF SEVEN HILLS ALUMNI RECEPTION for all Reunion classes and local alumni Hillsdale Campus, 5400 Red Bank Road, 45227

Reserved for class-specific celebrations.

HOTEL INFORMATION:

COURTYARD BY MARRIOTT AT ROOKWOOD Reference Seven Hills Reunion Group for group rate before March 25, 2018. Code SHRSHRA for a king room or SHRSHRB for a queen room if booking online at www.marriott.com/cvgnw. If over the phone at 800.533.0619, please reference the Seven Hills Reunion for the special rate. $149/night plus tax 3813 Edwards Road, 45209 513.672.7100 MARIEMONT INN Reference the Seven Hills Reunion when calling for a reservation. $156.60 for a king room; $165.60 for a double queen room. 6880 Wooster Pike, 45227 513.271.2100

CPS 1968

CONGRATUL ATIONS TO THE CL ASS OF 1968 ON CELEBRATING YOUR 50TH REUNION

HILLSDALE 1968

ALUMNI NEWS

Does the school still…? Alumni often ask us if the school continues events and traditions that they fondly remember from their school days. Often, our answer is, “Yes, the school still does that!”

The Annual Sophmore Rafting Trip

Sophomores have had the opportunity to take a rafting trip on the New River in West Virginia every fall since 1995. Physics teacher and tennis coach Tim Drew has coordinated the trip for 22 years, with the purpose of building class unity while having an outdoor adventure in a beautiful place. This year, the sophomores went over the last weekend in October and enjoyed lovely fall scenery on the river.

YO U ST I L

2017 1997

1997

ALUMNI NEWS

Annual Seven Hills Sports Day On Aug. 5, Seven Hills alumni tennis, volleyball, and soccer players braved the heat to play against the Seven Hills varsity teams and reconnect with old teammates. Thank you to all who brought out their rackets, pulled on their kneepads, and laced up their cleats!

Alumni Gather at Peterloon for Fall Reception On Oct. 12, Cincinnati-area alumni gathered at the historic Peterloon estate to catch up over seasonal hors dâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;oeuvres and drinks while enjoying the scenery. Seven Hills juniors Maddie Morstadt, Madison Peltier, and Drew Vecellio provided musical entertainment for the crowd, which also heard from Alumni Association President Ben Glassman, Board Chair Jen Stein, and Head of School Chris Garten.

ALUMNI NEWS

Summer Alumni Gathering at MadTree On July 13, Cincinnatiarea Seven Hills alumni got together at MadTree Brewing Companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s new location on Madison Road in Oakley for craft beers and pizza.

ALUMNI NEWS

#THROWBACK Making a Home in Hill Manor Generations of Seven Hills alumni remember Hill Manor’s presence on campus, though they may not know that the building served as home to a family in the 1950s. In the 1950s, one little girl called Hill Manor home, and it gave her a front row seat to life at the school in a bygone era. Carol Egbers Haehnle, who was in fourth grade during the year her family lived in Hill Manor, kindly shared her memories of life on Seven Hills’ campus during the mid-1950s. After Hill Manor ceased to serve as a

dormitory in the late 1940s, the first floor became the home economics classroom, and the Egbers family made their home on the second floor. Hill Manor, which mirrored the grey clapboard of the Hillsdale Commons and the old Upper School building, was situated in the area of the Lotspeich Leyman Science Center and the Donovan Arts Center. Hillsdale School constructed Hill Manor in 1928 as a dormitory for girls who lived too far from school for the daily commute. In the spring of 1954, the Egbers moved in—father Joe, mother Tillie, their children Susan and Carol, and their pet collie. Joe was the maintenance man at Hillsdale

School, responsible, among other things, for maintaining the boiler room. Each day, he would rise early and turn on the three boilers at 5 a.m., then turn on all the lights to ensure all was well on campus before faculty and students arrived for the day. Tillie worked in the kitchen, preparing meals and setting the tables for a formal lunch each day. “In those years,” Carol recalls, “the students had a very formal lunch, and they were expected to use good table manners during meals.” Once school was dismissed, Carol was free to wander campus. She remembers helping her father sweep the floors, sledding down the famous Lotspeich hill, and sneaking into the kitchen when she could smell cookies baking. Just as it is today, the campus was abuzz with activity after the final bell rang, and Carol shared stories of watching play rehearsals and chasing after stray tennis balls for the girls playing on the courts in front of Hill Manor. As Carol remembers, “the campus was full of wide open space, and, in the summer, I would wander around and catch fireflies.” She also remembers big occasions, like the Miracle Play, high teas, and graduation, before which, she recalls, “Some of the older girls took me in the back of Founders Hall to see their graduation dresses. They were beautiful dresses made of crinoline and Chantilly lace — some were from France, Switzerland, and Italy. They carried red roses at commencement.” An alumna from the time fondly remember Carol, saying, “We older girls treated Carol like a little sister.”

The family moved out of Hill Manor shortly after Joe’s death in 1955. Tillie continued to work at Hillsdale for several years until she remarried. Graduates from later decades will remember Hill Manor as home to the art department, where its age (and perhaps its distance from the other buildings on campus) allowed for creative expression literally to adorn the walls and doors. The building was torn down in June 2001, during construction of the current Upper School. While it may have felt like home to boarding school students and those who loved art classes, it also literally served as a home to one family. Our thanks to Carol Egbers Haehnle, for sharing her memories and giving us a window into life at Hillsdale School.

ALUMNI NEWS

CLASS NOTES News from our Alumni 1953 Class Representative: Clover Brodhead Gowing Clover Brodhead Gowing (H)(Santa Barbara, California) wrote, “Good health lets me volunteer for Planned Parenthood. It’s a great way for me to engage with other generations. I recommend it highly!”

1957 Sue Kountz (C)(Naples, Florida) tells us, “I have moved to paradise—Naples, FL—and am leaving for a trip to Croatia in the next couple of weeks. I still have children in Cincinnati, so I get back there to visit them occasionally. I am busy with The League Club, an offshoot of Junior League here in Naples, which is a great way to meet new people. All the members are transfers or snowbirds. They have a very busy calendar from November to May, then the snowbirds go home and things quiet down. I am still active with traveling, needlepointing, gardening, and cooking. Life is good here in paradise. We love to have company, so if anyone is coming this direction, let me know. I have several empty guest rooms, just waiting for company.”

1966 Cynthia Kuhn Beischel (C)(Cincinnati) is excited to report that her latest book, Lost Tea Rooms of Downtown Cincinnati, is still receiving great reviews and her

50 1

presentations about the bygone days of downtown and the writing process continue to be popular. 1

1967 Class Representative: Kathy Oechler Whitbeck Mildred Culp, Ph.D. (C)(Knoxville, Tenessee) was awarded the 2017 Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award for her career longevity and “unwavering excellence” in her work as syndicated columnist for the Knoxville News Sentinel. Susan McCaslin (H)(Thetford Center, Vermont) wrote, “My big news is that our daughter, Caitlin Henningsen, married Russell Rennie on Aug. 19 at our home in Vermont. It was a perfect summer day and we had a lovely, exuberant wedding. Caitlin works at the Frick Collection in New York City, directing their academic programs and Russell is a newly minted lawyer who will spend the year clerking for a federal judge in San Francisco. By next summer, he will be back in NYC with Caitlin.”

1969 Patsy Robinson (Short Hills, New Jersey) wrote to tell us, “I thoroughly enjoyed meeting Katherine Zoepf ’96 in New York City and reading her excellent book, Excellent Daughters.”

1972 Helen Asbury (H)(Cincinnati) wrote that she is “so glad to be a partner on occasion with the Seven Hills community.” She also tells us her son John Rowe ’13 is in his first year of veterinary medicine at The Ohio State University and loving it.

1976 Class Representatives: Janet Allen Reid and Merry Ewing SHARE YOUR NEWS

New job? Recently married? Written a book? If you have stories to share, please don’t hesitate! Go to www.7hills.org/alumniupdates. Drop us a line and send high resolution photos (.jpeg format) to sarah.lautar@7hills.org.

Lawre Finn Bonekemper (Cincinnati) writes, “My oldest son, Colin, just got married—a first for our children. It was a wonderful weekend of fun, dancing, eating, drinking, and, of course, love. My middle son, Wes, is a rock-star boat salesman here in Cincinnati and having a blast. We’ve had many great times on his boat. My daughter, Lana, has stayed on the West Coast in Bellingham, Washington, after finishing the Pacific Crest Trail last year. I am the administrator for the Indian Hill Historical Society and really enjoy it—especially my office on 12 beautiful acres in a historic house with the historian and librarian. I’m also playing a ton of platform tennis and have just started playing pickleball, too. Anyone interested in a game? My husband, Bill, is, well, semi-retired, and can often be found on a golf course.” Riva Lehrer (Chicago, Illinois) had an editorial published in the New York Times on

Cynthia Beischel’s book Lost Tea Rooms of Downtown Cincinnati

Members of the class of 1998 together at the Blochers’ house

In Memoriam Our condolences to the families and friends who have lost loved ones.

Aug. 9, 2017. Riva, the 2017 recipient of the Seven Hills’ Goodall Award for Distinguished Alumni, wrote about her experience of life with spina bifida and the portrayal of those with disabilities and those in the LGBT community in art.

from Seven Hills, she is very excited to reconnect. The organization is celebrating its 25th anniversary and Julie would love to reconnect with alumni, faculty, and students. Contact Julie at julie@breakthroughcincinnati.org.

1934

1989

1998

Class Representative: Amy Bulger Kattman

Class Representatives: Meredith Edwards Ficks and Jo Sittenfeld

Betty Keith Freyhof Johnson (H) (Cincinnati) passed away on Sept. 18, 2017.

Andy Paris’ (Irvington, New York) father shared that Andy wrote, co-directed, and acted in Tectonic Theater Project’s Uncommon Sense at The Sheen Center for Thought & Culture in New York this past October and November.

1994 Julie Witten (Cincinnati) tells us she has recently taken a new position as the executive director of Breakthrough Cincinnati. Breakthrough provides summer academic enrichment to high-potential and high-need middle school students from throughout the city. Breakthrough began as Summerbridge in 1992 and Seven Hills served as one of the original host sites. Julie’s grandfather served on Summerbridge’s Board of Directors during the founding of 2 the organization, and this opportunity holds a very special meaning for her. Since many of the teachers of Summerbridge back in the day hailed INTERESTED IN BEING A REUNION REP FOR YOUR CL ASS?

Please Contact Sarah Ott Lautar ‘05,

Kenya Brock (Atlanta, Georgia) has accepted a position with Katz Broadcasting in Atlanta, as director of marketing for Brown Sugar (brownsugar.com), a newly launched streaming service. There, she will build and execute a marketing roadmap to support short- and long-term goals, including user acquisition, retention, and partnership.

Carol Hargrave Skinner Lawson (L) (Buckingham, Virginia) passed away on Nov. 17, 2016.

1940

Lester McDevitt (L)(Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida) passed away on May 27, 2016. David Reid (L)(Cincinnati) passed away on Oct. 28, 2017.

1945

Dan Bricker (L)(Cincinnati) passed away on Oct. 26, 2016.

1947

Cynthia Wyman Richardson (C)(McLean, Virginia) passed away on March 13, 2017.

1952

Emily “Emmy” Richardson Boughton (H) (Meadville, Pennsylvania) passed away on March 8, 2017.

1953

Kay Wallingford Hepp (C)(Naples, Florida) passed away on Sept. 19, 2017.

Andi Fischer Simon (Cincinnati) tells us, “A few members of the Class of 1998 gathered together to say goodbye to the Blochers’ house, where way too many nights were spent in high school!” Left to right in the photo, Jay Ashmore ’98, Beau Tuke, Andi Fischer Simon ’98, Kate Blocher ’98, Rich Hutchins ’98, Kenya Brock ’98, Katie Draznik ’98, and Tuck Shepard. 2

Louise Jacobs Sheffield (H)(Scottsdale, Arizona) passed away on Dec. 28, 2016.

1960

Christine Clark Spring (C)(San Francisco, California) passed away on May 21, 2017.

Director of Alumni Engagement sarah.lautar@7hills.org 513.728.2432

ALUMNI NEWS

CLASS NOTES News from our Alumni The New York Times published photos taken by Jo Sittenfeld (Providence, Rhode Island) on Aug. 31, 2017, as part of a piece called Looking into the Future for a Child with Autism. The photos accompanied a written essay by Cammie McGovern about developing a vision for her autistic son’s future.

2005

Class Representatives: Asia Reid Narayan and Benjamin van der Horst Annie Rittgers (Cincinnati) organized and hosted (alongside Cincinnati city councilman P.G. Sittenfeld ’03) a successful Heroin Hackathon on June 10 and 11, 2017. Teams brainstormed ideas to tackle the heroin crisis. A team proposing a crowdfunding website won the grand prize and a chance to present their idea to a team from Microsoft and Cincinnati City Council.

1999 Class Representative: Liza Martindale Weiner Congratulations to Elida Kamine (Cincinnati) on being named one of Cincinnati Business Courier’s Forty Under 40 for her work as chief of staff to Cincinnati city councilman P.G. Sittenfeld ’03 and as a member of the Amberley Village City Council. Matt Mazzuckelli (Bakersville, North Carolina) tells us, “I gave up all my corporate ties and trappings, moved to the mountains of North Carolina, and started a farm. Primarily mushrooms, but veggies and fruit, too. I’m currently expanding again, because apparently people love mushrooms… Best job I’ve ever had.”

2000

Caroline Habbert Romash (Hollywood, Florida) moved to Florida in 2010 to take a position at Mount Sinai Medical Center. Since then, she met her husband, Ross, and they welcomed Ian Fredrick to their family in January 2017. He’s a Stinger at heart, and also pretty excited to be wearing this awesome Seven Hills onesie, and would be even more excited to see anyone who is in the Miami, Florida, area. He can be found on Instagram @IanOnTheTown. Ian is also excited that he will be the ring bearer for both of his aunts’ upcoming weddings in 2018: Rachel Habbert ’05, who is currently working on her Ph.D. at the University of California at Berkeley, and Julie Habbert ’08, who works at an education non-profit in Boston. 3 4 52

studying natural language processing, at Johns Hopkins University!

2001

Class Representative: Andy Lenobel Congratulations to Frenika Mudd Rivers (Boyds, Maryland) and her husband, Dameon, on the birth of their son Aaron, who joins older sister Mykah, who is 2-years-old. 5

Congratulations to Emily Zemboch Werbel (Chicago, Illinois) and her husband, Aaron, who welcomed their son Jacob Milo Werbel on Sept. 7, 2017. 6

2006

Class Representatives: Clay Jamison and Laura Hoguet Leonard

2003

Congratulations to Wesley Filardo (Baltimore, Maryland), who recently completed his Ph.D. in computer science,

3 Caroline Habbert Romash’s son Ian 4 Ian Romash in his Stinger onesie 5 Frenika Mudd Rivers’ son Aaron

Peter Carr (Cincinnati) was profiled by local news station WKRC for his cross-country bicycle trip to honor his mother and raise awareness of and money for cancer research. Peter’s mother, longtime Doherty kindergarten teacher Jenny Carr, passed away in February 2017. Daniel Filardo (Denver, Colorado) is in his final year of residency in internal medicine at the University of Colorado, Denver. Congratulations, Daniel! 8

Erin Harbaugh Reese (Scottsdale, Arizona) wrote with good news. She and her husband, Russell Reese, welcomed twin boys Owen Tillman and Brooks Edward on April 1, 2017. She also reports that she was recently promoted to digital marketing manager for CalAtlantic Homes, one of the country’s largest homebuilders operating in 19 states. Congratulations, Erin and Russell! 8

members of the class of 2006 in attendance included Laura Houston and Jake Shifman, Meredith Decker Truettner, Leah Hoffheimer, Nate McNamara, and Stephanie Miller. Susan and Jared met in 2010, working as paralegals in their first jobs out of college. They live in New York City, where Jared works in sales for a technology startup called Honest Buildings and Susan is an attorney at Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft. They celebrated their wedding with a honeymoon in Greece and Positano, Italy. 9

2007

Zaki Anwar (Columbus, Ohio), who currently serves as clerk to Judge Jeff Sutton of the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals, shared that he will be clerking for Chief Justice John Roberts in 2019, saying, “I am quite humbled by the opportunity. It’s rather surreal and I am very fortunate. I am particularly grateful for the education I received over my seven years at Seven Hills. The teachers took such

Best wishes to Sarah Brand McManus (Columbus, Ohio) on her wedding to Thomas McManus on July 1, 2017! 7 SHARE YOUR NEWS

6 Emily Zemboch Werbel and husband Aaron with their son Jacob Milo 7 Sarah Brand McManus and husband Thomas McManus

Congratulations to Susan Miller Vuernick (New York, New York) on celebrating her marriage to Jared Vuernick on March 18, 2017, in New Hyde Park, New York! Fellow

keen interest in my development and really challenged me to be the best thinker, writer, and person I could be.”

8 Owen Tillman and Brooks Edward Reese 9 Susan Miller Vuernick and husband, Adam Vuernick, with Seven Hills friends at their wedding

ALUMNI NEWS

CLASS NOTES News from our Alumni 2008 Class Representative: Jessalyn Reid Congratulations to Emily Black Favreau (Los Angeles, California) on her marriage to Jon Favreau! Emily and Jon married in Biddeford Pool, Maine, on June 17, 2017. Emily’s sister Abby Black Narigon ’05 and friend Abbey Wood ’08 served as bridesmaids, and a number of Seven Hills friends attended as guests. Emily and Jon live in Los Angeles with their goldendoodle, Leo. 10

marriage to Nathan Evers on Oct. 8, 2017. Shannon completed her master’s degree at Clemson University in December 2017, and the couple lives in Greenville. Seven Hills friends in attendance at the wedding included, from left to right in photo, Sara Schonfeld ’10, Tiffany Au-Yeung ’10, and Maggie Sanders. 11

INTERESTED IN BEING A REUNION REP FOR YOUR CL ASS?

Please Contact Sarah Ott Lautar ’05,

2013

Director of Alumni Engagement

John Rowe’s (Columbus, Ohio) mother, Helen Asbury H’72, tells us that John is in his first year of studying veterinary medicine at The Ohio State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine and is loving it.

sarah.lautar@7hills.org 513.728.2432 Steven Young (Charlotte, North Carolina) was interviewed by Creative Loafing, an alt-weekly publication in Charlotte, about his successful pizza restaurant, Zablong. Young told the paper about Zablong’s marketing strategy, including its use of customer-generated social media.

Our condolences to family and friends who lost loved ones as reported in this issue.

2010

Class Representatives: Walker Schiff and Luke Wulsin Best wishes to Shannon Monnier Evers (Greenville, Sounth Carolina) on her

2017-18 Seven Hills Board of Trustees (Photo on right)

Front John Schneider, Ben Glassman ’93, Meghan Nelson, Lalitha Chunduri, Christopher Garten, Jennifer Stein, Jennifer Dauer, Rob Anning ’86, Margaret Avril Lawson ’75, Karen Callard ’80

2009

Abbey Gauger’s (New York, New York) mother, Debbie Hill, wrote to tell us that, following a successful law school career, Abbey recently graduated first in her class from New York Law School and passed the New York bar exam. She has joined the firm Cleary Gottlieb in New York City. Debbie wrote, “Abbey’s successes in undergrad and law school are because of her Seven Hills education and her involvement in theater. I always said Abbey had such a hunger to learn, and she was well-fed at Seven Hills, every single day.” Congratulations, Abbey!

10 Emily Black Favreau and her husband, Jon Favreau, with Leo the goldendoodle 11 Shannon Monnier Evers with Seven Hills friends at her wedding

Back Ron DeLyons, Dobbs Ackermann, Lair Kennedy, Marc Fisher, Sashi Kilaru, Michael Nordlund, Michael Coombe L’72, Tom Garber ’96, Andrew Quinn, Abram Gordon, Karen Meyer, Wendy Ellis Gardner, Beth Schiff Not pictured: Steve Baggott, Scott Carroll ’85, Dorothy Corbett ’84, Jim Jurgensen, Jan-Michele Lemon Kearney, Jutta Lafley

ALUMNI NEWS

Alumni Calendar 2017-18 Thursday, Jan. 18, 2018 Career Networking Panel & Cocktail Hour 6-8 p.m. Donovan Arts Center Hillsdale Campus 5400 Red Bank Road Tuesday, March 6, 2018 Boston Alumni Reception 6-8 p.m. Post 390 406 Stuart St. Boston, MA 02116 Wednesday, March 7, 2018 New York City Alumni Reception 6-8 p.m. The Doubles Club, Sherry Netherland Hotel 785 Fifth Avenue, #414 New York, NY 10022 Hosts: Peter Dumbadze ’06 Jan Fulgraff Golann H’67 Evan Joiner ’03 Bobby Marcus ’97

Marti Newland ’98 Mary Wulsin Zema ’05 Thursday, March 1, 2018 Naples, Florida Alumni Reception 12-2 p.m. Home of Anne Drackett Thomas H’66 Friday, April 13, 2018 Reunion Classics Luncheon & State of the School 11:30 am. -1:30 p.m. Cincinnati Country Club 2348 Grandin Road Cincinnati, OH 45208 Flavor of Seven Hills 6-8 p.m. Hillsdale Commons 5400 Red Bank Road Saturday, April 14, 2018 Reunion Individual class events More information to come from your class rep!

2017-18 Seven Hills Board of Trustees

The Seven Hills School Hillsdale Campus 5400 Red Bank Road Cincinnati, Ohio 45227

Non-Profit Organization U.S. Postage PAID Cincinnati, OH Permit No. 9695