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Thank you for your interest in Seven Hills’ Lower School At Seven Hills, children explore and grow in learning spaces with low teacher-

their fields. Our teachers guide students through a variety of experiences that

student ratios, which enable our teachers to know every student well—to

tap into their innate curiosities about their world.

celebrate each child’s unique gifts, and to work as partners with parents to help every child reach his or her potential intellectually, emotionally, socially, and physically. Lessons, activities, and the learning environments are intentionally designed to engage the whole child in mind, body, and heart. At Seven Hills, our young students take regular classes in Spanish, art, music, creative dramatics, library skills, and physical education from experts in

What truly sets our Lower School experience apart can be felt when you enter our classrooms. Joy in learning is evident as children pursue explore their curiosities and make new discoveries, master a new skill, and make a new friend. We invite you to experience firsthand elementary education at Seven Hills, and we look forward to your visit!

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Caretakers of the World THE M I NDSET THAT I NFORMS S EV E N H I LLSâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; VA LU E S AT O U R LOWER SCHOOLS

BY 4

KARLA

DEJEAN

“Seven Hills is a school culture in which our teachers care deeply, not only about the skills our students are acquiring, but also about who they are as citizens of this school, this nation, this planet.” - Head of School Chris Garten LEARNING TO BE YOUR BEST TAKES TIM E. It also takes intentional guidance and instruction. The Seven Hills School is built upon Seven Values that pour into our students’ daily lives. These foundational words, visible on the walls and in written materials across our campuses, appear timeless and ubiquitous. The concise descriptors, however, were once a jumble of thoughts, sparks of an idea, scribbles on sticky notes.

Nothing has changed. “As proud as I am of our innovative and responsive academic curriculum, I take still greater pride in the efforts our teachers make, in partnership with our families, to create a values-

“We wanted to create a formal articulation of what was already happening, to help reflect the school’s place and the students’ place in a larger society. In essence, we wanted the words to describe the soul of the school.”

based learning environment here at Seven Hills,”

If our Seven Values embody the soul of Seven

said Head of School Chris Garten during an

Hills, our students and teachers are the lifeblood,

interview in March 2017. “Our commitment to

constantly carrying their interpretations into

fostering values in our students is the logical

tangible, real-life interactions with each other and

corollary to our school mission. Seven Hills is a

within our communities.

On a spring evening in 1999, the Board of

school culture in which our teachers care deeply,

Trustees formed a Values committee, who

not only about the skills our students are

In the next few pages, we share snapshots of how

compiled notes and looked at where they

acquiring, but also about who they are as citizens

Seven Hills Values continue to inform the learning

overlapped. The result was the concisely penned

of this school, this nation, this planet. In their

experiences of our Lower School students, in

Seven Hills’ Values Statement, laid out like

daily interactions with their students, our

and beyond the classroom. We will see how

this—pursuit of excellence; respect for others and

teachers look for ways to encourage students to

third-graders are on the verge of recognizing the

appreciation of diversity; kindness, caring, and

conduct themselves in accordance with the

importance of social justice, how first-graders

compassion; honesty and integrity; fairness and

values we all share.”

are holding each other accountable, how fifth-

justice; personal responsibility and accountability; and commitment to community.

More poignant than the fact that it exists, is the spirit in which Seven Hills’ Values came to be—

Eighteen years ago, the carefully selected words

as a result of thoughtful collaboration,

and phrases spoke to our academic and cultural

conversations, and appreciation for something

integrity, and a shared belief that how Seven

that was already happening.

Hills students understood the world around them, practiced integrity, and responded to the needs of others, is as important, if not more so, as GPAs, test scores, and trophies.

“The thing about it was, we weren’t writing up

graders are determined to connect with students on the West Coast, and how kindergartners spurred an impromptu study of invertebrates, after independently taking on a charge to care for displaced earthworms during recess. Soulful, indeed.

something because we had an issue we needed to address,” said Joe Curry, a former board member who sat on the Values committee 18 years ago. 5

Caretakers of the World LEARNING WE HAVE A PLACE IN THE WORLD The third-graders sat in the quiet room, one

9-year-olds just beginning to grasp the idea that

cultures of five regions within the United States.

early February morning, canopied by a

the world is not perfect—would not soon forget.

In the final region, the study examines the

frescoed ceiling that seemed miles above. “Who is the most important person in this room?”

The field trip through the

Cherokee and the Trail of Tears.

124-year-old urban

“It’s a very sad story about the

colossus marked the

Cherokee people. We talk about how

launch of what would be

the U.S. government pressed ahead

After a few answers—“The mayor? City

the third-graders’

with its agenda to uproot Native

manager?”—the students looked around at the

extensive study of

Americans from their land,” said

grand chamber in which

Cincinnati history. But

Niehaus. “The kids were astounded to

they sat for a guided tour

the 90-minute civics

hear this sort of injustice happened

of Cincinnati City Hall.

lesson that led the

in our country.”

docent and retired City Hall employee Connie Roesch asked the students.

students up marble Sensing they were being

stairways, past towering stained-glass panes, and

asked to think harder and

into impromptu visits with city officials was

more deeply, the flow of

merely a tangible reference for responsibility,

answers came to a stop.

accountability, justice, and community.

Then a few more raised their hands. “Us?” one student asked. “Yes,” said Roesch.

laid plans for more. Just as math and reading are introduced to young minds in steps, starting with the basic units of each, Seven Hills Lower School

“The most important people here are you, the

teachers explain the concept of social justice in

public. Without the people, we would not have a

small, formative bites, starting out with ideals

democratic system.” Roesch then pointed to a dais

and basic human needs.

positioned in the center of the chamber and explained that the public sit there while they address the Council.

Niehaus and Walden’s multi-layered curriculum

In order to prepare the students to understand the privilege of the democracy in action they witnessed at City Hall, Niehaus and Walden

Third-grade teachers Lynn Niehaus and Kim Walden

started the school year with a study of Native

hoped it would be a moment their students—8- and

Americans, focusing on shelters, resources, and

Then the growing—the appreciation for inalienable rights, for what local government stands for—begins. Once the connections are made, the learning moments carry a heavier meaning for the young

THE M I NDSET THAT I NFORMS SEVEN H I LLS’ VALUES AT OUR LOWER SCHOOLS students, said Walden. “The values are constant.

through Battery Tunnel to save lives during the

“It is my hope that the students develop habits of

It’s not something that is just up on the wall,” she

Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in New York City,

kindness and compassion through real-life

said. “It is a living thing. It is part of our daily lives.”

she shared the story with her students. Then she

connections,” said Dawson. “They travel outside

asked them to stage a memorial patterned after

themselves through projects

An example takes us back to the City Council

the fallen firefighter’s last heroic effort. That

and reading to build these

chamber.

exercise, and the spirit behind it, has evolved into

qualities in themselves.”

Shortly after the docent pointed out the utility of the lower dais, a student approached Niehaus. “He whispered to me, ‘Do you mean those chairs are for people like me, too? Little people? Kids?’ And I told him, ‘Yes, if there was something you

an annual event, Tunnel Walk. Fourth- and fifth-graders on the Doherty Campus walk a mile to commemorate the heroes of Sept. 11.

Noltner’s photography-inspired movement, a peace

signs that students are serving others and holding themselves to higher standards are visible in

knew, ‘I have a voice here.’ ”

many aspects of students’

The connections that prepare Seven Hills

school lives, every day.

students for a life of meaning and purpose

“It’s when you see a busy hallway of children trying

happen subtly, in individual ways,

to get from one place to another and someone drops

intentionally, through layered curriculum, and

their pencil box and things go flying and five don’t

for some, they appear in a deluge of ideas that

walk by. They stop,” said

are powerful and consuming. For Unit III

Head of Doherty Patti

teacher Patty Dawson, the latter is true.

she thinks—in imaginative, colorful bursts of deep meaning coupled with poignant thoughts and well-planned, interconnected subject matter. Her lessons always come from the heart. When Dawson, a runner, learned that off-duty firefighter and avid runner Stephen Siller ran two miles

bettering the lives of those around them, the constant

said Niehaus. “He made a connection. He

The way Patty Dawson teaches values is the way

and project geared toward

When Dawson learned about peace activist John

wanted to address, that would mean you, too,’ ”

Teaching peace

For every intentional lesson

of my mind, she designed a similar project geared toward peace education. And when Dawson noticed her class enjoyed an earlier pen pal-ship with students at Toluca Elementary in North Hollywood, California, she came up with a way to continue the relationship. Each of her students mailed original poems to Toluca with hope of hearing back.

Guethlein. “It’s in the moments you don’t predict. It’s the small things that are big. It’s in the way we take care of each other. And these children are the people who are going to take care of a world we don’t even understand yet.”

Caretakers of the World CARE IN THE SMALLEST HANDS More than 100 of Seven Hills’ Lower School students are under the age of 5. And at any given moment, this busy community of pre-

our values: •

•

pursuit of

excellence

respect appreciation of

•

for others and

diversity

kindness, caring, and compassion honesty and

kindergarteners has a wealth of opportunities to practice values in action. Kara Meador, early childhood director on the Hillsdale Campus, said she sees vivid examples of our youngest students engaging in caring behavior at every turn. “Our small class sizes truly reflect little families,” said Meador, who was particularly touched when entering the classroom, two students walked right

integrity

up and invited the new student to come and play with them. A few minutes later, the three children walked to dramatic play, hand in hand.”

fairness and justice

WHAT A WONDERFUL WORLD

personal responsibility and accountability

commitment to

community

I see trees of green, red roses too. I see them bloom for me and you. And I think to myself, what a wonderful world. The lyrics to the iconic 1950s ballad of hope and love originally sung by trumpeter and crooner watching the path of a student who started

Louis Armstrong is the subject of study for Ginger

his first day of school a few months into the

Rubin’s pre-kindergarten class, and one of the

academic year.

projects most Doherty parents never forget. For

“This can be a very hard day for a young child,” said Meador. “However, immediately upon

years, Rubin has taught her students about the importance and necessity of diversity. In a heart-tugging puppet show, the students create

THE M I NDSET THAT I NFORMS SEVEN H I LLS’ VALUES AT OUR LOWER SCHOOLS puppets and act out the book, What a Wonderful World, which depicts the original lyrics by George David Weiss and Bob Thiele.

THE PROMISE At the start of the school year, first-graders in Amy Kulhavik’s class sign a contract that

“Children as young as 3 are just beginning to see

Kulhavik calls a “promise.” It’s a serious

beyond themselves,” said Rubin. “One of the

moment.

most important lessons we are learning is how to listen to others and understand our similarities and our differences, something that is becoming increasingly harder in our world.” Rubin said the What a Wonderful World unit allows students to work on a project independently and present the show in pairs in front of their parents and teachers. “This project requires a lot of collaboration,” said Rubin. “I love this unit because it is so layered and such a message of hope and friendship for our pre-kindergarteners.”

“It says, I am holding you accountable to help me, but I am also holding myself accountable to help you,” said Kulhavik. “Learning to embrace this type of mindset today will help them alleviate stress and anxiety later in life.”

They know it’s serious because of what the promise states: “I will strive every day, for the whole year, to be a good friend, to support others, and follow the Seven Hills Values. I will be the best Doherty citizen I know I can be!” Kulhavik said she starts off the year with a focus on the Seven Hills Values because she believes her students’ learning experience will be more meaningful if they feel comfortable, safe, and confident. “I think a lot about, as they get older, how they will deal with the pressures of getting into a certain college or getting a certain job,” said Kulhavik. “There are things they can learn at this age, in first grade, that will help them deal with stress later on in life.” Kulhavik said she encourages peer learning and collaborative problem-solving so her students can hear the answers, mistakes, and achievements of their classmates, and have a more realistic sense of the learning process. It also teaches her students accountability.

Caretakers of the World THE SCIENCE OF KINDNESS Kindergarten teachers Lindsay Pietroski and Cyndi Kenyon were wondering what all the excitement was about in the corner of the playground one unusually warm February afternoon. Most of their students were either huddled over what seemed to be a mound of dirt or busy cradling small things in their muddied palms. “They were building a worm hospital,” said Pietroski. “They found a bunch of worms that had

“They started bringing

Good Apples, fourth-grade Book Buddies, and the

us grubs and other

second-grade bake sale, to name a few,” said

worm-like creatures,”

project math teacher Liz Lorenz. “We felt it was

said Kenyon. “Their

important to help students understand that some

interests were so

people’s needs can’t be seen, because they may

focused, so strong, we

be struggling with their feelings and emotions.”

decided to teach a unit on invertebrates.”

Williams, Spanish teacher Megan Hayes,

grant during the summer of 2016 to write

second-grade teacher Danielle Necessary, and

curriculum for an outdoor educational program,

School Counseling Department Chair Judy Arnold

were delighted and humbled to see how their

outfitted the bulletin board with sticky notes,

students’ curiosities, concern, and sense of

pencils, and the note, “Take what you need, leave

responsibility for living things translated into a

what you can.” Before long, the board, chock full

formal focus of study.

of positive messages, had become the popular

“As much as they drew from their knowledge gained from our outdoor classroom time, they also applied their hearts to try to improve the circumstances of living things,” said Pietroski. “It’s a great insight into how children learn best.”

Take What You Need While charitable giving often manifests in terms of

Lorenz, Lotspeich science teacher Natalie

Kenyon and Pietroski, who used a professional

spot in Lotspeich, swarmed with lenders and takers. Lorenz said activity around the kindness board spurred two fifth-graders to start a monthly initiative that invites Lower School students to help the community in different ways.

been displaced by the rain and they were trying to

tangible donations, two teachers on at Lotspeich

save them, so they all got together and created a

used a bulletin board to expand their students’

system.”

scope of kindness and giving.

The students gently cared for their little corner of

“Our students participate in a variety of

sectional

the playground. Then they started digging.

community service projects throughout the year,

tournament

such as Trick-or-Treating for Unicef, fifth-grade

game of the

The club’s first activity involved cheering on a

THE M I NDSET THAT I NFORMS SEVEN H I LLS’ VALUES AT OUR LOWER SCHOOLS Special Olympics basketball team, which played in Kalnow Gym on the Hillsdale Campus. The efforts continue to inspire the school community. Williams, who will continue to work with Lorenz to bring meaningful kindness projects to the Lower School, will soon launch a new curriculum focus inspired by the Seven Values. During the 2017-18

SMART HEARTS, KIND MIND - Q & A School Counseling Department Chair Judy Arnold calls the Seven Hills Values and social emotional learning “interdependent,” adding that a mindfulness practice is a foundation for empathy, in which students attend to their own thoughts and feelings, without judgment, so they will then be able to listen and understand the perspectives of others. We asked Lotspeich second-grade teacher and mindfulness educator Danielle Necessary about her new program that encourages students to find ways to make mindfulness relevant for them.

school year, Williams, along with Lorenz and fifth-grade teacher Karla Balskus, will introduce an ongoing, interdisciplinary focus

Q: How would you describe

of study based on the book A Long Walk to Water,

mindfulness?

by Linda Sue Park, a partly fictional tale based on

different cultures, to explain that basic needs are

A: Mindfulness is a life skill, not a behavior management tool or intervention. Mindfulness creates space so you can pause, notice, and choose a response rather than react impulsively. I’m passionate about this practice because it empowers my students to live their lives better.

not a given, and to promote design thinking as a tool

Q: How can Lower School students use

A: Simple, short, and repetitive

to address such global social issues, said Williams.

mindfulness to help themselves?

mindfulness practices work best with younger children. Take three mindful breaths or listen to the sound of a bell or chime slowly dissipate. These

the true experiences of children who must walk for hours a day to fetch water for their families. The idea is to introduce Lower School students to the disparities in and absence of privilege among

“Science is all about working with different groups of people,” said Williams. “Our students are very

A: Students can begin to make the practice their own, to help them sleep, lessen anxiety, or improve their ability

socially and environmentally conscious because we expose them at a very early age to different needs

• • • • • • • • • • • •

to focus. A fifth-grader shared with me how the mindfulness techniques we’ve practiced help her at bedtime, a time that is typically full of anxiety and worry for her. Another said it helps him to practice mindful breathing whenever he’s taking a test.

Q: Once a young child has expressed an interest in mindful practice, how should it be introduced?

M I N D F U LN E S S •

techniques help children connect to themselves and the present moment.

Q: What is one of your favorite mindful moments in nature?

A: I was walking with my class to the Red Barn after school and I stopped in front of this tree. I asked the students why they thought I stopped. One student pointed out that most of the trees were bare, but one tree was still full of bright red leaves. I told them I was grateful to stand with them to gaze upon this beautiful tree. Finding small moments of gratitude in places we may take for granted is another way we practice mindfulness.

• • • • • • • • • • •

of the community and the environment.”

Caretakers of the World RESPECT, IN LIVING COLOR

THE POWER OF ASSEMBLIES Every Monday morning, Lotspeich students in

If you are 7 years old and someone asks you how you are feeling, you might pick a word from a short list that sounds something like “ fine,” “happy,” “OK.”

first through fifth grade meet for a school assembly in the library. The students learn respectful listening as teachers share exciting events that will occur throughout the week, students present classroom projects, and Head of Lotspeich Carolyn Fox shares thoughts about community accomplishments or, perhaps, addresses situations that may require the attention of everyone to enhance working together.

But if someone asks you to draw a sea creature—any kind of creature—that swims in the ocean, a creature that looks the way you feel, has expressions like yours, and lives in a place that describes your feelings, whether it has a big mouth, little pebbly teeth, big fins, scary eyes, or a polka-dotted, spiky body? Well, that’s a different story, altogether. Mimi Stricker’s fish feelings art project was inspired by children’s author Mies Van Hout’s popular book, Happy, which takes the reader through an underwater spectra of emotions.

Stricker’s goal was to teach respect, she said, because she wanted to give her students an outlet to just be. “While the students are reflecting on what colors represent nervousness, sadness, astonishment, and silliness, they are picking one they’re feeling on a given day and uniting it to who they are,” said Stricker, who assigns the project to all Doherty second-graders in late winter. “We respect people when we understand where they are coming from, and if we understand better who we are, we are more likely to respect who someone else is.”

It’s a warm tradition, established decades ago when then-principal Ted Wuerfel led the assemblies in the 1950s through the ‘70s. It’s also a practice similar to a family meeting, with everyone engaged, sharing common values and coming away with clearer expectations for the week ahead.

Fox said she was heartened by a recent initiative by fifth-graders for their first-grade buddies. “Our first-graders were having trouble staying quiet and attentive during a presentation,” said Fox. “So, the teachers and fifth-graders decided to hold a follow-up meeting together. The fifth-graders met with their first-grade buddies to explain the importance of being respectful during

Fox said the Seven Values guide the agenda and

assembly and modeled behavior for them. A week

focus for assemblies.

later at the Monday assembly, the fifth-graders sat with their buddies during the presentations. The

“It’s an opportunity for the community to come

first-graders felt supported by their buddies and

together, to reinforce an all-school effort,” said Fox.

emulated their more mature behavior. It was an

“The multi-age experience provides a developmental

example of how our teachers, students and the

perspective for students with the older students

counselor came together to address the importance

modeling expectations for younger friends.”

of respect, a top priority Seven Hills Value.”

THE M I NDSET THAT I NFORMS SEVEN H I LLS’ VALUES AT OUR LOWER SCHOOLS TEACHING VALUES THROUGH APPRECIATION Doherty Campus After the Bell teacher and former Army Reserve petroleum laboratory specialist Shayla Myles-Aaron teaches a lesson on Revolutionary War drills during social studies week at the beginning of every school year. Myles-Aaron said she encourages students to gain a deeper appreciation for those who shaped American history. “These soldiers were holding 10-pound muskets in tight quarters for weeks, with no food, little water, and no sense of time,” said Myles-Aaron. “It gives us all an appreciation for those who came before us, and for life.”

BOOKS OF VALUE Lower School students at Seven Hills listen to and read books that speak not only to the values infused in our school’s culture, but also to the frailty, failings, and triumphs of human nature. Here is a sampling of the books our teachers and counselors share with students throughout the school year: Early Childhood (age 2 – grade 2) • How Kind! by Mary Murphy • The Family Book by Todd Parr • Your Fantastic Elastic Brain by JoAnn Deak Grades 1 – 2 • My Best Friend by Mary Ann Rodman • Each Kindness by Jacqueline Woodson • One Smile by Cindy McKinley Grades 3 – 4 • The Invisible Boy by Trudy Ludwig • Freedom on the Menu by Carole Boston • One Green Apple by Eve Bunting Grades 4 – 5 • The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate DiCamillo • Okay for Now by Gary D. Schmidt • I Am Malala (young reader’s edition) by Malala Yousafzai

Caretakers of the World BIG FUTURE FOR SEVEN HILLS’ LOWER SCHOOL ATHLETICS PROGRAM

WHAT YOUR SCHOOL COUNSELORS • • • • • AR E TH I N K I N G • • • • • We asked Seven Hills counselors to share some of their favorite thoughts for students and families. This is what they said: Be responsible for the energy you bring into the room. – Middle School Counselor Samantha Laffoon

Over the past 10 years, Seven Hills’ Lower School athletics program has expanded its sports offerings and maintained a four percent increase in student participation. Throughout the 2015-16 school year, 580 participants in first through sixth grade engaged in a sport, which includes students who played more than one sport. And it is no

Making mistakes and experiencing

wonder Seven Hills’ Lower School athletics

disappointment are necessary for

program, which includes 13 offerings of soccer,

brain development and resiliency.

track, softball, basketball, and baseball in grades

Giving children the time to problem-

one through five, lacrosse starting in third grade,

future. Athletic Director Brian Phelps said Seven

solve is crucial for building

and volleyball for fifth-graders, continues to be so

Hills is known to have one of the most prolific,

confidence. Our job is not to take

successful. The program is coordinated by two

school-based athletics programs in the Cincinnati

the bumps out of the road, but to

people our students see every day—Marty

area. It may soon be at a crossroads that all

equip our children with shock

Gerhardt on the Doherty Campus, Rob Starkey on

growing programs face, however, when the number

absorbers.

the Hillsdale Campus—and a tireless network of

of participants exceeds the time and space

– Counseling Department Head and

parent coaches.

available for games and practices.

Driven by the school community’s passion for

“I am looking forward to a time when a third-

When you sit down and take a breath, it refocuses the energy of

sports, the athletics program has increased the

grade boy or fourth-grade girl can get to practice

the group. – Doherty Counselor Angie Bielecki

sports offered to young students. The past decade

and be home by dinner or before the late evening

has seen the addition of youth lacrosse, youth

hours. That isn’t the case right now because we

One of my favorite sayings is, “The Golden Rule is, ‘Treat others

volleyball, and the popular first- and second-grade

have very limited facilities, such as three indoor

the way you want to be treated.’ But the Platinum Rule is, ‘Treat

basketball clinics, which are run by Upper School

courts for six or seven teams at any given time,”

others the way they want to be treated.’” – Upper School

athletes and varsity coaches.

said Phelps. “We want our students to be able to

Lotspeich Counselor Judy Arnold

finish off their night where they should be—doing

Counselor Vicky Hausberger

The hard work of our youngest student athletes is

homework, settling in, and having dinner with

a true testament to a strong program with a big

their families.”

Thank you! Our Mission Seven Hills engages hearts and minds, challenging students to develop their unique capacities and preparing each for a meaningful role in a rapidly changing world. Please donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t hesitate to call with any questions. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re here to help! Call 513.728.2400 or visit 7hills.org

Hillsdale Campus Cincinnati, Ohio 45227 Doherty Campus Cincinnati, Ohio 45206 513.728.2400