S P R I N G
Engaging and relevant: student-centered learning in the Upper School
2 0 1 5
THE
SEVEN
HILLS SCHOOL
Development Office 513.728.2400 email: alumni.news@7hills.org Fax: 513.728.2439
7hills.org
04 06 19 34 66 Front cover photo: Juniors Zoë Zelkind, Nicole Tiao, Fatima Anwar, and Kaylan Young Above photo: Swim team by Linda Cyr
Spring 2015
Seven Hills Magazine is a publication of The Seven Hills School.
Contents Learning in a new world
By Head of School Christopher Garten
Student-centered learning in the Upper School By Karla Dejean School News Alumni News and Class Notes Upcoming Alumni Events
Christopher Garten Head of School
Nancy McCormick Bassett ’83 Director of Alumni Engagement
Karla Dejean Writer & Photographer
Margo Kirstein Director of Development
Chris Hedges Editor, Director of Marketing & Communications
Carol Brueggemeyer Graphic Designer Kathy Deubell Photo Editing
Thank you 2 0 1 4 - 2 0 1 5
A N N U A L
G I V I N G
The Seven Hills Development Office gratefully acknowledges and thanks the more than 200 volunteers who dedicate their time and effort to ensure that The Seven Hills School continues to thrive and is able to provide the rich learning experiences that distinguish a Seven Hills education. &
H E L P I N G
H A N D S
V O L U N T E E R S
Dobbs Ackermann
Phyllis Cartwright
Meredith Edwards Ficks ’98
Marielle Samaha
Robeta Michelman
Nancy Shepherd
Louise Knauft Allen H’54
Peter Cha
John Findlay ’03
Jacky Kalubi
Maureen Miller
Dennis Shiels
Janet Allen-Reid ’76
Christine Cho
Mary Lou Fink
Elida Kamine ’99
Velma Morelli
John Silverman
Janet & Larry Allgaier
Lalitha & Jaideep Chunduri
Ginny Fisher
Victoria Karamanoukian
Lilamae Mueller
Mary Jo & Bill Simpson
Nupur Anand
Terry Clayton
Marc Fisher
Amy Bulger Kattman ’89
Harrison Mullin
Jo Sittenfeld ’98
Lynette Andersen
Elizabeth Coley
Stacey Fisher
Jan-Michele Kearney
Sybil Behrens Mullin ’83
Tiernan Sittenfeld ’92
Libby Andrews
Mike Collette
Linda Ford
Susie Keller ’04
Meg Nelson
Sandra Small
Dulany Anning
Marilyn Collins
Rachel Foster
Lair Kennedy
Steve Newman ’02
Edie Smitson
Sydney & Bob Anning
Francie Comey ’01
Rayna Frankel
Jan & Tom Kiefhaber
Lisa Lee & Michael Nordlund
Eva Motch Spitzer ’03
Beth Archibald
Michael Coombe L’72
Jim Garvey
Sashi Kilaru
Mary Nordlund
Andy Spooner
Jo Arnold
Natalia Cristo
Barbara Gasser
Tom Kirkwood
Missy Kinne Norton H’66
Andrea Squire
Steve Baggott
Claudia Gilmore Cummings
Ingrid Handl & Walter Geiger
Peter Koenig
Eric O’Driscoll
Melinda Freedman Staveley
Raji Ghosh
Ashley Kohnen
Margaret Parlin O’Malley H’57
Gay Seybolt Bain H’51
H’61
L’55
Lynette Barresi
Jennifer Dauer
Ben Glassman ’93
Libby Landen Krone ’77
Susan & Dennis Okin
Jen Stein
Michelle Baxter
Elizabeth & Nick DeBlasio
Margot Good
Kirsten Kulkarni
Libby Warrington Ott ’78
Mary Stewart
Barbara Beaver
Kim Dedeker
B. (Wiley ’75) & Abram Gordon
Susan Steman Laffoon H’57
Jim Papakirk
Fran Stinnett
Jack Binkley
Darcy & Kurt Deimer
Drew Gores L’66 H’72
Blair Lanier ’06
Tory Woodhull Parlin H’63
Kim Takahashi
Rose Bitsoff
Ron DeLyons
Wendy Gradison ’71
Jane Slemmer Larsen H’56
Mala Patel
Lessa Trindle
Heidi Black ’98
Alex Derkson ’03
Anne & Taylor Greenwald III
Margaret Avril Lawson ’75
Yvonne Phillips
Anne Sheffield Vanoy C’73
Josh Blatt
Andrew DeWitt ’89
Brooke Guigui
Peter Levin
Alex & Andrew Quinn
Heather Zaring Vecellio ’92
Jane Bohinski
Jeannie Zimmerman Donaldson
Ed Hatfield
Sally Leyman
Susan Rauh
Liza Martindale Weiner ’99
Elizabeth Hays ’79
Rica & Tony Ligeralde
Asia Reid ‘05
Barry Weinstein
Susan Bolton
H’60
Mary Lynne Boorn ’84
Kathy Donohoo
Louise Atkins Head H’56
Sylvia Lotspeich Greene L’55
Sue Richmond
Kathy Oechler Whitbeck H’67
Aideen & Payson Briggs ’87
Shannon Dube
Mark Heiman
Jackie Mack
Elizabeth Rogers
Russell White
Peter Briggs
Priscilla Dunn
Debbie Hill
Zola Makrauer
Lynette Rosati Shim
Judy Wiesemann
Kenya Brock ’98
Anne Scherz Durket H’72
Grace Allen Hill ’80
Debbie Marquardt
Lynn Schweitzer Rush H’68
Jim Wiesmann
Barbara Brown
Colleen Dwight
Laura Hoguet ’06
Mike Marrero
Sunny Bowman Saelinger C’61
Susan Elliott Wilkening C’60
Bruce Brown
Tara Eaton
Melissa Holsinger
Gretchen McCormick
Jennifer & James Saporito
Marsha Williams ’77
Cathy Smale Caldemeyer H’72
Sandy Hauck Elliott C’49
Judy Jackson
Robert McCoy
Elizabeth Schiff
Lisa Collins Winick ’85
Karen Bidlingmeyer Callard ’80
David Ellis
Clay Jamison ’06
Veronica McCreary-Hall
Dan Schimberg ’80
Nan Sikes Witten H’68
Bret Caller
Jane Ellis
Pattie Scifres Jamison H’68
Les Bennett McNeill C’61
Kitty Hawley Schmidt H’66
Susan Newkirk Wright H’63
Scott Carroll ’85
Merry Ewing ’76
Rose Johnson
Annette Meader
Anita Schneider
Sharon Yosafat
Shannon Kelly Carter H’67
Phyllis Ewing
Linda Jones
Lois & Cliff Mentrup
Jim Shanahan
Mary Beth & Craig Young
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I N M A Y 2 0 1 3, T H E B O A R D O F T R U S T E E S A D O P T E D A N A M B I T I O U S S T R AT E G I C P L A N TO G U I D E T H E E V O L U T I O N O F S E V E N H I L L S OV E R T H E N E X T F I V E Y E A R S . T H A N K S TO
L E A R N I N G I N A N E W W O R L D by Head of School Christopher P. Garten The Strategic Plan of 2013 sought to address both changes in our local community and new challenges facing our graduates, both in college admissions and in the work world beyond. It also sought to respond to new educational research, which has emphasized, with increasing urgency, the value of experiential, project-based learning that gives students opportunities to apply what they are learning to meaningful problem-solving and design thinking tasks.
guidance program that begins in freshman year. These new group and individual
U P P E R S C H O O L E X PA N S I O N
EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING
Though the Cincinnati market continues to be very competitive, Seven Hills has seen
A parallel effort involves the introduction of a new experiential learning program,
a sharp increase in interest in its Middle and Upper Schools. Upper School enrollment
led by former Head of the Upper School Nick Francis. With the able assistance
has grown by more than 20 percent, to grade sizes near 90 students. This influx of new
of a Board task force, including the Vice Provost for Undergraduate Affairs at the
families has helped to broaden the social horizons of our students (many of whom have
University of Cincinnati, Nick has designed a series of experiences to help students
been together since pre-kindergarten!), and it has enabled us to continue our progress
identify, explore, and cultivate their interests and talents through flexible credit and
in diversifying our student population. At the same time, we have been able to reduce
online elective courses, career exploration activities, summer internships, travel, and
section sizes in many Upper School courses and introduce several exciting new elective courses.
enrichment activities. Ultimately, the goal is to help each student begin to understand,
COLLEGE ADMISSION
4
experiences give students multiple opportunities to discover their unique talents and to understand their own styles of learning, necessary pre-conditions for identifying and crafting their application to their “best fit� colleges. Beginning with the 2015-16 school year, all freshman will be assigned a college counselor who will guide them in this process of self-discovery throughout the four years of high school.
a little more fully, his or her place in the world.
Over the last decade, college admission has become more competitive than at any time
G L O B A L I Z AT I O N
in the history of this country. To respond to this new phenomenon, Director of College
To prepare students for a world that is increasingly pluralistic and ever more global,
Counseling Susan Marrs and her staff have designed an even more comprehensive
the Upper School faculty have continued to fine tune the curriculum to emphasize an
THE ENERGETIC EFFORTS OF OUR FACULTY, GUIDED BY THE VISIONARY LEADERSHIP OF OUR UPPER SCHOOL HEADS, NICK FRANCIS (2007-14) AND NOW DR. MATT BOLTON.
overarching, interdisciplinary global theme. History and literature survey courses
designing learning activities which foster students’ critical reasoning and problem-
have been re-built around texts that raise significant global and contemporary issues,
solving skills, often with the use of instructional technology.
and the history and science departments have developed a rich array of junior and senior electives that focus exclusively on investigating, through an interdisciplinary lens, significant contemporary political, social, and environmental questions. At the same time, the world language department has broadened language offerings to include Chinese in grades seven through 12 and expanded the foreign travel programs to include robust exchange programs to Europe and Asia.
The adoption of the one-to-one iPad program in 2011-12 and the new block schedule, adopted in 2013-14 and refined in 2014-15, have made possible dozens of new curriculum units that emphasize data-gathering and analysis (using technological tools), critical thinking, and the application of information to authentic, real world, collaborative problem-solving. Since 2009, Upper School teachers have developed more than 40 new curriculum units, most of which require
S C I E N C E , T E C H N O L O G Y, E N G I N E E R I N G A N D M AT H ( S T E M )
students to apply information in new and creative ways. These new units parallel
To supplement the rich math and science core that has defined this school for two
and, in some sense, anticipate some significant changes that the College Board
decades, the science and math departments have developed a series of new elective
has made in the Advanced Placement program, reflecting a much more ambitious
courses. These new courses respond to an increasing interest among our students
definition of what it means to be “college ready.”
in careers in science, technology, engineering, and computer science. New elective courses have been developed in engineering, biotechnology, and computer science. In addition, our traditional science courses have been modified significantly to focus on experimental design as well as on significant research projects, which require students to apply creative problem solving and design thinking skills.
It is a great privilege to be part of a school community so sincerely committed to a process of continuous improvement. As the world around us continues to change rapidly, we are extraordinarily blessed to have such skilled teachers and visionary school leaders who are so deeply committed to preparing our students, as fully as possible, for the challenges of a new world.
P R O J E C T- B A S E D , A P P L I E D L E A R N I N G
Guided by an emerging consensus in “brain-based” educational research, over the last several years, the Upper School faculty has put even greater emphasis on
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In 2025
E N G A G I N G A N D R E L E V A NT
the 20-somethings flooding the professional world – i.e. today’s Middle Schoolers – will hire and be hired for their abilities to “understand what’s under the hood” in a number of ways. In fact, many of them will have built what is found there. These young employees will like their work – most will love it – and what they do will motivate them intrinsically. When students move through their Upper School grades over the next few years, they will enter a community forum of learners that supports “Our student-centered approach to education and our teacher-student their budding passions as much as their relationships lie at the heart of academic endeavors and achievements. what we are able to do each day in the Upper School. ” The students will glean, from their peers and teachers, knowledge that learning and living are synonymous, and that their experiences, opportunities, and interests are the building blocks that will shape their path of purpose. - Head of Upper School Matt Bolton
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S T U D E N T-C E N T E R E D L E A R N I N G I N T H E U P P E R S C H O O L B Y
his English department colleagues for a working lunch meeting. In between bites, they discuss the needs of the students in their department, throwing in a short chat about housekeeping matters. The teachers do most of the talking. Bolton listens. In his first year as Seven Hills’ Head of Upper School, Bolton has used his listening skills extensively in his leadership role. Building upon the varied and relevant programming that has become the cornerstone of the Upper School’s mission, Bolton’s vision has already started to take form in concrete ways, with a focus on expanding
“We can’t only judge ourselves by the students who are the most motivated, the most connected, the self starters,” said Bolton. “We need to model opportunities for all students so the broad middle of students know how to maximize their efforts.” In order to further cohesiveness among students, ninth graders will meet this coming 2015-16 school year in advisory groups as a grade. The focus for the ninth grade advisories will be Upper School orientation. Each student will use his or her advisory time to learn about and become comfortable with the Upper School culture and mind-sets. In that same light, the ninth grade also will become the starting point for community service efforts. The goal is also for all ninth graders to complete the first 15 hours of their 30-hour community service requirement together, as a
class. Students in grades 10-12 will continue to meet with and be mentored by students from a blend of Upper School grades. “We want the ninth graders to work in more deliberate ways so they have more ownership of what they are doing in the area of community service,” said Bolton. “They may be all tutoring at John P. Parker Elementary or at another organization that will bring them together. Community service will be part of their learning experience.” The same goal will apply to students’ Personal Challenge experience. Based on Bolton’s loose benchmarks infused into each grade year, each student will have a firm grasp of his or her Personal Challenge projects during their junior year.
In addition, Bolton is adding a fourth learning specialist as a step to offer students and families expanded tailored academic support, which will be infused throughout the Upper School program. “We recognized students who can succeed here, but need assistance in some areas,” said Bolton. “At a lot of schools, that happens off-campus, after school. We need to take ownership of that at the school. The extra help we offer students is getting built into the school day, conducted by learning specialists.” continued. . .
UPPER SCHOOL
On a brisk Thursday afternoon in late February, Matt Bolton sits around a conference table with
resources and support for the freshmen class. As part of a new initiative during the 2014-15 school year, teachers began meeting by grade level in order to maximize shared information among themselves and create a more complete knowledge base of support for every student. Bolton said he would also encourage opportunities for upperclassmen to share their community service and internship experiences with the younger Upper School students.
D E J E A N
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A CULTURE OF WARMTH AND INCLUSION
K A R L A
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“ There is a real sense of community here that exists long after the students have moved on to college and the world beyond, and I’m grateful to have formed such lasting bonds and to remain in touch with so many former students.”
UPPER SCHOOL
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- Fine arts department chair Tina Kuhlman
These learning specialists are already part of the academic program. Rather than depend on a structure that includes a check-in with learning specialists, teachers and learning specialists already work together as a team. One of the four specialists will work primarily with eighth and ninth graders, as a way to bridge continuity of services across divisions. So much of what makes the Upper School so strong, said Bolton, is defined by the dichotomy of students’ and teachers’ classroom behavior – outside the classroom. Bolton said faculty do an excellent job of creating opportunities for students to work alongside them. “There’s a level of empowerment where teachers are working with the students, rather than just calling the shots.” For example, English teacher and yearbook adviser Mark Beyreis works alongside his students when they are producing the yearbook. “We have great teachers, such as math department chair Anne Ramsey and English department chair Tricia Hoar, who are these wonderful classroom teachers but who also work together on a
8
ENGAGING AND RELEVANT homeless awareness project like Shantytown,” said Bolton. “Tim Drew is a science and psychology teacher, and a three-season coach. There is a powerful message that these teachers can’t be defined by what they teach. We see our students seeking out our teachers outside the classroom because both students and teachers find themselves connecting to something beyond what is happening in the classroom.” The rhythm of the Upper School thrives on a unique forum-type learning environment where community members and visiting professionals are ushered in regularly to share their wisdom and stories with students. While Seven Hills maintains that exemplary characteristic, however, Seven Hills’ large group facilities do not support the school’s strengths. Bolton relates a recent spate of visitor presentations for the experiential learning program. During each presentation, said Bolton, it’s the same sight in Hillsdale Commons – students are sitting on the floor, teachers are standing against the walls, and the presenters are situated in cramped conditions, just a few feet from the wall. “We’re hamstrung by the fact that we’re inviting people to our campus and we don’t have the facilities to support them,” said Bolton. “Despite
the obvious restrictions, we really do an awful lot with the limited space. Our limited physical environment will keep getting in the way of the great stuff we are doing.” Bolton said this period of growth in services for Upper School students will be well served by
Seven Hills’ current capital campaign for the Center for Arts and Leadership, a venue that would allow for lectures, performances, and forums of all kinds. Bolton said he is inspired by the future of the Upper School as much as he is by what takes place now, on a daily basis. “Seven Hills embraces a culture of warmth and inclusion,” said Bolton. “Each day, that culture nurtures an intellectually engaging atmosphere where students are at the center of a learning community.”
STU D E N T-C E N TE R E D LE AR N I N G I N TH E U P P E R S C H O O L * LANGUAGE
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.* Reflection Activities. . . . . . . . .
* ENGLISH
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• All students will start out with Core Curriculum, which includes the subjects of math, science, the arts, English, and language.
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* HISTORY
* Assemblies * Purpose & Goals Questionnaire
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*A R T S
* PHYS ED
* Strengths Finder
* Learning Styles Inventories
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* SCIENCE
How it works: The Experiential Learning program is essentially a student-driven, teacher-guided journey that begins with self-awareness. The program operates in four stages in the following ways:
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* M AT H
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CURRICU
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Job Shadows Elective Courses Internships * Personal Challenge Travel & Exchange Programs Summer Programs * Community Ser vice . Flex Credits . .
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• During the next stage, Introspection, Francis helps students identify their key interests through personality assessments, strengths
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NC
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Writing
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Integrated Wellness Technology & Innovation Community Engagement Environmental Stewardship Engineering & Design Political Engagement . Global Citizenship . The Arts .
* Required curriculum
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Seven Hills administrators took a progressive step toward creating a way for students to explore and nurture their interests with the launch of the Experiential Learning program in the fall of 2014-15. In its first year, program director Nick Francis said the program is already serving its purpose. “We want students to know who they are and what motivates them now,” said Francis, who uses Damon’s book, A Path to Purpose, as a guide for some of his initiatives. “Helping students find their interests and what motivates them intrinsically, and helping them pursue those
O
M
“Purpose endows a person with joy in good times and resilience in hard times, and this holds true all throughout life,” said Damon. “ … Purposeful youth not only avoid the risks of self-destructive behavior but also show a markedly positive attitude that triggers an eagerness to learn about the world.” Damon adds that finding a way for students to discover what makes them happy is a “good deal harder than it should be in our present-day cultural environment.”
interests in various ways is one of the key things that allows them to become happy and fulfilled in life.”
. . . . . . . . .
Leading human development scholar and professor of education at Stanford University William Damon said adolescents who have a sense of purpose are equipped with tools that will help them maintain happiness throughout their lives.
OSPECTI
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A SENSE OF PURPOSE
TR
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finder inventories, assemblies, reflection activities, and questionnaires. • If a student chooses to pursue a particular area of interest, Francis will help the student move to the Exploration stage, during which students continued. . .
THE SEVEN HILLS SCHOOL . . . . . . EXPERIENT
IAL LEARNING
9
ENGAGING AND RELEVANT EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING MISSION STATEMENT: By the time every student leaves Seven Hills we will have helped him/ her to develop self-awareness of where his/her interests lie, facilitated exploration of those interests, and provided him/her with pertinent real world experiences, so that he/she has the confidence to explore and
UPPER SCHOOL
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embrace life beyond high school.
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work in the field with practical opportunities, such as summer and travel exchange programs, community service and Personal Challenge projects, job shadowing, internships, or flex credits. • This journey may lead to a culminating certification of Concentration in one of many areas, including but not limited to: integrated wellness, technology and innovation, community engagement, environmental stewardship, engineering and design, political engagement, global citizenship, and the arts. Students’ work on these concentrations will be reviewed for completion during their senior year.
As an example, a student who will receive a concentration in global citizenship may have enrolled in the same language program for all four years of Upper School, participated in at least one school-sponsored overseas program, completed a Personal Challenge project with a global focus, and written a review of at least two pertinent off-Campus lectures. University of Cincinnati Vice Provost for Undergraduate Affairs Gigi Escoe said the new program places Seven Hills among a small number of progressive Upper Schools that places a focus on students’ interests while helping them achieve a sense of purpose. “Seven Hills is at the forefront because you are already thinking of the skillsets students need to move forward,” said Escoe, who serves on Seven Hills’ Experiential
“All of our students take courses in the core curriculum. In addition to that they are all involved in activities focused on Introspection,” said Francis. “For those who discover an interest, we will help them explore it. For those who “There is this myth of the perfect choose to pursue an college or university. There is no interest, if they meet perfect school. It rains everywhere. certain criteria, they may But there are many terrific schools. earn a concentration in The student has to know who he or one of many areas.”
she is, what she wants, and what his or her strengths are. It’s a human process.”
- Director of College Counseling Susan Marrs
Learning committee. “We expect way too much when we ask a 17-year-old what they’re going to be, but it’s reasonable to ask them what they love. It makes sense.” Escoe said experiential learning programs offer students an opportunity to discover what they really love and marry those interests with their academic path. Francis meets students at different levels on that path. Some simply know they want to attend college. Others, like junior Nicole Tiao, have worked as interns in offices and realized the field wasn’t for them. Tiao said she likely would have continued to pursue a career in business in a general sense if she had not received an opportunity to participate in the student-run INTERalliance of Greater Cincinnati, a program that fosters leadership and collegiality among high school students. After an INTERalliance visit to a number of large local corporations, Tiao knew the world of for-profit business held no appeal for her. She decided to contact Francis after attending one of his Experiential Learning assemblies, which included guest speakers from local non-profit organizations.
STU D E N T-C E N TE R E D LE AR N I N G I N TH E U P P E R S C H O O L has given me a lot of great advice. He really helps students get some direction. Students really like his Schoology page because he posts internship opportunities on a regular basis.”
“I asked Mr. Francis if he had any ideas for ways I could do something with non-profits and he helped me find Madisonville Education and Assistance Center (MEAC),” said Tiao. A month later, Tiao had met with the Executive Director of MEAC Jessica Wabler (wife of Seven Hills history department chair Brian Wabler) and landed an internship with MEAC. Having already interned in hospital and medical lab settings since his eighth-grade year, sophomore Vaibhav Vagal said Francis helped him narrow his focus for a personal challenge project that more closely matched his interests. “Mr. Francis suggested I interview 10 to 20 medical researchers and write an in-depth article about it for Personal Challenge,” said Vagal, who is interested in pursuing a career in neurology. “He
Once students like Vagal and Tiao learn to navigate their interests, further involvement in Experiential Learning will lead them through contextual, real-life experiences, further solidifying their understanding, early in their lives, of their sense of purpose.
coffee tables of the parents of juniors and seniors – even sophomores. What isn’t apparent is whether the colleges and universities are truly interested in a particular student or if the dozens of families are just an easy target for colleges’ high-volume game. “It’s a chain reaction that highlights the reality of what has become the burden of both college admission representatives and families of Upper School children,” said Seven Hills Director of College Counseling and Assistant Head of School Susan Marrs.
Among the numerous ways colleges and AN INTUITIVE RESPONSE When college ratings season rolls around, college universities are graded and evaluated, as far as ratings go, an increasingly important criterion is presidents and their chief financial officers, who, in the recent past, tackled these defining moments the number of applications a college receives. And regardless of how prepared a student may be as a duo, now bring along someone they deem for college entrance, the other side of the college most integral to the health of their institution: college admission directors. Determined to keep ratings coin will always add extra pressures on the tangible interests high, college admissions officers universally have learned to cast a broad net, flooding the mailboxes of Upper School students with greater numbers of application invitations than ever before. The result is the piles of glossy pamphlets, distinguished-looking envelopes, and stunning viewbooks that grace the kitchen counters and
DIRECTOR OF COLLEGE COUNSELING SUSAN MARRS sits on University of Michigan’s High School Counselor Advisory Board and on the Princeton Review National College Counselor Advisory Board.
continued. . . 11
UPPER SCHOOL
US - Junior Jessica Seibold
Upper School side. “In short, college admissions has become a significant industry,” said Marrs, who has run college counseling for more than 33 years. “Our experience is that the world of college admission has ratcheted up year after year, in terms of selectivity and therefore, significantly increased the stress for our students and families,” said Marrs. “Students as young as 14 years old are receiving information on colleges. Our fervent hope is to help people become as informed as possible, but in a way that will lower their stress.” While marketing tactics are placing college choice under the noses of high school families earlier, 12
ENGAGING AND RELEVANT Marrs has redesigned her department, which consists of Marrs, Lara Magdzinski and Beth Driehaus, to be more helpful to all Upper School students and their families. The department will grow into a four-person team this fall with the arrival of Alex Catalan, who has done admissions work for Beloit College, University of Pennsylvania, and Yale University. The program will operate within a distinctly different organizational structure that will focus on informing younger Upper School students and minimizing college-related anxieties, while continuing the excellent work for which Seven Hills is known. The reorganization is distinctive and intuitive. For the first time, each counselor will be assigned a group of students that represents the entire Upper School student body. College counseling also will work closely with Nick Francis, director of experiential learning, to cultivate and incorporate students’ passions into their college pursuits. And for the first time in the history of the school, ninth graders will be assigned to a counselor who will follow them throughout their Upper School careers.
“Our hope is that, by assigning college counselors to ninth graders, we’ll provide a point person for questions from students and parents at the earliest point we can,” said Driehaus, who, along with teaching history, advised ninth graders during the 2014-15 school year in the Upper School’s new college readiness program. “There can be so much anxiety and ‘the unknown’ tied to college admissions, we hope to be a resource for the entire Upper School population, even those kids who have a few years before it becomes pressing for them.” And with all of that building up, there is one thing college counseling works continuously to undo: “There is this myth of the perfect college or university. There is no perfect school. It rains everywhere,” said Marrs. “But there are many terrific schools. Best fits occur when students know who they are, what they want, and what their strengths are.” The strength of Seven Hills’ college counseling program is no secret in the national world of college admission. When asked, Marrs will humbly tell you college admission officers across the country know counselors in her department by name. Seven Hills hosts visits from more than
STU D E N T-C E N TE R E D LE AR N I N G I N TH E U P P E R S C H O O L 100 colleges and universities across the nation every year. Equally as important, the Seven Hills upperclassmen are very aware of the tailored quality of college counseling services they regularly receive, such as a year-old mock admissions workshop Magdzinski launched last fall as a way to demystify the college admissions process. A turnout of more than 230 students and their parents to that event demonstrated the level of interest, even anxiety, to decode the many mysteries of the college admission world. Upper School senior Lindsay Finn said she has learned a wealth of information from her college counseling experience. “Mrs. Marrs helped me structure my essays and explore ways to further
my interests,” said Finn, who was accepted, through early decision, to Cornell University. “She encourages us to do more outside the school world as part of the college preparation process.” Finn, who has attended Seven Hills since she entered Lotspeich in pre-kindergarten, said Marrs taught her, just as important as knowing what you want in a college, is discerning what you don’t want. As a sophomore Finn knew she was interested in engineering, environmental science, and art, with an emphasis on industrial art. Through her work with Marrs, she was able to quickly narrow her interests to mechanical engineering by the end of her sophomore year. Finn learned her interests don’t fit into one box, and she now plans to study business and design in the College of Engineering at Cornell. Seven Hills’ college counseling department is also known for sharing tools that students keep close throughout their Upper School years, and throughout their lives. Finn has learned to take the wisdom she has gleaned as her own. Upper School courses count, said Finn. But the defining courses one takes aren’t always predictable. The
courses that shaped her Upper School career in profound ways – engineering, psychology, environmental science, and speech – aren’t necessarily what she would have expected. It is one of the reasons why Finn freely shares with her classmates something she has learned about the college application process as a Seven Hills upperclassman:
“During my sophomore year Mr. Brott helped connect me with Seven Hills alumna Susie Steffensen, who works at the Natural Resource Conservation Center. In June of 2013, I shadowed her for a day and helped with some of the field research at the Ohio EPA Stream Facility in Milford. I was able to talk to a few of the professionals in the field about their work with the environment. Through this experience, Seven Hills helped me explore my passion for environmental science in ways outside of the classroom.”
“There are things that can help, like whether you play sports, alumni connections, or the AP courses you take, but it really is about how you spend those four years,” said Finn, who also took a design seminar at Stanford University, a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) at University of Cincinnati, and attended Chewonki, a nature-based academic semester course in Maine. “Getting into a college that works for you is less about AP’s and more about showing the schools how you pursue your interests, and that you are an interesting, diverse candidate.”
- Lindsay Finn
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90 minutes A PARENT’S PERSPECTIVE AND A STUDENT’S LOG A few students stand on a landing, watching workers skillfully sift through piles of materials on conveyor belts while a tour guide explains the recycling process at the Rumpke plant on Vine Street. They’re wearing reflective vests, hard hats, and goggles. From time-to-time on this morning in early March, they glance at their environmental science teacher Linda Ford who wears the same
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protective gear. The tour was an eye-opener, but it wasn’t an unusual trip. Ford is known for taking her students to observatories, the Cincinnati Zoo, neighborhoods throughout Madisonville, and into waterways, to name a few. She and her colleagues are sometimes able to use their classroom time in this manner because they have 90 minutes with which to work. The extended time, “block scheduling,” allows students to receive more in-depth, practical subject matter from their teachers and allows more time for students to move beyond classroom walls to delve into subjects and experiences a Skype chat can’t convey. Seven Hills adopted block scheduling at the Middle and Upper Schools at the start of the 2012-13 school year. After adjusting to the schedule change, which essentially
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means students take no more than three or four classes a day, teachers were able to rebuild the structure and sequence of their class time, work more closely with individual students, and dive deeper into their instruction. Kerrin Antonsson said her children – senior Stefan, sophomore Andres, and eighth-grader Elin – like block scheduling because they are able to have more control over how they accomplish their work. Because all three of her children have different planning styles, this is a key point for them. “They can work through what they need and target what they need help with,” said Antonsson. She said block scheduling also reduces some of the “stops and starts” throughout the day. “There was a lot of time spent in transition and it was feeling a little more frenetic,” said Antonsson. “I feel like my kids have a firmer grasp of what is expected of them, and they become prepared and get more out of their classes.”
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S T U D E N T-C E N T E R E D L E A R N I N G I N T H E U P P E R S C H O O L Devi s day {1}
A SNAPSHOT OF BLOCK SCHEDULING THROUGH THE EYES OF A SEVEN HILLS SOPHOMORE There is no separating life at Seven Hills Upper School from – life. From Four Corners, to the senior lounge, to the farthest-reaching classroom lab on the lower level, students thrive on the bustling movement and random connections that define their daily experiences. Sophomore Devi Namboodiri records the clip and rhythm of two typical days on the block schedule at Seven Hills, including her after school work as a volunteer at Cincinnati Museum Center, community orchestra, and dance classes.
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10:03 9:30 After texting some friends, I go to bed so I can catch up on some sleep.
I finish my homework, then eat a snack and take a nice shower.
6:45a.m. 7:05 8:07 Getting ready for school.
I leave the house.
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I begin my homework for chemistry and English.
I eat dinner (I am starving!)
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Running to the DAC for instrumental with Mr. Rising. This is always a refreshing start to my day.
Just rosining my bow and getting ready to play!
We just ended instrumental with some James Bond music community time!
After spending a little time with some friends, we start history class with Mrs. Faber.
We watch a movie in class in order to learn about the effects on art and the history of art theft during and after World War I.
6:15
5:00
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I give a My dad and presentation I drive home on issues in and recap healthcare and our days with each local government policy regarding other. it, and watch friends present their issues as well at our monthly Season Good meeting.
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We had a School is out, I do I arrive pep rally for a little homework at the our amazing Cincinnati while I wait to get swim team. picked up. Museum Congratulations Center to them for Union placing first in Terminal state! building.
11:12 I run over to gym for physical education.
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a.m.
Learning how to play cricket.
12:35 p.m.
Today a few Math class students and with Mrs. I interview Levesque. and have Today we begin chapter lunch with an AP 5 on matrices! biology teacher candidate.
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Devi’s day{2} Thursday
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6:30a.m. 7:05 8:10 Wake up!
Leave for school.
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Head to bed and crash (literally :)).
Take a shower.
Workout for a bit.
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Chemistry class!! We get to start out with a fun competition in drawing bonds for jelly beans!
Mrs. Ford teaches us about electrolytic cells through a lab. Fun to watch!
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Resume homework.
Eat dinner and hang out with family.
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Latin class Community begins with time again. I head to the Dr. Sebastian. We translate library with some friends. various works (I have to say Lucretius is my favorite Roman author, even if we read more Cicero).
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It’s time to We take a We discuss run to the short quiz on symbols and other side of Shakespeare’s themes that occur the building Act 4 of in Macbeth and for English Macbeth. watch some of Sir class with Mr. Ian McKellen’s Gleiner. version of the play.
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At home and working on homework for multiple classes (have my research paper rough draft to finish too!).
With school done for the day, I hang out with friends before getting picked up.
We have an all school assembly and then class meeting (with just our grade).
I love my free bells, good study time!
12:35 p.m. Eat lunch with friends!
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3 New Courses
Computer Engineering
THREE NEW COURSES The Upper School will offer three new general courses this fall. Based on the complexities involved in the approval process to launch a new course, the three new programs – computer science, biotechnology, and environmental history – have proven popular with students, many of whom had already registered for the classes in March. The advent of these three new programs also tells the story of three passionate Upper School teachers. Each course includes materials and information found in some 200and 300-level college classes. The complexity of the courses underscores how long these teachers have worked to bring their subject matter to fruition, and just how energized they are to share some of their most treasured and nuanced knowledge with Seven Hills students.
Ninth through 12th graders in Brian Arnold’s computer engineering class will acquire a very unique skillset. They will work in a lab setting that will appear somewhat like a control center with circuits, dials, lights, and wiring as the backdrop. This fall, students will learn how to safely manipulate breadboards and Arduinos. And on any given day, they will learn to skillfully execute any number of tasks, such as how to use an oscilloscope to measure the voltage of different parts of a circuit. The “hardware literate software engineer,” as Arnold calls it, is a commodity, especially in a rigorous academic environment such as Seven Hills. And for those who think Arnold’s class is just for a narrow handful of “techies,” consider that the students who move into any number of positions – law, communications, medicine, environmental, labor relations – will many times work in a team. In every team, there is a software engineer. And, said Arnold, the person on a team who manages or works with the software engineer will be much more effective within the group.
As a former technical leader and inventor on three of Cisco System’s many patents, Arnold is looking forward to sharing his knowledge and experience with his students. “In my experience, students who purely depend on what’s on the screen and keyboard are at a disadvantage,” said Arnold. “The engineer who knows what to do when the hardware isn’t working is worth her weight in gold.”
“The difference between computer science and hardware engineering is the difference between astronomy and taking a rocket to the moon.” - Computer technology teacher Brian Arnold
Environmental History Students who talk for any length of time about Brian Wabler have usually tucked away a gloriously odd bit of historical information they’ve extracted from the conversation. They will mention a stunning slice of history that couldn’t have been extracted from a book. That’s because Wabler is passionate about these odd 17
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- Computer science teacher Brian Arnold
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“I want to get the kids to look at history from another direction, through a different lens,” said Wabler of his new semester-long environmental history course. “The purpose of this course will be to teach kids different ways to understand history, as well as the relationship between people and nature.” One of Wabler’s first lessons will center around the thought that each environment tells its own story. Wabler will take students outside the classroom’s four walls and form discussions around the definition of nature, which will lead to a number of stories, such as how the city of Mason became “the suburbs,” or how the massive 1920s flood of the Mississippi River primed the environment for the blossoming of Blues music. “Kids recognize when teachers are excited or passionate about something they are teaching,”
Biotechnology Students who take Brian Berning’s new biotechnology class will learn the basic skills necessary to work in a biological lab; they will learn about the ethics of biological decisions made everyday, and they will become very familiar with the emerging hot-button term, “GMO,” while learning how these genetically modified organisms are changing almost every aspect of our daily lives – across the world. “There are more than 250 biotechnology healthcare products and vaccines available to
patients, many for previously untreatable diseases,” said Berning. According to biotechnology industry sources, more than 18 million farmers around the world use agricultural biotechnology to increase yields, prevent damage from insects and pests and reduce farming’s impact on the environment. And more than 50 biorefineries are being built across North America to test and refine technologies to produce biofuels and chemicals from renewable biomass, which can help reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
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“The strength of the faculty and staff in the Upper School is astounding. Every one of the teachers has some unique story or background worthy of a magazine feature.”
moments in history, how they came to be, how natural disasters of one hundred years ago shaped the way people live now, and how today’s events will mold the lifestyles of generations to come. This fall, juniors and seniors will join Wabler in taking a closer look at the story of nature, and how it upsets various cultures.
said Wabler. “They respond to that and it helps them develop their own passions. As teachers, we model it for the kids and they can see what it looks like and some will follow down that path.”
The class also holds a very understandable “wow” factor. Today’s Upper School students have grown up watching television episodes of CSI, so it is no wonder so many students are interested in careers in forensic science. That tidbit will serve as an engine for a dynamic class of thoughtful learners. Berning said students will also appreciate being able to select many of the possible pathways and drive the learning process throughout their lessons. “Biotechnology shapes the way we live, eat, heal,” said Berning. “This is real-life science.”
School News N A T I O N A L
Seven Hills Congratulates National Merit Achievers
National Merit Finalists Bottom row - Carl Compton, Ben King, Adam Buford, Mitchell Polonsky, Andrew Wilson Top row – Pearce Kieser, Grace Cawdrey, Nicole Barresi, Joanne Li, Alayna Choo
Commended Students Bottom row - Ellen Lu, Judy Sun, Ellie Pasquale, Avery Coombe, Grace Carroll Top row - Arjun Dheenan, Alex Li, Sean Yoshitomi-Gray, Chris Janidlo, Chris Shoemaker, Duncan Gibson
National Merit Finalists
Congratulations to our 10 National Merit Finalists. The National Merit Scholarship Program honors talented U.S. high school students each year for academic excellence. Approximately 1.5 million students from 22,000 high schools across the country enter the program each year. Of that number, 16,000 were named Semifinalists, and about 90 percent of the Semifinalists are named Finalists. Ultimately, less than one percent of the nation’s high school graduating seniors are honored as Finalists.
National Merit Commended Students
Congratulations to our 11 Commended students in the 2015 National Merit Program. They are among the top two-thirds of the country’s 50,000 highest scorers on the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test. The National Merit Program awards Letters of Commendation to these students in recognition of their outstanding academic achievement.
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Chris Garten Named to Prestigious National Association Head of School Christopher Garten was recently elected as a member of The Country Day School Headmasters’ Association. The association’s active membership is limited to 100 members from day schools around the United States. “I am honored to be invited to join this group of distinguished school leaders,” said Garten. “It is a testament to the strength of our school and our continuing evolution under the able leadership of our Board of Trustees.”
National Achievement
The National Achievement Scholarship Program awarded senior Adam Buford a $2,500 scholarship toward college tuition, during an announcement in early April. The National Achievement Scholarship Program is conducted by National Merit Scholarship Corporation. 19
School News I S A C S
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Accreditation Team Gives Seven Hills High Marks On October 19 -22, Seven Hills hosted an accreditation team representing the Independent Schools Association of Central States (ISACS). Their three-day site visit was the culmination of an 18-month self-study process required every seven years as part of the accreditation cycle.
The 16-member team, administrators and teachers from some of the strongest independent schools in the Midwest, visited classes and met with students, parents, teachers, and administrators, delving into every area of school operation. At the end of their visit, the chairman of the visiting team, Mr. Brad Lyman, Head of School at Kentucky Country Day, summarized the team’s major commendations and recommendations. The team commended Seven Hills for its: • Program that is clearly mission driven. • Dedicated faculty, committed to the mission of the school and invested in their students. • Administrative staff that provides leadership, encouragement, and support for a positive learning environment. • Board of Trustees that is deeply engaged in achieving institutional goals through an effective working partnership with the Head of School.
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• Parents who are enthusiastically committed to working in partnership with the school, devoting time, talent, and treasure. • Students who are proud of their school and deeply appreciative of the myriad opportunities that are available. • Financial stewardship by Board and administration. • Robust and well funded professional development programs. • Decision to invest in a new early childhood education facility and new playing fields at the Hillsdale Campus. • Master Site Plan that thoughtfully addresses some significant facilities limitations (e.g. Middle School teaching space, auditorium, and performing arts classrooms, indoor athletic space). • Positive, authentic relationships among students and faculty. They recommended, in the coming years, the school: • Refine its system for aligning the curriculum to ensure a clear sequence of skills acquisition from pre-kindergarten through grade 12.
• Consider ways to serve the needs of an increasingly diverse group of students. • Explore ways to improve communication to foster an even closer partnership between parents and families. In the aggregate, these observations constituted a very insightful and affirming report on what this community has achieved over the last seven years. It was gratifying to have such a strong group of educators recognize both the strengths of the school and the significant progress that we have made as an institution.
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March Madness? How ‘bout Stinger Madness! In early March, Stinger Madness hit the Seven Hills campuses, and before long everyone was swept up in the excitement! In a race to see which division
visiting classes, appearing at school pep rallies, and making cameo appearances in Stinger Madness video contest updates. And the winner is … ?
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could reach the highest level of family support of The Seven Hills Annual Fund, from March 2 through 13, families from every division jumped into the Stinger Madness event to help their division get ahead of the others.
The Upper School team squeaked ahead of the other two teams to win the Stinger Madness trophy at the buzzzzzzer! Reflecting on the Stinger Madness event, Ref (and Head of School) Chris Garten said, “Our contest was no end of fun, but it also brought home to me, yet again, the strong spirit of support that you see in every one of our Seven Hills families. We are grateful for the energy and support that flows throughout our campuses every day from the Seven Hills community.”
The Upper School was led by our newest leader to the Seven Hills family, “Coach” Matt Bolton. Representing the Middle School contingent was “Coach” Bill Waskowitz. And our strong Lower Schools were co-managed by “Coach” Carolyn Fox and “Coach” Patti Guethlein. Officiating over the competition was “Ref ” Chris Garten, who kept the contest clean. Meanwhile, The Seven Hills Stinger Bee seemed to be everywhere at once 121
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2015 Frederick A. Hauck Scholarship Winners
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The Seven Hills School has awarded the 2015 Frederick A. Hauck Scholarships in Math and Science to sixth graders Caroline Chalmers and Faith Hagerty, seventh graders Ethan Rising and Stephen Walsh; eighth grader Max Yuan, sophomore Chase Gardner, and juniors Matthew Marquardt and Mike Nazzaro. World-renowned nuclear scientist and philanthropist Frederick A. Hauck established the Hauck Scholarships at Seven Hills in 1983 to recognize students who demonstrate outstanding achievement and commitment in math and/or science.
Upper School: Matthew Marquardt, Chase Gardner, Mike Nazarro
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Congratulations to new members of Cum Laude Society The Upper School honored its new inductees in the Seven Hills chapter of the Cum Laude Society, a national honor society that recognizes academic excellence, Claudia Fernandezat the Cum Laude Dinner on Gonzalez April 15. New members are juniors Fatima Anwar, Maria Bobbitt Chertock, Kate Coley, Alex Jiang, Matthew Marquardt, Holly O’Neal, Nicole Tiao, and Kathy Wang; and seniors Nicole Barresi, Adam Buford, Claudia Fernández Gonzalez, Ellen Lu, Nicole Malofsky, and Chris Shoemaker. The event also honored the members who were inducted last year as juniors: Stefan Antonsson Grace Cawdrey, Alayna Choo, Jeff Dedeker Pearce Kieser, Ben King, and Ellie Pasquale. Guest speaker at the event was Elida Kamine ’99.
Bottom row: Ellen Lu, Nicole Tiao, Maria Bobbitt-Chertock, Kathy Wang Top row: Nicole Barresi, Holly O’Neal, Adam Buford, Alex Jiang, Fatima Anwar, Kate Foley, Matthew Marquardt, Nicole Malofsky, Chris Shoemaker (bold = seniors)
Lowell Wenger, Melissa Khoo, Linda Ford, Wynne Curry, and Nate Gleiner
Middle School: Max Yuan, Ethan Rising, Stephen Walsh, Caroline Chalmers, Faith Hagerty
Winning students entering grades 9–12 receive a one-year scholarship of $1,000 to be applied to the 2015-2016 tuition at Seven Hills Upper School. Winning students entering grades 7–8 receive a grant of $250 to be applied to tuition for an approved summer enrichment program.
Head of School Chris Garten said, “Modeled after Phi Beta Kappa at the college level, the Cum Laude Society recognizes academic excellence in some of this country’s most prestigious high schools. Membership is strictly limited to schools with exemplary academic programs, and Seven Hills is one of just a handful in Ohio. Induction today means that these students are being recognized as among the best of the best in secondary education in the nation.” Kamine encouraged the students to maintain the joy of learning they acquired and developed at Seven Hills. “Tonight is about the excellence that you have achieved at Seven Hills and the combination of rigorous academic pursuits and confidence that will fuel a lifetime of unlimited potential.” Kamine concluded with a call to action for the students to always pursue and uphold justice and honor.
As part of the annual Cum Laude Society induction ceremony, it is tradition for faculty members of the Cum Laude Committee to address each new member with remarks compiled from quotes from the student’s teachers. For a direct link to the remarks, download a QR Code app to your smartphone and scan the code on this page.
School News T H E
Thank you to the more than 1,400 donors who have supported The Seven Hills Annual Fund during the 2014-2015 fiscal year. Because of you… So much is made possible, adding richness to the classroom and beyond…
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The Annual Fund Goal =$1,300,000
} $50,000 to go
Join Us!
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iPads in the classroom • team shirts for athletes • maps speakers • art materials • musical instruments • field trips theater props and costumes • photography equipment microscopes • professional development for teachers
Questions If you have not yet done so, please make a gift online at www.7hills.org/annualfund by June 15, 2015. Questions? Please contact Andi Simon ’98, Director of Annual Giving, at 513.728.2436 or andi.simon@7hills.org.
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Books for Lunch 2015 Presents Colum McCann In a riveting keynote address, National Book Award recipient Colum McCann (TransAtlantic) shared the essence of his work with the Seven Hills community in February.
Books for Lunch 2015 included a Lecture Luncheon and book signing at Xavier University’s Cintas Center on Feb. 6, a dinner with McCann at the home of Patrick and Elizabeth Rogers, an assembly with Middle and Upper School students, and meetings with students in the Young Family Library. “The ability to tell one’s story is great but the ability to listen to someone else’s story, make sense of it, and step into their shoes, is greater,” The Irish bestselling author told an audience of more than 340 at the Lecture Luncheon. “We need to learn the art of losing ourselves in others.” McCann stressed to his audience the importance of being able to not only take the time to listen to the stories of others, but to see their struggles as their own, a learned empathic skill that has enabled him to write the vivid, layered, story lines and rich, realistic characters for which he is known. McCann said 24
that attention to the nuances of people’s struggles, joys, and pains also allows people to connect for Books for Lunch Committee co-ch a greater purpose: airs Liz Coley and Patti He ldman with Colum McCann. understanding and responding to the needs of others. McCann’s simplicity, candor, and warmth underscored his instant appeal to Seven Hills’ students, who waited in unusually long lines to speak with him.
McCann shares his thoughts on the writing process with students in the Young Family Library.
Colum McCann signs books for seniors Stuart Edwards, Ian Jeffries, Grace Cawdrey, and Leo Fried.
Colum McCann’s message to students: “Get lost. Rip out your ‘internal GPS systems’ and learn how to be lost. Embrace it.” McCann also encouraged students who are seriously interested in becoming better writers, or in writing as a profession, to “read, read, read.”
Hosts Patrick and Elizabeth Rogers, Colum McCann, Patti Heldman, Fred Heldman, Liz Coley
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A Taste of Seven Hills Seven Hills families came together to enjoy the music, culture, art, and food of many nations during A Taste of Seven Hills on March 6. The event, formerly known as International Dinner, featured Chinese and Chilean art clinics led by students and teachers, face painting, Henna art, a Latin mosaics art workshop, Indian and Irish dancing, a crepe station, and dozens of delicious dishes.
Congratulations to Nate Gleiner, English teacher and Equity and Justice Coordinator, and parent Rica Ligeralde, chair of the
planning committee, who organized the event, including the performances and activities for the young participants.
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Miriam Titcomb Memorial Fund grants for enrichment Since 1978, the Miriam Titcomb Fund, an endowed enrichment fund established by alumnae, has made it possible for more than 100 Seven Hills faculty and staff to have meaningful travel and study experiences. These adventures are personally and professionally inspiring for our faculty and staff, and their increased scholarship and enthusiasm enriches the entire school community. The recipients for the 2014 Titcomb awards were Elisa MacKenzie, Erich Schweikher, and Danielle Necessary. D O H E RT Y U N I T I & I I CO O R D I N ATO R E L I S A M A CK E N Z I E Elisa MacKenzie was awarded a grant for her project, “Learning to Dance in the Rain.” Last summer Elisa and her daughter, Eryn ’14, traveled to Paris to immerse themselves in an experience intended to help them emerge from terrible grief, and move forward in their journey toward healing. “This trip had a deep and personal meaning for my daughter and myself. Planning it was part of our healing process from grief. Paris will always be that special place for us where we mourned, said our goodbyes, and 26
glimpse into the beautiful scenery and ways of the Mayan people of this Central American country.
found some sense of peace,” Elisa explained. “We shared precious times together sitting in lovely street side cafés, sampling amazing food and, somehow, through those experiences, finally realizing that we could see beauty and experience joy again.” LOTSPEICH SECOND GR ADE T E A C H E R D A N I E L L E N E C E S S A RY Danielle Necessary was awarded a grant for her project, “Cooperative for Education’s Guatemala Snapshot Tour.” Inspired by Lotspeich’s new partnership with Cooperative for Education (CoEd), last summer Danielle traveled to Guatemala to join CoEd’s tour for a five-day
I’m so grateful to have been given the opportunity to travel with CoEd, see the impact of their organization first-hand, and fall absolutely in love with Guatemala,” Necessary explained. “The world can be a pretty big place, especially for a second grader. Instilling in my students a sense of empowerment, a feeling that they can identify a problem and, rather than feeling afraid of it, do something about it.” Necessary continued, “Sharing my experience with my students makes Lotspeich’s partnership with CoEd that much more meaningful.”
“Traveling to Guatemala was one of the most wonderful, inspiring experiences of my life. I’ve already started saving for a return trip, next time with my daughter. We hope to travel with CoEd
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again, and live with a Guatemalan host family while participating in a Spanish-imersion program.” UPPER SCHOOL ENGLISH TEACHER ERICH SCHWEIKHER Erich Schweikher was awarded a grant for his project, “Coast-to-Coast: in the footsteps of William Wordsworth.” For this project, Erich traveled to England’s Lake District and Yorkshire Dales to experience the landscapes that so influenced the great Romantic writers and thinkers that he admires. For his 190 mile, two-week “walk,” he backpacked along Alfred Wainwright’s famous trail from the eastern coast of England and the Irish Sea to the western coast of the North Sea. From his travel journal, Erich shared the following excerpt:
“Was it for this That one, the fairest of all rivers, loved To blend his murmurs with my nurse’s song , And from his fords and shallows, sent a voice That flowed along my dreams? O Derwent, travelling over the green plains Near my ‘sweet birthplace’, didst thou, Make ceaseless music through the night and day, Which with its steady cadence tempering Our human waywardness…” William Wordsworth from “The Prelude” (1799)
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“alder shades” along the “rocky falls.” But the “ceaseless music” distracts and Wordsworth’s opening 11 lines are all I can think of. I quickly realize that this is what I wanted all along , to be in the place previously imagined, to lose myself in the play between dappled light and tumbling water, and for one of those few, rare moments be content with my own silence…, the truest confirmation of self… I take off my boots, socks, and shirt and make the plunge.
“Was it for this?” I have come to the Lake District to find the origin of my voice, a voice uncovered while reading Wordsworth’s 1799 “Prelude” in a Beloit College English Romanticism course. It is not a poetic voice that was revealed, not then in a basement classroom of Middle College (that discovery came later), but a voice of self, which “tempered” my own “waywardness.” In these opening lines of the “Prelude”, language is identity, not a metaphor but the very self made whole. And expression is not merely articulation but creation and a reaffirming of creation… So here I sit on the banks of the River Derwent in Rothswaite, England, not far from the birthplace of Wordsworth and eight miles from Grasmere and Dove Cottage where he later lived and wrote his most notable works. Here I sit trying to think of language to record the moment, to place myself here in the
— June 14, 2015 (Rothswaite, Lake District, England)
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The Power of Two Seven Hills’ Pre-kindergarten for 2-year-olds Program continues to thrive on the Doherty Campus. The program will open on the Hillsdale Campus in Fall 2015.
Students who attend Seven Hills’ pre-kindergarten for 2-year-olds must turn 2 by Oct. 1 of their enrollment year. To learn more about the Pre-kindergarten for 2-year-olds scan this QR code or visit 7hills.org/ec/prek2
There is just something about 2-yearolds. Despite their young age, they will sit with rapt attention through a 15-minute performance, eyes wide with wonder. They will devote hours to molding, sifting, and squeezing any number of objects. And, because they have not yet developed the skill to interact fully with others, their ability to press through and complete a task in a learning environment with other children is remarkable. This singular, dynamic blend of intense curiosity, diverse sensory needs, and unbridled wonderment fuels the mission of Seven Hills’ PreKindergarten for 2-year-olds Program. The program, in its second year on the Doherty Campus, will open on the Hillsdale Campus this coming fall. “We talked about hexagons one day,” said teacher Julie Brackett. “When we were outside, one of our students saw a familiar shape in the sidewalk and said, ‘There’s a hexagon!’ We then started talking about honeycomb and pollination, and the students were so engaged. That is just a typical day here. Our young learners are always making connections.” Brackett, also the director of Seven Hills Beginnings Parent & Toddler Enrichment program on the Doherty Campus, said she enjoys watching the learning occur on so many levels across disciplines. As part of their core curriculum the students take regular lessons in Spanish, gymnastics, and music. And
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throughout the year, the tiny students explore dozens of enrichment opportunities, including listening to live opera performances; learning about the symphonic instruments; milling seed and making flour, fresh pasta, and crepes; planting organic gardens; and foraging for pine cones, rocks, and sticks, to name a few. Head of Lower School on the Doherty Campus Patti Guethlein said the Pre-Kindergarten for 2-year-olds Program allows children to experience the world while providing a tailored, nurturing learning environment. “This pre-kindergarten program was designed to meet the unique needs of 2-year-olds. They are not ‘young threes.’ Two-year-olds are full of life and each experience enriches the curriculum, whether it is a third-grader who is a poet, an opera singer, a yoga instructor or ‘Mother Nature.’ We are very proud of what has been built and very excited about the future.” Brackett and teacher Nikki Ravenscraft respond to their students’ individual interests, providing unique activities that speak to a 2-year-olds’ ever-changing needs – every day. The toddling students respond with caring gestures, laughter, and verbal discoveries that inform the next discussion, interactive lesson, or focus. Ravenscraft said the adjustments range
from pulling out Play-Dough at the request of their students, to making the most of a warm, rainy day by pulling on boots for some good old-fashioned, muddy jumping fun. “We are always tuned into the child,” said Ravenscraft. “Sometimes we plan an art project but we figure out that the children would rather work at the sensory tables. For the 2-year-olds, the great thing is we can shift gears if we need to.” Lotspeich Director of Early Childhood Kara Meador said she is looking forward to bringing the dynamic program to the Hillsdale Campus, where, like on the Doherty Campus, pre-kindergarteners and kindergartners can serve as role models to their new, younger friends.
“It feels good for the parents to have such a close relationship with the teachers. They know they are leaving their children in a safe place and they want to have that chemistry with their child’s teacher.” – Teacher Julie Brackett “Our early childhood team is eagerly and enthusiastically awaiting August 2015, when the newest members of our Seven Hills Family, our pre-K 2’s, will be joining us,” said Meador. “We are so looking forward to being a part of their first school experience, finding joy in learning each day, as we guide them through a journey of exploration and wonder.”
School News
Audrey Wilson
For detailed sports news, visit www.7hills.org/buzz.
A first place win in two relays, the 200 Medley Relay (junior Matthew Marquardt, Kieser, sophomore Henry Marquardt, and senior Sean Yoshitomi-Gray), and the 400 Free Relay (sophomore Tim Hagemeister, Gray, M. Marquardt, and Kieser) scored huge points for the team. Strong second place individual swims by Kieser in the 100 Breast and M. Marquardt in the 100 Back and 100 Fly pulled in critical points. The Stinger swimmers demonstrated the depth of their team with a sixth place finish by the 200 Free Relay team (Gray, H. Marquardt, junior Tigar Cyr, and Hagemeister), as well as a fourth place in the 500 free by Hagemeister, sixth from Kieser in 100 Free, and eighth from freshman Tindar Cyr in the 100 Breast. Additional individual swims by Gray, H. Marquardt, Tindar Cyr, freshman Nick Purple, Tigar Cyr, and sophomore Jason Guo pulled in the last few points for the team. Three swims from the state meet automatically qualified for All-America Awards (Top 100 swims in USA among all high schools) by the National Interscholastic Swim Coaches Association. Those swims were the 200 Medley Relay (M. Marquardt, Kieser, H. Marquardt, Gray), Kieser in the 100 Breast, and M. Marquardt in the 100 Back. Kieser and Marquardt also swam their way onto the list of Top 20 All-Time Ohio High School State Meet Performances. Many Seven Hills school records fell this season, with all three relays setting
The Seven Hills boys bowling team earned the title of 2015 Miami Valley Conference Champions! Junior Corey Wilson was named MVC Bowler of the Year. Corey’s mother and Lotspeich music teacher Robin Wilson was selected the MVC Coach of the Year. Seven Hills’ girls bowling team member freshman Audrey Wilson won the JJ Huddle Girls’ Bowler of the Week award, announced on March 2. Wilson was also featured in the Cincinnati Enquirer as the first Stingers female bowler to qualify for the state meet. Despite having only two returning players to the team this year, the girls basketball team had a very successful season. They finished in third place in the Gray Division of the Miami Valley Conference and won two tournament games at the end of the year. They had a close game against Fayetteville Perry in the sectional finals. Senior Maggie Gosiger was second-leading scorer in the Miami Valley conference and fifth-leading scorer in the city.
Members of our varsity gymnastics team worked hard, defining a season of determination and dedication. Junior Margaret Cox proved to be a very accomplished captain, making practice and meets fun and meaningful. The gymnasts came in eighth out of 23 teams in the city and 14th out of 40 in the district. Cox received the District Sportsmanship award, while sophomore Katie Corbett placed sixth on beam in the City meet.
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From the girls swim team, freshman Lucy Callard represented Seven Hills with impressive swims in her first state meet, placing fourth in the 500 Free, setting a new school record, and seventh in 100 Fly. In just its second year of competition, the Seven Hills Middle School swim team is off to another fantastic start. The team competed in the Miamisburg Invitational just before winter break and brought home a number of wins. The meet was highlighted by five first place finishes. Eighth grader Emma Shuppert won the Mixed 50 Yard Breast and the Mixed 100 Yard Back. Eighth grader George Eng also won the Mixed 200 Yard Free and the Mixed 100 Yard Breast. The relay team of Shuppert, Eng, Dottie Callard, and Claire Harrison also took first in the Mixed 200 Yard Medley Relay. The team took fifth place overall in the invitational.
The varsity boys basketball team finished 15-9 overall and 9-4 in the conference to finish second in the Scarlet Division. The boys earned a number 3 seed in the sectional tournament and made it to the Sectional Final but lost to Georgetown. This was an exciting season with several games that ended on the last possession both against and in the favor of the Stingers. The Stingers had three nice wins against rivals CHCA and CCD (twice) that were game-winning buzzer beater shots! This team of 12 seniors, two juniors, and one sophomore finished with a strong season. Brian Goertemoeller was named to the First Team All-MVC, while Tucker Robinson and Jack Sizer were named to the Second Team All-MVC. Stefan Antonsson and Jared Nelson were Honorable Mention MVC. Robinson was also named to the First Team All-District 16 for Division IV, while Goertemoeller was named to the All-District 16 Second Team for Division IV.
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Seven Hills cheerleader senior Corie Kirkwood was named to the MVC First Team for cheerleading. The Sixth Grade Boys Team “Callow” won the Cardinal Pacelli Ron Speed Memorial Tournament B Division in mid-January. Along the way, the team beat Guardian Angels (was 5-0); St. Ursula Villa in double overtime (was 4-1); and Nativity in the finals (5-0). Team members include Tucker Bassett, Griffin Callow, Eli Dauer, Aidan Finn, Daniel Flagel, William Hawgood, Jack Homer, Nolan Loring, Max Maislin, and Charlie Ringel. Jeff Dedeker received the Dick Snyder Sportsmanship Award for displaying integrity and good sportsmanship throughout the season. Photos by Keith Neu
Corie Kirkwood
new records in the 200 Med Relay, 200 Free Relay, and 400 Free Relay, as well as four individual swims breaking records in the 100 Free and 100 Breast (Kieser), 500 Free (Hagemeister), and 100 Back (M. Marquardt). Both Kieser and Hagemeister were named MVC Swimmers of the Year. Head Varsity Coach Allie Henges was named MVC Coach of the Year.
The Seven Hills boys swim team traveled to the Ohio High School Athletic Association’s Swim Championships during the last weekend of February and came home with the Championship Trophy – a first team state title win for the school! The boys team scored 209 points, out-swimming Dover (152), Dayton Oakwood (139), Wyoming (137), and Hawken (133) in an exciting meet. Athletic Director Brian Phelps hosted a rousing pep rally assembly in March to mark the historic occasion, which featured speeches by Assistant Varsity Coach Erin Ragouzis, former swim coach Tim Drew, and senior Pearce Kieser. “We are tremendously pleased with the strength and perseverance of our swim team, and so happy for our young men and woman who put in countless hours of practice and showed exemplary sportsmanship to bring together this outstanding outcome and historic moment for our school,” said Phelps. “This is the kind of moment that our student athletes, our families, and our faculty will never forget.”
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D E P I C T I N G E A R LY MARKETING IN 19TH CE N T U RY F R A N CE Tapping into the sophistication of their honed linguistic skills, Upper School students in Wynne Curry’s French V class studied the work of 19th century French writer Émilie Zola and applied it to original depictions of successful logos used in early French marketing. “Zola’s Au Bonheur des Dames — one of his major literary works in the 20-volume Rougon-Macquart series — is about the rise of the first department store in Paris at the end of the 19th century and all of the strategies employed to ‘seduce’ the clients,” said Curry. “We watched a French news report on the importance of logos in marketing.” Curry said the students selected and discussed in French two actual images that detailed the particularities of successful logos. As part of the last activity, the students designed a logo for Zola’s fictional 19th century department store. L E A R N I N G S PA N I S H , N AT U R A L LY Lotspeich kindergartners in Señora Hayes’ Spanish class enjoy the regular and cyclical process of learning thematic Spanish vocabulary words. “We practice in a variety of ways, including kinesthetic movements, drawing, and storytelling. Also, my communication with my kindergartners is primarily spoken in Spanish, so they regularly hear the language in conversation and instruction,” said Hayes. “For our study of
McGarvey said the project allowed students to apply their studies of the geography, history, and culture of South America in a creative manner.
parts of the body, we sang Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes in Spanish (Cabeza, Hombros, Rodillas y Pies). Then, after practicing these vocabulary words through music and movement, the students drew pictures of different body parts on their individual white boards.” ¡Que maravilloso! S T R A N D E D O N A D E S E RT I S L A N D As part of Andy McGarvey’s sixth grade geography students’ unit on Latin America, they produced maps of a fictional island in South America and imagined themselves stranded there. The students, who worked in groups, were required to include information about the climate, landforms, vegetation, and wildlife of their island. The students also kept journals of their adventures, addressing a number of points, including where they would sleep and take shelter in the event of a storm, what they would eat, how tasks would be accomplished, how long they stayed on the island, and how they were rescued.
BUSINESS MANAGEMENT 101 Doherty Unit III students who run the Doherty Store received business lessons from the pros – Seven Hills parents who work at Procter & Gamble, and a parent who owns a local business – during a workshop in the fall. “Our students run the Doherty Store with roles in human resources, finance, and marketing,” said Unit II and III math teacher Vaishali Sarbhoy. “We brought in professionals who work in these same areas.” Students heard from Mark Jeffreys, an associate marketing and advertising director at Procter & Gamble and stepfather of Evelyn Astafiev-Holmes; Saurabh Saksena, who works in finance and consumer goods with P & G, and is the husband of Sarbhoy; and Maria Papakirk, owner of Camp Washington Chili and mother of Anna and Stratton Papakirk. The students discussed profit margins, management do’s and don’ts, and marketing. The students shared some of their business rules with their guests, and responded with gratitude, interest, and excellent questions.
School News H I G H L I G H T S
SPACE ST U D I E S I N U N I T I As Doherty Unit I students learned about space, they also were getting a unique literary and musical lesson in the history of the Underground Railroad. Students in Kirby Schuchter, Amy Kuhlavik, and Anne Vanoy’s classes studied the moon and its phases, constellations, and planets as they read The Drinking Gourd by F.N. Monjo and sang the song “Follow the Drinking Gourd.” “The term ‘drinking gourd’ was used by slaves in the south to discreetly describe the Big Dipper constellation, which gave slaves a point of reference so they would not get lost while they attempted to escape slavery,” said Schuchter. Unit I students further applied their knowledge during a trip in early January to Drake Planetarium. BUILDING BRIDGES Lotspeich second graders in Danielle Necessary and Becky Swain’s classes immersed themselves in an extensive three-week unit in social studies that culminated with a bridgebuilding project that required students to research the history, geography, design, and structure of a bridge; build the bridge in any format; and make a presentation about their project. The students selected a wonderful array of bridges, including Michigan’s Mackinac Bridge, the Sydney Harbor Bridge in Australia,
of scenes, a comparison to Cincinnati, and a twostudent team captured aerial and ground level images of Cincinnati as part of their project.
the Akashi Kaikyō Bridge in the Kobe area of Japan, and many others. Shortly before the break, students presented details of their projects to their parents and classmates. STUDYING STEINBECK In a completely student-led project, in early January Upper School’s Nate Gleiner’s English students studied works of John Steinbeck through their own artistic lenses. Using Steinbeck’s memoir of Americana, Travels with Charley, as a focus, students prepared unique class presentations, using their choice of medium, to share and discuss with their classmates and Gleiner. No two presentations were alike: one student presented her thoughts on Travels with Charley as a movie scene adaptation, and another student compiled a photo essay. Other projects included a travel journal, a map of Steinbeck’s travels, a collage
HUNGER BANQUET At the Middle School’s Hunger Banquet this winter, more than 100 Middle School teachers, students, and their family members immersed themselves in a simulated reality of the hunger crisis in developing countries. Participants were randomly separated into categories: wealthy nations, poor countries, and the poorest countries. Each group of participants (or population) received meals commensurate with their country’s economic status. “We want to raise awareness of issues of food insecurity, both locally and nationally,” said Head of Middle School Bill Waskowitz. “We simulated what the needs are in terms of what the world looks like on a micro scale, to illustrate the disproportions between those who have and those who don’t.” Participants from the wealthy nations received Dewey’s Pizza and fresh salad. Those who represented the poor countries ate rice and beans with water that was provided in Hillsdale Commons, where the event took place. The poorest “population” received only rice, and was required to walk to Kalnow Gym to fill their cups with water. The participants watched presentations on the water crisis in the poorest countries and engaged in discussions about how hunger affects the mobility and health of families, especially children. Hosted by Waskowitz and world languages teacher Jacky Kalubi, the Hunger Banquet is a traditional event.
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Seven Hills students travel: to France, Greece and Italy Middle School students study marine biology in Florida Keys Palmer Kruzner confidently demonstrates his French communications skills
The French exchange group on the steps of Le Petit Trianon at Versailles
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seniors with our students as the special guests.
After bidding adieu to their Marseille hosts, the Seven Hills students traveled by train to Paris where they took in the sites of the city of lights. Their adventures included a The coastline outside of boat cruise on the Seine and Marseille, France T R AV E L TO F R A N C E visits to the Arc de Triomphe, They finally had a chance to meet face-to-face the Champs-Élysées, the Louvre, Notre-Dame, on March 20, when Seven Hills students Montmartre, Versailles, and the Eiffel Tower. traveled to Marseille to spend 10 days over T R AV E L T O G R E E C E A N D I TA LY spring break living with their exchange hosts. From March 21-29, fourteen Upper School Latin During this time, the students participated in students traveled to Greece and Italy with Latin host family activities, teacher Dr. Brian Sebastian and Latin and history attended the Lycée teacher Katie Swinford. The first day was spent Mélizan (their host’s exploring the Plaka neighborhood of Athens, school), and experienced Greece, and concluded with a dinner of traditional life in France first hand. French host families took Greek dishes like tiropita (cheese pies), tzatziki, our students to many sites and moussaka. The next two days included touring the Athenian acropolis, site of the famous of interest along the Mediterranean coast, and temple to Athena, the Parthenon, and the the Seven Hills group did Athenian agora, the commercial and political center of ancient Athens. Students walked the a one-day excursion hallowed ground where Cleisthenes founded the mid-week to visit the Palace of the Popes in world’s first radical democracy and Socrates was Avignon and the Roman amphitheater in nearby Arles. One of the cultural exchange highlights was tried and executed for “corrupting the youth” of the introduction of lacrosse to the south of France, Classical Athens. as several of our students brought their lacrosse The first night in Italy was spent in the charming sticks across the Atlantic. The host high school seaside village of Sorrento before the group visited also organized a costume ball for their juniors and
the haunting ruins of Pompeii and the famous Farnese sculpture galleries in Naples. Students became budding epigraphers as they translated their way through Latin (and sometimes Greek!) building inscriptions and statue dedications scattered throughout Rome. The group enjoyed plenty of gelato breaks between site visits and ate its way through Roman Seven Hills students visit the Parthenon
This year’s French Exchange began in October 2014, when 28 French students from Seven Hills Upper School were matched with 28 students from the Lycée Mélizan in Marseille, France. Immediately, the students began communicating via social media — and long-distance friendships began to form.
delicacies like veal saltimbocca, pasta carbonara, and steamed artichokes.
Pompeii Forum Capitolium with Nicole Tiao (’16), Eliza Clark (’17), Piper Spooner (’17), Devi Namboodiri (’17), Kelly Pan (’16), Noelle O’Neal (’17).
Summer at Seven Hills Make it an unforgettable summer! Transform your child’s summer from uninspiring to UNFORGETTABLE! Choose from more than 100 programs for children ages 3-18.
To learn more plea
se visit 7hills.org/sum merprogram or call 513.7 28.2380
Weekly Summer Programs open to all Greater Cincinnati children, with more than 100 half-day and full-day programs available! To learn more visit 7hills.org/SummerProgram or call 513.728.2380. Register for one week ‌ or all eight! (Weekly programs available, starting June 16.) Early Care and After Care available.
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Catching up with Kathryn Ann Weichert Kranbuhl, MD, C’64 The friendships among some of the women in our class were amazing and endure today. For all these things, I am grateful.
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Alumni News Ann Kranbuhl C’64
Tell us briefly about your work. Ann: I have had a wonderful career practicing medicine, specifically in the field of oncology. My desire to become a physician began when I was about 10 years of age when my father, who was an educator, started encouraging me to think about choosing a profession that would be worthwhile and challenging. He had been responsible for many young men in Cincinnati choosing medical careers and he encouraged me to pursue that path, as well.
What was the inspiration for your career path?
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Ann: My interest in becoming an oncologist from among all the medical specialties came to me during medical school. At that point (early 1970s) I realized that we had a very long way to go in trying to cure cancer. I thought that during my lifetime a lot of research and new technology would develop, making the field an exciting one in which to participate and giving me an opportunity to learn along the way. This has proven true and thus made my career very rewarding in that we were able to help so many more people find remissions and cures that never previously had been attainable.
Tell us about some of the challenges and accomplishments you experienced along the way. Ann: On a personal note, I must say that there were some challenges. In 1968, I was one of three women in my medical school class of 100. Though my classmates were very nice, the “cheering section” was small, so I had to really believe in myself and keep a steady eye on the road ahead. When I first went into practice, I joined a group of oncologists, and then after a few years I started my own solo practice. By then I had two children. Juggling my career and their busy lives — education, activities, and summer plans — was an adventure! I did have some very good help through those years, and WE made it through. They both graduated Cum Laude from Duke University, went on to get advanced degrees, and now both have families of their own.
Now that you’re retired, how are you refocusing your talents? Ann: My goals in life now are different. I retired a couple of years ago, but have always had a desire to “give back” to many
causes. While I was working I always made time for volunteerism, but now that I am retired I am doing it in a way that I hope is making a bigger difference. My new volunteer roles include serving on the boards of the foundations for both Christ and Children’s Hospitals, interviewing prospective students for The College of Medicine at the University of Cincinnati, caring for indigent patients at a clinic in South Carolina, and also working for The Christ Hospital’s Tumor Registry. I recently held the position of Chairman of The Green Areas Advisory Committee for The Village of Indian Hill. Lastly, I have become a docent for The Cincinnati Parks and give tours for The Riverfront Parks, which is great fun because of all the new development in our downtown.
What gives you the most personal satisfaction? Ann: Personal satisfaction can come in many ways. I feel good knowing that I have done the best I could in most of my serious endeavors. My family is safe, healthy, and happy. I cherish all of my friends. It’s fun always to continue learning and to keep one’s self in a position for that to occur.
Is there anything you’d like to share about your Seven Hills experience? Ann: My Seven Hills experience was a good one having graduated from Miss Doherty’s in 1964 with a class of 23 women. There were three particular teachers who left a lasting impression: Mrs. Williams, our middle school English teacher, who taught us the rules of grammar in ways that one would never forget; Monsieur Naudeau, our high school French teacher, who in turn taught me three more years of French in college; and Mrs. Liebich, our high school history teacher who taught us how to write a term paper and in turn how to organize our thoughts. The friendships among some of the women in our class were amazing and endure today. For all these things, I am grateful.
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Why we give to The Seven Hills Annual Fund By Karen Bidlingmeyer Callard ’80
lifelong friends and received an education
they challenged by first-class academics,
that was second to none. These experiences
but, also, the life skills they are learning
prepared us for the world to come — college
outside of the classroom are top-notch.
and beyond. Our parents always supported
They will be more than prepared to tackle
The Seven Hills Annual Fund (and still do
any challenge that lies ahead. The Annual
to this day) and it is this kind of long-term
Fund supports so much that is great about
commitment to the school that continues to make it such a magical place.
support
Since making the decision to send our
“Seven Hills is a wonderful place and we are so lucky to have such an outstanding institution in our community. ”
My mother attended and graduated from
children, Lucy ’18 and Dottie ’19, to Seven
Hillsdale in 1957, and during her time there,
Hills (third generation), we have continued
her parents (my grandparents) supported the
the tradition of supporting The Seven Hills
Hillsdale Annual Fund. My husband, Paul ’80,
Annual Fund. Lucy and Dottie started at
and I were both fortunate to have the advantage
Doherty when they were three years old and
of a Seven Hills education when we were young.
we have contributed to the Annual Fund each
Seven Hills (academics, sports, arts, etc.)
I was a “lifer” at Seven Hills and Paul started
and every year. They will both be in Upper
and we truly believe that supporting the
in the fifth grade when his family moved to
School next year, and, with each passing year,
Fund is the best way to insure the best
Cincinnati. We graduated in the early 1980’s.
we continue to be impressed with the quality
possible education for our kids.
During our time at Seven Hills, we made
of the education they receive. Not only are
- Karen Bidlingmeyer Callard
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Alumni Holiday Party S A V E
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The Young Alumni Holiday Party was held on December 23 at 50 West Brewery. Alumni from 2004-2014 gathered to celebrate the season.
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Class of 2004 and Class of 2009 celebrate reunions! The classes of 2004 and 2009 celebrated their 10th and 5th reunions respectively on November 29, 2014. Both classes (photo at right) Frances Stilwell enjoyed the chance to be together again. Thank you to the Reunion Reps who helped make the gatherings possible! Elinor Adick Kline
Reunion 2004 Reunion 2009
2004 2004 Reunion Reps Ashlee Jackson Ashleigh Lyons Sarah McDonough
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2009 2009 Reunion Reps Julie Koenig Doug Wulsin
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Connections to Last a Lifetime
By Scott Carroll ’85, Seven Hills Alumni Association Board Chair As graduation approaches, the Seven Hills community prepares to help usher this year’s seniors from the role of student, to that of graduate and alumnus. As a “lifer” alumnus myself, this spring will be especially bittersweet. As I write, I am preparing for two big upcoming events: the Class of 1985 30th reunion, and seeing my daughter, Grace, wrap up her own “lifer’s journey,” when she graduates with the Class of 2015. For the 1985 Class Reunion, it is so sweet to anticipate reuniting, in person (no, social media just isn’t the same), with friends I’ve known, in many cases, since I was four years old. It has been similarly sweet, exciting, humbling, and terrifying to watch Grace, while resisting “senioritis,” assiduously working to secure a coveted spot at the college of her dreams (to which, with standards so high, my 1985 self could never be admitted today). THEN I graduated with 45 classmates, six of us “lifers.” For our graduation ceremony, the 46 of us stood, fresh-faced, on the steps of Hill Manor in tuxedos and formal dresses. The old Lotspeich building and Founders Hall stood to our right. Before us lay an open hill — and the great unknown of the journey into adulthood we were about to undertake.
After the tutelage, care, and, indeed, love of teachers like Mueller, Howard, Fox, Gace, Dearworth, Betts, Wenger, Snyder, Marrs, Morehouse, Bober, and Flanigan, to name just a few, on that day we stood so certain — and yet so unsure — but prepared in ways we couldn’t even imagine. NOW This year’s class does not have Hill Manor to stand upon, and when the Class of 2015 gathers on the deck for their class photo, Grace and the other 27 “lifers” included, the Middle School will be on the left while a rebuilt Lotspeich will stand behind them, with the glorious new fields down the hill below. As we were in 1985, the lives of each and every 2015 graduate will be infused with the passion, care, and love this great school offers. And they will be prepared in ways they can’t fathom. Buildings come and go (except the Red Barn!). Teachers retire. But a commitment to excellence, service, and loving care for students continues. Forty-four years after I began my journey with this school, and 14 years after my daughter Grace began hers, that magical contribution prepared us, inspired us, and enriched our lives with knowledge, curiosity, and friends for a lifetime.
To everything there is a season and while the world does turn, turn, turn, many things remain the same. Such is the case with this school we love. I urge each of you during this spring season to reflect on the spring of your young adulthood and how this school prepared you for the life you are leading. Then imagine how enriched you would be to reengage and see that preparation, care, and love continue to be spread to its students for generations to come. Seven Hills Alumni Association Board Chair Scott Carroll is a Seven Hills lifer who entered pre-kindergarten at Lotspeich in 1973, and is a 1985 Seven Hills graduate. Scott, his wife, Erin O’Grady, and their daughter, Grace, Seven Hills Class of 2015, live in Cincinnati. Scott is the Managing Partner and Litigation Manager of the Cincinnati and Dayton offices of Jackson Lewis P.C.
S TAY C O N N E C T E D ! Like • • • NEW Seven Hills School Alumni Page Join • • • Seven Hills School Alumni group Download • • • Seven Hills Alumni mobile app, available FREE through the Apple iTunes App Store and Android Google Play.
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s we wrap up our
celebration
The Seven Hills School is the product of the 1974 merger of
Miss Doherty’s College Preparatory School (CPS), founded in 1906, Lotspeich School, founded in 1916, and The Hillsdale School, founded in 1927. In honor of the school’s 40th anniversary, we look back to the early 1970’s — as these three schools grappled with the challenges of a slow economy, rising expenses, and declining enrollments. The following is an excerpt from A History of The Seven Hills School: To the Heights, By the Hand, written by former Lotspeich principal Eileen R. Driscoll in 1995. The Seven Hills Schools was launched in Fall 1974 and celebrated its first graduating class in June 1975. “The national economy was sluggish, enrollments were dropping, and public schools looked increasingly attractive to many families. The Wall Street Journal reported in 1970 that even the elite eastern boarding schools were finding that ‘they can’t afford to be too fussy about whom they admit.’ As at CPS, by 1970 enrollments on Red Bank Road were down: Lotspeich by sixty students and Hillsdale by more than twenty. The cooperative discussions among CPS, Hillsdale-Lotspeich, and Cincinnati Country Day, which had been going on intermittently for at least a decade, became more urgent… “The merger for financial survival of CPS and Hillsdale-Lotspeich, two such distinguished schools, which had, less than a decade earlier, enjoyed peak enrollments and a seemingly limitlessly bright future, was not unique to their experience. For independent schools across the country, the ’50s and ’60s were years when ‘all the curves were up’ in the words of Cary Potter, president of the National Association of Independent Schools. These were years for raising tuitions, salaries, endowments, buildings, and scholarships, and ‘all 40
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seemed to be more or less assured, a reflection of the economy in general, when growth was the key word and there were few visible limits.’ “Then, as the ‘60s turned into the ’70s, ‘the picture began to fall apart,’ and independent schools at every level became ‘hard pressed.’ In addition to the expenses of a broader student body (scholarships); a modern curriculum and the laboratories, technologies and libraries to go with it; and a more diverse and professional teaching staff, Potter observed ‘the increasingly devastating force of inflation which has not only accelerated what would clearly have been an upward course of education expense, but has eaten heavily into the real gain that increased resources from rising tuitions and gifts were making in the first half of the decade (of the ’60s)…Until there is some real slowdown in the cost-push, schools at best will be holding their own against the current, at worst be swept out to sea.’ Potter, writing in 1971, saw still tougher times coming in the form of a deepening national economic recession which was hitting parents hard in the pocketbook. And although day schools were perceived to be in a stronger position than boarding, single-sex schools were losing popularity. “College Preparatory School and Hillsdale-Lotspeich both moved in all the directions then recommended for salvation, such as greater flexibility in the curriculum, technological support for individual and inquiry learning, greater emphasis on the arts and experiential learning, redefinition of the role of the teacher, and ever more energetic fund raising. When all of that still proved insufficient to guarantee survival, they were lucky to have in their board and administration leaders the energy, vision and commitment to design and effect a durable merger — in less than two years time and before irreparable harm could befall either one.“ The following are photos and reflections of this time in the school’s history from members of the Class of 1975, the first to graduate from The Seven Hills School.
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Cinny Hastings Roy “The school year 1974-75 brought growth in unexpected ways. At first I viewed the merger of College Preparatory School (Doherty) and Hillsdale School as anything but good. As the year progressed it brought new activities, friends, and traditions. Before we knew it, graduation plans came into focus, and a fresh realization appeared […] while we each still recognized our school of origin, we, the FIRST GRADUATING CLASS of The Seven Hills School, were now a collective of friends. We were supporting each other then and still do today.”
Emily Wagner “Mme Lowther truly loved each of us and would take us to France in our minds. Neil Smith would tirelessly hang in with math problems, genuinely excited when that light bulb went off. Ms. Bacchus believed we could all be surgeons with our dissecting skills in her AP Biology class. And Sandy Smythe’s knowledge of literature was awe-inspiring. These teachers ALL inspired me with their passion for their subject, and each had a way of connecting with me that I have never forgotten.”
B. Wiley Gordon PA R E N T O F C U R R E N T S T U D E N T
“I remember being so upset about the merger, and I entered my senior year very warily. It was a new space, a lot of new faces. But at the end of the day — it’s 40 years later and I’m still great friends with many of those girls I went to school with for just one year!”
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Xana Moore-Wulsin “Our formative years occurred at a time of great social change and questioning in our country. While slightly too young to be considered children of the 60s, we sat on that cusp; we heard the challenges being leveled, we sensed the tensions, and we watched the edges of the social fabric being redefined. Our class arrived at Hillsdale to don green box pleated tunics, white shirts, and matching socks and sweaters. As we moved into a phase of testing a dress code instead of uniforms, the shirts, sweaters, and socks went first, soon followed by the tunics. No jeans with studs, no spaghetti strapped blouses, no flip-flops. The air felt ripe for challenging more than just the dress code, and our class rose to the call of doing just that — and acquired a moniker in the process. Members of our class tested the limits with our English teacher, a fine old-school woman with a fairly exacting sense of how her class should be organized and how her students ought to behave. One day, she arrived to class to find our columns and rows of desks formed into a circle. We were told to and did restore the original order. Another day, she arrived to find her classroom empty — all students having exited through the outside door and having sat in a row below the window, our backs to the wall. She left; we returned. Our class advisor, Barbara Beaver, soon walked in and stated her 42
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perspective on our behavior when she called us ‘rude, crude, and obnoxious.’ As you can imagine, for young adolescents, that description intrigued us. In our adolescent rebelliousness, we named ourselves ‘the rude, crude, and obnoxious class of 1975.’ The title elicits a chuckle even today. “We have grown; matured; lead full lives with friends, partners, families, and careers. While I know that our behavior presented a challenge, the school did not squelch the creativity or the ‘pushing-of-the-edges’ in which we engaged, although it did let us know it expected better of us in terms of engaging in respectful dialogue about our differences. I felt like my voice mattered in that dialogue and not like I ought to fall into step on a well-beaten path. Teachers like Patty Flanigan, who helped us to find our genuine voices, and Mrs. Kafker, who exposed us to new cultures and thoughts and ways of thinking as we delved through history (and who also supplied us with a consistent formula for pulling an A in history – which I continued to employ in college), cultivated seeds of self and exploration that opened new worlds to us. I consider myself a rich woman for those experiences and for the depth of friendships I developed and continue to enjoy in years first at Hillsdale and then at Seven Hills.”
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In Memoriam, Jean Emery Wommack The Seven Hills community was saddened to learn of the death of Jean Emery Wommack, 88, who passed away at her home in early December, surrounded by family. Her husband of 58 years, William Walton Wommak, preceded her in death in 2010. Jean is remembered by many as a former Lotspeich substitute teacher, member of the Seven Hills (Hillsdale) board, and long time
friend and supporter of the school. In addition to her active involvement with and support of Seven Hills, Jean was a tireless volunteer in the places she called home. Whether it be tutoring at Cincinnati Public Schools, serving as docent at the Cincinnati Art Museum, as member for 56 years at Indian Hill Church where she served on the Vestry Session and volunteered in numberless capacities, or sitting on numerous boards – just to name a few – Jean was always extending a helping hand to her community. Jean and her husband Bill leave a long legacy, with a large family of children and their spouses, and many grandchildren in whom their commitment to family and community will live on.
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In Memoriam, E. Allen Elliott Former College Preparatory School (CPS) Trustee Allen Elliott passed in February at the age of 88. He was the beloved husband of Sandy Hauck Elliott C’49 and father of Cindy C’73 and Cami ’75, grandfather of Landen, Travis, and Conner. In addition to sitting on the CPS Board of Trustees, including serving during the merger of CPS, Lotspeich School, and Hillsdale School to form The Seven Hills School, he also served on many other boards, and held memberships in several prominent Cincinnati clubs and organizations.
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Alumni News Seven Hills Alumni Day of Giving
SEVEN HILLS MOBILE APP
You did it! 83 alumni annual giving gifts in one day! Seven Hills Alumni Day of Giving, which took place on April 23, was a great success exceeding the goal of 70 Annual Fund gifts for Seven Hills in one day by 13! Alumni were invited to join the Stinger Bee as he checked in with the people, places, and programs that make Seven Hills so special and to show their support by making an Annual Fund gift that day. If you weren’t able to participate on April 23, there is still plenty of time. Please make your gift before June 15 by visiting www.7hills.org/annualfund. Your support keeps the Seven Hills tradition of excellence thriving!
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a.m. day through Saturday, 9 Resale Shop is open Mon Stock up for summer! The ugh August 1. thro 22 June from mer closed for the sum to 3 p.m. The shop will be
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Alumna Ginny Wilkinson Brooks (H’43)
Plans for Future Excellence with a Generous Bequest
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We recently caught up with Ginny Wilkinson Brooks to ask her about her Legacy Society gift . Ginny Brooks, a 1943 graduate of Hillsdale School, loved her time as a student, first at Miss Doherty’s College Preparatory School for Girls (CPS) and then at Hillsdale School, because of the outstanding academics, the wide variety of athletics for girls, and her friends – many with whom she is still close today. “Above all, however, it was the faculty at Miss Doherty’s and Hillsdale that made the schools so special,” says Ginny. “The teachers were outstanding. And I know that the high standards that defined the schools and teachers when I was a student have carried forward to The Seven Hills School today.” Because of Ginny’s deep and abiding belief in the important impression a school like Seven Hills has on young people, she has established a bequest to The Seven Hills School. Ginny and her sister Louise started school at Miss Doherty’s School because of its reputation for academic excellence. Ginny recalls taking French with Mlle Mauduit, an indelible educational experience that served her well later in her life. Ginny enthuses, “Many years later, I travelled extensively in France with my husband and was
able to draw upon my French lessons to get us through! Miss Doherty’s School not only provided me with an outstanding education, it also gave me the skills to enjoy more deeply my experiences in the wider world.” Among her other fond memories of the school are Ginny’s recollections of the Hillsdale arts program, which included “wonderful bus trips to hear the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra on Friday afternoons.” As Ginny explains, “These were my first experiences with this type of cultural enrichment, and they opened the world of art and music to me.”
had at Wellesley, but I do clearly remember all of my Hillsdale teachers. They made a lasting impression on me. It was a privilege to attend the school and to learn from such fabulous role models. Including The Seven Hills School “The advantages I received in your estate plans makes possible from attending Hillsdale are invaluable.” the full richness of the Seven Hills Through her lasting planned experience. Learn more about the gift to Seven Hills, Ginny’s spirit of giving will continue Legacy Society at to impact the lives of children for years to come. http://7hills.giftlegacy.com.
Ginny also excelled in athletics when she attended Hillsdale. “There were not many schools If you would like information at that time that provided girls with opportunities about becoming a member of to play field hockey, tennis, and other sports,” The Seven Hills School Legacy says Ginny. Society, please contact Marney “My education at Hillsdale was wonderful Hupper, Development Officer, preparation for Wellesley College, where I was at 513.728.2431 or able to enroll in advanced courses,” says Ginny. marney.hupper@7hills.org. “In fact, I don’t remember many professors I We are pleased to honor our
family of CPS, Lotspeich, Hillsdale, and Seven Hills alumni and friends who remembered the school in their estate plans. The Seven Hills School has a rich history, which, from 1974 to the present, has combined the traditions and standards of educational excellence of three wellknown Cincinnati schools: Miss Doherty’s College Preparatory School for Girls (CPS), the Lotspeich School, and the Hillsdale School.
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WE LOOK FORWARD TO WELCOMING YOU BACK TO CAMPUS! Reunion reps are needed to help make this a special weekend for your class. C O N G R A T U L A T I O N S
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Reunion Events Alumni came together on April 10 and 11 for Reunion 2015. They enjoyed the Classics Luncheon at Cincinnati Country Club, the CPS alumnae tour of the Doherty Campus, classes given by Upper School faculty, tours of the Upper School, a BBQ picnic, and individual class events.
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Congratulations on your 50th Reunion, Class of 1965!
Polly Adair Culp H’65, Judith Schultz, Pam Flynn Rilla H’65, Olivia Motch H’65
Sussannah Skinner Kelly H’65, Mme. Renee’ Lowther
Bottom row: Kathy Richardson, Patty Bigham Journeay H’65 Top row: Cindy Walker Curchin H’65, Nancie Newkirk Loppnow H’65, Susan Krehbiel Holzapfel H’65 49
Reunion 2015 Classics Luncheon
Congratulations on your 50 Reunion, Class of 1965! th
April 10 & 11, 2015
Deborah Hinckley C’65, Anne Taylor Kunkel C’65, Joyce Jenkins Keeshin C’65, Marge Davis C’65
Mary Moore Thomson Grimaldi C’65, Christine Moore C’65, Judy Abbott Gottman C’65, Jane Maddox Dumbadze C’65
John Osterman , Lynn Chabris, Jane Garvey C’74, Peter Chabris, Melody Sawyer Richardson C’61
Carol Smith Hesser C’65, Gael Kinney Coleman C’65, Lawsie Pennington Coler C’65, Deborah Barrows Loebelson C’65, Caren Schiro C’65 50
Cokie McLaurin Bailey C’65, Dick Reis, Linda Biederman Wohl C’65
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Bottom row: Sue Carter Purcell C’56, Sally Steman Whittaker C’57, Lib Asbury Stone H’48, Sheila Williams, Ann McDowell Santen H’56, Miriam West Top row: Shannon Kelly Carter H’67, Louise Bettman H’62, Walter Langsam, Carol Iannitto Euskirchen H’61
Bottom row: Cindy Starr, Quina Schmidlapp C’53, Sally Connelly, Joyce Elkus, John Osterman ’85 Top row: Debbie Evans, Gina Schmurr, Jon Berger, Judy Heiny, John Harrison
Bottom row: Joan Petzhold Baily H’52, Mary Ann Hinsch Meanwell H’52, Carolyn Eberle Caldwell H’37, Sandy Hauck Elliott C’49, Francie Hauck Pavey C’52 Top row: Marney Hupper, Nancy McCormick Bassett ’83, Joan Fankhauser Ireton C’51 51
Reunion 2015 Classics Luncheon
Judge Nathaniel Jones, Les Bennett McNeill C’61, Buck Niehoff, Patti Williams Niehoff C’74, Chris Garten
Bottom row: Lee Adair Adams H’58, Missy Richards Holzman H’59, Pat Landen H’50, Barbara Anderson Landen H’62Top row: Betsy Alexander Berry H’57, Barbara Huenefeld LeBlond C’62, Barbara Simpson Garner H’61
Frank Huss L’45, Marilyn Miller Logan H’44, Ginny Wilkinson Brooks H’43, Steve Marvin L’37, Corny Hauck L’37, Janet Hengstenberg Hauck H’46
Bottom row: Elana Rhodes Byrd C’60, Louise Kahn Jenks C’60, Susan Elliott Wilkening C’60, Margaret Randolph Foote Haffner C’60, Judy Allen Thompson C’56 Top row: Terry Nippert C’55, Judy Meek Todd C’55, Ann “Fritzie” Fields Baker H’55, Carrie Hayes Gosiger C’55, Mary Dryden Richards H’55 52
Bottom row: Janet Fast Andress H’46, Diana Motch Dwight L’56 Top row: Mary Reis Sullivan C’59, Margo Kirstein
Alumni News G O O D A L L
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Goodall Distinguished Alumna Award presented to Melody Sawyer Richardson C`61 and turns of life. She inspires us.” Garvey spoke of the “sparkly sense of humor” Richardson has possessed from the moment she attended Miss Doherty’s College Preparatory School for Girls as a child, to her professional years on Wall Street. Garvey said Richardson never stopped being a positive change agent in her professional world and in her community.
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Garvey recalled Richardson’s view on women professionals as a young adult in the sixties. Peter Chabris, Melody Sawyer Richardson C`61, Lynn Chabris “Melody remembers thinking that at that time most people expected women to teach, nurse, be Family and friends gathered during the Classics a secretary, sell dresses,” Garvey told the audience. Luncheon to recognize Melody Sawyer Richardson “She had a few other ideas.” Richardson’s first C`61, recipient of the Goodall Distinguished real job included presenting a case to cultural Alumna/us Award. Seven Hills’ highest alumni honor, anthropologist Margaret Mead. Richardson later the Goodall Award acknowledges an individual “who married, moved to New Jersey after receiving a has achieved distinction in a public or private Masters in social work, and, as a young mother, received an MBA and law degree from Rutgers. career or activity bettering the lives of others.” She became an attorney at a Wall Street firm and, Richardson’s life and work continue to encompass later, associate counsel of Chase Manhattan Bank. that description, said award presenter and former Upon her move back to Cincinnati, Richardson Seven Hills Board Chair Jane Garvey C`74. became Vice President & General Counsel of the “Melody is a perfect recipient because she’s done Cincinnati Arts Association. it all,” said Garvey. “She’s embraced many twists
Now as a full-time volunteer and civic leader in Cincinnati, Richardson shares the same strength of dedication with her community. “From building the Cincinnati Arts Association to championing the ballet, the opera, the symphony, you have helped us to live a good life in Cincinnati,” Garvey told Richardson. “Thanks for inspiring us, especially with your statement, ‘Every decade can be better than the last.’ We look forward to many more.”
Jane Garvey C`74, Melody Sawyer Richardson C`61, Head of School Chris Garten
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BBQ picnic reception April 2015
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CPS 1965 (photo below) Bottom row: Britty Bardes Lawsie Pennington Coler Christine Moore Ann Bartlett Blemker Gael Kinney Coleman Deborah Barrows Loebelson
Carol Smith Hesser Middle row: Joyce Jenkins Keehsin Winkie Wiley Kusic Judy Abbott Gottman Anne Taylor Kunkel Top row: Caren Schiro
Deborah Hinckley Mary Moore Thompson Grimaldi Marge Davis Janie Maddox Dumbadze Sue Levinson Stern Linda Biederman Wohl
CPS 1965 (photo at right) Bottom row: Christine Moore Ann Bartlett Blemker Mary Moore Thompson Grimaldi Carol Smith Hesser Top row: Janie Maddox Dumbadze Marge Davis Caren Schiro Sue Levinson Stern
CPS 1965 (photo at right) Anne Taylor Kunkel Winkie Wiley Kusic Sue Levinson Stern Judy Abbott Gottman Britty Bardes Carol Smith Hesser Gael Kinney Coleman
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Third row: Laura Thomson Helen Richards Leslie Wichman Whiting Lisa Harris Hollister
Second row: Top row: Meg Davis Lisa Schneebeck Hewett Robin Revelson Hunts Sheila Ghai Revis Ginna Portman-Amis Paige Rogers Kim Pahner Deyer Kathy Crutchfield Jane Ziegler Gorsky Anderson Karen Koetzle Margaux Ross Karen Jones Koch B. Wiley Gordon Susie Guggenheim Lodge Julie Landsman Salinger Lynne Alexander Calloway Shawn Stewart Brevard Tylor Garrison Stewart Emily Wagner 56
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1965 (photo at left) Pam Flynn Rilla Sussannah Skinner Kelly Patty Bigham Journeay Polly Adair Culp Nancie Newkirk Loppnow Judy Kramer Gerwels
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(photo at right) Seated floor: Lilly Dimling David Hummel Seated: Cean Shands Susan Shepherd Kersting Melissa Morelli Michael Spitz Lisa Collins Winick Marty Mueller Gerhardt Kivi Dumont Belden
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(photo above) Peter Schober ’00 Sabrina Doolittle Miriam Lipson Hodesh ’00 Paige Schweitzer Connelly ’00
Bottom row: Leslie Miller Hattemer Doug Meyers Shayne Byer Michele Sharpe Williams Sara McCormick Oliphant Laura Beckman Sheldon Valerie Atherton Stephanie Charleville Marsden Monica Coffey Faison Jayna Schlegel Schimberg Top row: Jeff Schoeny Kate Vilter Laura Elleman Christa Parker McAndrew Jaime Willis Mary Taylor Weaver Neil Strumingher
Standing: Eric Goering Kelley Peter Langley Gace David Clodfelter Mike Kaufman Scott Carroll Elliott Anderson Chip Skidmore Drewry Keys Voshefski
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In memory of Mary Witt Wydman Hillsdale ’43 The Seven Hills Family suffered a deep loss with the recent death of Mary Witt Wydman, Hillsdale Class of 1943. She was a wife, mother (Marcy R. ’76), grandmother of Jesse D. and Sophie L. ’19, and godmother of Lawsie Pennington Coler (CPS ’65). Serving on the Seven Hills PTA Board as an officer and President (1974-1975), she helped to shepherd the school through the merger. She sponsored the Mary Wydman Garden, located
between Founders Hall and the Hillsdale Association, during it’s 100th Anniversary Commons, and contributed to the building of the year in 1999. new high school building in 2002. If you were a friend of Mary, you were a friend In addition to her many Seven Hills for life! Her quiet generosities of spirit and commitments, she was President of The Junior resources, as well as her hospitality, were League (1963-1965) and Chairman of the legendary. She participated and organized 100-year-old Witt Company during its 100th bridge groups in Cincinnati; Ocean Ridge, anniversary, at which time it was the largest FL; Santa Fe, NM; and Northport Point, MI. female-owned manufacturing plant west of She enjoyed traveling the world, finding Witt the Allegheny Mountains. She supported the manufactured waste receptacles in China and Cincinnati Reds and the Hong Kong. Bengals, and, in her own right, During recent years she enjoyed visiting was Women’s Golf Champion the Seven Hills campuses, watching her at Cincinnati Country Club grandchildren at various concerts, and at in 1961. Active in the summer various athletic contests on the tennis courts at her beloved Northport and soccer fields. Point, MI — at the top of Her family has included The Seven Hills the Leelanau Peninsula — School as a focus for memorials. Our deepest she became the first female sympathies are extended to her family and president of the Northport many friends. Point, MI, Homeowner’s Written by family friend Michael Coler.
Bottom row: Sophie Wydman ’19, Jesse Wydman, Mary Witt Wydman H’43, Marcy Wydman ’76 Top row: Lawsie Pennington Coler C’65, Michael Coler
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Sending parcels of happiness to Class of 2014 college freshmen Junior and senior Class Agents helped pack
SHS. Even though I have graduated, I still feel
winter care packages that were then sent out
like I’m part of the Seven Hills family!”
to the Class of 2014 at their respective colleges.
Jonny Fisher, a freshman at University of
The packages included candy, snacks, and notes
Michigan, received notes from Doherty third
from Doherty and Lotspeich students. The
graders Alexa Kecman and Nick Cohen, and
Alumni Association sends these packages to
wrote letters back to them answering their
Seven Hills’ latest grads to let the college freshmen know Seven Hills wishes them well.
questions about college. After receiving her package, Kate Hickenlooper, a freshman at Ohio University, emailed, “I just wanted to say thank you so much for the care package! I especially loved the letter from Riley Moser ’24. Julia ’22 (her older sister) and Riley have been like my little sisters and are really good family friends. That letter made my day along with the candy. Thank you so much. I feel so lucky to have graduated from a place like
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Career Café The Career Café speaker series provides Upper School students the opportunity to interact with alumni and parents who hold leadership positions in a variety of professions and careers. In honor of Seven Hills 40th Anniversary, this year’s Career Café program focused on bringing alumni to campus to speak with students in small groups and assemblies. Thank you to the recent participants in this program, including Lily Dimling ’85, Communications Director for The Global Soap Project; Sara Eisen ’02, CNBC coanchor; and Andrew DeWitt ’89, founder and CEO of Dewey’s Pizza.
C A F E / C A R E E R
M E N T O R I N G
P R O G R A M
Help us grow The Seven Hills School Career Mentoring Program The Career Mentoring Program provides opportunities for Seven Hills alumni to connect with business executives around the country to make professional contacts and access career advice. Mentors provide valuable help and guidance but do not offer employment opportunities. Please join the program today by completing the brief online form at www.7hills.org/jobnetworking. A big T H A N K Y O U to the alumni who have already signed up to be Career Mentors, including: Hank Alexander ’02, Mary Asbury H’69, Lisa Barrett ’98, Charlie Black ’00 Michelle Glassman Bock ’96, Matthew Bramlage ’95, Kenya Brock ’98, Scott Carroll ’85, Alan Cheng ’94, Melissa Goldberg Copeland ’87, Robert Dawson ’84, Ani Martin Dunn ’94, Ted Egan ’86, Philip Ficks ’92, John Findlay ’03, Claire Gerhard ’77, Robert Gilson ’90, Rachel Gustin ’93, Rob Hawkins ’92, Amy Hobeika ’88, David Hummel ’85, Laurie Durbrow Hyndman H’70, Elida Kamine ’99, Amy Bulger Kattman ’89, John Kelly ’95, David Kern ’92, Joe Kraeutler ’96, Adelaide Kern Leitzel ’89, Steven Marcus ’78, Xana Moore-Wulsin ’75, Brittany Nelson-Turner ’05, Larry Pauly ’79, Alex Popp ’00, Elizabeth Rosenberg ’84, Tiffany Jurgens Rule ’89, Peter Simpkinson ’89, Therese Steiner H’69, Doug VanDerzee ’79, Lauren Meyers Warm ’83, Paige Wideman ’85, and Lisa Collins Winick ’85. Questions? Contact Nancy McCormick Bassett ’83 at nancy.bassett@7hills.org or 513.728.2432.
networking
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Alumni Class Notes 1931 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 photos (.jpeg format, please) to nancy.bassett@7hills.org.
William Thorne Bahlman, Jr. (L) (Cincinnati) died on January 16, 2015.
1936
Jeanne Palm Hackett (H) (Bloomfield Hills, MI) died on December 13, 2014. Stuart B. Upson (L) (Darien, CT) died on October 31, 2014.
1939
William H. McOwen (L) (Cincinnati) died on December 4, 2014.
1941
Janet Graf Tate (H) (Memphis, TN) died on July 27, 2014. Our condolences to family and friends who lost loved ones as reported in this issue.
1943
Mary Witt Wydman (H) (Cincinnati) died on January 27, 2015.
1946
70th Reunion- April 15 & 16, 2016 Janet Hengstenberg Hauck (H) (Cincinnati) writes, “Our granddaughter Olivia Hauck will be married in June in Annisquam, MA, and then move to California.”
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Marjory Koehler Upham (C) (Loudon, TN) died on December 9, 2014.
1947
Virginia Otterbein Cox (C) (Cincinnati) died on December 24, 2014.
1949
Suzanne Armstrong Beutler (H) (Ann Arbor, MI) writes, “I enjoy being our class Reunion Rep because it gives me an opportunity to call and see all of my classmates from 1949.”
1951
65th Reunion- April 15 & 16, 2016
1953
Pamela Berry Caswell (C)(Watertown, NY) died on December 21, 2014.
1954
Ellen Caldwell Sewell (H) (Cincinnati) shares, “Retirement is great. I’m very busy with a variety of projects. I’m traveling a lot and have visited all the continents.”
1955
Judy Meek Todd (C) (Scottsdale, AZ) writes, “Like many of us, I am now the matriarch of my family. I think CPS prepared me for it. Not my college, not summer camp … Miss Doherty’s did it!” Terry Nippert (C) (Cincinnati) shares, “I retired in 2000. I was a teacher for 10 years and also worked for a marketing firm. I love retirement. I have traveled to Northern Ohio and Florida to
visit cousins two times a year. I love my two mini schnauzers who love to go with me on my travels. They are my boys.”
1956
60th Reunion-April 15 & 16, 2016 Reunion Reps are needed for CPS and Hillsdale. Nancy Maescher Poffenberger (H) (Cincinnati) died on November 25, 2014.
1959
Janet Eyler (C) (Oak Island, NC) died on November 8, 2014.
1961
55th Reunion-April 15 & 16, 2016 Reunion Reps are needed for CPS and Hillsdale.
1962
Pamela Lee Lowry (H) (Santa Cruz, CA) is pleased to report the publication of her new book, If You Needed Me. Writing under the name Lee Lowry, Pam’s story, although a work of fiction, draws heavily on her personal experiences living in Geneva, Switzerland. Her website is www. leelowryauthor.com. Pam and her husband now live in Santa Cruz, California, and welcome Seven Hills visitors! Mary Elizabeth “Bonnie” Crudginton Stephenson Mitsui (H) (Cincinnati) died on May 11, 2013.
1965
Helen Hudson Briley (C)(St. Petersburg, FL) writes, “I have lived about five lives. I have been in the St. Petersburg area since 1984, prior to settling down I lived in Lexington, KY., Chicago, Minneapolis, and spent eight years in Southern California where I obtained a bachelor’s degree and was on the Dean’s List every semester. Keep in mind, I ranked almost dead last in the Class of 1965! Guess I was a ‘late bloomer.’ After years of trying to get pregnant, at age 39, I had a beautiful son. His name is Jefferson, after my father, and he is the love of my life.” Sussannah (Sue) Skinner Kelly (H) (Toronto, Ontario) writes, “Prior to joining DHR International, I was a Managing Director at Boyden global executive search and a co-owner of the Eastern Canadian practice. Today I specialize in senior talent acquisition for clients in North America, South America, and Europe, leading the Toronto Office … On the personal side, I am now a Canadian Citizen (and an American Citizen) and live in Toronto with my husband, who is retired. We have a son who is an actor in New York City (taking after my beloved sister, Margo H’68) and I also have two stepsons whom I adore. I travel a lot and still believe I am 18. My 67-year old body does not agree. I have made some excellent and some very bad decisions in my life, but one of the best decisions was to attend Hillsdale. I have never, in my entire life, met better women than my classmates!” Winkie Wiley Kusic (C) (Wheeling, WV) shares, “Sam and I have been married for 44 years. During that time I stayed active in the community while raising our three children. My most exciting focus was and still is on environmental justice issues. I helped get recycling established in West Virginia and worked for three years to stop a hazardous
waste facility from operating near our town on the Ohio River. Sam and I like to say that we are living an even life: raising our children, traveling, and now watching our two grandsons grow. We escape the winters by the sea in Ft. Lauderdale, spend lots of time during the warmer months with our daughter in the mountains of southern West Virginia, and enjoy time with friends in our hometown, Wheeling, WV. I couldn’t be more fulfilled or happy with the way my life has turned out. It is so hard to believe how quickly the last fifty years have flown by and I am looking forward to seeing everyone at our upcoming reunion.”
1966
50th Reunion-April 15 & 16, 2016 Reunion Reps are needed for CPS and Hillsdale.
poetry, The Lunatic Ball, is now available from Kattywompus Press (www.kattywompuspress.com).
1970
Deb Muntz Krehbiel (C) (Cincinnati) writes, “In 2014 Tuck (L’63) and I welcomed our newest grandchildren: Henry Douglas Krehbiel and Kinney Mae Krehbiel! We have also moved into our new mountain home near Cashiers, NC.”
INTERESTED IN BEING A REUNION REP FOR YOUR CLASS?
Contact Nancy McCormick Bassett ‘83, Director of Alumni Engagement nancy.bassett@7hills.org 513.728.2432
1971
45th Reunion-April 15 & 16, 2016 Reunion Reps are needed for CPS and Hillsdale.
1974
Catherine “Cathy” Herriman (C) (Crewkerne, Somerset, England) died on February 7, 2015.
1975
Helen Richards (Camden, SC) shares, “I can’t wait for the April reunion. It is perfect timing with Keeneland!” Cami Elliott (Dummerston, VT) shares, “Life is full and good in Vermont. I had a great mini reunion with B. Wiley Gordon ’75, Robin Revelson Hunts ’75, and Paige Rogers ’75 this spring.”
1967
Barbara Fuller Cherry (H) (Ashburn, VA) and Robin Smith Armstrong (H) (Cincinnati) (shown near Beijing) during a Viking River Cruise, with their husbands, Russ and John, in October 2014.
1968
Margo Taft Stever’s (H) (Sleepy Hollow, NY) latest book of
Mary Tylor Stewart (Ft. Myers, FL) writes, “I love living in Florida and have been teaching ever since I graduated from Skidmore College. Our art teacher, Ms. Hayward, was my inspiration to be a teacher. I have two beautiful girls, Emily 26, and Jami 24. I love to play tennis and I am still competitive by nature. I spend my summers in the Exumas on our boat, diving and taking underwater pictures, catching and eating lobster. I do visit Glendale regularly to see my Mom. Now that I have a contact sheet, I will connect when I am there. Love to all.”
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1976
40th Reunion-April 15 & 16, 2016
1977
Toni Sciarra Poynter (New York, NY) writes, “I just published my fifth book and am about to start my seventh year as a sole proprietor, offering editorial services in NYC.” Members of the class of 1977 enjoyed an impromptu dinner in Cincinnati in April to celebrate good friends.
1979 Cathy Macleod Miller, Nancy Gall, Julie Ziegler Perry, Patty Gibbs Jackson, Frani Kuhr Jones, Lynn Merritt, Sally Payler Tamborski, Susan Green Bergman, Lori Levy, Robin Gove Purcell, Elizabeth Marble, Marsha Williams, Mike Cromer, Todd Young Megan Sikes Rachford
INTERESTED IN BEING A REUNION REP FOR YOUR CLASS?
Contact Nancy McCormick Bassett ‘83, Director of Alumni Engagement nancy.bassett@7hills.org 513.728.2432
Congratulations to Kathryne Gardette (Cincinnati), vice chairwoman of Learning Through Art and a founding member of the Cincinnati Arts Association’s Diversity Committee, who was named one of 10 Women of the Year by the Cincinnati Enquirer.
1980
Congratulations to sisters Heather and Shayne ’90 Byer (Cincinnati) on their restaurant venture Casa Figueroa, Mexi-Cali/ Modern Mex restaurant which will open in Cincinnati during summer 2015. To learn more scan the QR code or visit www.cincinnati.com/story/entertainment/ dining/2015/02/18/Casa-Figuero/23618291.
1981
35th Reunion-April 15 & 16, 2106 Reunion Reps are needed.
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Ann Berry Kosche (Herndon, VA) writes, “2014 has been an exciting year for us in Northern Virginia. I started my own small business incorporating photography and what I call
‘Recycled Treasures.’ We are currently building a house in Woodlands, TX, and will be relocating there in July 2015. I will only be an hour away from Angel Carson Todd ’85 — very exciting!”
1996
Congratulations to Michael Spitz (Los Angeles, CA) as his new book, The Record Store Book – Fifty of Southern California’s Most Iconic and Legendary Record Stores, was published on April 18, which is “Record Store Day.” This coffee table book blends colorful imagery and in-depth interviews with storeowners to capture the lively experience of the independent record shop. To learn more about this book visit www.mikespitz.com/record-store-book or click the QR code or. Mike will be at Joseph-Beth (Cincinnati) for a book signing on July 2nd at 7pm.
Congratulations to Kenya Brock (Cincinnati) on her new position as Director of Partner Development at WCPO-Digital.
1986
30th Reunion-April 15 & 16, 2016 Reunion Reps are needed.
1990
Go to the 1980 class note for news about sisters Heather ’80 and Shayne Byer. 25th Reunion-April 15 & 16, 2016 Reunion Reps are needed.
1995
Kimberly Maurer Buzek (Cincinnati) shares, “After studying in Europe for two years, I returned to Cincinnati to finish my degree at Xavier University. I graduated in 2001 with a degree in Art History & German. I worked for several years downtown as a graphic designer before starting my own business. I opened Sidewinder Coffee, a coffee shop in the Cincinnati neighborhood Northside, in September of 2004. We just celebrated our 10th Anniversary! Also I have recently started rehabbing old homes with a friend of mine.”
20th Reunion-April 15 & 16, 2016 Reunion Reps are needed.
1998 1999
Susan Richardson Ryba (Chicago, IL), an attorney with Baker & McKenzie , has recently been elected to partner in the Tax Practice Group. Susan advises domestic and international corporations on U.S. federal income taxation issues. She represents clients in all stages of federal tax controversies. Susan regularly lectures on federal tax controversy issues, transfer pricing, and other international taxation issues.
2001
15th Reunion-April 15 & 16, 2016 Reunion Reps are needed.
2002
Cassie Iseman Wissel’s (Indianapolis, IN) daughter Charlotte is already a proud Stinger!
Alumni Class Notes Rachel Hoffheimer (New York, NY) shares, “I’m really excited to be joining Danny Meyer’s Union Square Hospitality Group to lead Talent Acquisition and Recruitment for all of the company’s restaurants and businesses. I will be working to develop a strategy that attracts top talent in the industry who are also passionate about the company’s philosophy and creating exceptional guest experiences.”
and highly technical knits as both art and fashion. She launched her first ready-to-wear collection in 2012 and baby collection in 2013. She has also designed custom platform shoes for Converse, been hired by Victoria’s Secret to outfit models for its fashion shows, and won the 2014 Ecco Domani Fashion Foundation award.”
2003
5th Reunion-November 26, 2016 Reunion Reps are needed.
Gabe Davis (Washington, D.C.) is now a trial attorney at the U.S. Department of Justice in the Civil Rights division, criminal section. Alex Maggio (Los Angeles, CA) shares, “This year marked an important milestone in my writing career, as I made the leap from being a writers’ assistant on Homeland to becoming a full-fledged staff writer on the CBS drama Madam Secretary. It’s a thrill to work for a showrunner like Barbara Hall, who gave me the opportunity to write two episodes in the first season, ‘Need to Know’ and ‘The Ninth Circle.’”
2011
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 photos (.jpeg format, please) to nancy.bassett@7hills.org.
2013
On February 14, 2015, Kerry Hoar (Cincinnati), an ROTC student at Xavier University, repelled from the rafters of the Cintas Center before the Xavier basketball game to deliver the game ball as part of military appreciation week.
From L to R: Katie Donovan ’06, Dan Schultz ’05, Emily Hastie Schultz ’05, Claire Schroder ’08, Julie Habbert ’08
Boston Thanks to our Boston Alumni Ambassadors, Katie Donovan and Emily Hastie Schultz, for organizing a December gathering for Beantown alums.
2006
10th Reunion-November 26, 2016 Reunion Reps are needed. Congratulations to Lindsay Degen (New York, NY) for being named to Forbes 30 under 30 list for Arts & Style! Her profile said “Degen designs funky
achievement in Girl Scouting. This award challenges the Scouts to complete a project that betters their community in the short term and for years to come. Hadiya was inspired to share what she learned through the Cincinnati Black Data Processing Associates (BDPA) high school competition team. She created materials that educate others about computer programming and web development, and gives them the opportunity to learn this useful skill. Congratulations!
2014
Hadiya Harrigan (Tuskegee, AL) earned the Girl Scout Gold Award, which represents the highest
Our condolences to family and friends who lost loved ones as reported in this issue.
Interested in being a Reunion Rep for your class? Contact Nancy McCormick Bassett, Director of Alumni Engagement nancy.bassett@7hills.org, 513.728.2432 65
Alumni Events S A V E
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ow h S t r A i n Alum Weekend Reunion
15, 2016 Fri., April ampus Hillsdale c Commons, 8:00 p.m. 6:00 p.m.-
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save the date
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Young Alumni Annual Holiday Gathering C L A S S E S 2 0 0 5 - 2 015 Wednesday, December 23, 2015 5 - 7 p.m.
2015
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W E D N E S D AY, D E C E M B E R
Please Join Us for
Alumni Basketball Games December. 20, 2015 Kalnow Gym, Hillsdale Campus Girls 2 p.m. Guys 4 p.m.
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arrange their game to inutes before m s. 30 er e ay riv pl l ar al ould ovided for All players sh irts will be pr positions. T-sh will be open. Concessions contact: ill play, please us know you w or , let 41 to 24 d 8. an n 72 rmatio ills.org, 513. For further info ills.org, n.phelps@7h ia 7h Br t@ , et ps ss el Ph ba Brian nancy. mick Bassett, Nancy McCor 3.728.2432 51
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* Alumna Soccer Players: We ask that alumna soccer players let us know if you will be playing in the game. As you may remember from your days as a player, there are a set number of scrimmages that the team is allowed to have. This alumnae game counts as a scrimmage. If we don’t have enough female alums, the team ends up playing each other, which is essentially a practice. Please let us know by Wed., July 29, if you are able to play. If we don’t have enough players by this date, we will cancel the girls’ soccer game so the team can schedule another scrimmage. We love having this game and want to see you there! Please let us know you are able to play by Wed., July 29.
Alumni Calendar Saturday . . . Alumni Sports Day Aug. 8, 2015 Soccer: Girls 3 p.m., Guys 5p.m. Tennis: Co-ed 3 p.m. Volleyball: 5 p.m. Hillsdale Campus, Red Bank Rd. Friday . . . Homecoming: Middle School Soccer Sept. 25, 2015 4:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. Family picnic, clinics Hillsdale Campus, Red Bank Rd. Saturday . . . Homecoming: Upper School Soccer Sept. 26, 2015 1p.m. and 3p.m. Hillsdale Campus, Red Bank Rd. Saturday . . . 5th and 10th Reunions for classes Nov. 28, 2015 2005 and 2010 Volunteers needed to help plan the class event. Email Nancy.bassett@7hills.org Sunday . . . Alumni Basketball Games Dec. 20, 2015 Girls 2 p.m. Guys 4 p.m. Kalnow Gym, Hillsdale Campus Wednesday . . . Young Alumni Holiday Party Dec. 23, 2015 5 - 7 p.m. Friday & Saturday . . . Reunion 2016 : for classes ending April 15 &16, 2016 in ’01 and ’06 and Lotspeich classes ending in ’00 and ’05 67
Hillsdale Campus 5400 Red Bank Road Cincinnati, Ohio 45227 Intellectually vibrant, individually attuned, future-ready learning for students two years through grade 12.
The Seven Hills School 2013-14 Board of Trustees