The Seven Hills School Fall Magazine 2020 by The Seven Hills School

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Sustaining Excellence through Uncertainty: Seven Hills Delivers Inspired Curriculum During a Pandemic page 6 Taking a Look Inward: The Seven Hills School Community Addresses Multiculturalism in Strategic Plan page 14

Contents

4 6 11 14 22 24 28 30 33 34 36 40 41 42 45 46 49

Column By Head of School Christopher P. Garten Sustaining Excellence through Uncertainty: Seven Hills Delivers Inspired Curriculum During a Pandemic, By Karla Dejean

New Faces at Seven Hills Taking a Look Inward: TSHS Community Addresses Multiculturalism in Strategic Plan , By Karla Dejean Fall Sports Buzz Sampler Fine and performing arts Personal Challenge Projects Creating Conversations Doing Good During Unprecedented Times Alumni Profiles – Ashley McFarland ’02 and Ray Leyman L’67 Annual Alumni Panel Discussion Next Chapter: Cooking Class Front cover photo:

#ThrowBack

Kindergarteners in Diane Schulteis’ class build their knowledge through experience and exploration.

Does the School Still

Fall 2020

Special thanks to Keith Neu for his sports photography.

Alumni Class Notes

Seven Hills Magazine is a publication of The Seven Hills School.

Calendar of Upcoming Alumni Events

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

Chris Hedges Director of Marketing & Communications

Karla Dejean Writer & Project Manager, photographer

Sarah Ott Lautar ’05 Director of Alumni Engagement

THE SEVEN HILLS ANNUAL FUND WHEN WE COME TOGETHER, WE ENRICH EVERY CL ASSROOM, EVERY LESSON, EVERY DAY!

Your gift to the Seven Hills Annual Fund provides the margin of excellence—all the unique learning experiences that make us who we are as a school. And although we’re “doing school” a bit differently this year, our united commitment to students and teachers is unchanged. Whether in classrooms with masks and plexiglass desk dividers or using state-of-the-art technology to facilitate remote learning, this year, as always, lessons are rich and relevant.

Your generous gift to the Annual Fund helps to fuel the innovative teaching of our faculty, and inspires and empowers our students, every day.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR GENEROUS SUPPORT!

If you have not yet had a chance to make your gift, we ask you to join us this year! We are truly grateful for your commitment to Seven Hills and the inspiration you provide our students and faculty every day.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, OR TO MAKE YOUR GIFT ONLINE, PLEASE VISIT 7hills.org/AnnualFund QUESTIONS? Contact Margo Kirstein, Director of Development, at 513.728.2437

Christopher P. Garten HEAD OF SCHOOL

“Adversity,” it has been said, “does not build character, it reveals it.”

Over the last few months, Seven Hills, like many institutions around the world, has faced a host of new challenges. The pandemic, the worldwide economic slowdown, and our long overdue national soul-searching about social justice have tested this community as rarely before. These new challenges have called, above all else, for compassion, empathy, and shared sacrifice, qualities that I firmly believe, now and forever, define the character of the Seven Hills community.

cafeterias, libraries, and gymnasia, to create new ways for students and teachers to interact as safely as possible. We purchased more than 1,600 desk shields, upgraded the air filtration systems, and bought air purifiers for every classroom and office. We created 10 outdoor learning areas, under massive tents, and equipped 100 classrooms with motion-sensitive cameras so that students whose families might feel uncomfortable having their children on campus could actively participate in their classes from home.

Last summer, the administrative team, supported ably by our faculty and staff, worked together to devise elaborate new safety protocols for this unique school year. Blessed with two large campuses with ample space to spread out, we leveraged these assets by reconfiguring over 100 classrooms, laboratories, and learning spaces to maximize social distance. We rethought common spaces like

But beyond these material resources, we have been blessed in other ways, as well. We have faculty and staff that have been fully committed to offering the most robust experience possible under these difficult circumstances. They have learned new technologies and carefully redesigned their classrooms and their syllabi to facilitate both remote learning and a hybrid learning model. And, even

How fortunate we are to have ample resources to provide such a rich array of options for our students and their families. This was simply not the case at a great many other underresourced schools around the country.

more significantly, they have made great personal sacrifices, coming to school each day to provide not only skilled instruction, but ongoing emotional support for their students and their colleagues. In ways that are incredibly gratifying, though not at all surprising, our teachers have pulled together, as never before, to make our students’ daily experience as safe and as normal as possible under these unprecedented circumstances. We have been blessed, as well, by the care and concern that our students and their families have demonstrated for the safety of others. Students have adhered faithfully to the safety protocols we have developed, and they have supported one another in the shared sacrifice involved in mask wearing and social distancing. Families have provided timely information to our nursing staff and abided by the school’s safety guidelines, not only here at school, but in their own travel plans and social gatherings. As a result, the academic life of the school has continued to be as engaging and enriching as ever. Obviously, some areas of school life have been particularly

to school dances and special events, and all the traditional gatherings which normally enliven the school calendar. They have also worked especially hard this year to welcome and acculturate new students and their families, many of whom they have never seen without face coverings! Our maintenance, transportation, cafeteria, and custodial staff have all been challenged in new ways. Our expert nursing team, in particular, has made heroic efforts to safeguard the health and safety of this entire community. Because of their hard work and commitment, we have been able to preserve, to a remarkable extent, the warmth and inclusiveness of our school culture. challenging. Teachers of science and technology and of the fine and performing arts, guidance and college counselors, athletic coaches, and physical education teachers have all had to redesign labs, and rehearsals, meetings, practices, and performances and to invent creative new ways for students to interact with them and with each other. Homeroom teachers and advisors, working alongside student leaders, have developed creative alternatives

In spite of these challenges, we continue to make significant progress in moving the school forward. This fall, the Board of Trustees has been hard at work, refining architectural plans and securing most of the necessary funding for a long-anticipated renovation and expansion of the Middle School building, now more than 30 years old. At the same time, the faculty and staff have devoted a great deal of time to completing the NAIS Assessment of Inclusivity and

Multiculturalism (AIM), part of our ongoing effort to ensure that Seven Hills truly provides an inclusive and equitable experience for all of our students and families. Though the assessment has revealed that, in some areas, we have a great deal of work still to do, I take great pride in the energy and commitment that our faculty and staff have devoted to this important work. Over the past few months, we have gained, I hope, a new appreciation for frontline workers in all walks of life. Folks who work as firefighters and police officers, retail and factory workers, service providers, and, of course, heroes in healthcare and in the healing professions, have, for months now, put themselves at risk to provide essential services for our whole society. Teachers, too, should be part of that equation. Here at Seven Hills, and at schools all over the country, teaching is a noble calling: meaningful and deeply fulfilling work. It is challenging, though, at the best of times, and especially so under these difficult conditions. We owe all who do this important work our deep and abiding gratitude.

SCHOOL NEWS

Sustaining Excellence through Uncertainty : S E V E N H IL L S D EL IVERS IN SPIR ED C UR R IC ULUM DUR ING A PANDEMIC

hether they logged on, walked in, called up, or tapped “play,” Seven Hills students were present and engaged during our first semester of the 2020-21 school year—every day. The advent of COVID-19 safety considerations became the catalyst for the steady force of digital and analog connectivity that has created an arc of knowledge, curiosity, planning, professional development, training, and design, and has brought us to where we are now. IPads, laptops, mobile DRINKING phones, and at-home big screens IN TA UN FO CLOSED became the conduit to the multidimensional education and inquiry sources no GUEST, PLEASE START YOUR VISIT AT THE one would have MAIN ENTRANCE. imagined just 12 months ago.

WELCOME! 6 FEET

The nexus of this new world began as a blend of decision-making and inspiration that led us here, where on the Doherty Campus, lawns outside the classroom have morphed into readable book stations; where the Upper School theater department presented a play that worked out better with social distancing; where pre-kindergarteners have rediscovered that the outdoor playground just beyond their windows really is a musical wonderland; and where, in the Upper School, hopping on a Zoom call to Denmark is just what one does on an early morning weekday in history class. Lorem ipsum

These poignant snapshots of innovative education capture the reality that in less than eight months, students, parents, educators, and administrators essentially reinvented the status quo, building a network of new sources, routines, and clear expectations that, at first, looked altogether different, but now feel normal.

institutions were shuttered, translated with a smooth transition into a face-to-face, backto-school program in fall of the 2020-21 school year. Seven Hills families make decisions that work best for them as we all navigate the COVID-19 pandemic. We’d like to share a snapshot of the terminology we have come to use daily in this unique, new world. Synchronous Learning - Students and teachers are online together in real time, conducting class together every day. Asynchronous Learning - Students learn at different times and not necessarily in the same place. Often, parents will play pre-recorded lessons provided by their children’s teachers. Blended Learning - This typically describes the act of a faculty member teaching students who are remote and in-person at the same time in class. Swivls typically help make this a more successful blended learning approach. Swivl - Swivl is a robotic device that connects with a remote marker held or worn by the teacher to capture for remote learners what is happening in the classroom. The Swivl moves an iPad throughout the classroom so that students who are watching class on Zoom can see and hear what is taking place in class.

Building on our remote learning successes from spring 2020, Seven Hills spent a busy summer planning and implementing rigorous safety protocols and expanding our technical infrastructure to prepare to open the 202021 school year with an on-campus, face-toface model. The same strength of purpose, technological infrastructure, and savvy that carried the school through a remote transition last spring, and into a successful summer program when most learning

Students returned wearing masks at all times and moving about well-planned classrooms equipped with plexiglass dividers, antiviral surface cleaners, and hand sanitizers in every classroom. By late fall, all classrooms were equipped with air purifiers and ionizers. The backdrop and culture of preparation, precaution, and contact tracing allowed teachers to innovate confidently in and out of their classrooms. With teachers acting upon the knowledge that their students were attending classes in safe and comfortable environments, possibilities emerged, outdoor classrooms became the norm, and remote learners found smoothly integrated learning experiences with their on-campus classmates and teachers, leading discussions from their living rooms alongside their faceto-face peers.

SCHOOL NEWS

BLENDED LEARNING:

in a way so that I can spend more time helping students during class and students get more class time to practice problems they first see at home, before class,” O’Connor said.

A NEW KIND OF CL ASSROOM In one of many examples, Upper School English teacher Marielle Newton blended the strengths of her senior AP English students into one dynamic reading experience of “Hamlet.” As they began the classic dramatic tale of revenge this fall, Newton asked her students to design and craft personalized costumes and she assigned main character roles to both her in-person and her remote students. Newton said the blended exercise helped her remote students and in-person students connect during the project. “Our students’ experiences in school this year are very different, but they are all experiencing the same stress and the same growth as they manage the year 2020,” said Newton. “It was so heartening to see them talking so passionately about the necessity of seeing each other's humanity and finding ways to come together to seek whatever truth there is in the world for us to find."

her students laid out their favorite beach towels on grassy spots just outside their classroom for book readings and discussions. And in Unit I, teacher Amy Kulhavik transformed her students’ plexiglass dividers into the three walls of a camping tent during an outdoor unit that included a rich lesson blend that was equal parts literacy, social studies, and life science.

Continued on page 8

#STAYSAFE7H I LLS Safety Highlights for Hillsdale and Doherty Campuses • Clear plexiglass dividers on all student and teacher desks • Swivl cameras in most classrooms, which provide interactive communication, connecting home-based students with campus-based classmates and teachers during instruction

Seven Hills teachers found themselves designing and creating as they worked out ways to impart knowledge and guide discovery and learning while handling restrictions due to safety precautions and more dynamics, due to the fact that not all students were in the same place during class. On the Doherty Campus, teacher Judy Shuppert built an entire pre-kindergarten literacy lesson outside by creating learning stations around campus. Shuppert’s students read about “Spookley the Square Pumpkin” as they tripped through a scavenger hunt across campus and visited pumpkin patches and read passages from the book that were posted outside at different locations. Teachers carried Swivl robots on tripods to capture the outdoor jaunt for remote learners. In Unit II, teacher Julie Guminey and

In the Upper School math department, Anna Works-McKinney and Cassie Levesque collaborated on projects that called on students to generate openended questions in response to interesting mathematical artifacts, such as elections records, said Head of Upper School Matt Bolton. “They've also found ways to

• 15 classroom-sized tents for outdoor instruction and dining • MERV-13 ventilation filter maintenance programs • Hand sanitizer and hand sanitizing stations in classroom and indoor and outdoor spaces • Rigorous facilities sanitizing procedures

In the Middle School, Kristina O’Connor, who used a summer grant to fortify her remote Algebra I lessons, used several learning applications, including Educreations and Edpuzzle to record and deliver lessons her students could view and synthesize at home before class. “This has allowed me to create a flipped classroom

• Reconfigured lunch and dining protocols • Contact tracing methodology • Emotional support resources Learn more about Seven Hills’ COVID-19 safety protocols at our StaySafe7Hills web hub.

SCHOOL NEWS

Sustaining Excellence through Uncertainty : S E V E N H I L L S D E L I V E R S I N S P I R E D C U R R I C U LUM D U R I N G A PA N D E M I C , CONTINUED

assess students' math skills from a distance, such as by having students make videos of themselves teaching others how to solve a particular problem,” said Bolton. “Our history teachers have created ways for students to document the historical period through which we are living, by conducting interviews and engaging in other kinds of hands-on research.”

REMOTE LEARNING:

ZOOMING IN AND DOING THE LAB WORK—AT HOME Middle School science teacher Ken Revell’s classroom is nothing if not kinetic. Revell’s students learn—always—by doing, and, with Revell’s style of teaching, they build and create just as much as they read and formulate. Lab work may have posed a

Did you know? Seven Hills’ blended learning program encompasses everyone from pre-kindergarten for 2-yearolds through 12th-graders. Each day, 100 Swivl robots are used to flexibly broadcast innovative learning, deep discussions, labs, and critical thinking for students in kindergarten through 12th grade across town, the U.S., and the globe.

bowl with water,” said Revell. “I then asked them to walk around their backyard and make observations about the motion of the water in the bowl.” Revell said the students noticed that when they sped up, the water moved to the back of the bowl and when they slowed down, it moved to the front of the bowl. “It was a perfect example of inertia and was inspired by American theoretical physicist Richard Feynman’s story about putting a ball on top of a wagon.”

problem in other circumstances, but Revell, an inventor, engineer, and chicken manure enthusiast, connected with his remote students by treating his work as a teacher the way he treats any other problem he wants to solve–with innovation. Revell explained one such moment during a recent physics lesson about inertia. “It was a sunny day so I asked my remote students to join the class in filling a large 8

I created a second lab with a playlist of pre-recorded reactions so students at home could see, make observations, and categorize from home. To bring the whole class together again, we then discussed the results of the lab as a class and drew conclusions as to the nature of physical and chemical changes.” Brilliance pulses throughout Seven Hills’ classrooms daily, because Seven Hills teachers are given the support to think deeply and unconventionally. Elissa Donovan’s Middle School visual art classes often start out with the larger-than-life screen projection of Donovan’s busy hands demonstrating a sketch or other artform so that all students—regardless of their vantage point—can see in great detail what she is doing. Donovan often uses Swivl and an iPad to capture the projection for her remote students, while her in-person students gaze toward the front of the room to see a close-up view of her work. Visual work, such as art classes, are possible because Seven Hills’ remote visual art students were given a drawing kit, replete with charcoal pencils, a large sketchpad, and

Lab work continues to be engaging and robust in the Upper School, as well. Science teacher Kylene Utah said the concept of delivering a lab-based chemistry lesson to a blended group of remote and in-person students is something she continues to test and build upon to maximize her students’ learning experiences. “In science, the biggest challenge has been figuring out how to help remote students practice the skills we learn from analyzing hands-on lab activities,” said Utah. “I've found it much more effective to run a virtual lab simultaneously with the live lab happening in the classroom. This year,

other essential drawing tools, ahead of class time. Once students Zoom into class and situate themselves with their drawing tools, they are in their own virtual art studio with their teacher and classmates.

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READING, FROM ANALOG TO DIGITAL •

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SCHOOL NEWS

IN THE TIME OF MAKING THINGS WORK DURING A PANDEMIC, SEVEN HILLS TEACHERS OFTEN CREATED STELLAR IDEAS AND PROJECTS WHILE NAVIGATING UNUSUAL CIRCUMSTANCES. TAKE A LOOK AT A FEW WAYS THEY ACHIEVED THIS … • In Teresa Bardon’s Upper School Spanish classes and Kristina O’Connor’s Middle School math classes, students turned their plexiglass dividers into their own personal transparency boards with markers. In no time, each student was surrounded by words, calculations, and formulas that seemed to float around them during class.

This fall, Doherty librarian Jo Schnirring took story time into a new dimension of learning. Using the Story Walk® method, Schnirring posted pages of a children’s book on lawn signs in order to capitalize on the need for students to spend more time outside during lessons. The progressive installation is posted along the walkway near Jones Hall leading to the cafeteria for everyone to enjoy. “We have had so many outdoor learning experiences, I thought it would be great to present a book that the students and classes can walk by and read, ... and read,” said Schnirring. “Students can read the book in English and Spanish as they go.”

• The Upper School English and theater departments invited the Cincinnati Shakespeare Company to perform “Macbeth” on the soccer field, to maintain social distancing. • Seventh-grade Middle School science teacher Kristin Suer arranged a Zoom call for her students to meet Sophia Herrmann, an aerospace engineer at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California. One of Herrmann’s responsibilities is driving the Curiosity Rover on Mars! • When she realized it would be better for her students to avoid practicing five-minute conversations in French with groups of students, teacher Ann Griep employed Flipgrid, an app that allows students to fluidly and quickly record and present video of their spoken words to their teachers. • Eric O’Connor’s history students spent an hour on a Zoom call to Denmark! Students at Odense Katedralskole were curious about politics, so Seven Hills students discussed and answered the Danish students’ questions about the presidential election.

Library visits have seen a sea change due to the pandemic, and Seven Hills has used the shift to create wonderful opportunities for our young readers. Lower School students now have access to hundreds of e-book and audiobook titles on a platform called Sora. The platform enables students who

are remote and in-person to “checkout” books regardless of location, said Lotspeich librarian Lori Suffield. “In addition to our print materials, I was able to vet and add several new sources of e-books, audiobooks, and informational digital materials,” Suffield said. “RAZ kids is a popular new resource for on-demand e-books as well, and has a great variety of fiction and nonfiction books at all reading levels.” Suffield said pre-kindergarteners through fifth-graders also have access to PebbleGo and PebbleGoNext, elite databases that provide students and teachers access to information, videos, images, and e-books that correspond with Lower School curriculum. “I'm so proud of the way we have been able to continue to enhance student access to books and other learning materials this year,” said Suffield, who worked to ensure that all Lower School students had access to the books and other resources they needed. “Our libraries are looking a little different, filled with quarantine bins, and grade level-specific carts, but the extra precautions and procedures are worth it because we have a strong community of learners who love to read and love to learn.” Continued on page 10

SCHOOL NEWS

Sustaining Excellence through Uncertainty : S E V E N HIL L S D EL IVERS IN SPIR ED C UR R IC ULUM DUR ING A PANDEMIC .. . IN PHOTO S

In fall 2020, students and teachers donned masks, cleaned their hands well and often, and took their classrooms outside, weather permitting. Enjoy these photographic highlights of students and teachers reinventing education and adapting under COVID-19 safety considerations. 1 Upper School history teacher Brian Wabler holds class outside 2 A Doherty student reads on the grassy lawn outside Jones Hall 3 Lotspeich Kindergarteners in Diane Schulteisâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; class build their knowledge through experience and exploration

4 A pre-kindergartener in the Early Childhood Center of Hillsdale Campus votes for her favorite snack on Election Day 5 Lotspeich science students work in the raised garden beds outside the Leyman Science Center 6 Sixth-grade geography teacher Andy McGarvey works with a student 7 Seventh-graders in Doug Huffâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s history class study lawmaking with an interactive iCivics lesson 8 Students in the Early Childhood Center enjoy an outdoor yoga lesson 2

10 5

SCHOOL NEWS

NEW FACES AT SEVEN HILLS We are pleased to welcome new Seven Hills faculty and staff! Jennifer Egan Lotspeich First-grade Teacher Jennifer received her B.A. in elementary

Emma Hofmann Lotspeich Pre-kindergarten for 2-year-olds Assistant Teacher and Early Childhood Center Early Care

Katherine Leezer Lotspeich Reading Specialist Katherine received her B.S. in communication

Emma received her B.S. in communication from

sciences and disorders

education from

the University of Cincinnati. She most recently

from the University of

Benedictine

held the position of process designer at

Cincinnati. She also

University and

International Christian Embassy Jerusalem, where

received her M.Ed. in

her master’s

she operated

educational leadership

degree in reading

Salesforce

and her M.Ed. in

science from

software and

special education from

Mount St. Joseph University. She most recently

designed internal

the University of Cincinnati. She most recently

held the position of first-grade teacher at

processes for the

held the position of Lower School learning and

Loudoun County School District in Leesburg,

software. Emma

reading specialist for grades kindergarten through

Virginia, where she taught in a diverse classroom

was previously an

fourth grade at the Canterbury School in

setting. Jennifer has also worked as a first-grade

administrative

Greensboro, North Carolina. At the Canterbury

teacher at Forest Hills School District in

assistant for the

school, she instructed individual and small groups

Cincinnati and as a second-grade teacher at

organization. She has worked as an assistant

of students in reading and math. Katherine has

Indian Prairie School District in Illinois. Jennifer is

manager at Breakout games and completed a

worked as a special education functional

an ambassador for SeeSaw, an online resource

marketing and public relations internship with Big

academics program teacher and special

used by schools.

Brothers Big Sisters

education resource teacher at schools in Indiana

Françoise Galopin Upper School French Teacher

De’Yana Jackson Doherty After the Bell Program Leader

and as an intervention specialist at schools in Cincinnati. She also holds an Institute for Multi-Sensory Education Orton-Gillingham

Françoise received her B.A. in music and French

De’Yana received her associate’s degree in early

Certification.

literature from La Sorbonne University and her

child care and education from Cincinnati State

master’s of

Technical and Community College and her B.S. in

education from

mental health and human services from Northern

Education

Kentucky University. She most recently held the

Yael received

Nationale,

position of registration specialist at Lindner

her B.S. in

France. She also

Center of HOPE. De’Yana has also worked at

applied learning

has her master’s

Cincinnati Children’s Medical Center and she was

and

from the

the co-creator and director of the Inspirational

development

Conservatoire

Baptist Church Summer Enrichment Camp. She

from the

National de

has volunteered at Seven Hills in several

University of

Musique de Paris in music history. She most

capacities,

Texas at Austin

recently held the position of French teacher at

including as

the Marymount School of New York, a college

Doherty Parent

of education from National Louis University. She

preparatory school in Manhattan. Françoise has

Community vice

most recently held the position of classroom

more than 15 years of teaching experience and has

chair and

teacher at Rockwern Academy, where she taught

worked at the Institut de l’Alliance Francaise de

secretary,

third-grade language arts and social studies,

Cincinnati, Cincinnati Waldorf School, School of

Doherty Carnival

fourth-grade social studies, and fifth-grade

the Sacred Heart in Connecticut, and

Silent Auction

language arts. Yael has also taught at the Bernard

Chesterfield Public School in Virginia. Françoise is

co-chair, parent

Zell Anshe Emet Jewish Day School in Chicago,

also a professionally trained violin and viola player.

ambassador, and member of the Seven Hills

where she held the positions of learning specialist

Network of African-American Parents (SNAAP).

and fifth-grade humanities teacher, and the

Yael Newman Lotspeich Third-grade Teacher

and her master’s

Continued on page 12

SCHOOL NEWS

NEW FACES AT SEVEN HILLS . . . Continued where she taught third grade. She has completed

Molly Seta Doherty Pre-kindergarten Teacher

professional development training in literacy,

Molly received her

technology and data use, and social-emotional

B.A. in English

learning.

from Northern

Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School in Maryland,

consultant, director of wellness programs, and math and science teacher at Atlanta Girls’ School.

Kentucky

Leigh Taylor Encore Club Program Leader

University and her

Leigh received her B.A. in broadcasting and

master’s of

electronic communications from Marquette

education in

University and her master’s degree in visual

Laurel received

elementary

communications

her bachelor’s of

education from

from Ohio

science degree in

Xavier University. She most recently held the

University. She

early childhood

position of children’s librarian at the Campbell

most recently held

and primary

County Public Library, where she planned,

the position of

education from

organized, conducted, and promoted programs

freelance

Ohio University.

and services for children. She has also worked as a

photographer and

She most

kindergarten teacher at Evanston Academy and

videographer. Leigh

recently held the

completed her student teaching at Hyde Park

has also worked at

position of independent remote learning specialist

Elementary School. Molly has previously worked at

the Cincinnati Enquirer as a staff photographer

at Outschool in San Francisco, where she utilized

Seven Hills as an extended day teacher from

and videographer, covering major events around

remote technology tools to create a group-

2010-13. She developed activities for pre-

the city.

learning setting for emerging readers. Laurel has

kindergarten for 2-year-old students.

Laurel Robinson Doherty Pre-kindergarten for 2-year-olds Teacher

also worked with toddler-aged children at Armstrong Chapel Preschool and Creative Tots, where she was lead toddler teacher and assistant

Marisa Shubert Middle School Learning Support Specialist

Moriah Tome Doherty Pre-kindergarten for 2-year-olds Assistant Teacher

toddler teacher, respectively. She taught first

Marisa received

Moriah received her bachelor’s degree in early

grade at Glen Ellyn School District and Bensenville

her B.S. in

childhood education from the University of

School District, both located in Illinois. At Glen

interdisciplinary

Cincinnati. She most recently held the position of

Ellyn, she also served on the District Literacy

neuroscience

student worker at the University of Cincinnati

Committee and the School Improvement Team.

from Vanderbilt

Early Learning Center, where she worked with

University, her

preschool-age students. Moriah also recently

Ed.S. in

worked as a nanny. She completed her student

Glenn Shillinger Director of Transportation Glenn retired from Seven Hills in June 2017 after

curriculum and

teaching in Unit II

instruction/

on the Doherty

45 years as both a bus driver and director of

psychology, and her M.A. in psychology from

Campus during

transportation and

Middle Tennessee State University. She most

the 2019-20

security. He came

recently held the position of researcher and

school year,

back to Seven Hills

remote data analyst at the National Council on

working with

in the 2018-19

Teacher Quality, where she researched coursework

students five days

school year as a

requirements for teacher education programs

a week and leading

part-time bus

from universities across the country. Marisa has

driver. Glenn has

also held the position of assistant school

group lessons. Moriah also has experience as a

driven the shuttle

psychologist at PSI Associates, Inc. and additional

kindergarten and early childhood education

between the

positions, including director of specialized

student teacher.

Doherty and Hillsdale campuses and driven students on many field trips.

educational plans and learning difference

small and large

SCHOOL NEWS

FAMILIAR FACES, NEW PLACES Kyla Morgan Young Upper School History Teacher

Maria-Fernanda Torres Doherty Spanish Teacher Maria-Fernanda received her B.A. from Eckerd

Kyla Morgan received her bachelor of arts and

Pete Ceruzzi Maintenance Staff Pete has worked at

College and her master’s of education from

her M.A. in

Seven Hills for eight

Xavier University. She most recently held the

African and

years on the Hillsdale

position of grades 7 and 8 Spanish teacher at

African-

Campus in the

Mason Middle School, where she taught

American

maintenance

Introduction to

studies from The

department. He will

Spanish and

Ohio State

work in maintenance

Spanish I. She

University and

on both the Doherty and Hillsdale campuses.

was also a

her Ph.D. in history from

co-facilitator of

Joan Claybourn Doherty Unit I Teacher

Mason’s Inclusive

Princeton University. She most recently held

and Diversity

the position of long-term history substitute

Excellence team.

teacher at Columbus Academy and teaching

at Seven Hills

Maria-Fernanda

assistant and head preceptor at Princeton

for 24 years.

has also taught Spanish at DePaul Cristo Rey

University. In spring 2019, Kyla Morgan was a

She previously

High School in Cincinnati, and she has worked as

lecturer for the African-American Studies

served as a

a district Spanish translator and interpreter and

Department at The Ohio State University.

Doherty Unit II

bilingual family services specialist in North

During her time at Princeton University, she

teacher.

Carolina. She is a member of the Ohio Foreign

also worked as a residential graduate student.

Language Association and American Association of Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese.

Kacey Watkins Doherty Art Teacher

Sarah Zaffiro Encore Club Program Leader Sarah received her B.S. in integrated English language arts education from Miami University.

Joan has worked

Tracy Hickenlooper Lotspeich Fifth-grade Teacher Tracy has worked at Seven Hills for 27 years.

Kacey received her bachelor’s degree in art and

She most recently

She previously served as

her master’s in art education from Miami

held the position

the assistant head of

University. She most recently held the position

of private acting

school on the Doherty

of visual arts teacher at Loveland Middle School,

coach, where

Campus and interim

where she created sequential curriculum for new

she worked

head of school at

digital arts classes and utilized 3-D printing,

one-on-one

Lotspeich Lower School.

animating, and

with young

coding in her

performers.

classroom. She

Sarah has an

Margaret Walsh Doherty Learning Specialist

has also held a

extensive background in theater. She has also

position as a

held positions as a theater and dance instructor

years. She

visual arts

at Madcap Education Center, high school

previously

teacher at St.

theater director at Dixie High School,

served as a

Michael School

and drama camp coordinator at Missoula

Doherty Unit I

and Wilson

Children’s Theatre.

teacher.

Margaret has worked at Seven Hills for four

Elementary School. In the summer of 2009, Kacey traveled to Vietnam with the Helping Hands Organization to teach art lessons to children affected by Agent Orange.

M U L T I C U L T U R A L I S M

By Karla Dejean Seven Hills’ AIM steering committee

AIM committee steering Seven Hills’Seven AIM Hills’ steering usemembers the findings will use thecommittee findings will from from members of Seven Hills of Seven Hills' discovery committees discovery committees to build to build recommendations. The meeting recommendations begin committeethis willspring beginhelp meeting developthis the spring to help develop goals, prioritiesthe andgoals, action steps, priorities and action steps, which which will guide Seven Hills’ efforts Hills’ in the efforts coming years. will guide Seven in the coming years.

TA KI N G A LO O K I N WA R D

THE SE VEN HILL S SCHOOL COMMUNIT Y ADDRESSES MULTICULTURALISM IN STR ATEGIC PL AN AT THE START OF THE 2 0 2 0 -2 1 SCHOOL YEAR, THE SEVEN

SEVEN HILLS’ BOARD OF TRUSTEES PUT FORTH A VISION

HILLS SCHOOL CAME TOGETHER AS A COMMUNIT Y TO

TO PROMOTE THIS SELF-REFLECTION THROUGHOUT

EX AMINE, THROUGH A MULTITUDE OF CULTURAL LENSES,

THE SCHOOL COMMUNIT Y A FEW

WHO WE ARE. IN M ANY WAYS, THE SCHOOL’S COMMON

YEARS AGO IN ITS 2019-2024

REFERENCE TO BEING A FAMILY IS RELEVANT NOW MORE

STRATEGIC PL AN. THIS

THAN EVER, AS WE LEAN INTO TRANSPARENCY WITH

SUMMER, THE DIVERSIT Y

ONE ANOTHER AND STAND BACK TO LOOK AT HOW WE

INITIATIVE, PART

LIVE, HOW WE LEARN, WHERE WE STAND IN OUR BELIEF

OF THAT FIVE-YEAR

SYSTEMS, WHERE WE FALL SHORT, AND WHERE WE ARE

STRATEGIC PL AN,

HEADED AS A LE ADING INDEPENDENT PRIVATE SCHOOL

WAS REALIZED.

IN THE TRI-STATE ARE A .

14 4

AI M

stands for Assessment of Inclusivity and Multiculturalism. AIM, which incorporates a network of questions, discussions, surveys, and projects, is an intensive tool that allows schools to benchmark their social climate and advance other strategic equity goals, as they relate to a number of identifiers.

In a June 2020 letter to families, Head of School Chris Garten presented a poignant message about Seven Hills’ multicultural initiative, which will include joining the “entire community in a probing examination of the equity and justice of our own community.” He said the work of the AIM (Assessment of Inclusivity and Multiculturalism) survey will provide an in-depth look at the cultural identifiers of our students and their families, at what pulls us into meaningful discussions and sometimes, into uncomfortable philosophical spaces. “As an institution committed to the values of equity and justice, not to mention intellectual integrity, we believe that these are critical issues to discuss, both with each other, as colleagues, and with our students,” Garten told the school community. “Our efforts will focus on some of the steps being taken to educate our students even more fully about the historical, political, and economic forces that make it so much more difficult for those in marginalized groups in this country.” The AIM assessment, in use among private schools for more than 10

years, was designed by the Equity and Justice division of the National Association of Independent Schools, which is the accrediting association to which more than 1,900 private independent schools—including Seven Hills—belong throughout the United States. The series of extensive surveys, discussion points, collaborative projects, and workshopping opportunities among all students, families, faculty, and administration will also inform the composition and direction of Seven Hills’ curriculum. In an ongoing process and in a more intentional way, especially this year, Seven Hills is working to not only expand access to multiculturalism in social-emotional and academic programming, but also to recognize that multiculturalism should inform all aspects of the school, from the welcoming environment of our campuses to the language used in our communication among the Seven Hills community, to the level of comfort and agency all students

AIM WI LL ENAB LE SEVE N H I LLS TO:

• Gather information on our school’s climate that can be used to assess and plan diversity initiatives and to build and sustain an inclusive school community. • Compare findings with those of many other independent schools. • Discover what is most effective for advancing inclusiveness and multiculturalism. • Identify strengths that can be built upon and areas that need more work to ensure steady progress.

should feel when they move through their day, in and out of classrooms and across our campuses. The AIM process began with the work of 10 cross-divisional groups called discovery committees. Each group assessed the current culture and practices of a particular area of function at the school. The discovery committees then discussed their findings and thoughts about Continued on page 16

M U L T I C U L T U R A L I S M

the categories and came up with responses to a number of questions, that boiled down to, “Does Seven Hills provide an inclusive environment in these areas?” After the committees formalized their thoughts in writing, they shared those thoughts with the AIM steering committee, comprised of parents, faculty, and administrators. The steering committee will use the findings this winter to build recommendations that will become part of the school’s multicultural blueprint. Assistant Head of School Susan Marrs, administrator of the AIM survey, said she is eager to see where the findings will lead the Seven Hills community and what plans and progress will be

made once the school’s steering committee makes recommendations for implementation. “When we adopted diversity and inclusion as one of the prime planks of our 2019-2024 Strategic Plan, we committed ourselves to what’s become known as DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion),” said Marrs. “We knew we needed to dig more deeply into all aspects of our school community to arrive at a clear and fact-based assessment of where we are in order to plan where we want to go.” A look at Seven Hills’ ever-evolving curriculum will show that Seven Hills’ ethos—among students, families, and faculty—has embodied listening, sharing, and always getting better.

Among the schools’ traditions that revolve around equity and justice, multiculturalism, and inclusion, individual teaching lessons are also rooted in inclusivity, empathy, and compassion for all. For years, multiculturalism has been a key pillar in the school’s comprehensive curriculum. In our Lower Schools, students come together every year to delve into deep global studies that transcend grades and disciplines. Our Everybody Counts program introduces our youngest students to community members who have disabilities and different abilities. Middle School students

How Do We See Ourselves?

AS THE SEVEN HILLS COMMUNITY DISCUSSES OUR MULTICULTURAL STORIES, THE WORD “IDENTIFIERS” HAS BEEN USED A LOT THIS YEAR. WHAT DOES THAT MEAN IN THIS CONTEXT? According to the National Association of Independent Schools, there are several identifiers, or ways we

identify ourselves and others. Some of the more common ways are:

AGE

ETHNICITY

GENDER

RACE

RELIGION

SEXUAL ORIENTATION

SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS (class)

SIZE AND WEIGHT

EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT

INCOME OR WEALTH

ACADEMIC/SOCIAL ACHIEVEMENT

FAMILY MAKE-UP

GEOGRAPHIC/REGIONAL BACKGROUND

LANGUAGE

LEARNING STYLE

CITIZENSHIP STATUS

BELIEFS (political, moral, ethical)

participate regularly in learning activities that tap into models of empathy and social-emotional connections with customs, people, and belief systems that represent the many interwoven cultures and textures of our world. And in our

We knew we needed to dig more deeply into all aspects of our school community to arrive at a clear and factbased assessment of where we are in order to plan where we want to go. ~ Susan Marrs

Upper School, faculty strive daily to build upon those connections, encouraging students to put their empathy into action not only to help others, but also to understand their histories. Some Upper School courses focus explicitly on issues such as race, gender, and class. For example, some American Literature and elective courses have an emphasis on race and representation in America. In our world language program, French and Spanish classes focus not just on the cultures of

Embracing Families at Seven Hills

As the country comes together to reckon with centuries-old social injustice, the Seven Hills community— like many academic institutions—is also using this year to take a look at ourselves, making commitments to assess where we are as a community, and striving to better embody the true meaning of multiculturalism in many ways. Upper School Diversity Coordinator Amaris White said she is heartened by the launch of AIM and the intensive multicultural work that lies ahead. “This AIM initiative will take the guesswork out of things and give us more tangible evidence that we can use to guide us through our work. I hope this pushes us into a space where—in Lower through Upper—teachers are more cognizant about having inclusive classrooms and what that actually looks like, that it will become easier for them. They’re such wonderful teachers now, and, with this AIM survey, I believe it will help gear us all to feel like doing this work is second nature. I also hope we are able to have a better understanding of what Seven Hills’ families need, particularly families of color, and whether they feel they are seen in this space.”

France and Spain, but on those of Francophone and Spanishspeaking countries as well. A multicultural lens is applied to our math and science programs, as well as fine and performing arts. This year, however, those efforts will be even more intentional and become more institutionalized and hard-wired into lesson plans, from pre-kindergarten through grade 12, said Marrs. “We chose NAIS’s AIM survey as the tool to help us dive into this process in a comprehensive and meaningful way, and it is already paying dividends by reminding us to maintain a wide view of the many topics that fall under the umbrella of race, ethnicity, gender, and sexual orientation, of course, but also socioeconomic status, religion, family makeup, age, linguistic difference, and more,” said Marrs. “I believe we will emerge from this effort with a significantly richer curriculum and a significantly deeper, better understanding of how to promote an even more inclusive and multicultural atmosphere and ethos at Seven Hills.”

SCHOOL NEWS

NATIONAL MERIT SCHOLARS Seven Hills Congratulates National Merit Achievers Seven Hills continues its tradition of excellence with several students receiving recognition from the National Merit Scholarship program. Nine students were named Semifinalists and 10 were named Commended Students in the 2021 National Merit Program.

National Merit Semifinalists Seven Hills National Merit Semifinalists are Owen Foster, Jonathan Gai, William Hawgood, David Kiley, Dhruv Mahajan, Charlie Ringel, Megan Tan, Andrew Yang, and Meg Yuan.

FROM L TO R: OWEN FOSTER, JOHNATHAN GAI, WILLIAM HAWGOOD, DAVID KILEY, DHRUV MAHAJAN, CHARLIE RINGEL, MEGAN TAN, ANDREW YANG, MEG YUAN

National Merit Commended National Merit Commended students are Kurt Drath, Robert Jeon, Annabel Kleinwaechter, Nandini Likki, Steven Mu, Laxmi Namboodiri, Christina Torlone, Holly Weisfelder, Charlie Wood, and Aaron Ziegler.

FROM L TO R: KURT DRATH, ROBERT JEON, ANNABEL KLEINWAECHTER, NANDINI LIKKI, STEVEN MU, LAXMI NAMBOODIRI, CHRISTINA TORLONE, HOLLY WEISFELDER, CHARLIE WOOD, AARON ZIEGLER

SCHOOL NEWS

ADVANCED PLACEMENT SCHOLARS 92% of AP Exam scores qualify for advanced standing in college Of the 153 students who took 354 Advanced Placement exams in 16 subjects in May 2020, 92% qualified for advanced college standing by receiving a score of 3 or better on the 1-5 national scale on at least one exam. Among those who qualified, 92 were named AP Scholars* by the College Board for their exceptional achievements of scoring 3 or higher on more than three exams.

Receiving National AP Scholar Awards for average scores of at least 4 or higher on all AP Exams taken and scores of 4 or higher on eight or more are senior Jonathan Gai and 2020 graduates Yash Gaitonde, Alexander Grass, Jim Li, Madeleine Magruder, Suraj Parikh, Rajiv Raman, Hannah Wang, Kevin Wang, and Chase Young.

Receiving AP Scholar with Distinction Awards for average scores of at least 3.5 on all AP exams taken and scores of at least 3 or higher on five or more are seniors Wes Gardner, Catherine Kogan, Luke Malloy, Laxmi Namboodiri, Reva Namboodiri, Craig Qi, Caroline Routh, Megan Tan, Meg Yuan, Andrew Yang, and Aaron Ziegler. Class of 2020 graduates who received AP Scholar with Distinction Awards are Annika Alper, Jorge Amadeo-Muniz, Kayzad Bharucha, Adam Chen, Caroline Corbett, Colin Curnow, Emma Dorsch, Ajay Gupta, Krish Gupta, Santosh Hanumanthu, Avital Isakov, Madelyn Kennebeck, Freya Li, Nina Martinez Diers, Megan McLennan, Anika Parameswaran, Sufwan Safdar, Ella Samaha, James Sammarco, Avani Seshiah, Benjamin Skibo, Rhea Srivastava, Andrea Stancescu, Linah Uchiyama, Matthew Wabler, and Stephen Walsh.

Receiving AP Scholar with Honor Awards for average scores of at least 3.25 on all AP exams taken and scores of 3 or higher on four or more are seniors Kurt Drath, Robert Jeon, David Kiley, Annabel Kleinwaechter, Dhruv Mahajan, Stephen Mu, Christina Torlone, and Holly Weisfelder. Class of 2020 graduates who received AP Scholars with Honor Awards are Madeleine Creech, Taylor Hauter, Hannah Levin, Nicholas Norton, Jocelyn Spanbauer, and Michael Stein.

Receiving AP Scholar Awards for scoring 3 or higher on three or more exams are juniors Kathryn Guo and Naina Purushothaman and seniors Grace Arya, Griffin Callow, Emma Cohen, Owen Foster, Alexandra Frohn, Daniel Goldfeder, William Hawgood, Timothy Kalin, Shriya Kilaru, Nandini Likki, Christopher Maring, Abbie Palmer, Charles Ringel, Uma Shenai, and Wesley Wang. Class of 2020 graduates who received AP Scholars Awards are Poppi Baylor, Ruolan Chen, Jasmine Fan, Bryan Fisher, Chloe Gardner, Allison Huffman, Hugh Jacks, Annie Leeper, Rohan Patil, Kristen Porter, Katherine Remaklus, Ethan Rising, Rosalind Roland, and Emma Rooney.

*Based on scores received in August 2020

SCHOOL NEWS

FREDERICK A. HAUCK FACULTY CHAIR AWARDED TO LENORE HORNER The Seven Hills School has awarded one of its highest faculty honors, the Frederick A. Hauck Faculty Chair for Math and Science, to Lenore Horner, in recognition of the excellence of her teaching.

In his remarks upon honoring Horner with the chair, Head of School Chris Garten called Horner a true polymath, a person with a wide-ranging knowledge.

Photo courtesy of Annabel Kleinwaechter

The Frederick A. Hauck Faculty Chair is awarded every four years to a distinguished teacher of math or science.

“A polymath might be someone who is as adept at Spanish and French as she is at astronomy and statistics. Someone who can build her own bicycle and ride it to school and teach kids how to build their own furniture. A polymath is someone who can teach multivariable calculus, AP Physics, and Microengineering during the day, and then sit in with the symphonic

ensemble or sing with the chamber ensemble at night. “A polymath is, in short, someone like Lenore Horner, who can do all of these things and more. She is an incredibly talented person who models for our students the values of being well-rounded, of studying both the arts and the sciences, and of being a lifelong learner. “Beyond these many accomplishments and skills, we value Lenore’s generosity and kindness and the care she always shows for her students and her colleagues. Lenore always thinks about what will be most helpful to young people. This is one of the qualities that has helped her make such challenging subjects come to life for students and has helped inspire a new generation of mathematicians and scientists.”

CLASS OF 1956 FUND FOR EXCELLENCE IN TEACHING AWARDED TO RETIRED FRENCH TEACHER WYNNE CURRY During a faculty and staff meeting in the spring, Head of School Chris Garten announced the recipient of the Class of 1956 Fund for Excellence in Teaching award, recognizing retired Upper School French teacher Wynne Curry.

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

“In her many years at the Upper School, Wynne has taught and advised, counseled and cajoled hundreds of students. As their teacher, she magically turned them into avid students of French, eager readers of poetry, and devotees of the passé composé. “As their adviser, she masterfully helped them negotiate the vicissitudes of adolescence as well as the rigors of high school. She served on the Discipline

Committee, where she always tempered justice with mercy, and chaired the Cum Laude Society, where she helped to recognize some of our most committed students. “For all these reasons and more, Wynne is beloved by generations of alumni. She is equally prized by her colleagues, who turn to her for advice and counsel. No one brings a more upbeat, optimistic attitude to a school day than Wynne; she buoys the spirits of everyone around her. Wynne is an inspiration and a role model for so many of us, and we thank her for her tireless service to Seven Hills.”

SCHOOL NEWS

BRODIE GRANTS HONOR TEACHING EXCELLENCE Middle School drama teacher Jacob Hauser and Doherty pre-kindergarten teacher Karen Lawrence were recipients of Brodie Grants for Excellence in Teaching from the Brodie Family Faculty Betterment Fund. The Brodie Fund is an endowed trust that provides professional development opportunities for faculty and recognizes outstanding teachers at both early and later stages of their careers.

Jacob Hauser

As the Middle School drama teacher, Jacob Hauser is not afraid to take on a challenge. Whether it’s teaching 30 adolescents stage combat or directing an eighth-grader through a love song, Hauser is prepared. When presenting the Brodie Junior award, Head of School Chris Garten

awkwardness. His stage and his classroom are safe places to try and to fail, to take risks and to learn from mistakes. In improvs and scene work, skits and monologues, Jacob’s students explore some basic questions about their lives: Who Am I? How Do I Feel? What Do I Care About? What Is Most Important To Me? “We value what Jacob brings to his students each day: a climate of care that helps each student feel comfortable looking inside himself. It is a great gift that will last a lifetime.”

Karen Lawrence

said, “Jacob welcomes these challenges on a daily basis, for he knows what’s at stake. Preparing students for success on this stage is an integral part of readying them for the challenges they will face in their lives ahead. “Jacob is a master at helping his students look inside themselves. Jacob provides a comfortable space for his students to take risks, wrestle with uncertainty, and embrace their

Walking into Karen Lawrence’s pre-kindergarten classroom, one immediately knows the room is home to young learners. A walk turns into a gross motor activity or a science experiment. Clay morphs into creatures which become stars of a short play. When presenting the Brodie Senior award, Head of School Chris Garten said, “Karen quietly does her job every day, helping her students feel like writers and historians, musicians and actors. She encourages them to see the joy of learning in each new experience and motivates them to

think deeper and to share their ideas with others. “Karen not only challenges her students, but challenges herself as well. Over the past few years she has worked with technology in the classroom. Karen continues to experiment and to celebrate her progress, as she has learned most recently, to shoot a video with a green screen background. Her joy in learning new things is a wonderful model for her students. Day after day, it is her special gift to help her students experience this same feeling, the joy of discovering something new. “We all take pride in recognizing Karen, a gifted and humble teacher, who has a tremendous impact on those around her.” 21

SCHOOL NEWS - SPORTS

FALL SPORTS HONORS Talented teams, competitive players, and great matchups There were several highlights of the Seven Hills fall sports season. Some student athletes traveled to state tournaments and all of our teams had great matchups. Congratulations to our athletes and coaches who made the fall 2020 sports season successful, and for receiving welldeserved recognition during the virtual fall sports awards ceremonies. The varsity golf team had an outstanding season. The team finished second in the Miami Valley Conference (MVC), placed first in Sectionals, and was named the runner-up at Districts. The golf team traveled to the state tournament, where they finished ninth overall. Junior Jacob Joffe placed seventh at state as an individual. Joffe was also named the Sectionals and District champion and placed second in the Miami Valley Conference. Joffe also earned a spot on the All-Ohio, Second Team.

Bart Cooper, Eli Dauer, Daniel Goldfeder, George Hausberger, Will Hawgood, Nolan Loring, Joe Moses, and Harrison Mullin. The varsity girls tennis team won the Miami Valley Conference. Several student athletes continued to play in the postseason. Junior Shriya Sekar and senior Megan Tan won Sectionals and qualified for Districts. Junior Wendy Woffington and sophomore Sohana Thompson also qualified for Districts. Junior Gabriella Khaskelis qualified in singles for Districts after winning Sectionals. The varsity volleyball team finished the fall season with great leadership from cocaptains senior Meg Yuan and junior Meg Seshiah. Despite a season-ending injury, Yuan continued to support the team.

Abby Heck received the Dick Snyder Sportsmanship Award, which is awarded to the student who displays integrity and general sportsmanship throughout the season. Seven Hills had a total of 89 Scholar Athlete Award recipients this season. To qualify, recipients must be a varsity athlete and have a minimum first quarter GPA of 3.495. 1. Jacob Joffe

5. Boys Varsity Soccer

2. Abby Heck

6. Girls Varsity Tennis

3. Dhruv Mahajan

7. Meg Yuan

4. Mackenzie Hartman

8. Meg Seshiah

The boys and girls varsity cross country teams had several victories throughout the fall. The girls team won the Miami Valley Conference for the first time since 1998. The team also won the Seven Hills meet held in late September. The boys team placed second in the MVC. Both teams competed at Sectionals. Senior Abby Heck was named the MVC Runner of the Year and placed first at the Miami Valley Conference meet. Heck and senior Dhruv Mahajan ran at the state tournament. Coach Tana Luckie was named the Miami Valley Conference Coach of the Year for girls cross country. The girls varsity soccer team ended the season with a record of 5-9-4. At Districts, the team won in an upset against Reading High School, with the score of 5-1. Junior Mackenzie Hartman scored four goals during that game. The team was led by seniors Emma Cohen, Lily Eijkenboom, Molly Francis, Annie Icenhower, Shriya Kilaru, Brooke Meador, Mia Patel, Caroline Routh, and Anna Wiot. The boys varsity soccer team ended the season with a record of 8-8-2, including tournaments. The team was led by seniors Angus Ackermann, Tucker Bassett, Griffin Callow, 22

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SCHOOL NEWS

S A M P L E S

LEVELS OF MEANING IN LANGUAGE ARTS

First-graders in Amy Kulhavik’s class jumped into a blended lesson of social

studies and language arts. The students worked through basic sentence structure and punctuation, as well as focusing on the subjects of Hispanic and Latinx communities as part of their leveled reading program in Scholastic, which includes a digital library on iPad for Lower School students. “As part of a new initiative this year, we are weaving multicultural studies throughout our curriculum in different ways,” said Kulhavik. “By the end of the school year, the students will have a broad knowledge of many cultures and ethnicities, and that knowledge will be integral to our focus on language arts and social studies.”

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DOHERTY PREKINDERGARTENERS ENJOY DISCOVERY PLAY OUTDOORS

This year, pre-kindergarten-for-2-year-olds students are participating in a number of discovery activities as part of an outdoor curriculum designed by teacher Julie Brackett. Brackett has engaged her young students in outdoor kitchen play, playground construction using sand, and vertical drawing using zig-zag motions on an outdoor chalkboard. “We take nature walks every day to check on our world around us. We know exactly where the pine tree is, and, when looking up, we know there are still pine cones at the top of that tree,” said Brackett. “We know exactly

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N E W S L E T T E R

where the squirrels like to hide the acorns as we find acorn piles in the ECO garden. We are big collectors of nature.” Brackett said every move the children make is a learning move for young explorers. “Discovery play is a big component for learning in the 2-year-old environment. We learn by moving in our world, and moving in nature provides a rhythm to our movement,” she said.

LOTSPEICH FIFTH-GRADERS BEGIN CHEMISTRY UNIT WITH ACCURACY CHALLENGE

The Lower School science program is based on curiosity, creativity, and innovation, but the foundation of chemistry experiments is about precise, accurate measurements and the commitment to following procedure carefully. To help shift into this mindset, at the beginning of the school year, science teacher Kate LaBare introduced the fifth-grade chemistry unit with baking chemistry and cooking shows, sharing in a

S A M P L E S

concrete way what can happen if measurements are off. LaBare then challenged her fifth-grade students to work in pairs and practice measuring liquids and solids as precisely as possible. Students were given baking soda and water to measure at various volumes. LaBare said that students learned valuable lessons about the importance of taking care. She added, “The sense of competition and the ability to make a bit of a mess in the outside classroom made for a fun skills lab.”

“AMELIA BEDELIA” TEACHES SECOND-GRADERS IDIOMS

In early September, Lotspeich secondgraders studied idioms and figurative language. They had a little help from classic children’s book character Amelia Bedelia, a protagonist who frequently takes idioms, such as “draw the drapes,” a bit too literally. Teacher Cicely Knecht read one of the many “Amelia Bedelia” books to students as a class. She then asked second-graders to read one of the books individually and choose an idiom found in the story to illustrate. Secondgraders also learned about story setting. In addition to the idioms, they mapped

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and illustrated the setting of their “Amelia Bedelia” story.

MIDDLE SCHOOL LIFE SCIENCE STUDENTS EXAMINE LIVING, NON-LIVING THINGS VIA MICROSCOPES

Sixth-graders in Karen Glum and Jennifer Licata’s life science classes spent the first

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few weeks of the school year learning the difference between living and non-living things. In one experiment, students determined whether a “mystery pollutant” was living or nonliving by running a variety of tests. The activity also included a lesson on microscope parts, as well as practice using microscopes. “One of the characteristics of life is to be made of one or more cells. Students have to learn how to use microscopes so they can try to determine if the ‘mystery pollutant’ is made of cells,” Licata said. “We also use microscopes when we study cell structure and cell division.” Students participating in the class via Zoom had the opportunity to participate in the experiment with virtual microscopes and use the video call to view the classroom microscopes.

SEVENTH-GRADE FRENCH STUDENTS STUDY SOUNDS

In early fall, Jacky Kalubi, Middle and Upper School French and Spanish teacher, taught her seventh-grade students different sounds in French. Students first practiced the pronunciation of nasal sounds, including an, en, in, on, and un. Kalubi said the Continued on page 26

SCHOOL NEWS

S A M P L E S

sounds and selected students to repeat or identify the sound she pronounced. Kalubi told students that in the English language, there are no nasal sounds. “When you speak in French, you have to be really light on your tongue,” she said. Following the lesson, students also practiced saying words with silent letters. Kalubi wrote the word on the board, then students wrote the word on their iPads and crossed out the silent letters.

JUST HOW DO STORE RECEIPTS GET DESIGNED?

In September, Upper School AP Computer Science students in Marcus Twyford’s class worked on writing code in Java to study the concepts of Object Oriented Programming. To build something that students are more familiar with, they wrote their own scaled down version of point-of-sale (POS) software that simulates a self-checkout register, individual customer transactions, and a receipt of their transaction printed at the end. “Though the course follows and prepares students for the College Board AP exam, we spend weekly labs

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that go beyond the material to simulate writing solutions to more complex problems that students may interact with on a regular basis,” said Twyford. “Presently, students are using simple text editors and command line terminals to compile the code as they hone their foundational skills, but incorporate the use of version control software like Git and GitHub to more closely replicate current software development practices.”

AN IN-DEPTH (AND TIMELY) STUDY OF THE HISTORY OF VACCINES IN UPPER SCHOOL HISTORY

Vaccines are named as such because the first modern vaccine used cowpox to inoculate people from smallpox. The name comes from “vacca,” which means cow in the Latin language. Eric O’Connor’s 10th-grade World History 2 class studied this fact and

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C O N T .

more as they discussed the legacy of Christopher Columbus in late August.

“We watched a video that put Columbus ‘on trial’ and discussed why some celebrate him and some vilify him,” said O’Connor of the divisive holiday that falls in midOctober. “We also looked at the mass death of American Indians during the 1500s after the Europeans arrived in the Americas. That led to a discussion about the impact of COVID-19 in our society and our current hope for vaccines to once again save us from widespread disease.”

Get a fresh start for today and dona the new year! Clean out closets te your items to the Resale Shop and cupboards . Happy New Ye ar!

SCHOOL NEWS

SEVEN HILLS RANKED #1 PRIVATE SCHOOL IN FOUR CATEGORIES

BOOKS FOR LUNCH 202 1 The 2021 Books for Lunch (BFL) committee, co-chaired by Seven Hills parents Dorothy Corbett and Michelle Setzer, is honored to present Pulitzer Prize-winning author Jennifer Egan. Egan, who is also president of PEN America, has a prolific body of work including, “A Visit From the Goon Squad,” “The Keep,” “Look at Me,” “The Invisible Circus,” and the story collection, “Emerald City.” Her stories have been published in The New Yorker, Harper’s Magazine, GQ, Zoetrope, All-Story, and Ploughshares, and her nonfiction appears frequently in The New York Times Magazine. Egan’s most recent novel, “Manhattan Beach,” was a New York Times bestseller and was awarded the 2018 Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Fiction. Egan lives with her

The Seven Hills School is pleased to

husband and sons in Brooklyn, New York.

announce it has been ranked, for the second consecutive year, “#1 Best Private

K-12 School,” “#1 Best Private High School,” and “#1 Best College Prep Private High School” in the Cincinnati area by Niche.com, a data-driven website for researching and ranking K-12 schools, in national, state, and local categories. Seven Hills was also ranked in the top two in the category, “Best College Prep Private High School in Ohio,” for the second year in a row. “We are pleased to be designated a top Cincinnati school in several Niche.com categories,” said Head of School Chris Garten. “The Seven Hills School strives for academic excellence in all areas. We are blessed to have an exceptional faculty who create an environment that allows students not only to thrive, but excel in the classroom and beyond.” Niche.com analyzes statistical data from sources such as the U.S. Department of Education and the National Center for Education Statistics to determine a school’s rankings and grade. The organization also factors in surveys and reviews by parents, alumni, and students as part of its ranking methodology.

Books for Lunch author Jennifer Egan Photo by Pieter M. Van Hattem

“We are so delighted to have someone of Egan’s caliber to be part of our annual Books for Lunch event,” said Setzer. “Egan has produced an extensive array of novels that are thought-provoking and entertaining. I know the Seven Hills community— from our Upper School students to our families and friends—will enjoy hearing from Egan during her virtual visit in February.” In its 35th year, Books for Lunch invites noted authors to Seven Hills for enriching experiences with both students and the wider community.

PLEASE JOIN US

This year, the BFL experience will include real-time virtual events involving Egan and Seven Hills Upper School students on Feb. 4, and a live Zoom conference with parents and community members on Feb. 5, during which Egan, in conversation with Curtis Sittenfeld ’93, will engage with the audience via a virtual Q&A session. Tickets for the Feb. 5 keynote address are $30. If you would like to donate or register for this Books for Lunch event, go to www.7hills.org/BooksforLunch. Registration is open now. A Zoom code will be emailed prior to the event to those who have registered.

S AV E THE DATE Feb. 4th & 5th, 2021 Books For Lunch 39 27

SCHOOL NEWS - ARTS

FINE AND PERFORMING ARTS Our fine and performing arts department came together in creative ways throughout first semester, navigating social distancing and other COVID-19 protocols to produce beautiful, multicultural, and novel artforms across grades and divisions at Seven Hills. We invite you to take a look at a sample of the results of much hard work by our students and faculty.

Upper School Visual Art

Jason Knarr’s Upper School graphics class worked on an extensive project, in which each student designed a book from start to

setting for the tale of a ghost story set in the woods. The play was written by technical theater teacher Trey Tatum and directed by Annika Halonen ’20. A full cast put on “War of the Worlds” at The Schiff Center. The 1930s radio-style performance lent itself to the crafty set, which employed socially distanced mic stands, a dramatic scrim with stark silhouettes, and a studentbuilt crankie—a shadow theater box that allowed rolls of parchment to reveal moving images drawn by a visual art student.

finish, including a unique cover design, title page, table of contents, and text and images, which incorporated industry standards for book illustration and layout. During a lecture, Knarr encouraged students to get a handle early on the scope of their work in order to produce an intentional and polished finished product.

Upper School Theater

Seven Hills’ Upper School theater department put on a number of productions during first semester. Here are just a few … “Midnight Express” took place in Alms Park. The student cast of four used the natural backdrop of the park as their

“The Lion, The Witch, The Wardrobe” was performed by the Advanced Theatre Class and directed by alumna Hannah Levin ’20.

Doherty Music

Unit III Doherty music students are learning the intricate musical technique of percussion using nontraditional instruments, such as cups and buckets. In the spirit of actor Anna Kendrick’s famous cup act from the movie, “Pitch Perfect,” music teacher Maria Eynon’s students made the very complex art of cups look easy, all while singing the song, “When I’m Gone.” The students also learned how to tap out rhythms with sticks using buckets as their drums. Both the cup and bucket songs are typically performed during Doherty’s end-of-year ceremony in the spring.

Upper School Instrumental Though they waded through a slew of performance cancellations from spring

visual art drama music visual art 28

SCHOOL NEWS - ARTS

art teacher Kacey Watkins. “Students have been listening to stories in MariaFernanda Torres’ Spanish class about molas and learning the process of creating them in art class.”

2020 until the present, what the Upper School Contemporary Ensemble didn’t cancel was a recent recorded performance in The Schiff Center, said instrumental music teacher John Rising. Rising applauded his hard-working, dedicated student musicians and thanked technical theater director Trey Tatum and fine and performing arts department chair Tina Kuhlman. Click the following link to view the Upper School Contemporary Ensemble, which was recorded in late November in The Schiff Center by Tatum. Contemporary Ensemble

Chorus

Fine and performing arts department chair and choral director Tina Kuhlman sung the praises of her student vocalists, saying that through all of the barriers and through all the challenges, her students “stood up, sang out, and just got on with it.” Kuhlman said the students worked through singing with masks, projecting over air purifiers on full blast, keeping distance, and leaving rehearsal after 30 minutes of singing in order to clear the room of aerosols. “This year has not been about perfect. It’s been about making the best of a strange and difficult situation,” said Kuhlman. Click the following link to view the Upper School Chamber Ensemble, which was recorded in late November in The Schiff Center by technical theater director Trey Tatum. Chamber Ensemble

Lotspeich Art

Fourth-graders in Lotspeich art teacher Jody Knoop’s class studied the style of African-American portrait painter Kehinde Wiley. Wiley is known for his highly naturalistic portraits of Black

Lotspeich Music

people, who are placed on backdrops of complex patterns and brilliant colors. His portrait of President Barack Obama is one of his most well-known pieces. In order to capture Wiley’s style in their work, students used a pattern-making application, Kaleidopaint, on their iPads. Students then took photos of themselves, and used Procreate’s digital manipulations to paste the photos of themselves onto the patterned background. “There are so many gifted contemporary artists of color,” said Knoop. “One of my goals this year is to explore the talent of people who reflect the faces of my students.”

Doherty Art

As part of a partnering activity between art and Spanish classes, Unit III students on the Doherty Campus have been studying and practicing the art of creating their versions of molas, which are intricate handmade textiles made in Panama. The activity is also part of the students’ celebration of National Hispanic Heritage Month. “This has been a cross-curricular activity,” said Doherty

Lotspeich music teacher Robin Wilson began the school year with lessons that incorporate several books about multiculturalism in her classes. Wilson began with “All Are Welcome Here” by Alexandra Penfold and Suzanne Kaufman with students speaking in rhythm to the book as they said the first names of their classmates. She also incorporated into her pre-kindergarten classes “Music Is” by Brandon Stosuy into her prekindergarten classes. In the second, third, fourth, and fifth grades, Wilson begins the week with “The ABCs of My Feelings and Music” by Scott and Stephanie Edger. Each week, her students explore a feeling that begins

“

“There are so many gifted contemporary artists of color. One of my goals this year is to explore the talent of people who reflect the faces of my students.” -Lotspeich art teacher Jody Knoop

with the letter of the week and discusses the artwork and three music examples that are recommended for that feeling. The discussion includes the elements of music and emotion, as well as incorporated lessons with Lotspeich Spanish teacher Megan Hayes.

drama music visual art drama 29

SCHOOL NEWS

PERSONAL CHALLENGE PROJECTS Six Stories of Discovery Producing and Recording an Album Junior Lucy Schneider

make each song have a different rhythm

also spoke to paternal family members

and tune so they do not all sound the

in Israel. Daniel’s family has a Soviet

Project Description: Lucy produced

same.”

Jewish background and he was able to

an original album. She wrote songs and

Fun Fact: Lucy has been singing since

gather some documents, including a

she was a little girl. She has a songbook in which she writes down her feelings. She then turns those written words

Building My Family Tree Senior Daniel Goldfeder

accompanied by photos of his family

maternal and paternal families using stories and historical information dating back to World War I.

Project Process: Lucy launched her

Daniel initially interviewed his parents and

She later recorded background music

to gather

and harmonies during several sessions at

basic information, such as birth and

the sound studio.

death dates and relatives’ job titles. He

will be at least eight songs on my album. So far, my favorite song title is “Keeping In Our Love Tonight.”

members, and create an interactive family tree. Daniel: “People think you can go to Ancestry.com and expect to find all the

EXPERIENCE THAT SPURS SEVEN HILLS STUDENTS TO EXPLORE A TALENT OR INTEREST, IN-DEPTH. PERSONAL CHALLENGE EMBODIES THE SPIRIT OF SEVEN HILLS AND ITS DEDICATION TO EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING. STUDENTS MOVE OUTSIDE THEIR COMFORT

their siblings

and officially recorded five. There

Project Process:

He will write individual biographies,

PERSONAL CHALLENGE IS A REQUIRED

project by writing each song at home.

Lucy: “I have written over 13 songs

a Russian tsar. Daniel also conducted research using the Holocaust archives.

an intricate digital family tree of his

Blacklite Productions.

the University of Moscow signed by

into lyrics.

Project Description: Daniel is assembling

recorded them in the downtown studio,

family member’s college diploma from

information about your family. That’s not really true. There’s a lot of value in taking some time to sit down and listen to some storytelling from your parents.” Fun Fact: When Daniel was younger, he said that “out

Through this project, I have learned

of the blue,” his mother

how to add supporting background

mentioned that he has

music to the vocals while making

cousins in Australia he had

sure one is not overpowering the

not previously known. This

other. I have also learned to make

sparked Daniel’s interest

sure each song has a different kind

in delving into his family

of sound. It is definitely difficult to

history.

SCHOOL NEWS

the project actually provides a creative outlet from the stresses of high school and for the upcoming summer. My vlog is geared toward teenagers, fitness enthusiasts, or anyone in need of some inspiration. I tried to upload at least one video each week starting at the beginning of June 2020 to the present. Although I am kind of introverted, putting myself out on a public platform has helped challenge me to pursue what I always dreamed of, increased my

Becoming a Vlogger Senior Meg Yuan

confidence, and helped me overcome my fear of judgement.”

ZONES TO REACH NEW ACHIEVEMENTS, DISCOVER THE THRILL OF MASTERY, AND SATISFY THEIR NATURAL CURIOSITIES. IN SIX STORIES, WE SHARE A GLIMPSE OF WHAT PERSONAL CHALLENGE HAS MEANT FOR SIX UPPERCLASSMEN.

Fun Fact: One of Meg’s ASMR (autonomous sensory meridian response) videos garnered more than 27,000 views in less than four months.

Raising Chickens Senior Charlie Wood Project Description: Over the course of a year and a half, Charlie built a chicken coop from foundation to roof and raised six hens from newly hatched chicks. Project Process: Charlie and his mother worked together to build a chicken coop in their backyard. It took them roughly a year to build the coop, and they did not use any building plans to construct it. When the coop was complete, Charlie purchased six chicks from a local hatchery. Charlie taught the chicks how to drink and fed them gravel to help with their digestion. The chickens started laying eggs once they were around six months old. Charlie now sells the eggs to neighbors and cooks with them. Charlie: “I have worked at Gorman Heritage farm for five years. I work with their education hens. After working with them for a whole summer, I fell in love with chickens.”

Project Description: Meg started a YouTube channel. Project Process: Beginning in late May 2020, Meg started a YouTube channel centered around health and fitness, productivity, and lifestyle. Meg filmed, edited, uploaded, and managed her channel on her own. Meg: “I had always thought about

Fun Fact: Charlie noted that chickens are a big commitment and they can live up to 10 years. He works hard to keep the chickens happy so they will lay eggs.

starting a channel. I pursued it for my Personal Challenge project and realized

Continued on page 32

SCHOOL NEWS

PERSONAL CHALLENGE PROJECTS, Continued . . . Six Stories of Discovery Life of a Fire Cadet Senior Faith Hagerty Project Description: Faith is training to become an EMT and firefighter. Project Process: Faith trained extensively for 12 months as a fire cadet with the Milford Community Fire Department (MCFD) to become a firefighter. Throughout her training, she learned the ins and outs of the fire truck she was assigned, learned how to maintain and handle all fire equipment and go on rescue runs, and learned how to conduct a number of procedures, including car extraction, live burns, water rescue, rope rescue, and search and rescue, to name a few. Firefighter class runs twice a week and every other Saturday at the Grant Career Center and Bethel-Tate Fire Department. Faith’s Saturday classes run eight hours at a time. Faith plans to enroll in an EMT (Emergency Medical Technician)

program in spring of 2021. She said she plans to combine her EMT and firefighter training with nursing in college. Faith: “Starting out as a cadet I didn’t know I would get to experience so many things and meet a lot of wonderful people. In my time with MCFD, I have seen so many differences made for others in our communities.” Fun Fact: Faith has put in 435 hours as a cadet at MCFD, not including her classes. She has also worked multiple 24-hour shifts and is in the process of reading 1,300 pages in her firefighter textbook.

Thrift Flip Junior Wendy Woffington Project Description: Wendy is designing and creating a streetwear fashion line using clothes she upcycled from a local Goodwill. Project Process: Wendy designed several pieces of clothing for her fashion line before deciding on 10 outfits in a streetwear style. She selected a color palette of black, silver, pink, blue, and purple. She shopped for clothes at Goodwill to upcycle into new outfits. As she works on her fashion line, Wendy

Photo by Laura Whalen

is also teaching herself to sew, both by hand and with a sewing machine. She plans to hold a virtual fashion show to raise money for a charity and display her clothes. Wendy: “A lot of brands at the mall are fast fashion. A lot of things get wasted. I think my Personal Challenge project is a good way to reuse clothes.” Fun Fact: Wendy discovered her passion for fashion when she began modeling. She’s considering studying fashion business marketing in college.

SCHOOL NEWS

CREATING CONVERSATIONS VI RTUAL SPEAKER SERIES The Seven Hills School's Creating Conversations speaker series continues this year and features experts in their fields relating to raising bright, healthy, happy children.

MANAGING STRESS THROUGHOUT THE PANDEMIC

Our Creating Conversations speaker series for first semester addressed real-life issues families are facing in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. This year, Seven Hills’ counseling department wanted to focus on ways to support the community in acutely different circumstances. In some way or another, two things—anxiety and sleep patterns—have been at the forefront of our individual and collective worlds as we adjust and readjust to new routines and protocols. In September, local psychologist Helen Asbury, Psy.D., met with Seven Hills parents via Zoom, to discuss the number of ways the Helen Asbury, Psy.D COVID-19 pandemic is taking a toll on students and families. Asbury shared healthy ways for children and families to step back and observe stress levels, behaviors, and responses. Asbury shared a number of considerations that spoke to the needs of parents all over the world. “What we, as adults, have to offer right now is our empathy and attunement to children. A child who appears to be not getting started may not be lazy; they may be depressed,” said Asbury. “Apathy is the way they are trying to soothe themselves.” Asbury said younger children may regress as they cope with the rigidity of quarantine and the instability of remote and in-person

learning, as well as not having physical access to their friends. “Younger children who have not wanted to sleep in the bed with parents may want to do that again, and that is OK,” said Asbury. “But you need to wean them gradually, first to sleeping beside the bed in a sleeping bag and then back to their own bedrooms. Backrubs help, and no electronics 90 minutes before bedtime, as well.”

THE SCIENCE OF SLEEP

The concept of bedtime and sleep is a recurring theme that has grabbed the attention of people of all ages, especially now. Seven Hills’ counseling department hosted the series’ second topic of sleep in two parts, during early December and early January Zoom presentations. Behavioral psychologist Dr. Sarah Skoch told parents that sleep is an important aspect of wellness that is not always discussed in educational environments, yet has a profound impact on the lives of children. Skoch provided a comprehensive look at the sleep needs and issues of children from age 2 to 17 over the course of her two Zoom presentations to the school community. She said many people, young and old, have had trouble getting to sleep because quarantine has placed them in a new, unknown routine. “COVID-somnia is a thing. Sleep schedules are off, for instance, because some people don’t have a work commute or are home early. They may be staying up later with their kids,” said Skoch. “People are having more vivid dreams and more sleep issues.” Skoch

said those who are developing insomnia or having trouble waking up in the middle of the night should think about a more structured bedtime Dr. Sarah Skoch routine. “Go to bed earlier,” said Skoch. “Sometimes 30 minutes makes a difference. Over the course of weeks, that can add up to a significant sleep deficit, if you aren’t getting those extra minutes.”

COMING UP NEXT … FEB. 25 MINDFUL CLASSROOMS

Whether your child’s classroom is at the kitchen table or on campus, mindfulness is key. Register now to join our final Creating Conversations live, virtual event at 7 p.m. on Feb. 25, as we hear from former early childhood teacher James Butler, author of “Mindful Classrooms.” Butler will share his wisdom in using mindfulness with children and families in an event not to be missed!

Click here to register for our “Mindful Classrooms” Zoom event. The Creating Conversations speaker series is hosted by Seven Hills’ counseling department.

The Seven Hills School Speaker Series

SCHOOL NEWS

DOING GOOD DURING UNPRECEDENTED TIMES

A Seven Hills alumna and current student give back to those affected by the pandemic As the United States began to feel the impact of the ongoing, worldwide pandemic in early 2020, people across the country volunteered to help those affected by COVID-19. Members of the Seven Hills community were no exception. In this piece, we feature alumna Dr. Julie Koenig ’09 and current junior Martina Miquelarena and their stories of doing good during the pandemic.

Medical Center, located across the street from her residency at Sloan Kettering.

Julie Koenig

JULIE KOENIG ’09 In March, Dr. Julie Koenig ’09 was in the first year of her medical residency, training in internal medicine at New York City’s Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. At the same time, the city was becoming the epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States. “The city was clearly being overrun by COVID cases,” Koenig said. “We heard ambulances 24/7.” Koenig, who graduated from Stanford University School of Medicine in 2019, decided roughly a month into the pandemic to volunteer in the emergency room at Weill Cornell

She made the decision while taking a run in the city—a run dotted with views of the solidarity of New Yorkers. She passed the USNS Comfort, a Naval hospital ship docked in New York to treat patients with the virus. She also ran by the World Trade Center site. The run cemented her decision to volunteer. Koenig said it was “moving” how the whole city came together in those early months of the pandemic. “I wanted to contribute to the greater effort and go where there was more need,” she said. “There’s such a history of volunteering during a crisis in Manhattan.” Koenig volunteered in the emergency room at Cornell for part of a week. There was a feeling that the work was a “team sport.” Her colleagues were eager to help COVID-19 patients and put themselves out front. She remembers an older, more experienced neurologist willing to help in any way he could. “He sort of walked in and said, ‘Treat me like an intern,’” Koenig said. “That spirit was felt by a lot of people.”

There was also uncertainty in the emergency room and on the medical floors surrounding COVID-19 and a lack of personal protection equipment (PPE). “We just knew so little about the virus and how to manage it at that time,” Koenig said. Today, Koenig has completed her internship at Sloan Kettering and begun her radiation oncology residency at the Harvard teaching hospitals in Boston, Massachusetts. The pandemic is affecting her current work because she now works from home more than half of the week and meets with patients via Zoom. Koenig said COVID-19 has led to some delays in care, such as screenings, in-person evaluations, and elective procedures, which can affect patients’ health. While the work can be difficult to do virtually, she said there are some bright spots, such as the ability to meet with patients who live far away. Koenig is glad she can help people, even if it is via a computer screen. “I think I went into medicine, in particular oncology, because at the end of the day, our health and the health of the people we love are so important,” Koenig said. “It’s meaningful to help people when they need you the most.”

SCHOOL NEWS Mart ina Miqu elare na

MARTINA MIQUEL ARENA Junior Martina Miquelarena used the spare time she had during the Ohio-wide lockdown in March to sew masks and organize a socially distanced mask drive in the Upper School. Miquelarena said when the lockdown began, she was frustrated because she couldn’t see her friends and had a lot of free time. But soon her outlook changed. “I thought about how there are people who have it worse and there are people with a high risk of getting infected, so maybe I could use my spare time to help this cause,” Miquelarena said. “I decided to start this (mask-making) project and get a lot of people involved to make it a bigger effort.” She initially wanted to make masks for frontline workers, but after conducting some research, Miquelarena discovered medical professionals were required to wear surgical masks. The masks she made would be given to patients.

Miquelarena started by sewing the masks by hand and then switched to a sewing machine when her mother purchased one in the summer. She also made masks in child-friendly prints for younger patients. She rallied the Upper School community for the project, organizing a schoolwide mask drive she called the Masks for Change Campaign. Miquelarena shared videos on how to make masks and placed a collection box in front of her house where students delivered their completed masks. She was supported by Nick Francis, Upper School director of Experiential Learning. Francis allowed mask making to count toward students’ volunteer hours requirement for graduation. “I think this motivated a lot of people to start making masks for me,” Miquelarena said. “I think that was a great thing Mr. Francis did for me.”

handmade masks have been donated to area hospitals, including UC Health and Mercy Health. “I thought that was a great effort by our community,” Miquelarena said. Miquelarena and her family continue to make masks. The collection box remains outside of their house and has a sign letting passersby know they’re taking mask donations. The pandemic has impacted people around the world in myriad ways. Miquelarena and her classmates saw this and came together to make masks. “The whole pandemic shocked the world and it changed everything,” Miquelarena said. “I think we’re all very privileged and we can find safety in our homes. There are people out there who don’t have homes and there are people out there with a high risk of getting infected.”

In the first week of the drive, the Upper School made more than 100 masks. In total, more than 300

ALUMNI NEWS

CATCHING UP WITH ASHLEY MCFARLAND ’02 “ The one thing that sticks out the most was the way our school came together, students and teachers, to support each other in the wake of Sept. 11, 2001. It was amazing and something that I will never forget. It truly showed that Seven Hills is a family.”

Q: Please tell us about your

A: I took the elective psychology class

graduating from Seven Hills.

enamored with the subject. It led me to

A: After graduating from Seven Hills,

declare psychology as my major in

education and career path after

I attended Hampton University. I

received my B.A. in psychology in 2006. From there, I attended The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law. I received my J.D. in 2009. I am now a senior assistant city attorney for the City of Rockville, Maryland.

offered at Seven Hills and became

college. I attribute my interest in understanding the law from history classes that I took with Beth Driehaus. She was a stickler for going to the primary sources to gain more understanding. She definitely provided me with tools to succeed in law school.

If you could give your high Q: How do you stay involved in your Q: school-self one piece of advice, what community today?

A: I have served as a volunteer

cheerleading coach, mentor to youth, and mentor of young attorneys. I have also served as a pro bono attorney for various clinics throughout Maryland. Further, I have served in leadership capacities in various bar associations and church legal groups that create events that provide scholarships or services to the community.

Q: In what way did your time at

would it be?

A: Make sure to truly experience life while you reach toward your goals. Do

Ashley McFarland ’02

not let life take away the person you are today—let it enhance that person.

most harrowing times in history, was the

Q: Please tell us about one of your

way our school came together, students

favorite memories from Seven Hills.

A: We spent many hours in the cafeteria joking at lunch. We had

and teachers, to support each other in the wake of Sept. 11, 2001. It was amazing and something that I will never forget. It truly showed that Seven Hills is a family.

carefree moments on the lawn. We shared ups and downs on the field while

Seven Hills (teachers, classes, or

playing sports. I think that the one thing

friends) influence your choice of career

that sticks out the most, while one of the

or field of study?

36 OUR DIRECTOR OF ALUMNI ENGAGEMENT, SARAH L AUTAR ’05, CAUGHT UP WITH SEVEN HILLS ALUMNI ASHLEY

ALUMNI NEWS

CATCHING UP WITH RAY LEYMAN L’67 “ Go do what you love, and it’s not work. Whether it’s sports or acting or mathematics–go do what you love.”

Q: Please tell us about your education and career path after graduating from Lotspeich.

the focus on the individual at Lotspeich. It carried over quite well in life, as I went down the road.

Are there lessons you learned A: After Lotspeich, I went to Cincinnati Q: at Lotspeich that you still think of Country Day for junior high, then The

Hotchkiss School, a boarding school in Connecticut, for high school. I went to University of California Santa Barbara for

and rely on?

A: Go do what you love, and it’s not work. Whether it’s sports or

college, then took a year off before

acting or mathematics–go do what

starting work. During that year, I spent six

you love. And get good at it. Use

months hiking the Appalachian Trail, from

what’s available to you. When my

Springer Mountain in Georgia to Mount

daughter, Sarah, went through

Katahdin in Maine. After that, I went to

Lotspeich, the science teacher Dixie

work at Leyman Lift Gates, a company

[Knabe] Gaffney kept all these

started by my father in 1940.

animals in the science lab. Now my

Q: How have you stayed involved with Seven Hills since your own time as a student?

A: I served on the Board of Trustees of Seven Hills, and over the years, I have

hired Seven Hills students and alumni to

daughter is a vet. She never lost that vision.

Q:. If you could give your younger self A: Sledding down the hill at Lotspeich one piece of advice, what would it be?

A: Don’t lose the forest through the

trees. See a goal, set a goal, and always

work at Leyman Lift Gates in the summers.

work toward getting there, no matter

My kids, Sarah Leyman Mrzyglocki ’07 and

what’s in your way.

Baker Leyman ’10, attended Seven Hills.

Q:. Please tell us about a favorite

They have done very well, and I put that back to their Seven Hills education. I liked

Ray Leyman L’67

and the Red Barn are favorites.

I remember bird watching led by Ted Wuerfel, when students had to go identify birds and chart and log them. I have great memories of sports at Lotspeich, and my kids always enjoyed sports in school. We did the outdoor trips coordinated

memory from your time as a student or

by Andy McGarvey, which were

parent at Seven Hills.

always enjoyable.

37 MCFARL AND ’02 AND RAY LEYMAN L’67 TO ASK ABOUT THEIR EXPERIENCES SINCE GRADUATING FROM SEVEN HILLS.

Reunion 2 021

CPS & HILLSDALE classes of

1940, 1941, 1945, 1946, 1950, 1951, 1955, 1956, 1960, 1961, 1965, 1966, 1970, and 1971

April 16

LOTSPEICH classes of

We are excited to celebrate virtually with alumni from across the country, with many surprises in store. While we had hoped to host an in-person Reunion this coming spring, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve come to the decision to hold a virtual event in the interest of everyoneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s health and safety. We are excited to put together a virtual event on Friday, April 16, 2021, bringing all reunion classes together to celebrate!

1944, 1945, 1949, 1950, 1954, 1955, 1959, 1960, 1964, 1965, 1969, 1970, 1974, and 1975

SEVEN HILLS classes of

1975, 1976, 1980, 1981, 1985, 1986, 1990, 1991, 1995, 1996, 2000, and 2001 The classes of 2006, 2011, and 2016 will celebrate their reunions on Saturday, Nov. 27, 2021.

We plan on helping each individual class to put together a customized virtual event to reconnect with classmates and celebrate safely. C O N G R A T U L A T I O N S T O T H E C L A S S O F 1 9 9 6 O N C E L E B R A T I N G Y O U R 2 5 TH R E U N I O N 1996

1996 1996

1996

ALUMNI NEWS

Updates to come Please watch for updates in the coming months.

HILLSDALE 1971

Questions? Please

ION 2 0

20 NI O N

• • • • •

contact Director of Alumni Engagement Sarah Ott Lautar ’05 at sarah.lautar@7hills.org or 513.728.2432 with any questions or to volunteer to help coordinate a class event.

C O N G R A T U L A T I O N S T O T H E C L A S S O F 1 9 7 1 O N C E L E B R A T I N G Y O U R 5 0 TH R E U N I O N CPS 1971

ALUMNI NEWS

ANNUAL ALUMNI PANEL DISCUSSION TAKES EXCELLENT TALK TO ZOOM

The Development Office’s yearly panel discussion among alumni helps to showcase the interesting and varied career paths Seven Hills alumni follow. The evening always includes solid advice and entertaining stories from the speakers. The fourth annual alumni panel discussion was held via Zoom this year in light of important considerations of safety and restrictions on in-person gatherings. Thanks to the new medium, speakers and viewers were able to join from all over the country, making for a lively discussion. The topic centered on challenges the COVID-19 pandemic poses to various industries and creative solutions to those challenges. Many agreed that the pandemic has accelerated changes already coming across many industries. Merry Ewing ’76, who manages ABC and NBC-affiliate stations in Fort Wayne, Indiana, commented on the ways in which the changing consumption of news, such as competition from cable news and desire for hyper-local, has been compounded by the events of the past year. Similarly, commercial photographer Philip Ficks ’92 addressed the ways in which the pandemic has quickened existing trends in his industry, such as the growing role of influencers in advertising. Benjamin van der Horst ’05 shared a positive perspective on the timing of the pandemic, observing, “we are actually really lucky that this is happening in 2020, and not, say, in 2010 or 2000, he said. “That we’re able to sit here on Zoom and have a high level of functionality through video conferencing and the internet is amazing.” Most of the panelists agreed that the challenges posed by the past year resulted in a degree of trial and error to find the best ways to manage their teams, projects, and their own routines. Of particular interest to guests and speakers 40

was the topic of managing employees while working from home. Host Ben Greenberg echoed the wisdom of a number of panelists about working with colleagues remotely. “More oneon-one check-ins, more communication throughout the day, and expanding what it means to communicate with their team, Greenberg said.” For some people work is an escape, and for others it’s a constant anxiety in the background.” The theme of connection persisted throughout the discussion. Among the helpful advice were wise words from psychiatrist David Mou ’04, who encouraged attendees to set boundaries around work hours while working from home and make efforts to get offline and get outside during the months ahead. Interested in hearing more from these panelists? This event and all of the recent virtual alumni events are available on our website at 7hills.org/alumnievents.

Many thanks to this year’s wonderful host and panelists! • Host Ben Greenberg ’06 – Co-founder, BS, LLC • Merry Ewing ’76 – VP and general manager of ABC affiliate WPTA-TV, Fort Wayne’s NBC, and WISE-TV, The CW in Fort Wayne, Indiana

• Philip Ficks ’92 – commercial, interiors, and still life photographer • Sharon Liao ’12 – associate manager in event management international for the National Basketball Association

• David Mou ’04 – psychiatrist at Massachusetts General Hospital and co-founder & chief medical officer of Valera Health

• Benjamin van der Horst ’05 – general manager for pricing strategy for Delta Airline’s US to Asia flight portfolio

ALUMNI NEWS

NEXT CHAPTER EVENT:

Cooking Class with Chef Jeffrey Kreines ’82

Just call us the Stinger Food Network! On Sept. 24, Jeffrey Kreines ’82 led alumni through recipes for Mushroom Wellington and a Bees Knees cocktail. Attendees received the ingredient list early so they could follow along with the recipe at home and enjoy a delicious meal and cocktail as the fruits of their labor. As the spring’s lockdowns and safety measures provided the encouragement for more people to try new recipes and spend time in the kitchen, the Development Office saw an opportunity to connect alumni craving a new recipe with a culinary professional. Kreines is an alumnus of Seven Hills, father of recent graduates Matthew ’18 and Alex ’18, and is the husband of Seven Hills’ accounts receivable manager Jennifer Kreines. Kreines is the chef and proprietor at A la Carte Catering & Dessert in Cincinnati, which is celebrating its 25 year this year. As he walked the viewers through the steps of the recipes, Kreines shared culinary tricks and tips on preparation and cooking. About twenty alumni joined the cooking lesson that evening on Zoom, which allowed for questions about technique and timing. Kreines’ son Alex ’18, who is remote-learning from Bowdoin College this semester, assisted as the cameraman. After the lesson, alumni shared some of the beautiful final results of their cooking!

The new Alumni Next Chapter series offer classes, speakers, and events that bring alumni together for fun, educational programs. We hope you’ll join us for a future Alumni Next Chapter event!

ushroomWellington

INGREDIENTS:

DIRECTIONS:

2 sheets of puff pastry thawed

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

1 lb of sweet potatoes

2. Peel and dice sweet potatoes into ¼ inch squares. Place in a saucepot and cover with cold water, with lid. Bring to boil and cook for 5-7 minutes, or until done but firm. Strain and pour cold water over the potatoes until chilled. Reserve for later.

overnight in the refrigerator (a brand like Pepperidge Farm can usually be found next to frozen pie shells)

2 tbsp of butter or olive oil

2 lbs mushrooms

3. Chop the garlic, dice the onions, and slice the mushrooms. Sauté the garlic and onions in butter until slightly browned. Then add mushrooms and cook until they begin to release some liquid. At this point, add the marsala wine and balsamic vinegar and continue cooking over a medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the liquid is absorbed and mixture is dry.

2 tsp fresh rosemary

4. Spread mixture evenly on a baking sheet and refrigerate until chilled.

1 large sweet onion 6-10 garlic cloves

1 tsp fresh thyme ¼ c marsala wine (or sherry, ruby port, or red wine) 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar 1 c toasted pecans (or walnuts or hazelnuts), chopped 1 c chopped fresh spinach, packed 1 c shredded parmesan (or gruyere, pecorino, or ½ c goat cheese) 1 tsp salt 2 tsp truffle oil (optional) 1 extra large egg 1 tbsp water

5. Chop the rosemary, thyme, and spinach. 6. In a large mixing bowl, gently combine the chilled mixture of herbs, spinach, pecans, cheese, salt, and pepper. 7. In a small mixing bowl, slightly beat the egg. Add about 2/3 of the beaten egg to the mixture and stir to combine. For an egg wash, take the remaining 1/3 of egg and add 1 tbsp of cold water. Stir to combine. 8. Carefully unfold puff pastry and place the sheets side-by-side on a clean, dry work surface so the folds run lengthwise. Fill the center section of each piece with half of the mixture. Brush a ½ inch strip along the top of each piece with a little egg wash as a “glue.” Gently fold the bottom piece over the middle and continue rolling until the seam is at the middle of the bottom. Carefully transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Brush each sheet with egg wash, then score the top decoratively with a sharp knife or razor. Bake at 375 degrees for about 20 minutes, then check for even cooking. If it is browning unevenly, quickly rotate the pan and close the oven door to retain heat. Continue baking for 10-15 minutes more until nicely browned and crisp. Allow to cool for five minutes before slicing. Enjoy!

ALUMNI NEWS

# THROWBACK

Open Air Learning at Seven Hills Comes Full Circle Many images of life in 2020 would have seemed surreal even one year ago, and yet, some aspects of schooling today would be familiar to families of a century ago. In particular, the sight of students attending class outside of the school building recalls early photos of Lotspeich students learning outside.

When Helen Lotspeich began the Clifton Open Air School out of her family’s home in the fall of 1917, she educated her students largely outside. Pupils attended school in unheated modular buildings on the Lotspeich family property, wearing coats, hats, gloves, and blanket bags manufactured specifically for open-air schools. The late alumna Emily Bookwalter Demar L’21 once recalled that students would warm

up inside the Lotspeich home by putting their feet in buckets of hot water. Mrs. Lotspeich was a stickler for correct posture, so the students had to sit up straight with their feet in the buckets. Mrs. Lotspeich’s philosophy was part of a school of thought at that time whereby 42

educators believed that fresh air and exercise were not only integral to a child’s development, but that exposure to cold air prevented illnesses. Lotspeich School moved to its current location on Red Bank Road in 1930. The new school building welcomed the outside in with large windows and doors from each classroom to the outside; however, the days of the open-air schooling faded away. Marjorie Wood Drackett L’34, H’40 recalls, “Mrs. Lotspeich was so in favor of having the windows open, but it didn’t last very long. Our fingers would get so cold, we couldn’t write.” Nonetheless, the large campus allowed for recess and gym class to take place outdoors, with sledding on the hill in winter and games of baseball and soccer on the fields surrounding the school. Alumni have fond memories of beloved former Head of Lotspeich Ted Wuerfel teaching soccer on the fields behind the school and leading birdwatching around campus. Open-air schooling has returned to Seven Hills this year, as teachers and students

head outside for class as one of many safety measures put in place with the school’s StaySafe7Hills COVID-19 safety protocol. Open-sided white tents have sprung up outside of school buildings on the Hillsdale and Doherty campuses, providing shelters for learning with a cross breeze. For some teachers, it’s simply an extension of lesson planning that already included much time in the outdoors. Lotspeich kindergarten teacher Diane Schulteis began taking her class outside every week on Terrific Tuesdays seven years ago. Rain or shine, the kindergarten class spends Tuesday mornings outside,

ALUMNI NEWS

taking hikes on the cross country course and walks around campus, and taking advantage of the Nellie Leaman Taft Early Childhood Center’s birdwatching area and mud kitchen. Schulteis emphasized that the outdoor time really drives the lessons already occurring in the classroom. “During a unit learning about bees and the importance of pollinators, we took a Terrific Tuesday hike on the cross country course, where we watched a bee on a goldenrod flower wake up as the sun warmed it up,” Schulteis said. Lotspeich third-grade teacher Kim Walden had not incorporated outdoor time into her lesson planning prior to this year. “This year,” she said, “we take anything and everything outside: reading and writing projects and social studies. The students can still collaborate outside, and the kids eat it up.” Doherty teachers reported a similar appreciation for the opportunity to take learning outside this year. In the Upper School, history teacher Eric O’Connor also took the opportunity to take his history classes outside. The elements made for interesting experiences. “Inclement weather, loud noises from traffic and other students collaborating nearby, less reliable internet connectivity, and even bees were challenges to navigate,” he said. O’Connor concluded, “I enjoyed teaching outside quite a bit. The atmosphere outside was more relaxed and it felt great to breathe the fresh air, even wearing a mask. It was

the perfect way to start the year, to ease into school after a stressful summer. I credit the school for providing these new ad hoc teaching spaces.” Outdoor education creates a sense of wonder in students and adds balance to the curriculum. Mrs. Lotspeich and Mr. Wuerfel would appreciate the school’s efforts to incorporate open-air learning at all levels, and would recognize the curiosity sparked in students by the natural world.

ALUMNI NEWS

NEXT CHAPTER: UPCOMING EVENTS Next Chapter events seek to bring alumni together in the spirit of lifelong learning. Next Chapter events offer classes and speakers to engage that part of your brain that loves learning something new in the company of old friends. Due to safety considerations, our Next Chapter events for the 2020-21 school year will be virtual.

BOOK CLUB:

Discussion of “Manhattan Beach” by Jennifer Egan Jan. 27, 2021 at 6:30 p.m. via Zoom Join fellow alumni for a discussion, lead by Matt Bolton, Head of Upper School, about “Manhattan Beach,” written by this year’s Books for Lunch author Jennifer Egan. This historical novel set in World War II-era Brooklyn’s Navy Yard, makes for a wonderful winter read—we can’t wait to hear what you think!

BAKING:

Dessert Decorating Class with Glenda Jones Feb. 24, 2021 at 6:30 p.m. via Zoom This class will be a delicious treat as we learn the art of baking and decorating from Glenda Jones, owner of Coco Bites in Cincinnati. This will be a kid-friendly event—include the whole family!

FLORAL DESIGN:

Spring Floral Arrangement Class* with Timothy Lieber March 31, 2021 at 6:30 p.m. via Zoom Timothy Lieber, AIFD, a certified floral designer, and owner of LunaFlora Creative, will lead a class in creating a spring arrangement to grace your home and will share pro-tips about or all of these the art of floral design. Contact us by March TO RE GI ST ER for any pment@7hills.org. 24 to reserve your kit of materials, to be picked events, contact us at develo endees a Zoom up from Hillsdale campus in advance of the class. We will send registered att ch. 44

* This event will be for local participants only, as materials will be distributed from Hillsdale Campus.

approa link as the dates of events t Director of Questions? Please contac ah Ott Lautar ’05 Alumni Engagement Sar or 513.728.2432. at sarah.lautar@7hills.org

ALUMNI NEWS

DOES THE SCHOOL STI LL … ? Alumni often ask us if the school maintains events and traditions that they remember fondly from their own years at the school. Many times, our answer is, “Yes, we still do that!”

Doherty In Uniform One of Seven Hills’ strengths is our two Lower Schools, which complement each other in myriad ways. One difference between Doherty and Lotspeich is the dress code. Students on our Doherty campus wear uniforms, while Lotspeich students do not.

1 9 90

Prior to the merger in 1974, both Hillsdale School and CPS required students to wear uniforms every day. When the schools merged, each looked to retain longstanding traditions to help ease the big transition. For Doherty, that meant keeping uniforms. The uniforms have helped foster a sense of identity for the Lower School. They have provided practical benefits such as comfort and convenience as well—especially for parents who would prefer not to argue over outfits before school. For many alumnae, their uniform was an integral part of the school day. Carol Smith Hesser C’65 remembers, “We didn’t wear uniforms until after second grade. It was a big deal to get our uniforms in the third grade.” CPS girls wore white blouses with light blue skirts and pastel cardigans in fall and spring, and navy wool skirts in the winter months with navy cardigans. Saddle shoes, bought from Shillito’s department store, as Hesser

recalls, and the cardigan worn in reverse with buttons up the back completed the look. Fridays were “plain clothes” days due to the early dismissal in those days—a practical measure for students who used the shorter school day to schedule an appointment or an outing downtown during the afternoon. Today, Doherty students from first grade through fifth grade are required to wear uniforms to school every day except for designated free dress days, including Fridays and some spirit days. Students may wear navy pants or shorts with a white collared shirt or a plaid jumper over a white shirt and any Seven Hills spirit wear sweatshirt on top. Head of Doherty Tracy Murch noted that while students might not be the first to admit to loving uniforms, “they are certainly excited when they become first-graders and have to wear them. It’s a rite of passage.”

2018

at different times across the year, depending on grade level. Some classes allow students to come out of uniform on their birthdays, while others allow it when the student is the ‘star’ student.” Uniforms make life easier for parents, past and present. Indeed, the Resale Shop grew out of a uniform exchange begun by former parents who wanted a place to

1965

Murch also observed that the uniforms in turn make free dress days all the more rewarding. “Our spirit days and free days become more meaningful and special because the students are able to choose what they want to wear. These days happen

find the next size of uniform and to pass on their own children’s outgrown clothes. While today’s Doherty students may not realize it at the moment, the uniform may be an important part of the fabric of their school memories.

ALUMNI NEWS

CLASS NOTES News from Our Alumni 1961 Joan Buttrick Lampert (C)(Madison, Wisconsin) wrote, “Bill and I celebrated our 54th wedding anniversary this past August. We are so glad to be near our family now. I continue to teach both graduate and undergraduate courses in adolescent development at Edgewood College. I am active in Philanthropic Educational Organization (PEO), and I enjoy serving as a volunteer at the Attic Angel Senior Community. I also participate in several book groups. “I often think that so much of the good in my life has been made possible by the extraordinary foundation I received during the 10 years I spent at CPS. I am equally grateful that I am still in touch with a number of the women with whom I had the very good fortune to share that time.” INTERESTED IN BEING A REUNION REP FOR YOUR CL ASS?

Please Contact Sarah Ott Lautar ’05, Director of Alumni Engagement at sarah.lautar@7hills.org

513.728.2432

planned. I am happy to say that my entire family has been safe and well throughout the pandemic so far. Our children are in different cities in the U.S. However, we get to connect with them on weekly Zoom calls. My husband and I were in Florida until early June and then returned to New York City, where we are adapting to a new normal. Although I am not in touch with as many people as I should be, I hope that everyone is in good health.”

1968 Parent Karyn Kelly recently shared a story with the school that shows how Seven Hills can create bonds in unexpected places! One weekend, the Kelly kids, Hannah ’20 and Cameron ’24, noticed a car outside their home. Eventually, Deborah Joslin Light (C)(Loveland, Colorado) came to the door and explained that she had grown up in the same house. Karyn gave Deborah and her husband a tour of the house and they chatted for some time. When Deborah found out the Kelly kids were students at Seven Hills, she was delighted, as she was in town for the first time since 1968 for her 50th Reunion. The Kellys and Deborah have kept in touch after that serendipitous meeting, with Deborah visiting with the Kellys again that weekend and later sending Hannah as a graduation gift a charm of the Tyler Davidson Fountain, which her own father gave her in honor of her graduation. As Karyn said, “It really shows the family that exists within Seven Hills.”

1967

1982

Jan Fullgraf Golann (H)(New York, New York) wrote, “I am remembering the wonderful Cincinnati celebration of our 50th Reunion in 2017. Many of us will be looking toward our 50th college reunions in 2021, although challenging pandemic times may prevent us from gathering as

Laura Lindner Sankey (Steamboat Springs, Colorado) shared that she recently became an empty nester, with her youngest child starting college in Fall 2020. Laura said, “I’m going to need to stop bulk shopping at Costco and learn how to downsize my recipes!”

SHARE YOUR NEWS

New job? Recently married? Written a book? If you have stories to share, please don’t hesitate! Go to

www.7hills.org/alumniupdates. Drop us a line and send high resolution photos (.jpeg format) to sarah.lautar@7hills.org.

1992 Tom McElhinney (Columbus, Mississippi) wrote, “I finished up my tour as a reserve squadron commander of the 43rd Flying Training Squadron in December 2019. It was a fantastic opportunity to lead 80 reservists over a 20-month period while balancing my airline career at United. Late in 2019, I was selected by the 19th Air Force commander to become the 14th Operations Group Commander at Columbus Air Force Base. I was the first reservist ever selected for this full-time active duty position. In my time in command, we graduated over 330 pilots from 23 different countries and flew 49 combat missions over Afghanistan to support their pilot training enterprise. Like everyone else, we faced enormous challenges during COVID-19, but were able to continue to produce new Air Force pilots without shutting down over the entire period. In addition, I was promoted to the rank of Colonel on May 1, 2020. I gave up command of the 14th Operations Group on July 24, 2020, and am now in an advisory role as the deputy commander of the 14th Mission Support Group at Columbus. My oldest daughter is a senior in high school and my youngest is a freshman here in

In Memoriam Our condolences to the families and friends who have lost loved ones. Mississippi, so it's nice to be home every night with the family as they are starting to look at colleges.”

1948

Barbara Sproull Jones (H)(Jackson, Mississippi) passed away on April 24, 2020.

1994 Rob Stirling (Portland, Oregon) shared an update on his life and some fellow 1994 graduates: “I live with my wife and two kids in the suburbs of Portland, Oregon. We met at Dartmouth College, then travelled around as I did various jobs and she went to medical school and finished medical training in New York City; Durham, North Carolina; Iowa City, Iowa; and finally Vancouver, Washington. I'm on the research staff for the School of Sustainable Engineering at Arizona State University (I telecommute), which has been a really interesting job. I help faculty commercialize their innovations by doing lots of scale-up manufacturing cost calculations, and I get to work on neat things like carbon capture, water treatment, biofuels, and the like with some absolute geniuses. David Levine lives in Phoenix, Arizona, so I'm sure to have lunch with him whenever I'm down there. He runs a cardboard box distribution company. I visited with John Melvin in San Diego, California, before COVID-19 hit. He's a trial lawyer working on estate disputes and lives up a hill overlooking the ocean—beautiful sunsets.”

1999 Jennifer Frey (Cincinnati) has been named president of Every Child Succeeds and associate professor of pediatrics at Cincinnati Children's Hospital and University of Cincinnati College of Medicine. Every Child Succeeds is a nonprofit organization that supports new mothers and babies from low-income areas throughout Southwestern Ohio and Northern Kentucky. Jennifer is excited to return to Cincinnati and to connect in the community to improve outcomes of young children and their families.

Nancy Foshay Neighbors (C)(Cincinnati) passed away on Sept. 1, 2020. 1

The Cincinnati Business Courier named Meera Kotagal (Cincinnati), a pediatric surgeon at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, to its annual “40 Under 40” list, which recognizes the next generation of leaders and innovators in Cincinnati. 1

2003 Gabe Davis (Cincinnati) was named and sworn in as the director of the Citizen Complaint Authority, the independent civilian oversight agency that investigates complaints against the Cincinnati Police Department Officers. The Citizen Complaint Authority is made up of seven board members, a director, and a staff of investigators who review the actions of the Cincinnati police department considered serious interventions. Gabe is a senior associate at Frost Brown Todd.

2005

1955

Emily Whiting Johann (C)(Cincinnati) passed away on Aug. 3, 2020.

1969

Diane Baltzer Zurenko (H)(Cincinnati) passed away on May 5, 2020. Thomas “Tom” Wildman (L)(Acton, Massachusetts) passed away on May 23, 2019.

1981

Elizabeth Hill “Hilly” Carter (Cincinnati) passed away on Oct. 12, 2020.

Friends of the School

Steven A. Adams (Cincinnati), father of Sam ’23 and Abe ’29, passed away on Nov. 1, 2020. Former Head of School Terry Douglas “Doug” Stenberg (Belfast, Maine) passed away on July 5, 2020.

Congratulations to Alana Gerson Levi (Cincinnati) and husband Ari Levi on the birth of their son, Rafael Eli Levi, on Aug. 10, 2020.

2009 Doug Wulsin (Cincinnati) and Morgan Wulsin welcomed their second daughter, Claire Abigail Wulsin, on Feb. 5, 2020. Claire is now actively trying to keep up with Continued on page 48

ALUMNI NEWS

CLASS NOTES, Continued . . . News from Our Alumni her big sister, Emma, who is 3! In April, Doug took a new job with HR software company Paycor, moving the family back to Cincinnati, where they're enjoying being closer to family. 2

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

2015 Congratulations to Nicole Malofsky (Bethlehem, Pennsylvania), who began her bioengineering Ph.D. at Lehigh University this fall.

2016 Emma Sacco (New York, New York) recently started a sustainable fashion business, for which she takes used men’s clothing to create new designs for women. She is also finishing her degree at The New School.

2019

2010 Taylor White (Madison, Wisconsin) spent six years working at Epic, along with 2010 classmate Sarah Kloepper. His most recent contribution was to the redesign of MyChart, an online patient portal used by roughly 75% of all medical patients. Taylor recently left Epic to start a company, OurGov, a software platform to help businesses, nonprofits, and industry groups better engage with legislators and regulators. OurGov decreases the cost for organizations when engaging with the government by using language processing to notify organizations about relevant changes in legislation and regulations and opportunities available to engage with the government. Taylor also shared several photos from a trip through Asia that he took with his younger brothers during a sabbatical at the beginning of 2020. 3 48

Michael Weirich (Cincinnati) seized an opportunity after a summer internship was canceled due to COVID-19 and opened a restaurant, Confluence. As executive chef, Michael created seasonal, multicourse tasting menus served in a pop-up style for diners at his family’s home. Michael’s brother Matthew ’21 and friend Grand Veldhuis ’19 helped serve diners. Michael, who is studying chemical engineering at Vanderbilt University, has a passion for the culinary arts and is working on his first cookbook. 4 5 3

SHARE YOUR NEWS

New job? Recently married? Written a book? If you have stories to share, please don’t hesitate! Go to

www.7hills.org/alumniupdates. Drop us a line and send high resolution photos (.jpeg format) to sarah.lautar@7hills.org.

ALUMNI NEWS

Alumni Events 2021

Wednesday, Jan. 27, 2021 Book discussion of “Manhattan Beach” by Books for Lunch Author Jennifer Egan, facilitated via Zoom by Head of Upper School Matt Bolton

6:30 p.m. via Zoom

Wednesday, Feb. 24, 2021 Dessert Class with Glenda Jones, owner of Coco Bites

6:30 p.m. via Zoom

Friday & Saturday, April 16 & 17, 2021: Reunion Weekend Friday, April 16: Virtual reunion celebration, including a State of the School from Head of School Chris Garten, performances by current students and alumni, and a toast

via Zoom

Saturday, April 17: Individual class events - more detailed information to come

Thursday, March 11, 2021 Alumni panel discussion with Upper School students

2:45 p.m.

Wednesday, March 31, 2021 Spring flower arranging workshop with florist Timothy Lieber, AIFD, owner of Lunaflora Creative - materials to be picked up from Hillsdale campus

save the date

For everyone’s safety, all winter and spring 2021 events will take place virtually. To register for any of these events, please email Development@7hills.org and include the name of the event. We will send registered attendees a Zoom link as the date of events approach.

6:30 p.m. via Zoom

2020-21 Seven Hills Board of Trustees Photo on back cover

Top Row 1: Christopher Garten, Tom Garber ’96, Steve Baggott, Angie Apple, Karen Meyer Row 2: Dorothy Corbett ’84, John Schneider, Jen Stein, Lair Kennedy, Lalitha Chunduri Row 3: Karen Callard ’80, Samir Kulkarni, Ben Glassman ’93, Heather Vecellio ’92, Theo Nelson Row 4: Sashi Kilaru, Nolan Bean, Janet Allgaier, Jen Dauer, Pakeesa Apghar Bottom Row 5: Jim Jurgensen, Ron DeLyons Not pictured: Dobbs Ackermann, Scott Carroll ’85, Peter Cha, Amy DeWitt, Jutta Lafley, and Chuck Mingo

49 59

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

Board member names on inside back cover

Board of Trustees 2 0 2 0