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As we close the fall semester of 20132014, we look back at some of the outstanding accomplishments that marked the first half of this school year.
In Review J A N U A R Y
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THE SEVEN HILLS SCHOOL NA MED
Outstanding academic achievements and more
BY G E R B E R A N A LYT I C S
Congratulations to six students who have been named National Merit
OHIO ACADEMIC CHAMPION
For the seventh year in a row, Seven Hills has again been named among the Top Academic Schools in Ohio; this year earning the rank of sixth out of 1,006 Ohio schools. Additionally, we are one of only three schools in the state, and the only coed school, to have made the list of Champion Schools in all seven years since the rankings were developed. The annual Gerber Analytics study identifies the best schools in Ohio based on each school’s performance on the Ohio Graduation Test (OGT), a test administered each year by the Ohio Department of Education to all 10th graders in the 1,006 schools across the state. The OGT evaluates the performance of high school students in the areas of math, reading, social studies, science and writing. The Ohio Department of Education administers the OGT to 10th grade students in all 1,006 schools in the state. Gerber Analytics calculates the percentage of students who score “Proficient” or better at each school and ranks the top-performing schools. This continued on page 2. . .
Semifinalists. They are: Brian Hu, Angie Li, Andrew Ligeralde, Panos Skoufalos, Ben Sorscher, and Gregory Sun. The National Merit Scholarship Program recognizes students who are among the highest scorers in the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT). In order to be considered for a National Merit® Scholarship, Semifinalists must advance to Finalist standing in the competition by meeting high academic standards, as well as a number of additional academic requirements. Students in Brian Sebastian’s Middle and Upper School Latin classes placed in the first local Certamen meet
of the season at Summit. Certamen is similar to a quiz bowl for Latin students. A team from each of the three levels made the finals. Mr. Sebastian called Seven Hills’ participation in Certamen “Outstanding.” Certamen results: Level 1 (grade 8): Charlie Dwight, Lena Bauer, Jonathan Harsh, Nate Rising - finished in second place. Level 2 (grade 9): Noelle O’Neal, Piper Spooner, Matisse Peppet finished in third place. Level 2 (grade 9): Jack Lane, Calvin Arbenz, Jacob Weinstein, Daniel Grass - finished in fifth place. Upper Level (grade 10): Bennett Smith, Tigar Cyr, Clay Hausberger finished in second place. Junior Jules Baretta is Seven Hills’ representative with the Regional
Youth Leadership Program this year. Jules was recently published in the non-profit organization’s newsletter, The Experience. The Regional Youth Leadership Program is an arm of the Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce. Only 45 students are selected to participate in this prestigious eight-month-long program each year. Abigail Clark, a budding herpetologist, is one of only 10 students in the country selected to participate in a star-studded, week-long tour in Los Angeles, for girls pursuing careers in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math). Abigail and her family were flown out to Los Angeles after her video on herpetology was selected by STEM experts in a contest entitled “Dark World Ultimate Mentor Adventure.” The contest, designed by actress Natalie Portman, included a trip to Disneyland and Dolby Laboratories, as well as a red-carpet private screening of the movie Thor: The Dark World at El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood. Abigail also met with leading women
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• Champion School • National Merit • Certamen • Youth Leadership Program •
The Seven Hills School named Ohio Academic Champion (continued) year, just 93 schools, or 9.2 percent of the schools in Ohio, had at least 91 percent of their tenth grade students pass the test. At The Seven Hills School, 98.7 percent of the students passed all five subject-area tests, the highest proficiency rating in Cincinnati. Overall, 91 percent of Seven Hills students scored “Accelerated” or “Advanced” on all five of the subject tests, and The Seven Hills School was listed among the top twenty-five schools in the state in all five subject areas. In addition to rating Ohio schools based on proficiency rates, Gerber Analytics also calculates a “Performance Index Score” (PIS) for each school, which, according to the report, most “accurately reflects the overall performance of a school.” This year, Seven Hills’ PIS score was the sixth highest in Ohio. Reflecting on the report, Head of School Chris Garten said, “It is a wonderful validation to be recognized as an Academic Champion for the seventh year in a row. The strength of this analysis is that it represents the depth of preparation that all of our students achieve. It looks not just at the school’s success in preparing top students, but also at the achievements of the entire class. We are deeply proud of all the hard work, by teachers and by students, that this level of achievement requires!”
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Outstanding academic achievements and more (continued) scientists, explored the engineering side of Disneyland, and learned more about the impact of agriculture on business and society. Brian Hu was selected to receive the Honda-OSU Partnership Math Medal Award for the Class of 2014 from Seven Hills. He was selected based on his academic performance in mathematics through his junior year. Brian was recognized along with other area winners at a special breakfast ceremony in early November at GE Aviation in Cincinnati with a pewter math medal, a $100 gift certificate, and the opportunity to apply for a $3000 scholarship at the Ohio State University College of Engineering. This year 202 students participated locally in the Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology math competition in early November. Individual results were as follows (places given by grade and gender): 10th grade girls 1st place – Cathy Fang 10th grade boys 1st place – Tigar Cyr 7th place – Alex Jiang 8th place – Andrei Savu 12th grade boys 4th place – Brian Hu 15th place – Gregory Sun
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Three students, cellist Nina Fatuzzo, cellist Ada Huang, and string bassist Christopher Janidlo were selected to play in the highly competitive Cincinnati Symphony Youth Orchestra (CSYO). The CSYO holds auditions for student musicians in grades 9-12, and in grades 7-12 for the CSYO Concert Orchestra. The CSYO, under the direction of CSO Assistant Conductor William C. White, is composed of students in grades 9 -12 who represent more than 30 high schools in southwestern Ohio, southeastern Indiana, and northern Kentucky. Junior Christopher Janidlo, sophomore Alex Jiang, and sophomore Kathy Wang were selected to play in the prestigious All-State Orchestra, which will take place during the Ohio Music Education Association state conference in Columbus during the first weekend in February 2014. Music teacher John Rising said the selections are very noteworthy because having three students participate from a school the size of Seven Hills is extraordinary.
Sophomore Kate Coley established a Seven Hills chapter of the International Thespian Society (ITS), an organization that honors
the dedication of those in theatre – actors, singers, writers, directors, costume designers, and everything in between. Troupe #7931 will serve to promote the theatre program, raise money for the program and the School, and fund theatre-based events. The Middle School launched a new online newspaper, The Hive, in fall 2013. Writing Workshop teacher and newspaper adviser Chris Caldemeyer said the young journalists are immersing themselves in the world of news as they work together to fine-tune and report on Middle School happenings.
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• Math Medal Award • Rose-Hulman Math Competition • Ultimate Mentor
College counseling report COLLEGE RE ADINESS PROGR AM A SUCCESS Within just a few months after the launch of Seven Hills’ new College Readiness program, freshman and sophomores have a clearer, more realistic view of the expectations and responsibilities leading up to college admission. While the name is self-explanatory, one of the key objectives of the program is to give students space and time to explore college with a more focused, anxiety-free attitude. The program also allows students to enjoy where they are right now. “I don’t want them to think the Upper School is E A R LY C O L L E G E just for college,” said College Readiness counselor Beth Driehaus, also an A C C E P TA N C E N E W S Upper School history teacher. “I want them to love Upper School, too. But To date, the Class of 2014 has filed 448 it is also very important that they start thinking in a more systematic way applications to 151 colleges. Many of about their futures.” Mrs. Driehaus began working in small groups of five to these applications won’t be resolved until 10 sophomores during the second quarter, and will work with freshman in spring, but of the students who applied February 2014. The seminar-style courses will take place three times a Early Action or Early Decision and year for freshmen, and six times a year for sophomores. received replies by December, 74% have already been accepted! Freshmen will focus on the intrinsic and extrinsic aspects of college. They This includes acceptances to Case will read and respond to their teacher narratives in an effort to better Western, Chicago, Charleston, Cornell, understand their perceptions of themselves as learners. Mrs. Driehaus will Denver, DePaul, Emory, Harvard, Illinois, keep the responses on file, which will be useful throughout each student’s Indiana, Miami Northeastern, OSU, Penn, Upper School years. Sophomores will explore career assessment and Pitt, Purdue, Rochester, St. Louis, SCAD, better understand the mythology of colleges and college courses. In other Sewanee, South Carolina, St. Andrews, words, students will have a better understanding of the colleges and Syracuse, Tufts, Tulane, Tuskegee, Wash U, courses that will help them to be successful, not just the “Top 10” college Wisconsin, WPI, and Xavier. We are very and university lists that are widely known to the general public. The College proud of these early results! Readiness program is being well received by parents because it allows students to get to the heart of expectations for college in a methodical, yet pertinent, way. The program also places students on solid footing once they enter the world of college counseling as juniors. Mrs. Driehaus said the program is understood to be the only program of its kind among Ohio independent schools. “The program resonates with many students,” she said. “It is a useful exercise to begin to cultivate within the minds of our students the meaningful ideas and clear expectations of college.”
C O L L E G E A P P L I C A T I O N P R O C E S S E X C E P T I O N A L LY S U C C E S S F U L F O R U P P E R SCHOOL STUDENTS
College counselors normally begin working individually with juniors at the beginning of the second semester (because the first semester is so heavily devoted to seniors). By early December,100 percent of our seniors had applied to at least one school, said Director of College Counseling Susan Marrs. “ For the first time in anyone’s memory, we were able to begin working with juniors in early December, fully six weeks earlier than usual,” said Mrs. Marrs. “During the first week of December, in fact, we visited students during class meetings to tell them that each of them had been assigned to a college counselor. We asked them to begin making appointments as soon as Dec. 4!”
CREATING CONVERSATIONS SPEAKER SERIES
The kickoff speaker for Creating Conversations was Cincinnati Bell’s Director of Relationship Marketing Stephen Smith. More than 100 Seven Hills parents gathered in mid-September to learn more about the increasing challenges the digital age presents to teens who use social media. He offered a look inside national trends in the world of smartphone apps that young people have access to, but most parents may know little about. The digital age evolves so quickly that warnings given to parents even two years ago, are now obsolete. “When you give your child a smart phone, you are giving them a computer. You are giving your child access to the world,” Smith told parents. “But you are also giving the world access to your child if you don’t pay attention.” Popular speaker James Lingo delivered a powerful message to parents for the second Creating Conversations speaker series event, Engaging Families in Effective Substance Abuse Prevention. A gathering of parents met in the Hillsdale Commons to hear Lingo’s message, which included tips on how parents can play a vital role in keeping their children drug and alcohol free. “When children learn how to communicate well and often, the instances of substance abuse decrease significantly,” said Lingo. He also spent the week of Nov. 18 to drive home the message of substance abuse prevention in grades five through 12. For more information visit www.7hills.org/CreatingConversations.
The Seven Hills School Speaker Series
Adventure • CSYO • All-State Orchestra • International Thespian Society •
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Examples of learning through inquiry, hands-on discovery, technology, collaboration The first half of Personal Challenge concluded in November in the halls and classrooms of the Upper School. Seniors and some juniors showcased their yearlong efforts with pride as the School community took in all of their hard work. The project is a culminating experience for every Upper School student. As a graduation requirement, students design and carry out original projects to expand their passions in uncharted areas or to learn a skill new to them, stretching the students beyond their comfort zones. The second half of this program will take place on April 9, 2014.
between all living things. The connections became visible when students unraveled a ball of twine as they passed it between one another, forming a web. When all connections were made, Mr. Schmidt asked them what would happen if the owl were missing. Students observed that when the “owl” string drops, the web deteriorates. pper
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Seven Hills students thrive on partnerships and community service. When some of the oldest students were offered an opportunity to read to the School’s youngest students, the response - and beneficial outcome - was heartwarming. About 19 Upper School students made a commitment to read to Lotspeich pre-kindergarten students during part of their open block. The reading sessions take place at
2p.m., after naptime. The program is part of a literacy education initiative spearheaded by the Young Family Library. “With the nature of our campus and having all of the grade levels here, I thought we had an amazing opportunity to link the oldest with the youngest students in a meaningful way,” said Middle and Upper School library assistant Gail Bloom. “We try to keep the same Upper School students with the same pre-kindergarten students so they can build relationships.” Before the program began, Mrs. Bloom discussed with Upper School students why reading to the pre-kindergarten buddies is important, what was expected from them as role models, and how to read aloud. Due to a wide response from Upper School students, Mrs. Bloom has set up weekly visits with alternating groups of Upper School students.
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ni t In Bill Schmidt’s class, Unit II students at Doherty discussed and modeled relationships of living and non-living things within an ecosystem during a hands-on lesson entitled “Web of Interdependency.” Using string and badges bearing the photos of different forest biomes, such as owls, mice, trees, earthworms, soil, rivers, and the sun, Mr. Schmidt led students through an exercise that illustrated the striking connections
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• Personal Challenge • Biome Interdependency • Young Family Library • Local
Some of the books the students have read aloud are: Down by the Station by Will Hillenbrand, Kitten’s First Full Moon by Kevin Henkes, Grumpy Bird by Jeremy Tankard, and many others.
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Young architects exercised their physics knowledge in September as they built structures for an experiment using toothpicks and gumdrops, at Doherty. After measuring the projects, teachers put them through the test by shaking the structures to simulate an earthquake. Students passed the “shake and quake” test if the structure remained standing. The spirited lesson for the group of promising designers, builders, and architects was part of Unit I students’ lesson on the study of cities.
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Doherty teachers observed the Sept.11 memorial in a number of ways; Unit III teacher Patty Dawson was inspired to share her appreciation for Stephen Siller, the 34-year-old firefighter and father of five who, on his day off, geared up and ran through Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel to aid in the rescue of terrorist attack
victims on Sept. 11, 2001. Mrs. Dawson and fellow Doherty teachers worked together to create “Local Heroes,” a unit that centers around the observance of the attacks, but extends to the education of connectedness, community, and human responsibility. “I wanted to put it in a format the students would understand and focus on every day heroes, national and American heroes, everyone making a difference,” said Mrs. Dawson. Unit III students also discussed the positive impact they continue to make through the Open Door project, an ongoing initiative to deliver 80 to 100 lunches every month to a drop-in center in East Walnut Hills, right down the street from Doherty – a local effort that feeds dozens in the neighboring area.
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The Cincinnati Police Department kicked off the beginning of Doherty’s Safety Week in early October. The students were up close and personal with members of the Cincinnati Police S.W.A.T. Team and heard how dogs are used on their Street
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chool The observance also included visits from Seven Hills Upper School students Shane DiGiovanna and Jessie Seibold, two students who have shown extraordinary commitment to their communities. Shane, a freshman who has a very rare skin condition, now sits on a board at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital in order to help advise doctors who treat people with similar conditions. Shane plans to raise money to donate iPads to Cincinnati Children’s. Jessie, a senior, formed and manages a successful tutoring program for students at the neighboring John P. Parker Elementary School. During lunchtime, Jessie and several other students tutor students at the elementary school.
Patrol. The students learned about “Stranger Danger;” the use of police equipment and gear, such as helmets, vests, and communication devices; how a crime scene is handled; how, when, and why they dust for fingerprints; internet safety; pointers on bike safety; and how to carefully cross a street. Captain Jeff Butler, District Two Commander, and the members of his Cincinnati Police Department Team gave all the students, from pre-kindergarten through fifth grade, a memorable experience. Unit III teacher Regina Daily said students enjoyed being in the S.W.A.T. vehicle, watching the police dogs respond to officers’ commands, and learning about the fingerprinting process. continuedon page 6. . .
Heroes • Open Door project • Children’s Hospital • Doherty’s Safety Week •
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Examples of learning through inquiry . . . (continued)
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Kindergarten students at Doherty learned about all things autumn by adapting a book into a play in October. As an end to their Apple unit, each class read an apple-themed book and performed a play that correlated with it. The stories were: The Golden Apple, The Mouse and the Apple, and That Apple is Mine. The children were thrilled to be involved with every aspect of their plays from set design to directing. In addition to painting beautiful sets, students expanded the stories and helped write the scripts, designed and made costumes or puppets to depict the characters, and performed their plays in front of student and faculty audiences. The Cincinnati Nature Center invited Linda Ford’s Environmental Science class to help research the effectiveness of the removal of non-native invasive plants, such as honeysuckle, over the last several years by examining the levels of biological diversity on different plots of land that were cleared of honeysuckle over differing periods of time. “They needed a small group of mature and focused students to seriously conduct these surveys,” said Mrs. Ford. “For my class, it is a
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wonderful opportunity to follow data acquisition protocols that will result in relevant data to address an important research question. This is inquiry science at its best and service learning all wrapped into one spectacular day.”
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Student volunteers in third through fifth grade recently put some of their free time to use for a good cause. At the request of community leader and Seven Hills former parent Paul Sittenfeld, Head of Lotspeich rade Carolyn Fox asked students to design decorations for a Red Cross luncheon to benefit the homeless. Several students r a d e offered to help. They used popsicle sticks, decorative beads, and other materials to design colorful centerpieces for the mid-October event. The result was a variety of bright miniature houses to signify the need for housing for hundreds of homeless families in the Cincinnati area. “We talked through the ways people become homeless in the world, from Hurricane Sandy to the way the storms and a cyclone in India wiped out people’s homes,” said Mrs. Fox. The project was undertaken in observance of November’s National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week . rade
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In one of many favorite annual Lotspeich traditions, fifth graders explored, gathered, and foraged at art teacher Jody Knoop’s farm
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in New Richmond in September. “We all had such a fun time helping each other as we hiked down a creek bed and explored the farm,” said fifth grade teacher Karla Balskus. Teachers transformed every step of the rural journey into an outdoor classroom as students gathered tinder and kindling, along with black walnuts and marigolds – some of the natural materials they will use for their colonial dye baths this school year. A special treat was visiting the animals that live on the farm, including Lana, the “fifth grade sheep,” who comes to Lotspeich each spring to be shorn. Eight Upper School students, accompanied by Equity & Justice Coordinator Nate Gleiner, participated in the 16th Annual Mayerson Student Service Leadership Workshop at the University of Cincinnati in mid-September. Organized and presented by the Mayerson Foundation, the workshop offered nearly 550 students and teachers from around the tri-state the opportunity to meet like-minded individuals from high schools and colleges, attend three breakout sessions on a range of topics, and speak with representatives of more than 90 non-profit organizations. Senior Emily Addy said, “It was a meaningful experience because it allowed me to meet people who have the same desire to help others and similar interests in new ideas and new ways to explore community service.”
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Apples • Cincinnati Nature Center • Red Cross • Jody Knoop’s farm • Mayerson
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Lotspeich third graders recently polished their multiplication tables in Mrs. Wilson’s
music class. In keeping with the strong interdisciplinary approach at Seven Hills, the lesson was in response to a conversation Mrs. Wilson had with third grade teachers. “I just asked the math teachers what they would like for me to reinforce and they said 6, 7, 8, and 12 times tables,” said Mrs. Wilson. The end product was an effective, succinct math lesson wrapped in a rhythmic music exercise using Orff instruments. Seven Hills incorporates the Orff method in its musical education lessons. Orff is a way of introducing and teaching children about music through singing, chanting, dance, movement, drama and the playing of percussion instruments. Improvisation, composition and a child’s natural sense of play are encouraged.
Lotspeich pre-kindergarteners enjoyed an exciting visit from Schoolhouse pre Symphony, a program composed of six professional musicians who provide music education for lower and middle school students throughout the Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky region. Each lesson, provided by the group of musicians, helps teach musical concepts such as high and low, fast and slow, and soft and loud, as well as instrument families. The program focuses on the flute, clarinet, French horn, trombone, violin, and cello. The lessons also introduced a wide range of musical genres from musical composers Mozart to John Williams. The symphony visits Lotspeich three times each school year and performs for pre-k, kindergarten, and first grade students. Schoolhouse Symphony is funded by a number of local foundations, including ArtsWave.
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Middle School students worked collaboratively during Pumpkin Day, a fun team-building event designed to encourage students to interact productively with their peers and teachers. After working against iddle chool
the clock to decorate pumpkins in teams, the students proudly lined up their pumpkins in the Middle School Commons and surveyed the finished products. The day was also full of athletic contests and overall fun!
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In an annual academic celebration, sixthgraders presented their research as part of an interdisciplinary unit on six-legged creatures. Insect Day is also special because parents are invited to watch the student presentations, which range from creative writing about insects, learning about cultural connections involving insects, and experiments with termites. rade
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Eighth graders enjoyed their trip rade with Adventure Treks in North Carolina this September. Students spent four days camping out and backpacking through the Pisgah National Forest with their teachers and the Adventure Trek guides. Activities included rock climbing, hiking, creek stomping, sliding down natural water slides, campfires, and white water rafting.
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Karen Glum’s seventh grade science class rade crafted flashcards for use by Bhutanese refugees who are preparing to take citizenship tests. continued on page 8. . .
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Foundation • Schoolhouse Symphony• Pumpkin Day • Insect Day • Adventure Treks
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Examples of learning through inquiry . . . (continued)
Students had an opportunity to hand the flashr ade cards directly to those who need them when they met some of the representatives of the Bhutanese refugee resettlement program The Lotspeich fourth grade went in October. Said Mrs. Glum, to Green Acres in Indian Hill to “This is a meaningful and study bees. Students were able to pertinent community service extract honey from a real hive, project for our students. Our taste different varieties of honey, seventh graders are studying learn bee communication, and the same information this year.”
were able to observe a live hive.
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Middle School science students recently sent special ping pong balls into space with a satellite in a collaborative project called PongSat, an initiative funded through KickStarter, a community-based online funding site. In September, some of the ping pong balls sent in by Seven Hills Middle School students were part of the launch, which included 1,000 ping pong balls containing various experiments. Some of the balls contained marshmallows; others contained electronic devices. Seven Hills students joined hundreds of other grade-school students, college students, and university professors across the country in the experiment. The PongSat team launched the balls from the Black Rock desert in Nevada, according to the KickStarter site. The vehicles that carry them are called High Racks.
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Four High Racks were used to carry the 1,000 ping pong balls.
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Dean Regas from the Cincinnati rade Observatory visited seventh grade science classes to show them the sun like they’ve never seen it before. Using a telescope with a special filter, students were able to observe the full disk of the sun and a few prominences, which, though they appeared tiny, were actually larger than Earth!
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The Lotspeich fourth grade went on their annual trip to Green Acres in Indian Hill to study bees. The field trip supports, integrates, and expands the knowledge students have gained during science class. Students were able to extract honey from a real hive, taste different varieties of honey, learn bee communication, and were able to observe a live hive. Many students also had opportunities to hold drone bees. rade
to drive home the point, the students held a ceremony in which they laid boring words to rest. Gone are the words “good” and “sad.” The students paid their respects, quickly moved on, and vowed to carry on the pursuit of active writing and evocative words.
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In keeping with the School’s theme on bird rade studies, Jen Licata’s sixth graders learned the secrets to bird banding in early November. The students participated in a seminar led by David Russell, Ph.D., a lecturer in zoology at Miami University. Mr. Russell is only one of five bird banders certified by the North American Banding Council. He and his wife, Jill Russell, Ph.D., walked students through the steps of catching, identifying, weighing, and banding the birds. Students enjoyed learning more about the netting that banders set up to catch birds. The netting material, which is as fine as a hair net, is thin enough that most birds do
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Lotspeich teachers Danielle Necessary and Rebecca Swain’s second-graders worked on a challenging writing unit designed to broaden their vocabularies in October. As a way rade
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not notice it. Once the birds fly into the net, they are trapped into a hammock-like pocket, which allows banders to gently handle the birds and place them temporarily into a pouch for further inspection. The Russells, of the Avian Research and Education Institute (AREI), are bird experts who have worked with sixth graders for several years. The Middle School looks forward to their return in the spring of 2014.
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Pre-kindergarten teacher Ginger Rubin presented the story of the Kemper House to Unit I in October. Mrs. Rubin is the great, great, great, granddaughter of Judy and James Kemper who settled in Walnut Hills and built Kemper House in 1804. Mrs. Rubin shared the history of the house that has now been relocated to Sharon Woods Historical Village. nit
The Lotspeich prekindergarten trip to Shaw Farms in Milford is a favorite of Seven Hills’ youngest students, and there was no question why, as students capped off their fun morning with a mini-feast of fall-time foods on picnic benches on the farm grounds. Although the day was jam-packed with fun, Cicely Knecht, Kara Meador, and Tyler McIlwraith debriefed students the following day with a special project asking them to draw pictures of their favorite moment at Shaw Farms. According to student reports, the hayride was a big hit.
project is based on a request from science teacher Natalie Williams, to find the most efficient amount of bedding needed for the various animals on campus. Based on their findings, each group made a recommendation regarding the estimated
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Lotspeich fifth graders solved real-world problems during a lesson of measurements in the Leyman Science Building. Using measuring tape, notebooks, and iPads, students teamed up with their classmates as they circled various animal cages and measured a number of surfaces. As part of a 12-week project-based research unit, the students worked in teams to gather the necessary data and information in order to be able to complete the calculations required to determine a range of bedding that would be used in the science lab over the course of the year. The rade
cost. Throughout the project, students were asked to identify the mathematical concepts, skills, and strategies they used in order to work toward their solution. Students organized their work, data, and information in a logical manner and, as a group, drew conclusions, summarized, and supported their recommendations. Students used laptops and iPads to create presentations to share their findings and recommendations.
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Research Education Institute • Kemper House • Shaw Farms • Science research unit
Celebrating outstanding fall sports achievements
Chris Garten shows Stinger pride.
Celebrating more than 115 years of service! Thank you, coaches!
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In acknowledgement of the strength and dedication necessary to be successful in their respective sports, the Seven Hills Athletic Department held a Fall Sports Award ceremony
Brian Goertemoeller
In that same spirit, Seven Hills student athletes and coaches earned a number of rewarding competitions in golf, tennis, cross country, volleyball, and girls soccer. Tennis Coach Tim Drew received the Miami Valley Conference (MVC) Coach of the Year Award, while student Bennett Smith received the Dick Snyder Sportsmanship Award.
for students and coaches. During a special ceremony for faculty, former Athletic Director and current Assistant Athletic Director Dick “Duke” Snyder was acknowledged for his 40 years of dedication, Cross Country/Track and Field Coach Tana Luckie for 30 years, Boys and Girls Tennis Coach Tim Drew for 25 years, and boys soccer Coach Terry Nicholl for 20 years. Congratulations to the varsity boys soccer players who received the Southwest Ohio High School Soccer Coaches Association’s Academic All Southwest Recognition award. These students have maintained a 3.7 cumulative GPA throughout their Upper School careers: Stefan Antonsson, Tigar Cyr, Ike Lanier, Matthew Marquardt, and Quinn Shim. For the first time in recent Seven Hills athletic history, the varsity girls tennis team won the MVC Championship. Jessie Seibold and Nicole Tiao advanced to compete in the doubles district championship. Chase Gardner and Kevin Cole
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A crowd of more than 700 Seven Hills family and friends showed up in force to cheer on the boys varsity soccer team vs. defending state champs Summit Country Day, at the longawaited regional semifinal game on Oct. 30. Summit won 3-2, in “sudden death” overtime. Despite the loss, the close match will be remembered as a grand opportunity in which the team exercised a show of deft skill, constant fortitude, and striking determination. “The regional semifinal captured who we are as a school community,” said Seven Hills Athletic Director Brian Phelps. “We rally behind each other. We’re supportive, and we’re competitive.” In an Oct. 31 letter to families, Head of School Chris Garten said the boys soccer team “never, never gave up … they supported one another and carried themselves with dignity, character, and exemplary good sportsmanship.”
In cross country, Seven Hills sophomore Nia Page achieved a personal record of 22:11 at the regional cross country meet in Troy, Ohio. Nia placed 66th out of 124 runners. Nia, Chase Gardner, and Kevin Cole received Most Valuable Runner awards. The varsity golf team advanced to district championships. Congratulations to the team,
including Alyssa Akiyama, Brian Goertemoeller, Ben King, Jack Lane, Matt Postell, Connor Rouan, and Bennett Smith. In varsity girls soccer, Emily Addy and Sarah Shim received the Ohio Scholastic Soccer Coaches Association Academic Excellence Recognition award. The varsity volleyball team put forth great effort this season. Lauren Weems, who received several awards, including an MVP award from her peers, is the first volleyball player to be invited to play in the State All Star game in Wooster, Lauren Weems Ohio. The Middle School girls volleyball team finished a historical season by winning the School’s first Miami Valley Conference A Division Tournament Championship. Over the summer, the sixth grade boys baseball team capped off an outstanding season by winning their end of season Cincinnati Knothole Tournament. They also were league champions during the regular season and finished with an overall record of 18-3-2. The Seven Hills fifth and sixth grade girls Strikers capped an undefeated season by winning the SAY Cincinnati East area tournament in late October. Congratulations to the girls, Coach Ramsey, and Coach Cohen! The team is composed of students from Lotspeich, Doherty, and Middle.
Seven Hills Arts sampler
The Upper School Theater program put on a top-notch production of the musical Little Shop of Horrors in November. The musical, with campy comedy, intuitive timing, and all-around sharp talent, was directed by Upper School theater teacher Stephanie Park. This spring, the Upper School will perform in a play adaptation of Miss Buncle’s Book. The students wrote the adaptation, entitled Disturber of the Peace. The Middle School Theater program dazzled the audience with the eye-catching artistry and excellent performances in the play The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. It was directed by Middle School drama teacher Rachel Damon. The Middle School will produce the Broadway musical 42nd Street in the spring.
Eleven young string musicians performed beautifully in The Sassmannshaus Tradition at Seven Hills strings recital in December.
Students in the Upper School’s Symphonic Ensemble and the Contemporary Ensemble presented a wonderful Winter Instrumental Concert in December. Middle School students – 135 strong – sang a number of festive tunes during the Middle School Choral Concert.
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Seven Hills Arts sampler cont.
Middle School art teacher Elissa Donovan and her students partnered last fall with the Cincinnati Zoo to create a breathtaking 12-foot-tall lion head. The brilliant sculpture, made from a meticulously crafted armature, was showcased and auctioned off this month at the Zoo’s largest annual fundraiser, Zoofari. Mrs. Donovan said dozens of seventh and eighth graders contributed to the collaborative community art project. Upper School students sang beautifully in the Winter Choral Concert in December. The students sang in several languages during the evening concert, which took place just after a whirlwind choral tour at the Doherty Campus and downtown at the PNC Bank and Chemed buildings.
Student visual art displayed at the Donovan Arts Center.
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