The Seven Hills Buzz The Seven Hills School Bulletin
A Brief Word from Chris Garten Last week’s elaborate Celebration of Birds marked the culmination of the sixth grade’s yearlong interdisciplinary study of birdlife. Orchestrated by science teachers Jennifer Licata and Karen Glum and the entire sixth grade team, this project epitomizes for me what is unique about our Middle School program. Here is a sustained interdisciplinary investigation that exposed students to field-based scientists. Bird studies were incorporated into most topics covered in Life Science, including ecology, cells, body systems, and genetics. Students work with birds included bird identification in the field, biweekly bird counts as part of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s citizen science program (eBird), bird banding and monitoring with the help of Drs. Dave and Jill Russell, regular Skype sessions with field scientists, and the dissection of bird hearts and a study of bird circulation guided by a professional ornithologist. Students used iMovie to produce electronic field guides to birds, bird-cams used to monitor migration patterns, CLO’s eBird website, and class wiki pages to post pictures, video, information about our birds and to share our iMovies with the scientific community. This protracted and collaborative inquiry-based project, supported by a host of instructional technologies, is exactly the kind of project that arms our students with “21st century skills.” This summer, the project will be extended into the seventh grade Earth Science unit that will focus on migration as the theme for the year. Karen Glum is working to develop a partnership with schools in Alaska to jointly study birds, particularly the effects of differences in latitude on shared species. Wow! Chris Garten, Head of School
Vol. 1 No. 16 May 6, 2010
Math honors: Individual First in State, Team Second in State Members of the team that placed second in the state among allsized schools in the Ohio Math League competition were (front) Britt Cyr, Ellen Coombe, Peppar Cyr; (back) Chris Baggott, and Alex Markovits.
Senior Britt Cyr had the highest score in the state on the 2010 American Mathematics Competition. The AMC 12 is the first step to the USA Olympiad for which Britt subsequently qualified with his score on the American Invitational Mathematics Exam (AIME). He was one of two Ohio students and 250 students nationally to qualify for the USA Mathematical Olympiad, which is the qualifying test for the United States team which will compete in the Interna-
tional Mathematical Olympiad in Kazakhstan this summer. Other Seven Hills students who had high scores on the AMC 12 were seniors Robby Woodworth, Josh Wang, Sarah Kloepper, Walker Schiff, Henry Warrington, and junior Peppar Cyr. Sophomore Isabel Arjmand was the top Seven Hills scorer on the AMC 10, and other high scorers were sophomores Alex Markovits, Betsy Johnson, Dan Lang, Ginger Johnson, and freshman Sebastian Hoar. Math honors continued page 2
Middle teachers accepted to first Posen Foundation Seminar Eighth grade English teacher Linda Maupin and history teacher Judith Neidlein-Dial were accepted to the first annual Posen Foundation Seminar on integrating Jewish Studies topics into middle and high school classrooms in New York City. Mrs. Maupin and Mrs. Neidlein-Dial spent the weekend
of April 17 at the Museum of Jewish Heritage— A Living Memorial to the Holocaust, analyzing primary source material, discussing the validity and implementation of pedagogical strategies, and generally reveling in the intellectually stimulating collaboration with like-minded passionate
Posen Seminar continued page 2
Congratulations to the new members in the Seven Hills chapter of the National Spanish Honor Society: (seated) Nathan Markiewitz, Heidi Garrett, Lilly Fried, Chris Clark, Haley Brunner, Katherine Steinman, Luke Wulsin; (standing) Lloyd Ulicny, Emma Weitzenkorn, Julie Berger, Haleigh Monaco, Elisse Hill, Celine Shirooni, Sasha Lieberman, Lauren Truncellito, Sydney Larkin, and Julianne Bain.
A Look at What’s Happening at . . . DOHERTY
LOTSPEICH
MIDDLE SCHOOL
UPPER SCHOOL Math Honors continued from page 1
It was a great Mini Pig Race in the prekindergarten! Photos page 9. Doherty held its annual Collect & Give, a toiletry drive benefitting The Open Door, from April 7 to April 21. Each grade level was responsible for bringing in a particular item that cannot be
“The first graders had a wonderful time preparing and performing the First Grade Spring Show,” said Miss Braun. “The theme of the show this year was the Tales of The Brothers Grimm, including The Fisherman and His Wife, Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, The Bremen Town Musicians, The Elves and the Shoemaker, Rapunzel, and Hansel and Gretel.
Mrs. Neidlein-Dial, Mrs. Maupin Posen Seminar cont. from page 1
educators. Next year, elements of this experience will be part of a cross-curricular collaboration between the two departments on the nature of power, its misuse historically during World War II and its abuse literarily in William Golding’s Lord of the Flies. The sixth grade students and teachers hosted their parents at the first Celebration of Birds on April 27. Photos from this wonderful “Sixth Grade Is for the Birds!” event are on page 13.
In the Ohio Math League competition, the Seven Hills team finished second in the state among schools of all sizes. Team members—the top scorers in each grade—were senior Britt Cyr, junior Peppar Cyr, sophomore Alex Markovits, and freshmen Chris Baggott and Ellen Coombe. Other high scorers in the Ohio Math League competition were seniors Bryan Romaine, Josh Wang, Walker Schiff, Kohki Nakafuku, Gilbert Pasquale; juniors Sydney Larkin, Elisse Hill, Virgilio Urbina Lazardi, Victoria Huang, Dan Shi, Julianne Bain; sophomores Isabel Arjmand, Ginger Johnson, Suhel Singh, Ned Williamson, Betsy Johnson; and freshmen Michael Bain, Nicholas Au-Yeung, and John Larkin. On the Ohio Council of Teachers of Mathematics competition, the Seven Hills team placed fifth in the state. Individually, Britt Cyr placed sixth overall in the state, and Josh Wang placed tenth overall in the state. Other Seven Hills students who placed in the top 200 in the state were Isabel Arjmand, Peppar Cyr, Julianne Bain, Sasha Lieberman, Dan Lang, Elisse Hill, and Kohki Nakafuku.
The children first performed the show for the residents at The New England Club Retirement Community. The next day the first graders entertained their families and their fifth grade buddies. Each performance received rave reviews!” More photos page 6.
purchased with food stamps. The Doherty Student Council is pleased to announce that the Doherty community collected 497 rolls of toilet paper, 68 sticks of deodorant, 133 bars of soap, 70 bottles of shampoo, 374 toothbrushes, and 71 tubes of toothpaste! Thank you to all of the Doherty families who brought in items to support our annual Collect & Give. Photo page 7.
Following the Thursday performance of the first grade musical, the fifth graders had a picnic with their first grade buddies. More photos page 6.
Above, sixth graders took a field trip to study the birds of Hueston Woods. More photos page 12. Middle staged an outstanding production of Double Bill: Fifteen Minute Hamlet and Drop Dead, Juliet!, A Brief Shakespearean Evening of Very Tragic Mirth, under the direction of Mrs. Henderson. Photos in our next issue. Accompanied by Mrs. Licata
Seniors Tiffany Au-Yeung and Katherine Steinman are two of three Cincinnati teens to receive 2010 Student Public Service Awards in Public Service Recognition-Cincinnati ceremonies May 6 on Fountain Square. Sophomore Suhel Singh finished the Flying Pig fourth in his age group. Suhel has also been accepted to U. Pennsylvania’s Summer Biomedical Research Academy. Photos of a few of the Personal Challenge projects shared with
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A Look at What’s Happening at . . . DOHERTY LOTSPEICH
Fifteen very brave fifth graders, along with Mrs. Hickenlooper, Mrs. Wichman and Mrs. Dawson, went on a 6 1/5 mile backpacking trip last weekend with the Outdoor Program. Right after school on Friday they learned how to pack a backpack, then they loaded the vans and traveled to East Fork State Park. They hiked a mile and a half to the overnight camp site, set up the tents, started a fire and cooked dinner. The rain held off all evening so they could enjoy roasting marshmallows and s’mores. On Saturday they hiked five miles up and down the hills along East Fork Lake. It was a very challenging, rewarding experience. Photos page 5. Boy Scouts worked with the fifth grade Webelos and together compiled 301 bags of food for the Freestore/Foodbank. The food is for elementary students to take home on the weekends. The boys learned that some students are given two meals at school, but when they are home they don’t always have enough food to eat. The importance of their task was not lost on the Doherty Scouts. They worked efficiently without stopping, keeping up with the bigger boys, while being extremely respectful of their surroundings. Photo page 7. Mrs. Davis offered a challenge to second and third graders to read the Secrets of Droon series on their own after reading the first book together. Second grader Sophia Couzins and third graders McKenzie Mullin, Sophia Mulica and Bridget Muica accepted the challenge
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MIDDLE SCHOOL
UPPER SCHOOL
and Mrs. Bone, the following students represented Seven Hills Middle School at the Ohio Association of Students Councils State Conference on April 23: Emily Addy, Abby Clark, Brian Goertemoeller, Celeste Kearney, Andrew Ligeralde, Nicole Malofsky, Jessica Seibold, and Emma Uible.
the Upper community on April 16 are on page 16.
As part of their colonial studies, fifth graders did oral report presentations on colonial trades. More photos page 8.
Visitors learned a great deal about Cincinnati history when they toured the third graders’ Living History Museum. Photos page 11. On April 28 seventh graders spent the day in the Little Miami River on a field trip with the Ohio River Foundation. Students used kick seines to catch fish, collected and identified macroinvertebrates, and ran chemical tests on the river water. At the end of the day they concluded that the Little Miami River is in good health and will stay that way as long as we take care of our watershed. More photos page 12.
More science activities: Environmental epidemiologist Dr. Susan Pinney spoke with the fifth graders about man-made chemicals and the study she is currently conducting at the University of Cincinnati on the levels of these chemicals found in growing girls. The Upper School Science Club visited the fifth graders to teach them the chemistry behind
Senior Justin Rau was invited to participate in the Junior Men’s National Team Sweep Selection Camp in Princeton, NJ, to train for selection to the US National Junior Rowing Team. The championship is being held in Prague this summer. Four coxswains are invited to the camp and only two will make the final cut. Photos from Upper’s production of Sense and Sensibility, adapted from the Jane Austen novel by the Acting Workshop class, are on page 18.
The fourth graders had a great time at Camp Kern! Photos page 11.
Ms. Wildfong said, “The second graders discovered their lung capacities in science class by blowing the biggest bubble they could with one breath and then measuring the circumference.”
Upper had a very successful Global Issues Day on April 23. News and photos page 15.
In Language Arts, sixth graders study the book, Three Cups of Tea, One Man’s Mission to Promote Peace...One School at a Time, by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin. In the inspiring book, the authors recount the journey that led Mortenson from a failed 1993 attempt to climb Pakistan’s K2, the world’s second highest mountain, to successfully establish schools in some of the most remote regions of Afghanistan and Pakistan. The sixth graders had the opportunity to join the Upper Schoolers for the Global Issues Day address by alumna Hannah Bloch, who was appointed as Time’s first full-time foreign correspondent in Pakistan and Afghanistan in 1996. Photo of
Mrs. Marrs, Director of College Counseling, has been asked to continue to serve on The Princeton Review National College Counselor Advisory Board. Appointed to the Advisory Board in 2008, she is one of three college counselors in Ohio and the only one in Cincinnati currently serving on the 23-member Board, which is composed of college counseling professionals from across the United States. She is also a member of the Fiske Guide to Colleges Counselor Advisory Group. Mrs. Richardson’s English 9 classes celebrated William Shakespeare’s birthday (belatedly, because of Global Issues Day on April 23). Students sang for his 446th birthday, ate birthday cupcakes, and reviewed some information about his life and death. They also analyzed two sonnets, “That time of year thou mayst in me behold” and “Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?” “Having studied Romeo and Juliet in eighth grade, most freshmen like Shakespeare,” said Mrs. Richardson. Photo page 19. Kite artist Debbie Von Bokern and Diane Kruer’s 8th bell General Art class made a 22’ long snake kite and flew it on the hill behind the DAC. Laura Arnold 3
A Look at What’s Happening at . . . DOHERTY LOTSPEICH
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and read the first ten books in just a few weeks. To celebrate their success Mrs. Davis hosted a Secrets of Droon pizza lunch. During lunch, the girls had fun reflecting on the many adventures of Julie, Neal and Eric in each book and all voted on their favorite book. The girls have decided that they will continue reading the next ten Droon books and we will again have a lunch to celebrate their success. Photo page 7.
Upper’s Environmental Science class conducted air quality tests with the fifth graders, looking for particulate matter in traps that were set outside for seven days.
The first grade students culminated a unit of study on Paddington Bear books by Michael Bond with a very fancy tea party featuring Paddinton’s favorite food, orange marmalade! More news and photos from the tea party are on page 7.
Rain didn’t dampen the fun of the Doherty Carnival!
UPPER SCHOOL
some of the sixth graders with Hannah on page 14.
was a visiting artist in Pottery.
Eighth grade geometry students designed their own targets and tested experimental probability vs. theoretical probability. Photos page 14.
glow-in-the-dark materials.
So exactly what is a dry cell? Fifth graders recently discovered the answer to this question when they created their own dry cell in class.
MIDDLE SCHOOL
In reading, the entire second grade studies the biography genre with their teachers, Mrs. Necessary, Ms. Feeney, and Mrs. Leonard. The students read biographies about many different people and learn about their lives, influences, challenges, and contributions. Next, all the second graders write their own autobiographies. To accomplish this goal, the students interview their parents about important milestones, then use these facts to produce a written chronicle of their lives. Additionally, the students create a timeline, write a cinquain poem, draw their self portraits, and select photographs that represent them during the various stages of their lives. Photos page 10. The fourth graders did a great job on their Living Biography presentations May 3-4. Two group photos of some of the biographers are on page 10. Grandpersons Day is a highlight of the year! More photos page 8.
Middle School girls lacrosse Coach Sally Myers reports that several players have been selected to represent Southern Ohio in the 2010 National Youth Lax Fest this summer. She said, “The girls will have the opportunity to team up with players from other area schools and meet girls and boys from across the country for spirited competition in a venue to ‘Honor the Game’ of lacrosse, playing competitively while displaying dignity and class both on and off the field. The ideals of respect, sportsmanship, connection, team spirit, trust, leadership and tradition are at the core of the philosophy behind the event. “Seventh grader Maggie Gosiger, who plays attack, will join the U-13 team at the festival to be held June 11–13 in Mason, Ohio. “Eighth grader Kate Hickenloooper, a defender, and eighth grader Sammy Head, a middie and attack player, will represent Seven Hills on the U-15 team which will travel to Fort Ann, NY, near Lake George for competition on June 18–20. Middle had another great Spring Food Drive for The Caring Place! Photo page 14. This week the Middle School Roots & Shoots Club is hosting another Bead for Life jewelry sale. From the Bead for Life website: “Bead for Life eradicates extreme poverty by creating bridges of understanding between impoverished Africans and concerned world citizens. Ugandan women turn colorful recycled paper into beautiful beads, and people who care open their hearts, homes and communities to buy and sell the beads. The beads thus become income, food, medicine, school fees and hope. It is a small miracle that enriches us all.”
Mrs. Ramsay said, “Geometry students are studying volume and surface area. Pairs of students are working together to determine the amount of cardboard used to create a Freestore food bin. The students were also asked to determine how many soup cans it would take to fill a bin. The students had to develop their own methods for this exercise. They were posed the question and were allowed to use some measuring tools and a calculator but were given no further instruction. It was interesting to see the different methods used—a great problem-solving activity!” Photo page 19.
Paper Noise hosted a poetry slam, a live original poetry performance competition, during lunchtime on April 29. This poetry slam included eighth graders as poets and as audience. More photos page 17. It was faculty versus student Academic Team at lunchtime on May 3. Photo page 19 .
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Doherty fifth graders’ backpacking adventure
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Tales from the Brothers Grimm
The performers at the New England Club Retirement Community
The post-performance Buddy picnic
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Doherty fans of the Secrets of Droon series
Doherty’s Collect & Give for The Open Door
Doherty’s Tea Party with Paddington Bear Above, the first grade students culminated a unit of study on Paddington Bear books by Michael Bond with a very fancy tea party featuring Paddinton’s favorite food, orange marmalade! The home made scones, tea cookies and crumb cakes were all made by Doherty parent Kari Ellis. The tea service is the original one used by Miss Doherty for the Silver Tea honoring senior girls. The china tea cups were collected from all over the United States by librarian/teacher Linda Wolfe as a child. Paddington came all the way from London where he resides (after immigrating from darkest Peru) to join the students in this very special event.
Scouts working to make a difference at the Freestore/Foodbank
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Fifth graders’ presentations on colonial trades
A few of our special visitors on Lotspeich’s Grandpersons’ Day
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Doherty PK’s Mini Pig!
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Fourth grade biographies and second grade autobiographies!
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Lotspeich fourth graders explore Ohio history at Camp Kern
Third graders become experts on Cincinnati history
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Sixth graders at Hueston Woods
Seventh graders in the Little Miami River
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Sixth Grade Celebration of Birds!
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Eighth grade geometry students designed their own targets and tested experimental probability vs. theoretical probability.
Part of Middle’s Spring Food Drive for The Caring Place Keynote speaker for Upper’s Global Issues Day Hannah Bloch (’80), who reported for Time magazine from Afghanistan and Pakistan, with some of the sixth graders who studied the book, Three Cups of Tea, One Man’s Mission to Promote Peace... One School at a Time, by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin. In the inspiring book, the authors recount the journey that led Mortenson to establish schools in some of the most remote regions of Afghanistan and Pakistan.
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Students and teachers explored an impressive depth and breadth of global issues, as presenters shared their expertise:
Upper’s Global Issues Day
The Culture Of India Presenter: Mamta Singh Leveraging Technology To Communicate and Collaborate Presenter: Ken Buck, President & CEO Five Nines Solutions End of the World Spa in Ecuador Presenter: Jose Garcia, Architect Reporting from the Developing World Presenter: Hannah Bloch, Editor, National Geographic Women and “Glocal” (Global and Local) Poverty Presenter: Holly McEntyre, Professor, University of Cincinnati Wynne Curry, Chair of the Foreign Language Department, with former student Hannah Bloch (’80), the keynote speaker for Global Issues Day. Hannah Bloch is a journalist with 20 years of experience covering news and feature stories in the US and overseas. She is an editor at National Geographic magazine, where she writes and edits stories on topics including global environmental issues, public health, and the ancient world.
Large 3’x4’ international portraits by teams of artists from Diane Kruer’s Painting class that were part of the “Fours Corners of the Earth” display at Four Corners in Upper
Allophilia and the Emerging Global Empathic Civilization Presenter: Peter Brooker Culture and Education of China Presenter: June Fang Zambia—A Personal Experience and Community Health Issues in Africa Presenter: Katherine Sylvester, Former Peace Corps Volunteer Living in Sri Lanka and Romania Presenter: Christine Crowe Sevindik, Former Peace Corps Volunteer SOTENI International Presenter: Randie Marsh, Director, SOTENI International Global Marketing and Media Presenter: Dale Tesmond, CXO and Managing Director, The Brand Experience A Glimpse into Current Day Rwanda Presenter: Global Center of Cincinnati Bosnia—Its Culture and Traditions Presenter: Global Center of Cincinnati An Intimate Experience in El Salvador Presenter: Sara Ernst, Peace Corps
Global Issues Day concluded with a wonderful performance of traditional and non-traditional music from all over the world by Global Rhythms from Miami University.
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Personal Challenge Sharing
Cooking Italian cuisine
Learning a variety of artistic techniques
Learn the Mandarin dialect of Chinese Constructing a motorized go-cart
Improving knitting skills with intricate patterns
Building a fiberglass surfboard
Composing and playing an old Chinese folk song—originally played on the Erhu— on the piano.
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Poetry Slam for Upper & Eighth Grade
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Sense and Sensibility
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Mrs. Richardson’s ninth graders celebrate Shakespeare’s birthday
Geometry students explore volume and surface area
Faculty vs. Student Academic Team
Anatomy & Physiology students dissect cow eyeballs 19