SEVEN HILLS
November 7, 2012
The Buzz
A Brief Word from Chris Garten
Congratulations, Seven Hills fall athletes!
You may have heard the recent piece on WVXU profiling the mock election held in our Upper School. As part of a nationwide coalition of leading exemplary high schools, students from Jen Faber’s contemporary history class designed an election and orchestrated a weeklong multimedia presentation to educate their fellow students about the principal issues of this election cycle.
Most Valuable Players in the fall sports season were (front) Angie Li, Claudia Fernandez, Anna Gagliardo, Laura Gonzalez, Lauren Driskell, Zoë Pochobradsky, Jessica Seibold; George Karamanoukian, Sydney Jones, Michael Bain, James Coyle, Chris Baggott, Henry Head, Pauley Gosiger, and Grace He.
In fact, in the course of this week, students in all four divisions ran simulated elections. This was not, of course, about influencing students’ political thinking. Instead, it was part of our overall effort to engage our students in the local, national, and global issues that affect their lives and futures. It is the same impulse that has led our social studies and history, science, and foreign language and literature teachers to frame extended explorations of significant contemporary issues. We want to produce young people who take seriously the responsibilities of citizenship. Chris Garten Head of School
Brief reports on the varsity season and all award winners are on pages 5-6.
David Walsh, Ph.D. kicks off Creating Conversations series The school and wider communities had the opportunity to hear one of the world’s leading authorities on children, teens, parenting, and the impact of technology on children’s health and development, when Seven Hills presented David Walsh, Ph.D. as the first speaker in the School’s new Creating Conversations Speaker Series.
Good Morning America, News Hour with Jim Lehrer, ABC’s 20/20 and NPR’s All Things Considered. Dr. Walsh shared his expertise with an audience of parents and members of the public at the presentation, “Smart Parenting, Smarter Kids,” on the evening of continued page 2
David Walsh is the national best-selling author of several parenting books, including Smart Parenting, Smarter Kids; Why Do They Act That Way? A Survival Guide to the Adolescent Brain for You and Your Teen; and No: Why Kids—of All Ages—Need To Hear It and Ways Parents Can Say It. He founded the National Institute on Media and the Family and started Mind Positive Parenting to help adults better understand how to help children thrive in the 21st century. Dr. Walsh is a frequent guest in the national media, including Today Show,
Inside this Buzz Upper School News Fall Varsity Sports Season Middle School News Middle School Fall Sports Lotspeich News Doherty News Doherty Zoo Art Installation
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Dr. David Walsh continued from page 1 October 25 in Founders Hall. He spoke for 90 minutes to a crowd of over 200 parents, who represented all four divisions. Guidance Counselor Judy Arnold, who designed the Creating Conversations series with Guidance Counselor Mitzie th Moser, said, “Dr. Walsh’s talk incorporated the most recent brain research, Proudly Presents especially related to teenage behavior. He also spoke about the importance of the storytellers who define our culture. If Award Winning Author & Seven Hills Alumna we allow media and popular culture to do C U R T I S S I T T E N F E L D I S T H E A U T H O R that, our children miss out on important Curtis Sittenfeld ’93 is the author of the bestselling of the bestselling novels American Wife, Prep, and The Manvalues like perseverance and resilience.” novels American Wife, Prep, and The Man of My of My Dreams, which have been translated into twenty-five Dreams, which been into copies 25 languaglanguages withhave more thantranslated 1.6 million in print. Prep es with more than 1.6 million copies in print. was chosen as one of the Ten Best Books of Prep 2005 by The NewEarlier on October 25, Dr. Walsh (pictured above with English teacher Nate Gleiner) gave Yorkchosen Times,as and American chosen as one was one of the TenWife Best was Books of 2005 by of the Tena fascinating presentation on brain development, “The Brain Goes to School,” at a meeting Best Books of 2008 by Time, People, and Entertainment of all Seven Hills faculty, and he met informally with teachers the following day. The New York Times, and American Wife was chosen Weekly; for by theTime, UK’sPeoOrange Prize. as one of both the Tenwere Best nominated Books of 2008 Curtis’s non-fiction has appeared in many publications, He told the teachers, “Warm connections in the classroom are critical. The most important ple, and Entertainment Weekly; nominated including The New York Times,both Thewere Atlantic Monthly, Salon, for the Glamour, UK’s Orange Slate, andPrize. on public radio’s “This American Life.” Aminutes come before class, when the teacher connects with each student with ‘Four at the graduate of Stanford University and the Iowa Writers’Door’—name, eye (eye contact), hand (touch), and heart (caring about a kid’s life). When Workshop and recipient of a Michener-Copernicus Society ofa student feels connected and valued, his cortex is liberated to operate at full capacity.” Curtis’s non-fiction has appeared in many publicaAmerica Award, Curtis Michelle Obama for tions, including The New has Yorkinterviewed Times, The Atlantic Time, appeared as a guest on NPR’s “Fresh Air” and CBS’s He stressed the importance of self-discipline in student success. “A predictor of success, Monthly, Salon, Slate, Glamour, and on public “Early Show,” and been a strangely easy “Jeopardy!” answer. Photo by Jerry Bauer even popularity, is the ability to say ‘no’ to oneself. Self-discipline is twice as strong an radio’s “This American Life.” A graduate of Stanford by Jerry Bauer and recipient of a Michener-Coindicator of success as intelligence.” University and the Iowa Photo Writers’ Workshop pernicus Society of America Award, Curtis has interviewed Michelle Obama for Time, appeared as a guest on NPR’s “Fresh Air” and CBS’s “Early Show,” Lecture Luncheon & Book Signing Join us for the next installment in the Creating Conversations Speaker Series! Dr. Lisa and been a strangely easy “Jeopardy!” answer. Kuan, Cincinnati-area pediatrician and Seven Hills parent, will present “Brain DevelopFriday, February 8, 2013, 11:00am ment in Children: A Closer Look,” on Thursday, November 15, at 4 p.m. in Haile Hall CintasLecture Center at Xavier University Luncheon & Book Signing Commons on the Doherty Campus. Friday, February 8, 2013, 11:00 am Dinner with Curtis Sittenfeld Cintas Center at Xavier University Dr. Kuan will share her expertise and navigate parents through what is considered “typiThursday, February 7, 2013, 6:30pm cal” brain function. She will also discuss developmental warnings signs parents should Dinner with Curtis Sittenfeld reflect on as children grow. This event is designed for parents with children ages two Thursday, February 7, 2013, 6:30 pm through grade 2, but all are welcome. Invitations will mailed in December. At the home of be Nancy & John SilvermanFor more information, go to www.7hills.org or contact Books for Lunch 2013 Committee Chairs Christine Cho at chosmith@cinci.rr.com or Kerrin Antonsson at Invitations will be kantonsson@cinci.rr.com mailed in December. For more information, please contact For more information on all of the events in our Creating Conversations Speaker Series, Books for Lunch 2013 Committee Chairs Christine Cho or Kerrin Antonsson at visit www.7hills.org/CreatingConversations or call 513.728.2363. booksforlunch@7hills.org.
The Seven Hills School’s 27 Annual Books for Lunch
Curtis Sittenfeld
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A look at what’s happening at Upper School
See page 6 for Middle School, page 8 for Lotspeich & page 9 for Doherty Our thanks to David Brott, Dean of Students and Director of Student Community Service, for sharing the lettter he sent to senior Shray Ambe on the completion of Shray’s community service requirement. In part, David wrote, “Congratulations! Volunteering for Bethesda North sounds like a very rich and rewarding experience. I believe that you may have set a Seven Hills record. 272 hours of volunteer work! Absolutely amazing. I was already impressed, and then I read your essay. Now I’m even more impressed! I can’t think of an essay I’ve read that better illustrates what we are hoping our students derive from the Community Service project. You helped people who really needed it and took away a transformative experience personally. Shray, I believe that your project is one of the best we’ve ever had. You exemplify everything that we want a Seven Hills student to be.”
Students and faculty participated Oct. 28-29 in Seven Hills’ second annual Shantytown, an experience that raised awareness about homelessness in Cincinnati. Senior Priyanka Parameswaran provides an excellent, complete look at the experience’s varied activities and speakers in the online Canvass at http://7hillscanvass.org/.
Pictured at left, Linda Ford’s Environmental Science students planted three Celebration Planetrees from the Cincinnati Parks Releaf Program on campus.
Senior Hugh MacKay participated Nov. 3 in the Head of the Hooch Regatta in Chattanooga, TN. The Hooch is the largest regatta in the Southeast with over 2000 boats. This year Hugh’s boat—the Men’s Youth 8—finished in First Place racing against 63 teams in their event. A great day for Cincinnati Junior Rowing and for Hugh! Pictured at right, on the morning of Nov. 6, the incognito RATS (ARTS) or Radical Artists Tactical Squad staged a surprise ART ATTACK in English teacher Amy Wyatt’s classroom. In a corner of her room, they hung “Wired Words,” a 3D installation of Amy’s favorite poem by Emily Dickenson written in wire. Who are those masked RATS?
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Above, seven students and teachers walked the Matthew 25: Ministries Hunger Walk on Saturday, Nov. 3. Pictured are senior Allie Baretta, senior Rachel White, teacher Barbara VanderLaan, senior Elizabeth Young, sophomore Ellie Pasquale, teacher Linda Ford, and teacher Barbara Scarr.
Varsity Fall Sports
Sports photography by Keith Neu Pauley Gosiger
Seven Hills had an outstanding fall sports season, including state competitors in golf, tennis, and cross country; a second consecutive sectional championship for volleyball; a league championship and MVC Player of the Year, MVC and Enquirer Coach of the Year, and All-State Second Team honors for golf; an MVC Runner of the Year for cross country; and All-League and All-City selections for every varsity team! At the fall sports awards program on October 30, Athletic Director Brian Phelps announced the winners of two major league awards which are presented in each sports season. The MVC Dick Snyder Sportsmanship Award was presented to senior Laura Gonzalez, and the MVC Hirsch Award for “one MVC athlete who displays courage in the face of extremely difficult odds,” was awarded to senior TJ Robinson. Varsity Golf The varsity golf team was league champion, placed third in the Princeton Invitational among 26 teams, placed third page 4
in the sectionals, and advanced to the state tournament where the team placed ninth. At sectionals, sophomore Brian Goertemoeller was the medalist with the lowest score of 72, and freshman Alyssa Akiyama finished third at sectionals and fifth at districts. Coach Doug Huff MVP—Pauley Gosiger; MIP—Brian Goertemoeller; Coach’s Award—Alyssa Akiyama All-State Second Team—Pauley Gosiger Enquirer All-City Coach of the Year—Doug Huff; First Team—Brian Goertemoeller, Pauley Gosiger All-League: Player of the Year—Pauley Gosiger (second consecutive year); Coach of the Year—Doug Huff; First Team—Pauley Gosiger, Brian Goertemoeller, Alyssa Akiyama; Second Team—Alex Smithers MVC Scholar-Athletes—Alyssa Akiyama, Ben King, Brian Goertemoeller Junior Varsity Golf JV golf had a very successful season, winning six matches in a row and tying for fifth place at the MVC Tournament. Coaches Ismael Godoy, Brad Early MVP—Chris Baggott; MIP—Bennett Smith; Coach’s Awards—Matt Postell, Hasani Harrigan Boys Varsity Soccer The boys varsity soccer team had a 9-7-2 season. The Stingers were seeded fifth out of 19 teams in the Division III tournament. The team advanced to the second round of the regional tournament, where they lost to Madeira, the number one seed in the tournament. Coach Terry Nicholl, Assistant Coaches Scott Cagle, Ted Sidor, Mike Fink MVP—Henry Head; MIP—Jackson Callow; Coach’s Awards—Max Pochobradsky, TJ Robinson All-SW District: Henry Head, Max Pochobradsky SW Ohio Senior All-Star Representative—Henry Head SW Ohio High School Soccer Coaches Association’s Academic All-SW Recognition—Stefan Antonnson Ohio Scholastic Soccer Coaches Association Academic Excellence Recognition—Michael Bain All-League: First Team—Henry Head, Max Pochobradsky; Second Team—Stefan Antonsson, Alec Kagan; Honorable Mention—TJ Robinson, Luke Miller MVC Scholar-Athletes—Stefan Antonsson, Michael Bain,
Chris Gangl, Henry Head, Kerry Hoar, Sebastian Hoar, Luke Miller, TJ Robinson
Boys Junior Varsity Soccer Despite injuries and four JV Gold players needed to be support players for the varsity team, both the JV Gold and Blue players worked hard and showed a lot of improvement, teamwork, and resiliance over the season. Coaches Ted Sidor, Mike Fink MVPs—James Coyle (Blue Squad), George Karaman oukian (Gold Squad); MIPs—Alex Jiang (Blue Squad), Tigar Cyr (Gold Squad); Coach’s Awards— Ryan Green (Blue Squad), Matthew Marquardt (Gold Squad) Varsity Cross Country Laura Gonzalez competed at state and was named MVC Runner of the Year! The girls team placed second in the MVC. Coach Tana Luckie MVRs—Laura Gonzalez, Michael Bain; MIRs—Claire Piorkowski, Carl Compton; Coach’s Awards—Anne Stuart Bell, Kevin Cole, Andrew Wilson All-League: Runner of the Year—Laura Gonzalez; First Team—Michael Bain; Second Team—Nia Page MVC Scholar-Athletes— Michael Bain, Anne Stuart Bell, Carl Compton, Laura Gonzalez, Pearce Kieser, Alex Li, Holly O’Neal, Claire Piorkowski, Daniel Sauers, Andrew Wilson continued next page
Laura Gonzalez
teams won their flights: Hannah Silverman/Brooke Bailey at first doubles and Caroline Linne/Bailey Wharton at second doubles. At the tournament, the Gold Team tied for First Place in overall points but finished in Second Place within the tie-break scenario. The team was noted as having ‘great sportsmanship’and ‘a will to win’ by the other coaches that they faced during the fun and rewarding 2012 season.” Coach John Krauss MVP—Claudia Fernandez; MIP—Tessa Woodall; Coach’s Award—Hannah Silverman
Jessica Seibold
Girls Varsity Tennis The varsity girls team had a season record of 8-8, won the CTC invitational, and placed third in the league. The team was ranked fourth in the city and 10th in the state for Division II. Five of seven players advanced to districts, and a doubles team advanced to the state Final 16! Coach Tim Drew MVPs—Jessica Seibold, Grace He; MIP—Federica Fernandez; Coach’s Award—Priyanka Param- eswaran; PHD (Pride, Hustle, Desire)—Allie Baretta Greater Cincinnati Tennis Coaches Association (Division II): First Team—Jessica Seibold, Federica Fernandez, Priyanka Parameswaran; Second Team—Grace He; Honorable Mention—Allie Baretta, Ellee Kennedy All-League: First Team—Jessica Seibold, Federica Fernandez, Priyanka Parameswaran; Second Team— Grace He; Honorable Mention—Kelly Pan, Ellee Kennedy, Allie Baretta, Nicole Tiao MVC Scholar-Athletes—Allie Baretta, Federica Fernan dez, Grace He, Ellee Kennedy, Caroline Linne, Kelly Pan, Priyanka Parameswaran, Jessica Seibold, Nicole Tiao Girls Junior Varsity Gold Tennis Coach Krauss said, “The Gold team played an extremely tough schedule within the MVC and added several talented teams from around Cincinnati. Our final event was the GCTCA Coaches’ Classic in which both doubles page 5
Girls Junior Varsity Blue Tennis Coach Springer said, “The JV Blue team did very well, winning more matches than we lost—and that says something since we played teams like Mason, a powerhouse full of good tennis players. Even against teams like Mason, the girls were never fazed, never backed down from a fight, and gave it their best all the time.These girls developed and improved their strokes, listened to advice and strategies, and were a blast to be around.” Coach Melissa Springer MVP—Angie Li; MIP—Sallie Hatfield; Coach’s Award— Leah Yuan Girls Varsity Soccer Coach Francis said, “The girls varsity soccer team had a winning season, compiling an 8-6-2 record leading up to the tournament. The girls earned Third Place in the MVC with good wins against CHCA, Cincinnati Christian, and Clark. A tough 2-1 loss in the second round of the tournament ended our season. This was a very good performance overall, given the number of injuries that plagued the team from start to finish. The girls showed great character and adaptability by working together to overcome the obstacles and playing multiple positions to cover for teammates.” Coach Nick Francis, Assistant Coach Megan Hayes MVP—Zoë Pochobradsky; MIP—Claire Stewart; Coach’s Award—Alexis Lindsay All-SW District (City): First Team—Zoë Pochobradsky, Adeline Sawyer SW Ohio Senior All-Star Representatives—Zoë Pochobradsky, Adeline Sawyer, Sara Johnson SW Ohio High School Soccer Coaches Association’s
Academic All-SW Recognition—Alayna Choo, Lindsay Finn, Zoe Barnhart, Sarah Shim Ohio Scholastic Soccer Coaches Association Academic Excellence Recognition—Sara Johnson, Zoë Pochobradsky, Mia Samaha All-League: First Team—Zoë Pochobradsky, Adeline Sawyer; Second Team—Libby Gerhardt, Sarah Shim; Honorable Mention—Sara Johnson, Alexis Lindsay MVC Scholar-Athletes—Emily Addy, Alayna Choo, Maddy Cole, Lauren Driskell, Lindsay Finn, Sara Johnson, Alexis Lindsay, Zoë Pochobradsky, Mia Samaha, Sarah Shim, Claire Stewart, Camille Williams, Ellie Wilson Girls Junior Varsity Soccer Coach Ilg said, “The JV girls soccer team finished with a 3-3-1 record. The girls had a very successful season and look forward to next year.” Coaches Amy Ilg, Drake Bryan MVP—Lauren Driskell; MIP—Leigh Wilger; Coach’s Award—Mia Samaha Girls Varsity Volleyball For the second consecutive year, the varsity volleyball team was sectional champion in Division IV! Coach Linda Clark, Assistant Coach Barry Silber MVP—Anna Gagliardo; MIP—Catherine Shanahan; Coach’s Award—Rachel White All-City: Second Team—Lauren Weems; Third Team— Rachel White All-League: First Team—Lauren Weems; Second Team— Rachel White; Honorable Mention—Anna Gagliardo, Jasmine Cline-Bailey MVC Scholar-Athletes—Anna Gagliardo, Lauren Gerhardt, Caleigh Griffin, Carly Harten, Sydney Lewis, Lawren Pieper, Sarah Salter, Catherine Shanahan, Katie Shen, Rachel White Girls Junior Varsity Volleyball The JV team had a strong showing in the MVC Scarlet Division. The team showed tremendous improvement throughout the season and had many close matches. Coach Barry Silber MVP—Sydney Jones; MIP—Anna Davis; Coach’s Award—Tessa Weisenborn
A look at what’s happening at Middle School The Middle School’s Roots & Shoots has been selected by Jane Goodall’s Roots & Shoots to receive the Project of the Week award for Middle’s project, “Congo Week.” The announcement of the award stated, “Thank you so much for your dedication to fostering compassion while tackling pertinent issues in your community and throughout the world.” Middle’s “Cell Out” collection of old cell phones and No Electronics Day on Oct. 24 were part of Congo Week. An e-blast from Middle’s Roots & Shoots to parents stated in part, “As part of our celebration of Congo Week, the Middle School community has committed itself to having a day set aside when we all forgo the use of electronic items that contain the mineral Coltan, a black tar-like mineral that is found in major quantities in the Congo. Realizing that some rebel militia groups and foreign forces illegally mine this mineral, creating often inhospitable living and environmental conditions for the residents of the Congo, our Middle School community will not make use of items that contain Coltan (e.g., iPads, computers, cell phones, etc.) in order to raise our awareness of how dependent we are upon these types of products.”
One highlight of Congo Week was the assembly with alumnus Daniel Kalubi ’02, who shared an inside look at the Democratic Republic of the Congo from his “Journey Home” last summer. Daniel is a firstgeneration American, but he grew up in a home that was rich with the language and culture of the Congo. He shared with the students information about the Congo, and videos and anecdotes from his two-week trip of self discovery last summer. It was a trip to connect to the land of his ancestors and to meet and connect with family members he only knew by name and in photos. He plans to repeat the trip every summer. Daniel has his Master’s from Saint Louis University in Urban Planning and Real Estate Development, and he works with the city of Cincinnati as an urban planner.
Black eyes, prosthetic cuts and burns are all part of the stage makeup Stephanie Park’s eighth grade theater students are learning to create and having a great time doing it! Pictured here are some of the students’ “black eyes,” and future Buzzes will include old age makeup and fantasy makeup!
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At an assembly on Nov. 2, William Keating’s wide range of experiences in journalism, public service locally and nationally, and the judicial system gave seventh and eighth grade social studies students opportunities to learn firsthand about an extensive range of topics. Bill Keating’s long resume includes Publisher of the Cincinnati Enquirer, Chairman of the Associated Press, U.S. Representative, Cincinnati City Council member, Judge in the Hamilton County Court of Common Pleas, and U.C. Athletic Hall of Fame (Swimming)—and the students asked knowledgable questions about all of these areas!
Middle School Fall Sports
The Middle School had another impressive fall sports season, including a fourth-consecutive league championship and second-consecutive Runner of the Year for girls cross country and an undefeated season for girls tennis! Coach Andy McGarvey said, “The Middle School cross country season once again was an incredible success. It was the largest team in many years, finishing with 28 runners on the team. What a pleasure it was to watch them work together and help each other become better each day. The growth they showed from the early practices in August to the end of the year confirmed their commitment to the team and themselves as runners. “Some early successes during the year include the boys team placing third in the second meet of the year at Middletown Christian Invitational and the girls team placing second at the Seven Hills Invitational. The girls team continued to build on their success and became MVC league champions for the fourth consecutive year! “Some individual successes include Chase Gardner placing 6th in the MVC race, Jessica Nordlund placing 10th in the MVC race, and Samantha Eng placing 9th in the MVC meet. Matthew Maring placed 5th overall in the small school seventh grade All-City Meet. Finally, Natalie Choo placed 14th in the small school eighth grade AllCity Meet and, for the second year in a row, took Runner of the Year honors at the MVC League meet, winning the girls race!” page 7
The Middle School girls tennis team, coached by Sue Bone and Robert Horne, had an undefeated season! Coach Bone said, “We played great matches, the girls learned a lot, and the matches were fun. After some nailbiter action, we won the CCDS Tournament! Many parents and coaches complimented our girls on their fairness, kindness and sportsmanship on and off the court. The girls were cooperative, taking turns playing the opponent, since we had such a large team. They take good sportsmanship seriously and congratulate each other on wins and well-played losses.” “This group of girls formed a great team with no divisions between seventh and eighth graders. The eighth graders set the tone for this inclusiveness and provided great leadership. Captains Piper Spooner and Harper Duncan put in extra effort to make this a great season.” “The Middle School girls soccer team was composed of 18 enthusiastic soccer players who worked hard to learn to play as a team,” said Sally Leyman, who coached with Tyler McIlwraith. “Their season record of 10-8-1 doesn’t reflect the immense improvement in this team over the course of the season. The fact that they received the third seed for the season-ending tournament, then won the back draw to place third in the tournament does reflect their work ethic. In the finals of the back draw, they beat Kings 2-0, which is a team that in previous tournaments Seven Hills had not been able to beat. Throughout the course of the season, 11 different members of the team scored at least one goal.” Boys soccer, coached by Grant Reynolds, Mike Schnirring, and Gabe Kalubi, had a great turnout and was able to field Gold and Blue teams. Coach Reynolds said, “The Blue team did well against a tough MVC schedule and ended the regular season with a 5-5-1 record. The Blue team ended up with eight different guys finding the net and a memorable goal from 35 yards out from Jerron Gray. The team had a very good season and we were proud of their performances especially in the tournament. “The Gold team also had a stellar season racking up a 10-1-2 record before entering the tournament as the second seed. The Gold team averaged almost 3 goals a game and had 12 different players find the back of the
Max Routh
net and 3 of them (Henry, Adam and Quinn) beat the goalie double digit times. The boys romped home against CHCA in the first round of the tournament and then after a shaky first half put Clark away with a storming second half which led to a matchup in the tournament final against first seed Mariemont. With the scores locked at 1 and extra time looming, the boys had a shot cleared off the line which would have surely brought the title back to Seven Hills, but it was not meant to be. Mariemont was able to seal victory in the shootout. “The Gold team had an outstanding season and we wish the eighth graders the best of luck in their high school careers. We look forward to the next group to come through and try to bring the title back to Seven Hills.” “The Middle School volleyball team was comprised of 10 seventh graders and two eighth graders, and while the team was mostly inexperienced, they did a great job working together to learn the game of volleyball,” said Coaches Keri Rizkallah and Mindy Barber. “The teams we played in our league were made up of mostly eighth graders in the MVC A Division, and our team did a great job competing against these more experienced teams. The girls improved with every match and were able to win league matches vs. St. Bernard, North College Hill, and an impressive Homecoming win over CCD. The future looks bright for this group, as they build upon the experiences gained from the season.”
A look at what’s happening at Lotspeich Natalie Williams’ second grade science students had not-too-close encounters with a rehabilitated Great Horned Owl, Kestrel Falcon, and Red-Shouldered Hawk, when Raptor, Inc. visited Lotspeich on Oct. 29. The students asked excellent questions and learned about birds of prey and food chains.
Kristen Feeney told us, “Lotspeich second graders attended School Days at the Cincinnati Zoo on Oct. 24. This field trip was a walking field study of the various sections of the Zoo, with particular academic tasks to complete, including reading a map and utilizing math problem solving skills. “Students explored the number of toes of different mammals, estimated the weight of large creatures, and conducted an experiment to determine which scent an armadillo is more attracted to. Students gathered information through the day on clipboards and shared their findings within their small groups.”
Just a sample of the artwork, using varied media & illustrating different lessons, that fills Lotspeich’s hallways
Karla Balskus said, “During their study of D’Aulaire’s Greek Gods and Goddesses, fifth graders enjoyed working in small groups to present Greek skits to their classmates. Their presentations of Theseus and the Minotaur, Jason and the Golden Fleece, and Heracles encouraged student collaboration and creativity.” page 8
A look at what’s happening at Doherty Mrs. Schuchter’s class is studying gravity (and defying gravity) and as part of that unit of study, they made and then launched parachutes with their choice of either a large or small paperclip attached to the strings. Units I-II Coordinator Elisa MacKenzie said, “Students in Unit I did Pumpkin Math where they estimated the weight, size, and amount of pumpkin seeds inside four different pumpkins. Each pumpkin was then weighed and measured, so the students could compare the actual number to their estimate. We want to thank the families who counted out all the pumpkin seeds, so we could finish the Pumpkin Math assignment.” Unit I was very excited when Mr. Garten stopped in to read the story Cranberry Halloween.
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The fourth graders are studying the history of immigration to the United States and recently participated in a simulation. They were each given the identity of an immigrant and had to encounter the officials at Ellis Island to present their case. Through this simulation they learned about the challenges facing new immigrants, coming off the ships from far-off lands, when they stepped on the shores of America. Unit III Coordinator and math teacher Vaishali Sarbhoy said, “Unit III had the wonderful opportunity to listen to a panel of some very talented and accomplished parents present the choices and challenges they face in their professional and personal lives. They talked about how they find happiness in what they do and what steps they take to create a balance in all aspects of their lives. The students had many questions to ask and the panel answered them all very patiently. A big thank you to all the parents who took time out of their busy lives to spend time with us at school—Mr. and Mrs. Callow, Mr. Painter, Ms. Taggart-Boyd, and Mrs. Graeter.” On Oct. 26, Unit III contributed to making a difference in their world by cleaning up the courtyard. They raked up the pine needles, collected multiple bags of leaves, and spruced up the flower beds. Everyone worked very hard while enjoying perfect fall weather!
Doherty Zoo Art Installation Welcome to our fabulous zoo! This was a collaborative project with the third, fourth and fifth graders. They worked in groups and learned about art installations, researched and picked an animal, built them from scratch, plastered and then creatively painted the appropriate colorings for each animal. The students used recycled newspaper, toilet paper rolls, boxes, tape and even golf tees to create these wonderful animals. Many art classes were used to construct the framework of each animal as well as plaster the bodies. The students learned how to mix colors and create different colors, tints, shades, and tones unique to their animal. The art of painting was explored and challenged. They even learned how to create really cool eyes—with layers of paint and lots of hard work. Students also worked in groups to create fabulous backdrops of the animals’ habitats, as well as jungle flowers and vines. Please enjoy our Zoo and admire all the animals that our third, fourth, and fifth graders created! If you have not seen it yet, the Doherty Zoo installation is currently being displayed in the entrance of Jones Hall and by the library. — By Mimi Stricker, Art Teacher page 10
Only part of the zoo is shown here. Visit it in person!