SEMESTER IN REVIEW
LOOKING BACK: FALL 2017
As we close the fall semester of 2017-18, we look back at some of the outstanding accomplishments that marked the first half of the school year.
OUTSTANDING ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENTS AND MORE Congratulations to 10 Seven Hills seniors—11 percent of the 2018 senior class—who were just named National Merit Semifinalists by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation. The Seven Hills School congratulates the following 2018 National Merit Semifinalists: Michael Barresi, Natalie Choo, Tindar Cyr, Charlie Dwight, Jonathan Harsh, Bobby Kanter, Nick Purple, Mary Grace Ramsay, John Stewart, and Curtis Sun.
........................................... Two intermediate and one upper division Certamen teams competed in early December at the Miami
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University Certamen. The Seven Hills Upper team, consisting of senior Charlie Dwight and sophomore Kevin Wang, won first place in the round robin-style tournaments. “This is one of a series of local classics department-sponsored Certamina that occur during the year,” said Middle and Upper School Latin teacher Katie The Seven Hills School continues its tradition of excellence with eight seniors who recently were named National Merit Commended Students in the 2018 National Merit Program. The Seven Hills School congratulates the following National Merit Commended Students: seniors Christine Cao, Kaleb Kemp, Matthew Maring, Jessica Nordlund, Robby Shaffer, Kate Stein, Nick Williams, and Sarah Zhang.
Swinford. “University of Cincinnati hosted a competition in November, Miami in December, and Xavier University in January.” .......................................... Congratulations to the four Seven Hills students selected last fall, to join the Cincinnati symphony youth orchestra (CSYO) Philharmonic! The students are: freshmen Andrew Yang (violin) and Meg Yuan (cello), sophomores Aishwarya Varma (viola) and Max Yuan (viola), and senior Nick Purple (violin). Max and Andrew also play in Seven Hills Symphonic Ensemble, and Meg and Aishwarya play in Seven Hills chamber strings continued on page 2. . .
CLASS OF 2018 NATIONAL MERIT SEMIFINALISTS
Seven Hills Class of 2018 produced the highest percentage of National Merit Semifinalists in Cincinnati After an analysis of the percentage of students named National Merit Semifinalists based on the graduating class size of schools in Cincinnati, Seven Hills announced, last fall, that the Class of 2018 produced the highest percentage of National Merit Semifinalists in Cincinnati, with 11 percent of the graduating class receiving this prestigious recognition. “We are so proud of our students and their remarkable record of success, as recognized by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation,” said Head of Upper School Matt Bolton. “Twenty percent of our graduating class has earned National Merit recognition and 11 percent of them are Semifinalists, giving them the distinction of having the highest percentage in the city!”
Creating Conversations SPEAKER SERIES
The September kickoff for Creating Conversations featured The Seven Hills School counseling department’s presentation of Screenagers, a critically acclaimed documentary that is garnering the attention of scientists and parenting experts alike. More than 160 Seven Hills families and community members gathered on Sept. 28, in Founders Hall on the Hillsdale Campus to watch the film, which shared scientific opinions that excessive screen time is permanently changing the brains of adolescents. Parents in attendance considered a number of ideas for reducing screen time, including, creating a contract that regulates the screen use of everyone in the family, establishing a family day to talk about technology, such as Tech Tuesdays, and setting clear expectations of the rules.
Examples of Learning through Inquiry, Yellow Springs in November. The students spent most of their time outdoors, where they were immersed in the natural world, exploring and investigating parts of the 1,000-acre outdoor classroom with Glen Helen naturalists as their teachers. “Throughout the three-day experience, fifth-graders were able to develop a relationship with nature, gain a better understanding of themselves and their peers, and have a greater respect for the environment around them,” said Tracy Hickenlooper, interim assistant Head of Doherty Lower School. club. Instrumental music teacher John Rising said, “It is a huge honor to play in the CSYO! This prestigious group is made up of the most talented and driven young musicians in the Cincinnati area and the fact that we have so many participants from a school our size is awesome.” ............................... Congratulations to Seven Hills junior Max Yuan, who was selected last fall to play in the prestigious All-State Orchestra. Max, who also plays viola
GROWING UP IN THE DIGITAL AGE MYDOC PRODUCTIONS PRESENTS IN ASSOCIATION WITH INDIEFLIX A FILM BY DELANEY RUSTON “SCREENAGERS” DIRECTORS OF EDITED PHOTOGRAPHY GEOFF SCHAAF DAN MC COMB DELANEY RUSTON BY ERIK DUGGER DELANEY RUSTON EXECUTIVE MUSIC ASSOCIATE PRODUCERS GEN CHASE HEIDI PAIGE BY PAUL BRILL PRODUCERS SCILLA ANDREEN KARIN GORNICK LISA TABB PRODUCEDBY DELANEY RUSTON LISA TABB SCILLA ANDREEN DIRECTEDBY DELANEY RUSTON
Creating Conversations continued in mid-October, asscreenagersmovie.com Seven Hills’ school counseling department hosted two workshops titled, “The Importance of Play,” on the Doherty and Hillsdale campuses. Play therapist Glenda Conyers, who sees young patients dealing with anxiety and stress, said children are being given very little time to play freely, without guidelines and boundaries. “Because of the lack of free play, we are seeing an increase of anxiety, depression, and lack of coping mechanisms,” said Conyers. “This is coming not only from academics, but also from sports. Even vacations can be over-structured.” Conyers concluded the workshops with dynamic, interactive ideas for play while sharing the message, “slow down, play freely!” 2
in Seven Hills Symphonic Ensemble, said he is truly excited about this unique opportunity. “I most look forward to playing challenging repertoire and meeting many amazing musicians at All-State,” said Yuan, adding that his musical interests keep him busy locally, as well. “I also belong to the Cincinnati Symphony Youth Orchestra Philharmonic, which rehearses every Sunday.”
...................................... The Upper School Model UN club took 22 students to the University of Dayton Model UN Conference in early November. The theme of the conference was “Being Human,” and students attempted to solve global problems about human rights, ranging from the plight of the Rohingya refugees in Myanmar to the issues surrounding rural poverty. History department
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chair Brian Wabler said all of the students did
EXAMPLES OF LEARNING
including juniors Ari Gleich and Emaan Asghar,
THROUGH INQUIRY, HANDS-ON DISCOVERY, TECHNOLOGY, AND COLLABORATION Doherty fifth-graders spent three days at Glen Helen Outdoor Education Center near
well, and some were recognized with rewards, who won Best Position Paper for the Historic Security Council, juniors Varshini Odayar and Neda Tehrani, who won Honorable Mention for the Committee on the Status of Women, and
Hands-on Discovery, Technology, and Collaboration sophomore Chase Young, who won
tradition that honors the lives of those lost in
length on the fence. The guesses ranged from
Distinguished Delegate for UNICEF.
the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks in New York City,
four to 50,” said Cohen. The lesson
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Washington, D.C., and Stonycreek Township,
incorporated history and math, as students
Pennsylvania.
practiced counting by 10s. Kindergarten
Before the Tunnel
teachers Diane Schulteis and Michelle
Walk, Unit III
Foster’s classes also completed Mayflower-
gathered to listen
themed activities, including painting and
to the story of
replicating the ship.
Stephen Siller, a
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New York City
In early December, the Middle School held its
firefighter who ran through Battery Tunnel toward Ground Zero with Pre-kindergarteners in Tyler McIlwraith’s
60 pounds of gear on his back. Siller saved
class proudly displayed the fruits, well,
many lives before losing his own
vegetables, of their labor during a lesson with
on Sept. 11. His bravery inspired
science teacher Natalie Wildfong in October.
Doherty’s Tunnel Walk and similar
Wildfong invited students to harvest any food
events across the country are held
they wanted from garden beds outside her
in his name. Students discussed
classroom, including basil, tomatoes, beans,
Siller’s courage and gave their own
green onions, and carrots. “Students were
definitions of the word, which they
super excited each time a carrot was pulled
had written down on paper badges
out of the ground because it was a huge
to carry with them during their
surprise as to how long each carrot was since
walk through the Doherty
they grow underground,” McIlwraith said. The
Campus. Students then walked
lesson tied into students’ study of where food
one mile and reflected quietly on
comes from, what foods can be grown, and
courage and much more. The
much more.
event ended in the courtyard,
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where students hung their badges of courage to commemorate those who passed away and the heroes of that day. .....................
On Sept. 11, 2017, Unit III students participated in the Tunnel Walk, a Doherty
triennial Hunger Banquet, an event that raises awareness about food insecurity, around the world and at home in Cincinnati, through a complex simulation of food distribution. The Hunger Banquet was organized by Jacky
Kalubi, Middle School French teacher and Upper School French and Spanish teacher, and Bill Waskowitz, Head of the Middle School. Alumna Isabelle Harper ’00 led the event, sharing that 795 million people around the world face chronic hunger and the Hunger
Lotspeich’s Theresa
Banquet serves as a metaphor for inequitable
Cohen and her
food distribution. Thank you to Seven Hills
kindergarteners gained
Network of African-American Parents
an understanding of the
(SNAAP), Dewey’s Pizza, Kroger, Seven Hills’
length of the
Equity and Justice Committee and its chair
Mayflower during a
Upper School English teacher Nate Gleiner,
unique measuring
Seven Hills parent Moira Weir of Hamilton
project in late
County Job and Family Services, and parent
November. “They estimated how many
Nupur Anand for cooking rice!
strings it would take to show the Mayflower’s
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Examples of Learning through Inquiry, Hands-on Discovery, Sophomore English honors students recently
by acting out the lyrics in mid-October.
out the function of each cell part so the rest of
presented opposing cases on how to deal with
“Charades is mostly just fun, but it gives
the class could guess the part,” Licata said.
the Pardoner, a character in Geoffrey
students a chance to solidify the meaning and
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Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales. The students,
their understanding,” Hayes said. “The time it
Doherty Unit I students geared up in goggles in
takes to act, or draw, helps provide the students with extra processing time.”
September to study the metamorphic science of the popcorn kernel. Working with teacher Amy
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Kulhavik, the students held a test tube filled with
As guests of the Upper School,
a few drops of oil over a flame. They learned that
exchange students and teachers from Spain immersed themselves in the culture and routine of Seven Hills in
when the kernel is heated to a certain point, the moisture in the kernel turns to steam and soon, they heard one loud pop. Following the
mid-September, enjoying a number of Stinger traditions, such as Spirit Week and Homecoming. Students also attended classes across disciplines and participated in meetings and other events. The exchange allowed Seven in October, prepared for their lively discussion by reading a large portion of Chaucer’s book, in which they learned about the Pardoner’s repugnant actions. During their research, they learned that the Pardoner stole money from a poor widow with starving children and made
Spanish culture by spending time as host families. This spring, the students from Spain will reciprocate by hosting the same Seven Hills Upper School students and teachers in Spain. ......................................
sexist and anti-Semitic comments, to name a
Sixth-graders in Jennifer Licata and Karen
few. English teacher Mark Beyreis asked
Glum’s science classes learned about the role
students to bring their findings before the
of cells, while playing a game of charades,
head of the Catholic Church, who would
during a special activity in mid-November.
ultimately decide the fate of the Pardoner,
“Each group had to come up with a plan to act
based on students’ remarks. Head of Upper School Matt Bolton played the head of the church. .......................
experiment, the students reviewed their hypotheses to determine their accuracy. The popcorn experiment is done as part of a study of scientific inquiry in Unit I. ................ ..................... Students in Brian Berning’s Upper School engineering class created tinker crates—DIY toy kits—for third-graders
Students in Megan Hayes’
on the Hillsdale and
Lotspeich Spanish class
Doherty campuses
had fun learning vocabulary
in December. The
as they listened to the silly
students used the
song, ¿Puedo ir al baño?
design thinking model
(Can I go to the
to create an activity
bathroom?) by Señor
based on a topic given
Wooly and played an
to them by the Lower
all-class game of charades
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Hills students to learn a great deal about
Technology, and Collaboration School teachers. Berning said the students
story,” said teacher Karla Dejean. “The
followed the model—empathy, define, ideate,
more ledes they write, the more
prototype, and test—by first interviewing
comfortable they will be with the
the Lower School students for background
journalistic process of building an article.”
information and their level of ability.
Middle and Upper School associate
......................................
librarian Gail Bloom also taught students
In early November, Doug Huff’s Middle
how to log in to their free New York Times
School history class learned about the history of the two major political parties in the United States. Right before Election Day, the seventh-graders learned about the history of the Republican and Democratic parties. Huff said students answered questions about the
account, which is provided to every Upper School student. Dejean said she wanted students to be aware of the online access they have to various periodicals, to see examples of ledes, and to stay on top of current events.
parties and then took a Pew Research Center
......................................
Survey to see where they fall on the political
Lotspeich second-graders wrapped up a
spectrum. After answering the brief,
semester-long study of bridges with the
11-question survey, students put a dash on the
culminating Morning with Bridges, held in
board to represent their results. The class then
mid-December. Family and friends were
had an in-depth discussion about the parties,
invited to view models of real-world bridges
which included demographics.
created by second-graders, who presented
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information about their models. Students spent time building their models and carefully researching their structure of choice. Students honed their geography and map skills earlier this semester by studying a bridge in their city, state, country, continent, and world. They examined other aspects as well, including the many types of bridges and their construction. Second-graders’ Morning with Bridges included the Chameau Bridge in Haiti,
Upper School journalism students learned
Australias’ Sydney Harbor
courageous acts in December, in preparation for the annual Martin Luther King Jr. convocation in January. Unit III teachers Claire Laughlin and Julie Guminey kicked off the study by reading I Have a Dream, by illustrator and author Kadir Nelson. The students then brainstormed examples of everyday courage and began writing poems for two voices. The poetry readings will take place during Doherty’s Martin Luther King Jr. convocation in January. ...................................... Middle Schoolers came together in October, to participate in the exciting new Lemonheads Club, a weekly creative counseling group led by Middle School counselor Taylor Markovits. The club’s namesake is Markovits’ hamster Lemon, who attends meetings. Markovits said Lemonheads gives students an opportunity to practice creative activities for self-expression and to process common Middle School issues. The students took part in the Kindness Rock Project, a national movement that encourages random acts of kindness. “Students painted and drew messages of positive encouragement, affirmation, and inspiration
how to write a good lede, or the introductory
Bridge, and London’s Tower Bridge.
portion of a news article, designed to draw
...................................
readers into their stories. During a November
From standing up for a classmate to the kind
find,” Markovits said.
of conviction that propelled the Greensboro
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lesson, students discussed the four types of ledes—summary, commentary, illustrative, and anecdotal. “Lede writing is difficult but necessary because it’s the door into the
on river stones and sticky notes and placed them throughout the school for others to
sit-ins, fourth- and fifth-graders on the Doherty Campus discussed a gamut of
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Celebrating Outstanding Sports Achievements The fall sports season was marked by talented teams, state competitions, and competitive student athletes holding their own in tough Varsity Golf
Girls varsity tennis players Natalie Choo and Jillian Blatt competed as a doubles team in the OHSAA Girls State Tennis Tournament. Blatt and Choo competed in the first round against a doubles team from Toledo Central Catholic. Choo and Blatt placed first in the sectional tournaments, advancing through districts on to the state tournament. Singles players Neda Tehrani and Annika Alper and doubles team Anika Parameswaran and Lucy Callard also competed in the district tournament. The team came in second in the Miami Valley Conference (MVC), with a record of 4-2. .......................................
competitions. Congratulations to our athletes and coaches, who made the fall 2017 sports season successful, and for receiving welldeserved recognition during the fall sports awards ceremony, held in early November.
Varsity Tennis
....................................... The boys varsity soccer team claimed the sectional championship. The team was 6-1-1 in the MVC and 10-5-3 overall, finishing third in the conference. Brennan Callow, Ricardo Godoy, and Carson Loring were named to First Team in the All Southwest District. Godoy and Loring were also named Southwest Ohio Senior All-Star Representatives. ....................................... The boys varsity cross-country team had a strong showing. The team placed second in the SWDAB Cross-Country Championships. Matthew Maring placed second overall in the MVC, with a time of 16:54. ....................................... Seven Hills girls varsity soccer ended a dynamic season with a record of 3-4-0 in the Miami Valley Conference and a record of 7-11-0 overall. Maggie Kersting and Jessica Nordlund were named All-City players. Alexis Tucker received the Dick Snyder Sportsmanship Award, which is presented to student athletes who display integrity and general sportsmanship throughout the season.
....................................... The Seven Hills varsity golf team made it to the state tournament for a second year in a row, competing at The Ohio State University’s Scarlet Course. The Stingers, led by coach Doug Huff, placed sixth out of 12 teams. Egan DeWitt had the lowest individual score of 76, and the team had a total score of 673. Max Lane was named First Team All-City and DeWitt was named Second Team All-City. Team members included Lane, DeWitt, Louann Kovach, Ben Schiff, Michael Weirich, and John Stewart.
Stingers were led by Mary Ellen Bryans, Ava Romerill, Avani Seshiah, and Madeleine Creech.
The girls varsity volleyball team proved to be tough competition, competing in the sectional tournament at the end of the season. The team was 14-2 in the MVC, and 20-5 overall. The
....................................... Seven Hills had a total of 84 Scholar Athlete award recipients throughout the fall season. To qualify, recipients had to be varsity athlete and have a minimum first quarter GPA of 3.495. Varsity Soccer
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VA R SI T Y G O LF • VARS IT Y TE N N IS • VARS I T Y VOLLEYB ALL • VARS I T Y C ROS S-COU NT R Y • S O CC E R
Seven Hills Arts Sampler Seven Hills’ 32-member cast and 10-member
Congratulations to our talented Middle and
by Tina Kuhlman, fine and performing arts
crew of Our Town worked tirelessly this fall to
Upper School symphonic ensembles and the
chair, and accompanied by Seven Hills music
deliver a gorgeous play with the strong acting,
Upper contemporary ensemble for spirited
teacher Lynne Miller included the fruits of a
Our Town
powerful composition, and the simplicity Thornton Wilder prescribed. Congratulations to Upper School theater teacher Stephanie Park, technical theater director Trey Tatum, and our Upper School theater students for
performances in early December.
new program, that focuses on gender-specific
Under the direction of
issues related to studying music at a time
instrumental music teacher John
when boys’ voices are changing. Students in
Rising, the musicians performed a
the Upper School full chorus, women’s
variety of complex songs. In
chorus, men’s chorus, and chamber ensemble
addition to playing a number of
serenaded the audience with the beautiful
jazzy tunes, the Upper
sounds of the season during our annual winter
contemporary ensemble played
choral concert. Upper School students also
It’s Too Late, by Carol King, which
spread holiday cheer in early December, as
featured vocalist, senior
they participated in a concert tour throughout
Natalie Choo.
Cincinnati.
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Congratulations to our Middle and
Upper School Students in Daniel Vance’s class
Upper School choruses for lovely
produced substantial projects as a result of
performances during the Winter Concert,
their studies on the main forms of ceramics—
held in early December. The choirs, directed
continued on page 8. . .
Middle School Chorus
staging a wonderful show. ....................................... Middle School Instrumental
Upper School Chorus Upper School Instrumental
OUR TOWN • SYMPHONIC & CONTEMPORARY ENSEMBLES • CHORUS • CHAMBER ENSEMBLE
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Seven Hills Arts Sampler pinch pot, coiling, wheel throwing, and hand
Wilson and drama teacher Russell White,
building. Vance’s students, in November,
expertly told the story of a fairy tale king who
focused on hand building for a mask project,
loves clothes. In addition to Wilson and White, the production was staged with help from Upper School theater tech teacher Trey Tatum. ...................................... Fifth-graders on the Doherty Campus added bursts of color to their campus garden as
Ceramics
Doherty Holiday Program
part of a yarn bombing art project in Donna Breitenstein’s art class in late October. “I asked the students to wrap colorful yarn Fifth-grade art
which involved working from a 16-inch piece
in mid-December. Congratulations to our student musicians and to music teacher Maria Eynon. ......................................
of slab built clay, and working the clay into a detailed mask. Vance said some of the
Middle School students staged a heartfelt
students’ projects are inspired by Japanese
production of E.B. White’s children’s classic
and Native American masks. The masks were
Charlotte’s Web in early October. The talented
on display at the Upper School art show, held
young cast brought the childhood staple to life
in early January.
with great acting, detailed costumes, and special sound effects, made by a crew sitting
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next to stage, creating noises in real time. This
Lotspeich fifth-graders gave an exciting
technique is known as Foley art. “The entire
performance of the musical The Emperor’s
cast and crew for Charlotte’s Web did a tremendous job,” said Middle School theater
The Emperor’s New Clothes
teacher Jacob Hauser. “Putting this show tightly around bamboo sticks. We later
together required a wider variety of skills than
installed them in the garden,” said Breitenstein. “As the leaves fall and the color in the trees diminishes, these art pieces will add bright splashes of color to the landscape.” ...................................... Doherty students spread seasonal cheer New Clothes, based on the tale by Hans Christian Anderson in October. The student performers, directed by music teacher Robin
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during the annual Doherty Holiday Program, titled, Celebrating Peace and the Magic of the Season which launched the beginning of the winter break at Seven Hills
Charlotte’s Web
UPPER SCHOOL CERAMICS • THE EMPEROR’S NEW CLOTHES • YARN BOMBING • DOHERT Y HOLIDAY
Visual Arts previous shows. I was impressed with how seamlessly the various elements came together to tell a single, cohesive story. Everyone should be commended on a job well done.” With a cast of characters that consisted of several barnyard animals, Middle School art teacher Elissa Donovan designed puppets that served as an extension of actors playing animals. Theater tech teacher Trey Tatum also led a group of students in the tools of the tech trade, including lighting and sound. ..................................... Thirteen Lower School instrumental musicians performed beautifully in The Sassmannshaus Tradition winter string recital at Seven Hills in early-December. Kudos to our musicians! ......................................
Sassmannshaus string recital
The accomplished works of visual art students were on display in the Donovan Arts Center during the Upper School art show in January. The students’ work was presented by art teachers Jason Knarr and Daniel Vance.
PR OG R A M • C HARLOT T E’S WEB • S AS S MANNS H AU S S TRI N G REC I TAL • U P P ER S C H OOL A R T S H OW
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Visual Arts, continued
Seven Hills’ Upper School art show featured more than 200 pieces of art, which included paintings, drawings, photography, ceramics, and graphic design.
Š 2018 The Seven Hills School
SEMESTER IN REVIEW: F A L L 2 0 1 7