2011-2012 SCHOOL YEAR TO DATE The Seven Hills School
January, 2012
Outstanding academic achievement and more Thirteen members of the Class of 2012—22% of the class—have scored to date at least one perfect 800 on one of the three sections of the SAT or on one SAT Subject Test, including one student who scored a perfect 2400 and one who earned six 800s. Of the 18 rising seniors who took the SAT Chemistry Subject Test, the average score was 760 and there were five 800’s. Three others had 800’s in environmental biology, molecular biology, and physics. On the ACT, there were five perfect 36’s in science. In short, in this class of 61 students, 12 (20%) had a perfect science score on one of the SAT or ACT sections or on an SAT Subject Test.
On the PSAT, two juniors had perfect 80s on two sections; eight juniors and two sophomores had 80s on one section. A senior is one of 40 area teens who are recipients of 2012 YMCA Character Awards for demonstrating outstanding qualities of leadership and character and for working to strengthen their schools and communities.
have been named AP Scholars by the College Board for their exceptional achievement on the college-level Advanced Placement Exams. On the 221 AP Exams in 16 subject areas taken in May by 107 students, 93% of the scores earned were 3’s or better on the 1–5 national scale, qualifying the students for advanced standing in college. The Seven Hills students scored an average of 4.2 (“Extremely Well Qualified”). Nearly one quarter of the Class of 2012 have qualified as semifinalists in the 2012 National Merit Scholarship Program. This represents the sixth year in a row that more than 18% of Seven Hills seniors have earned this high distinction. In addition to the 14 students who were named as semifinalists, 10 seniors were named as Commended students, bringing the percentage of the class to receive National Merit recognition to nearly 40%. One senior was named a Scholar in the National Hispanic Recognition Program; in the National Achievement Scholarship Program, one senior was named a
Fifty-eight Seven Hills seniors and 2011 graduates
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“The Seven Hills Method develops habits and values that last a lifetime: our students’ confidence in independent thought and inquiry, collaborative problem solving, global view that considers the perspectives and needs of people around the world, creativity to innovate and adapt, communication skills to lead and inspire, and never-ending passion for learning and for living fulfilling lives.” Excerpt from The Seven Hills Method: Future-Focused Education
One of Ohio’s top five Academic Champions For the fourth year in a row, Gerber Analytics, LLC has named The Seven Hills School one of Ohio’s top five Academic Champions. Seven Hills achieved the highest performance rating among ranked Cincinnati-area schools. The school is also the only co-ed program in the state to earn the Academic Champion honor four years in a row. The annual Gerber Analytics study identifies the best schools in Ohio based on the Ohio Graduation Test (OGT), which evaluates the performance of tenth graders in math, reading, social studies, science and writing. This year, just 84 schools, or 8.2 percent of the schools in Ohio, had at least 91 percent of their tenth grade students pass the test. At Seven Hills, 100 percent of the students passed all five subject-area tests, the highest proficiency rate in Cincinnati. Overall, 96 percent of students scored “Accelerated” or “Advanced” on all five of the subject tests, and Seven Hills was cited for excellence in nine of the 10 performance categories. In addition to rating Ohio schools based on proficiency rate, the report calculates a Performance Index Score (PIS) for each school, determining the overall performance of the school. Seven Hills achieved a PIS of 116.1, the highest in Cincinnati and the third highest score in the state of Ohio. “This analysis represents the hard work of so many motivated students and deeply committed teachers,” said Head of School Chris Garten. “We’re proud that our students are prepared to succeed not only on standardized academic tests, but also in real-life problem solving situations.”
Outstanding academic achievement and more semifinalist, and two seniors were named Outstanding Participants. A seventh grader earned Honorable Mention for his essay in the Cassini Scientist for A Day Essay Contest. A freshman string bass player was selected for the Cincinnati Symphony Youth Orchestra. Twenty-five Middle School students participated in the Junior High Model United Nations Conference at Mount Notre Dame High School. The delegation represented five countries: Ghana, India, Sweden, South Africa and South Korea. The students debated
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won the second place award at the competition, and two Chinese II students won fourth place in their group, merely .04 points short of third place.
the issue of global food security in small-scale caucus sessions and large-group discussions from the perspective of their assigned country, while following UN procedures. Several individuals received awards and the Seven Hills delegation of India received the Outstanding Delegation Award.
Three Upper School students earned Best Speaker gavels at the Junior State of America Fall Conference.
At the Model United Nations Conference in Dayton, a senior and a junior won Honorable Mentions, and two juniors won a Distinguished Award.
Five Upper School students earned high honors for their respective grade levels in the Rose-Hulman Math Competition at Lakota West High School.
Chinese I and II Honors students earned high honors at the Chinese Singing Competition at the Confucius Institute of Miami University. Six Chinese I students
A fifth grader had two of her poems published in The Journal, a publication for families with children from China.
College Counseling Report from the desk of Susan Marrs The Seven Hills College Counselors are delighted to report that, in this mostselective-ever year of college admissions, more than 2/3 of our 61 seniors have already been accepted to at least one of the colleges on their list, schools large (e.g., Arizona State, Michigan, Purdue), small (e.g., Butler, Davidson, Williams), and in between (e.g., Case Western, George Washington, Vanderbilt). The majority of our seniors applied Early Action or Early Decision, and 77% of them have already been accepted to such colleges as Babson, Case Western, U. Chicago, Columbia, Cornell, Davidson, Denison, DePauw, Elon, Georgetown, George Washington, Lewis & Clark, Michigan, Muhlenberg, Northeastern, Notre Dame, Oberlin, U. Pennsylvania, Purdue, Stanford, Tulane, Vanderbilt, Wellesley, Williams, and Wittenberg.
“Our belief is that students have to understand themselves before they can even begin to consider which college would be best. So our counselors lead them through a highly individualized process that’s as much about self-discovery as it is about researching dozens of colleges and universities. The result is that they go to colleges where they belong, and they thrive.” Susan Marrs
Although more than three months of waiting remain for many students—some won’t hear from schools until early April—a number of them have already received multiple and significant merit scholarship awards along with their letters of acceptance. To reach this point, seniors have written (and we’ve read and reread and reread) hundreds of essays—usually 3 to 5 per student—on prompts ranging from the predictable (“Write about an experience that held special meaning for you”) to the pause-giving (“What is the most significant challenge facing society today?” “What do you most regret?” “What does Play-Doh™ have to do with Plato?”). They’ve talked with us about what to wear to an interview, how to construct a resume, whom to ask for a recommendation, how to get in touch with an admissions officer, when to contact a coach, which scores to send, and a million other details. And we’ve strategized with them on every single point. This is an outstanding class by any measure. Whether the standard is their excellent SAT scores (averages of 660 critical reading, 669 math, 668 writing), the accolades showered on them by their teachers, the inspiring record of their participation and leadership in extracurricular activities, or the focused and energetic spirit they display every day, the Class of 2012 makes us proud. This early record of their college acceptances is a happy result of their exceptional talent and hard work.
Samples of learning through critical thinking, inquiry, collaborative problem solving, creativity English 10 Honors and English 12 students took collaborative ownership of their study of the summer reading texts—1984 (Orwell) and Cat’s Cradle (Vonnegut), respectively. After completing the Summer Reading Test, students proposed individual unit plans, concluding in a culminating project or experience, based on guidelines provided by their teacher. In small groups, students shared their individual unit plans then chose one plan to revise, clarify, and refine before pitching to the other groups. Using SurveyMonkey, students voted on their preferred unit proposal. Each class then engaged in a detailed discussion of the steps necessary to realize the chosen unit’s culminating goal. Students in English 10 Honors and English 12 engaged in self-designed units culminating in a range of ways, including group-led discussions about human nature in Cat’s Cradle and individuallycomposed, imaginative prequels of 1984. As part of their unit on scientific inquiry, Unit I students did an experiment using Lifesavers, predicting if they would dissolve quicker in warm or cold water. In another experiment, students discovered how prism glasses affect light: they found the properties of opaque, transparent, and translucent objects as well as mirrors. Another experiment explored what happens when a corn kernel is heated. The students created an hypothesis and recorded the results. The experiment helped the students determine why things occur when an element is added.
Unit I architects built structures for an experiment using toothpicks and gumdrops. After measuring their projects, the teachers shook them. They passed the “shake and quake” test if the structure remained standing. This popular project was part of the unit of study on cities. Four members of Upper’s Anatomy & Physiology and AP Biology classes had the opportunity to observe kidney transplant surgery at Christ Hospital on October 25. In addition, students in the Young Family Library were able to watch portions of the surgery via an online live feed. Upper’s Environmental Science class and Middle’s Roots & Shoots Club went to the Civic Garden Center to participate in four activities focused on sustainable living in the urban setting. The activities included pervious surfaces and bioswalles, green roofs, composting, and gardening in small spaces. After this experience, each group examined the school campus and, using their new knowledge, implemented a project based on the campus needs. The annual sixth grade Insect Day included experiments with termites conducted by students and their parents. Eighth graders explored the principles of compression and tension in the Spaghetti Tower Team Survival
“Twenty-first century skills and habits of mind that are essential for success in a complex global landscape—critical thinking, collaborative problem solving, effective communication, inquiry-based discovery, independent thought and creativity— are at the heart of what sets Seven Hills apart. They are the meaningful difference in how we teach and how our students learn: in short, The Seven Hills Method.” Excerpt from The Seven Hills Method: Future-Focused Education
Challenge (pictured above) in which teams had to design and construct a free standing tower as high as possible using spaghetti (members) and marshmallows (joints). The tower had to stand for at least 3–5 minutes before its height was measured. Each team had a budget of $40 (spaghetti $1 per piece; miniature marshmallow, $1 for 2; large marshmallow, $1 each). In their study of gravity, Unit I students made and launched parachutes. They timed how long each parachute took to drop to the floor, with different variables, then they graphed their results. A fifth grade social studies class studied the ancient spice trade and the impact it had on our world then and now. Throughout this unit, the students learned that because of the spice trade, the Americas were discovered, the stock market was developed, and medicines and foods were enriched. For one of the tasks of this unit, the students became merchants from one of the trading networks that influenced the maritime spice trade, from Southeast Asia, Han China, to the Roman empire. In groups, they researched and
The Seven Hills Method Practiced by our gifted faculty in pre-K–Grade 12 classrooms: • We pose engaging questions that foster students’ passion for learning; • We focus on content that engages students in compelling global issues; • We design complex tasks that build logic, critical thinking and problem-solving skills; • We structure learning activities that require creativity, indepen- dent thought and innovation; • We design opportunities for meaningful collaboration; • We craft opportunities for skilled and confident communication in a variety of media; • We emphasize the use of techno logical tools for research, analy sis, and communication.
Excerpt from The Seven Hills Method: Future-Focused Education
made tokens to represent “luxury goods,” that were typical of their culture. In a four-round simulation, they bartered and traded for the goods they desired. For the Annual Running of the Gravity Cars, the students in AP Physics B built ramps and cars to run 7.60m down the hallway as quickly as possible and then stop as close to the mark as possible. All cars were entirely mechanical and were required to have masses under 1 kilogram. The ramps were not permitted to be more than 0.75m tall. Teams were also required to predict the time their car would take to run the distance. One example of scientific thinking and inquiry is the collaboration of the Doherty and Lotspeich fifth grade science classes, who worked together on the unit, “Future Inquiries.” Students used their scientific thinking skills to solve problems about future inventions and comparative questions based on certain types of science. Students Skyped with one another throughout the unit and came together to share their projects, creative hypotheses, and scientific findings at an impressive science exhibition Upper students shared their Personal Challenges with the school community on Personal Challenge Sharing Day. Projects included creating a cookbook of gluton-free recipes; drawing an original cartoon then creating a movie in the software Flash and writing an orchestral score to serve as the cartoon’s narration in the software Finale; constructing a specialized type of longboard and learning riding techniques; and constructing a personal computer from scratch, altering it to make it a workstation computer which allows for easier production of projects like game development or for use in engineering. The first graders are doing a yearlong study of nutrition focusing on the Five Food Groups, exploring and sampling a different food group each month.
Building gravity cars
Second graders expanded their vocabularies and enriched their communication with a creative and fun “mystery” involving “dead words” and their “synonym survivor words.” Unit III learned about continents, habitats, oceans, latitudes, and longitudes when they went inside the 19’x 22’ Earth Dome, made of 24 panels silk-screened with photographs shot from satellites of the surface of the world on cloud-free days. The Tower Project in Honors Physics classes challenged teams to build a tall, light tower, meeting a series of specifications, that would hold as much weight as possible suspended from a chain dangling down through the middle of the tower. To explore further Geoffrey Chaucer’s use of irony in the General Prologue to The Canterbury Tales, students in English 10 Honors each assumed the identity of one of the pilgrims journeying from the Tabard Inn to Canterbury Cathedral. Bolstered by secondary sources, stu-
dents created and delivered first-person narratives about their garb, profession, and place in society. Some students provided visual reinforcement, donning costumes based on Chaucer’s description. Math 6 students participated in a Balloon Lab in which pairs of students had to find the circumference, diameter, and radius of a balloon using a string and a meter stick. Students then analyzed the data and looked for trends. For eighth grade English’s Shoebox Short Story Project, small groups of students collaborated to create shoebox dioramas showcasing the work and biographies of selected short story writers. Each showbox presented an analysis of one of the writer’s stories for its strength in an element of the short story genre—plot, character, setting, narration, or theme—as well as an artistic interpretation of the element discussed in the analysis. In sixth grade English, after studying the novel Beowulf by Robert Nye, cooperative learning groups wrote Beowulf rap songs that were sung or recited to music in much the same way rap poetry is sung today. The songs focused on Beowulf’s fight with Grendel or other adventures in this novel. Eighth grade science students sharpen their critical thinking and problem-solving skills through Team Survivor Challenges, engaging ways to explore different principles in chemistry and physics. One example is “What Floats Your Boat,” which tests understanding of buoyancy and density. The team challenge is to build a boat or craft that holds the most mass before sinking. As part of the fifth graders’ study of scale in math, they measured themselves and their first grade buddies, then researched a zoo animal so they could make 1’:1”scale figures. After viewing the different animals at the zoo with their buddies, they
returned to class to collaborate on 3-D collages of the animals in their habitats. Every student in grades 6–8 worked on a Eureka Packet in math. These are problem-solving questions that were solved in many different ways. Students needed to explain how they arrived at their answers. The packets were given over a 6–7 week period of time to be worked on independently. Small groups of seventh grade history students collaborated to produce newscasts on different aspects of the Constitution. The groups researched and chose a particular topic from the Bill of Rights Institute site—this year’s topics were Free Speech, Federalism, Right To Bear Arms, Freedom of Religion, and Students Rights. The groups brainstormed; wrote scripts; designed two-minute newscasts with an anchor, a title, one outside source, and one outside reporter; rehearsed the newscasts; videotaped them in the Middle School computer lab; edited them in iMovie; and prepared the final products in Boinx TV, which enables students to create visually appealing videos that look like they’ve been produced by tv professionals. Upper math classes used a ‘flexbook’ iPad textbook (www.ck12.org/flexbook) for the unit of study on parallel and perpendicular lines. As one “warmup activity” at the beginning of a class, students examined the driving route from home to school, looking for roads on their paths that were parallel or perpendicular, using Google Maps, Mapquest, or the map app on their iPads. Upper math students completed a Geometry Up Close photography project on their iPads. The photos were taken using the iPad camera feature, and the displays were made on the iPad using iMovie or Keynote. More examples from the iPad Pilot Program in
It was announced in Januaury that, starting in the 2012–2013 school year, Seven Hills will equip every student in grades 6–12 with an iPad 2 to use at home and on campus during the school year. Providing the iPads to every student in Middle and Upper will enable teachers to place even greater emphasis on inquiry-based learning.
grades six and nine this year: biology classes are taking photos through the microscopes and inserting them directly into lab reports. Students in ninth grade history are Tweeting responses to questions, so the teacher can get immediate feedback and a sense of what everyone understands. The iPads are also presenting opportunities for enhancing, supplementing and reinforcing the curriculum in Lower School classrooms. Use of iPads is intentional, connected to the units of study, and integral as a tool for learning. The Lower School libraries now include literature and writing apps on the libraries’ iPads. The goal of using the iPads in the libraries is to give students more time to listen and interact with the spoken word. Fifth graders’ scientific inquiry
Highlights from an outstanding fall sports season Seven Hills had an outstanding fall varsity sports season, including volleyball’s first sectional championship! League honors included Players of the Year in golf and volleyball, Co-Player of the Year in boys soccer, Coach of the Year in volleyball, Assistant Coach of the Year in boys soccer, and these AllLeague selections—13 for First Team, 10 for Second Team, 8 for Honorable Mention, and 40 named as Scholar Athletes, in addition to All-City, All-District, and All-State honors. The varsity boys soccer team finished 12-4-2, was ranked #3 in the city and #2 in the MVC, and lost in the sectional finals 6-5 in a shootout against CHCA. The Stingers have lost only one league game in the past four years! One senior was named to the AllState First Team for Division III. The junior varsity boys soccer team—both Blue and Gold squads—finished their season undefeated with a record of 15-0-1. They outscored their opponents 37 to 7 goals. The varsity girls soccer team finished with a record of 8-8-3, placed second in the MVC, and lost in the sectional finals 3-4 in a shootout against CCDS. A junior goalkeeper on the girls team has made a
verbal commitment to play NCAA Division I soccer at Rice University beginning in Fall 2013. The varsity volleyball team won the first sectional championship in Seven Hills’ volleyball history and advanced to the district finals. The Stingers were #1 seed in the sectional tournament and were ranked in the top 10 in the coaches’ poll all season. Their season record was 17-5, and the team placed second in the MVC. Six of seven members of the varsity girls tennis team won top places at the sectionals (including first places in singles and doubles) and qualified for the districts. Ranked fourth in the city, the team had an 8-7 record in a schedule including Division I teams and finished third in MVC among state-ranked teams. The varsity golf team finished second in the MVC and competed at districts. At the MVC tournament one player shot a 157 after two rounds of 18 holes— the lowest round of golf by any player in the MVC league. He was named All-League Player of the Year out of a field of 30 golfers. Two members of the boys cross country team qualified to run in the regional finals. At the Seven Hills Cross Country Invitational, the boys team finished first over-
all with 24 points and one runner was the top runner of the meet, finishing with an impressive time of 18:49.0. One member of the girls team finished second overall at the Seven Hills Invitational with a time of 22:42.9, 21 seconds behind the overall winner. One male and one
“Thriving in the 21st century is nurtured by an educational environment and teaching method that offer students abundant opportunities to participate and lead through collaboration, creativity, and communication. Seven Hills is known for its culture of participation and dedication to developing the whole child. “Head of School Chris Garten said, ‘Students here value the totality of their experience: from the rich array of opportunities in the fine and performing arts to the robust athletic program that provides, for every student who wishes it, the opportunity to participate. Our students all find their place, their chance to excel, and they find it in a community that celebrates their unique gifts.’”
Excerpt from The Seven Hills Method: Future-Focused Education
for the third year in a row, and the boys team was MVC runner-up.
for the city tournament, and three teams were league
The seventh and eighth grade boys soccer team had an overall record of 12-6-2 and was runner-up in the CHCA Invitational Tournament.
Middle’s girls tennis team had a 10-3 record and won the CCD Doubles Tournament.
The seventh and eighth grade girls soccer team had a 9-0-2 season record and placed third in the tournament.
Middle’s golf team earned Second Place at the 2011 CMS League Championship Tournment, Classic Division.
Two fifth and sixth grade boys Strikers teams competed in the Elite Eight or quarterfinals of the Ohio Area State SAY Tournament.
Middle’s cross country girls team was MVC champion
Four fifth and sixth grade SAY Strikers teams qualified
female also finished second at the MVC meet.
champions.
The new fifth/sixth grade volleyball team had an undefeated regular season 10-0 then lost in the championship game of the tournament.
Sample of first semester highlights in the fine and performing arts Third grade Liney Lion
Fifth grade metal embossing, making book covers for a cross curricular project with language arts/creative writing. Above, Upper’s production of Get Out of My Hair!; at top right, Middle’s Choral Concert.
Middle’s Instrumental Concert
At left and above, All-School Winter Program.
At right, Upper Instrumental Concert; at far right, Upper Choral Concert.
Middle’s production of The Hobbit
Fourth grade “Afternoon of Halloween Skits and Music” One of two installations by Materials and Design classes
Middle’s black box tableaux with silhouette figures
Third grade recorder concert
THE
SEVEN
HILLS SCHOOL
Intellectually vibrant, individually attuned, future-ready learning for students grades pre-K through 12.