Seven Hills Buzz - March 3, 2010

The Seven Hills Buzz The Seven Hills School Bulletin

A Brief Word from Chris Garten Last week I had the chance to speak with groups of alumni in Los Angeles and San Francisco. What a pleasure it was to hear from some very interesting people about the impact that this school has had on their lives! Though they came from different eras in the school’s history, and though they have chosen very different paths (I was at a table with a university professor, a robotics engineer, an investment banker, a playwright, and a psychotherapist), much of what they said sounded many of the same notes I have heard so often from parents and students all this year.

They spoke of being stimulated by the presence of other bright, interesting students. They spoke of feeling known and cared for. They expressed their gratitude for a host of individual teachers who had nurtured in them a special talent or interest or who had seen in them something they hadn’t yet found in themselves.

I spent two days basking in the reflected glow of this faculty, and it was fun!

Vol. 1 No. 12 March 3, 2010

Congratulations to Our Winter Sports Award Winners!

Go to www.7hills.org>News for a list of the award winners.

(Front) Jacob Lautman, Lindsay Finn, Tigar Cyr, Emma Uible, Dr. Jill Russsell; (back) Dr. Dave Russell, Sydney Larkin, Peppar Cyr, Daniel Lang, Pearce Kieser.

Chris Garten Head of School

Hands-on Exploring in Biology Classes Students in sixth grade science classes and ninth grade biology classes got hands-on experience in their study of the circulatory and respiratory systems when Dr. Jill Russsell and Dr. Dave Russell demonstrated the inner workings of the hearts and lungs of a pig and cow.

In addition to being ornithologists, Jill Russell, Ph.D. is an assistant professor of biology at the College of Mount St. Joseph, and Dave Russell, Ph.D. is a lecturer in molecular systematics, entomology, and ornithology at Miami University.

Photos are on page 8

Seven Hills has awarded 2010 Frederick Hauck Scholarships in Math and Science to juniors Peppar Cyr and Sydney Larkin; sophomore Daniel Lang; eighth grader Emma Uible; seventh graders Lindsay Finn and Pearce Kieser; and sixth graders Tigar Cyr and Jacob Lautman.

Guest speakers at the awards program on February 18 were Dr. Dave Russell and Dr. Jill Russell, the ornithologists who are working with the sixth graders on their bird studies program.

A Look at What’s Happening at Doherty, Lotspeich, Middle & Upper . . .

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A Look at What’s Happening at . . .

DOHERTY

LOTSPEICH

Jeremiah Weaver was the winner of Doherty’s Spelling Bee, and Samantha Chun was the runner-up.

Unit II math classes participated in a Winter Math Carnival. Students were divided into groups and moved around from activity to activity. Some of the activities were the snow boot jump, the high cost of keeping warm, and the snowball grab. Students estimated their answers at each activity, then worked with parent volunteers to find the actual answer. They had a blast! Photos page 5.

Second grader Alex Grass was inspired by the young British boy who raised over $150,000 for Haiti by riding his bike around a park. Alex asked several people to sponsor his walk-a-thon. He walked 50 miles and raised $585.00 and donated the entire amount to Haiti.

As part of the Teddy Bear Project, Mrs. Dawson’s class prepared to send T.J. the Teddy Bear to a school in Newport, County Mayo, Ireland. The project produced by iEarn will allow Mrs. Dawson’s students to share their culture with students in Maria Molloy’s “second class” of 8 and 9 year olds at Holy Family National School. Ireland is the

Mrs. Leonard’s second grade reading group celebrated the conclusion of the book Everybody Cooks Rice with a sampling of the various rice dishes that were featured in the story. Each recipe represented a traditional rice dish from one of the countries the students learned about, including Barbados, Puerto Rico, Vietnam, China, India, Italy, and Haiti. It was a tasty culinary experience with rave reviews given by the students about several of the rice dishes!

On Feb. 19 the first graders visited the Cincinnati Art Museum.

Mrs. Vitz said, “Ms. Knoop led them on an adventure to find artwork that represented realistic, abstract, and non-objective types of art. The first stop was the Portrait of Phillip ll by Titian.

The last stop was Franz Klein’s ‘Horizontal Rust.’ The students studied landscapes, genre, and still life paintings on their adventure. When we returned to the classroom, they were eager to discuss their favorite work of art.” Photos page 4.

MIDDLE SCHOOL

UPPER SCHOOL

“Eighth grade history students delved into the wide array of social and political changes in the 1920’s,” said Mrs. NeidleinDial. “They chose to research a broad range of topics from women’s rights and fashions to transportation and entertainment in Western Europe and the USA. Students presented their findings skillfully in a variety of ways, ranging from shoebox models and short stories to in-class presentations in period costumes to short movies. One impressive example can be accessed at http://www.youtube. com/watch?v=LwuzBEdnevE.”

Senior Adam Jatho has received an appointment to the U.S. Naval Academy.

Mrs. Ford’s Honors Chemistry and AP Chemistry classes celebrated Linus Pauling’s birthday on Feb. 26. Photos page 7.

French students celebrated Mardi Gras in Mme Kalubi’s French 8 class on February 18. Mme Michaels, mother of Madie Aichholz, made croque

monsieur sandwiches for the French I class.

Under the direction of Mrs. Wilson, fourth graders treated their parents and fellow Lotspeichers to a wonderful recorder and

Students in Mr. Wenger’s AP US History classes participated in a simulation about farming on the Great Plains. Each student had to make decisions about how many acres of which crops to plant and which livestock to purchase as a Nebrasksa farmer each year between 1885 and 1887. It made for a fun learning experience, as the “farmers” competed to make a profit. They learned who was a successful farmer and who lost money when Mr. Wenger read the actual weather reports from that year. Photos page 9.

The Middle School donated 120 pairs of jeans to the TEENS for JEANS program (some will go to Haiti and some will go to Bethany House in Cincinnati).

“The Aeropastle company will match our donation, so we actually are sending 240 pairs out into the world,” said Mr. Rising.

On Jan. 30 members of Middle’s Roots & Shoots Club volunteered their time at Gorman

Pottery students donated artwork to the Jean R. Cadet Restavek Foundation fundraiser and cultural evening, Haiti Alive, at UC’s Great Hall on Feb. 27. Artwork from local students was used as centerpieces and sold or auctioned to raise funds. All of the proceeds benefited the restavek children in Haiti, in dire need after the earthquake. www.restavekfreedom.org Fifteen Upper students participated in the OCTM Tournament (Ohio Council of Teachers of Mathematics Tournament) Feb. 27 at XU. Mrs. VanderLaan said, “They arrived at 8:30am for a one hour test starting at 9am. For all but one, it was the third math contest this week, preceded by the Ohio Math League Contest Tuesday lunch and the American Mathematics Contest Wednesday morning.

The 15 students are Isabel Arjmand, Julianne Bain, Gabe Blanco, Britt Cyr, Peppar Cyr, Elisse Hill, Betsy Johnson, Ginger Johnson, Dan Lang, Sasha Lieberman, Kohki Nakafuku, Kevin Pan, Dan Shi, Josh Wang, and Ned Williamson.

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A Look at What’s Happening at . . .

DOHERTY LOTSPEICH country of focus for Cultural Connections Week this year.

This project will allow students to communicate via e-mail, sharing their school and home environments through pictures, videos and writing. Mrs. Dawson’s class is looking forward to receiving the Irish bear, Fion, from Ms. Molloy’s class and beginning this “cultural connection” project.

On Feb. 22 Doherty had a very special visitor—Mr. Abraham Lincoln. Mr. Lincoln was portrayed by historical actor Fritz Klein from the Lincoln Institute.

Photo page 5.

Mrs. Guminey’s Unit III class worked with their buddies in Mrs. Kenyon’s and Mrs. Rubin’s PK classes to create Presidents Day paper chains. When the students finished their red, white, and blue paper chains, they stretched from the PK rooms to the Commons!

“The Doherty Library Grades 3-5 Stamp Clubs met with Janet Klug, author and former president of the American Philatelic Society,” said Mrs. Wolfe. “She took the students around the world as she discussed stamp history and shapes. The students were then turned into stamp detectives. After each received a packet of mixed international stamps and a world map in outline, the students were asked to identify the country of origin for the stamps and place them on the correct continent. Questions like ‘Where is Nicaragua?’ sent the students scurrying to the projected world map and the library globe for answers. The students not only were allowed to keep the stamps they had so diligently identified but they received an award pin when they finished.”

Continued from Page 2

MIDDLE SCHOOL

xylophone concert at Monday morning assembly on Feb. 22.

More photos page 5.

Ms. Okin’s ADK students created their own penguin play, “The Penguins and the Predators.” Ms. Okin said, “Students researched emperor penguin species and shared their knowledge as they worked together to write their play. Students spent time making costumes,

Heritage Farm in Evendale. Students Ellen Sizer, Ellie Pasquale, Jake Lautman, and Kenneth Remaklus spent the morning feeding the animals, collecting eggs, sharpening tools, and learning about the challenges faced by family farms.

building a set, and writing the script for their play, which they performed for their parents, teachers, and peers.” Cast photo page 6.

Art teacher Ms. Knoop said, “Kindergardeners from Ms. Okin’s class have been working on an ocean theme. Each art class they created a different part of the sea and its creatures while exploring a different medium. The installation on page 5 is the result of their waterworld work! Mrs. Martin’s class is working on a garden installation.”

Bin Chen, mother of Aaron Ziegler, has contributed Lotspeich student art to the display at P&G for its Art Fund drive.

More photos and news on pages 4-12 . . .

“Snowmen with Character” are displayed in the Young Family Library until spring. Mrs. Heinlen said, “The sixth graders practiced their creative and descriptive writing skills through the creation of these snowmen.

Their task was to create snowmen, either two- or three-dimensional, with distinct physical features and one-of-a-kind personalities to match, which they have cleverly described in their corresponding paragraphs. We hope you enjoy them.” Photos page 7.

UPPER SCHOOL NKU professor and noted photographer Barry Andersen visited Mme Curry’s French V and French III Honors classes to deliver a lecture and slide show on Paris in the 19th century.

Mme Curry said, “He showed the students black and white photographs that Eugene Atget (famous early photographer) took in Paris. More recently, Christopher Raushenberg retraveled Atget’s walks through Paris and took photographs of the same scenes that Atget took.” (www.christopherrauschenberg. com/Site/Atget.html) In addition to lecturing on both photographers, Professor Andersen showed fascinating slides from the five-week NKU student trip, Photography in Paris 2009, that he led last summer. Photos page 9.

Swimming coach Robin Murphy shared these Seven Hills results from the District Swim Meet at Miami University on Feb. 19-20. “Evan Werner placed 9th in the District in the 500 yard freestyle with a time of 5:05.07 and 13th in the 100 yard breaststroke with a time of 1:07.46. Carly Harten placed 20th in the District in the 500 yard freestyle with a time of 5:59.74. Leah Yuan placed 10th in the District in the 100 yard butterfly with a time of 1:01.99 and 12th in the District in the 100 yard freestyle with a time of 57.91.

The 400 freestyle relay of Emily Holloway, Kristen Prevost, Carly Harten, and Leah Yuan placed 19th in the District with a time of 4:19.17. All of the swimmers posted best times at either Sectionals or Districts. Although Evan Werner and Leah Yuan swam times that were close to qualifying for State, no swimmers qualified for the State Meet this season.” Congratulations to our swimmers on a great season!

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One of Doherty’s guest speakers during Everybody Counts Week was Jan Danner, accompanied by her guide dog Ivana. Jan spoke to Unit I about being visually impaired and how Ivana helps her in her daily life.

“Doherty’s Bridges program was honored to host parent Ami Kothari, as she shared information about Hinduism with the Unit II Bridges program,” said librarian Mrs. Wolfe. “Bridges is an afterschool program in which parents and their children explore the world’s major religions together. Dr. Morriss also shared information from our extensive array of books on Hinduism with his girls basketball tea.”

As part of Unit III’s Everybody Counts Week, Starfire, an organization that works with people with disabilites, talked with the students and made scarves and painted flower pots with them.

Ms. Knoop and the Lotspeich first graders at the Cincinnati Art Museum.

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More fourth grade performers in Lotspeich’s recorder and xylophone concert.

Unit II’s Math Carnival The waterworld installation created by Ms. Okin’s kindergarten class.

Mrs. Hickenlooper’s, Mrs. Kulhavik’s and Mrs. Vanoy’s buddies got together to design valentines that were donated to residents of Montgomery Care Center. The residents received them on their meal trays and were thrilled to be remembered.

Mr. Lincoln at Doherty

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Unit I loves Valentine’s Day! Students made their own decorative boxes and shared valentines with their classmates and teachers.

The writers, actors, researchers, costumers, and set builders of the Lotspeich ADK production, “The Penguins and the Predators.”

Unit II had a great time at its Valentine’s Day party. Students made cream soda floats and decorated cookies. Tons of yummy fun!

Students shared original and/or favorite poems at the Open Mic at lunchtime on Feb. 26.

The chorus’ Vocal Valentines are a highlight of Upper’s school year.

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Seventh grade art students did a great job on their self-portrait sketches.

Some of the sixth graders’ “Snowmen With Character.”

Mrs. Ford’s Chemistry students celebrated the birthday of Nobel Prize-winning chemist Linus Pauling.

Noting that he is one of her heroes, Mrs. Ford urged the students to find heroes of their own.

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Above and at right, Dr. Dave Russell and Dr. Jill Russell gave sixth grade science classes and ninth grade biology classes opportunities to learn about the circulatory and respiratory systems with up close, hands-on exploration.

Below and at bottom right, Mrs. Maupin’s eighth grade English students got a taste of the challenges of jungle living associated with Lord of the Flies, as they completed these survival skills in a limited amount of time: building a hut (or reasonable facsimile) to sleep two; peeling and equally dividing a kiwi, using just their fingers; and creating a usable tool/weapon by binding a stone to a stick.

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Dr. Sanders’ ninth grade biology class is working with bacteria colonies that will be used for a genetic transformation procedure. Dr. Sanders said, “This procedure is used to insert a gene for certain jellyfish into bacteria.

This gene carries the code to produce a protein that glows in the UV light. Here is a photo that shows typical results.”

NKU professor and photographer Barry Andersen visited Mme Curry’s French V and French III Honors classes to deliver a lecture and slide show on Paris in the 19th century.

Successful Nebraska farmers during Mr. Wenger’s US History simulation.

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On Feb. 18, the Doherty Outdoor Program traveled to Perfect North Slopes to go snow tubing. Mrs. Hickenlooper, Mrs. Wichman, Mrs. Burton, and 36 Unit III students had a fun-filled evening in the snow!

Fun with the Lotspeich Ski Club

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Tired of snow, maybe. Never tired of fun in the snow on our campuses!

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Lotspeich first, second and fifth graders had the chance to learn martial arts from Sensei Scott Mastin and some of his other black belts in PE classes during the week of Mar. 1.

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