The Seven Hills School Semester in Review 2020

SEMESTER IN REVIEW

LOOKING BACK: FALL 2020

As we close the fall semester of 2020-21, we look back at some of the outstanding accomplishments that marked the first half of the school year.

SEVEN HILLS LAUNCHES MULTICULTURAL ASSESSMENT At the start of the 2020-21 school year, The Seven Hills School launched the Assessment of Inclusivity and Multiculturalism (AIM), which will provide an in-depth look at the cultural identifiers of students and their families.

The school is coming together as a community this year to examine, through a multitude of cultural lenses, who we are. In many ways, the school’s common reference to being a family is relevant now more than ever, as we lean into transparency with one another and stand back to look at how we live, how we learn, where we stand in our belief systems, where we fall short, where we excel, and where we are headed as a leading independent private school in the tri-state area.

Seven Hills’ Board of Trustees put forth a vision to promote this self-reflection throughout the school community a few years ago in its 2019-2024 Strategic Plan. This summer, the diversity initiative, part of that five-year Strategic Plan, was initiated.

In a June 2020 letter to families, Head of School Chris Garten presented a poignant message about Seven Hills’ multicultural initiative, which will include joining the “entire community in a probing examination of the equity and justice of our own community.” Garten said the work of AIM will provide an in-depth look at the cultural identifiers of our students and their families, at what pulls us into meaningful discussions and sometimes, into uncomfortable philosophical spaces.

“As an institution committed to the values of equity and justice, not to mention intellectual integrity, we believe that these are critical issues to discuss, both with each other, as colleagues, and with our students,” Garten told the school community. “Our efforts will focus on some of the steps being taken to educate our students even more fully about the historical, political, and economic forces that make it so much more difficult for those in marginalized groups in this country.” ..............................................................................................

SEVEN HILLS’ OUTSTANDING ACADEMIC, ATHLETIC, AND ARTS ACHIEVEMENTS The Seven Hills School continues its tradition of excellence with the announcement of our nine National Merit Semifinalists—about 11% of our graduating class of 2021. Congratulations to the following 2021 National Merit Semifinalists: Owen Foster, Jonathan Gai, William Hawgood, David Kiley, Dhruv Mahajan, Charlie Ringel, Megan

From L to R: Owen Foster, Johnathan Gai, William Hawgood, David Kiley, Dhruv Mahajan, Charlie Ringel, Megan Tan, Andrew Yang, Meg Yuan

Tan, Andrew Yang, and Meg Yuan. Each year, the

Semifinalists must fulfill several requirements to

National Merit Scholarship Program honors talented

advance to the Finalist level of the competition.

U.S. high school students for academic excellence.

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Approximately 1.5 million students from 22,000

The Seven Hills School continues its tradition of

high schools across the country enter the program.

To be considered for a Merit Scholarship award,

excellence with 10 Seven Hills seniors—almost 13% of our graduating class—who were recently named continued on page 2. . .

SEVEN HILLS RECEIVES TOP RANKINGS STATEWIDE BY NICHE.COM The Seven Hills School is pleased to announce it has been ranked, for the second consecutive year, “#1 Best Private K-12 School,” “#1 Best Private High School,” and “#1 Best College Prep Private High School” in the Cincinnati area by Niche.com, a nationally recognized, data-driven organization that researches and ranks K-12 schools, in national, state, and local categories. Seven Hills was also ranked in the top two in the category, “Best College Prep Private High School in Ohio,” for the second year in a row.

“We are pleased to be designated a top Cincinnati school in several Niche.com categories,” said Head of School Chris Garten. “The Seven Hills School strives for academic excellence in all areas.

We are blessed to have an exceptional faculty who create an environment that allows students not only to thrive, but excel in the classroom and beyond.”

Niche.com analyzes statistical data from sources such as the U.S. Department of Education and the National Center for Education Statistics to determine a school’s rankings and grade.

The organization also factors in surveys and reviews by parents, alumni, and students as part of its ranking methodology.

Creating Conversations

The Seven Hills School Speaker Series

VIRTUAL SPEAKER SERIES D U R I N G F I R S T S E M E S T E R, O U R

Commended Students in the 2021 National

• 10 students were named National AP

S P E A K E R S E R I E S F E AT U R E D

Merit Program. The Seven Hills School

EXPERTS IN THEIR FIELDS

congratulates the following National Merit

R E L AT I N G TO R A I S I N G B R I G H T,

Commended Students: Kurt Drath, Robert

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H E A LT H Y, H A P P Y C H I L D R E N.

Jeon, Annabel Kleinwaechter, Nandini Likki,

Congratulations to the following students, who

Scholars, scoring at least 4 on at least 8 AP exams.

Managing Stress Throughout the Pandemic

were inducted into the National Junior

Our Creating Conversations speaker series this semester addressed real-life issues families are facing in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. This school year, Seven Hills’ counseling department wanted to focus on ways to support the community in acutely different circumstances. In some way or another, two things—anxiety and sleep patterns—have been at the forefront of our individual and collective worlds as we adjust and readjust to new routines and protocols.

Daniel Goldfeder, juniors Jenny Hu and Ella Jo

In September 2020, Helen Asbury, Psy.D., met with Seven Hills parents, via Zoom, to discuss the number of ways the COVID-19 pandemic is taking a toll on students and families. Asbury shared healthy ways for children and families to step back and observe stress levels, behaviors, and responses.

Asbury shared a number of considerations that spoke to the needs of parents all over the world. “What we, as adults, have to offer right now is our empathy and attunement to children. A child who appears to be not getting started may not be lazy; they may be depressed,” said Asbury. “Apathy is the way they are trying to soothe themselves.”

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SEVEN HILLS’ OUTSTANDING ACADEMIC, ATHLETIC, AND ARTS ACHIEVEMENTS, C O N T I N U E D

Classical League’s Latin Honor Society: senior Piersma, and Madeleine Magruder ’20. ......................................

Seven Hills’ computer science program was recognized in November by the INTERalliance, From L to R: Kurt Drath, Robert Jeon, Annabel Kleinwaechter, Nandini Likki, Steven Mu, Laxmi Namboodiri, Christina Torlone, Holly Weisfelder, Charlie Wood, Aaron Ziegler

Steven Mu, Laxmi Namboodiri, Christina Torlone, Holly Weisfelder, Charlie Wood, and Aaron Ziegler. The National Merit Program also recently released the names of our National Merit Semifinalists, bringing the total number of 10 Commended Scholars and nine Semifinalists to 19, which is 24% of The Seven Hills School’s Class of 2021.

Students qualify for recognition in the National Merit programs with their scores on the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test. ......................................

Of the 153 students who took 355 Advanced Placement exams in 17 subjects in May 2020, 92% of them earned college-qualifying scores of 3 or higher. 79% of students scored 4’s and 5’s, and 31 students were recognized as AP Scholars, scoring a 3 or above on at least 3

Asbury said younger children may regress as they cope with the rigidity of quarantine and the instability of remote and in-person learning, as well as not having physical access to their friends.

Advanced Placement exams.

“Younger children who have not wanted to sleep in the bed with parents may want to do that again and that is OK,” said Asbury.

• 47 were recognized as AP Scholars with

continued on page 4. . .

a student-run nonprofit whose mission is to inspire and assist young talent to pursue an IT career in Greater Cincinnati. Seven Hills was named a Chapter Honoree, a nod to the level of participation of Seven Hills students in Cincinnati-based chapter events. ......................................

Senior Andrew Yang was named a 2021 National YoungArts Foundation Merit winner in Classical Music. As a 2020 YoungArts award winner, Yang was invited to participate in virtual masterclasses and professional

Andrew Yang

development seminars. National YoungArts identifies the most accomplished young artists in the visual, literary, and performing arts, and provides them with creative and professional development opportunities throughout their careers. ......................................

• 14 were named AP Scholars with Honor, scoring at least 3.25 on each exam and 3 or more on at least 4 AP exams.

Distinction, scoring at least 3.5 on each exam and 3 or more on at least 5 AP exams.

Emma Cohen

Scott Williams

November. Kalubi asked students to create “le photo roman,” a mix between a graphic novel, a comic book, a photo album, a scrapbook, and a telenovela. Students took several photographs that, when put together, told a story. After taking the photos, students projected them onto the board and described action and dialogue for each panel in French. Students were asked to use not only proper conjugation, but also fun

Seniors Emma Cohen and Scott Williams

onomatopoeias to enhance their stories.

committed to play soccer at the University

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of Rochester and University of Virginia,

During fall 2020, seventh-graders used their

respectively.

knowledge of the solar system to write and

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illustrate children’s books about planets. The

Seniors Abby Heck and Dhruv Mahajan

importance of kindness in October.

Lotspeich school counselor Seraphine Schomber spoke to students about kindness and read the book, “Each Schomber told students the book

state cross country tournament in Obetz,

illustrates how important it is to be kind to

Ohio, in early November. Congratulations to

others. She asked second-graders to think

Heck and Mahajan and congratulations to our

of ways to be kind to others and gave

cross country team on a great season!

students a “Kindness Bingo Card” to fill

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in as they completed nice acts.

The boys varsity golf team finished ninth at the

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state tournament. Junior Jacob Joffe finished

Unit III students participated in an activity

seventh out of 72 golfers at the tournament.

called Star Student in mid-November, in

Joffe also had the second-best average in the Miami Valley Conference.

Children’s book illustrations

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students used 10 facts about their chosen

EXAMPLES OF LEARNING THROUGH INQUIRY, HANDSON DISCOVERY, TECHNOLOGY, AND COLLABORATION

planet while making a fictional story about

took a dive into digital storytelling in late

Lotspeich second-graders learned the

Kindness,” by Jacqueline Woodson.

competed in the Division III category at the

Eighth-graders in Jacky Kalubi’s French class

Lesson on kindness

life between other planet friends or new inhabitants on the planet itself. Their books were shared with Lotspeich first-graders. ......................................

Sixth-graders spent the first few weeks of the

which they composed a narrative about themselves featuring their hobbies, favorite things, and family stories. The students delivered their personal presentations to their classmates, then, in a second part of the activity, they read an inspirational quote over the main office speaker system, for all students on campus.

continued on page 4

school year learning the difference between living and non-living things. During a recent experiment, students determined whether a “mystery pollutant” was living or nonliving by running a variety of tests. The activity also included a lesson on microscope parts, as well as practice using microscopes.

French class

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Star Students

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Creating Conversations

VIRTUAL SPEAKER SERIES C O N T I N U E D

E X A M P L E S O F L E A R N I N G T H R O U G H I N Q U I R Y,

“But you need to wean them gradually, to sleeping beside the bed in a sleeping bag and then back in their own bedrooms. Back rubs help, and no electronics 90 minutes before bedtime as well.”

Third-graders in Yael Newman and Kim

helped students to thoroughly synthesize

Walden’s classes reflected on the theme of

their newly acquired knowledge and solidified

gratitude with journal entries in honor of the

their reading comprehension in Spanish

Thanksgiving holiday. Each third-grader

and English.

wrote journal entries and dedicated their

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The Science of Sleep

work to someone in their lives. In addition to

The concept of bedtime and sleep is a recurring theme that has grabbed the attention of people of all ages, especially now.

Seven Hills’ counseling department hosted the series’ second topic of sleep in two parts, during early December and early January Zoom presentations.

Behavioral psychologist Dr. Sarah Skoch told parents that sleep is an important aspect of wellness that is not always discussed in educational environments, yet has a profound impact on the lives of children.

Skoch provided a comprehensive look at the sleep needs and issues of children from age 2 to 17 over the course of her two Zoom presentations to the school community. She said many people, young and old, have had trouble getting to sleep because quarantine has placed them in a new, unknown routine.

“COVID-somnia is a thing. Sleep schedules are off sometimes because, for some people, they don’t have a work commute. They may be staying up later with their kids,” said Skoch. “People are having more vivid dreams and more sleep issues”

reflection on gratitude, as part of the activity, students also practiced skills in basic and elaborate paragraph structure, as well as self-editing and organization. ......................................

Third- and fourth-graders in Kate LaBare’s science class studied the interconnection of plants and animals in a unit focusing on pollination in October. Students utilized the outdoor classroom by visiting the Middle School pollinator garden, which attracts

Pre-kindergarteners on the Doherty Campus

pollinating insects.

worked on their monthly self-portraits

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throughout the first semester. Teacher Katie Dawson said the students drew a self-portrait every month, as part of their writing curriculum. The exercise helps build fine motor control and self-awareness, while allowing students to verbally share ideas. ......................................

Kindergarteners in Maria-Fernanda Torres’ Spanish class read a story in Spanish in mid-December. The students used the reading app, Kids A-Z, to apply the

Chemistry lab

Skoch said those who are developing insomnia or having trouble waking up in the middle of the night should think about a more structured bedtime routine. “Go to bed earlier,” said Skoch. “Sometimes 30 minutes makes a difference. Over the course of weeks, that can add up to a significant sleep deficit, if you aren’t getting those extra minutes.”

Upper School students studied chemical and physical changes in Jen Torline’s honors chemistry class in early September. The complex lab marked the wrap-up of students’ first unit review of properties and classifications of matter. Students also learned separation techniques, including the Reading in Spanish

use of a centrifuge, a machine that applies centrifugal force to its contents in order to

The Seven Hills School Speaker Series

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vocabulary they learned throughout first

separate fluids of different densities.

semester. Torres said the learning process

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H A N D S - O N D I S C O V E R Y, T E C H N O L O G Y, C O L L A B O R AT I O N , C O N T I N U E D Unit II students on the Doherty Campus

students wrote to control their robots had to

Tyler McIlwraith’s pre-kindergarten students

made hand sanitizer in mid-September.

include a loop, a variable, and a conditional

went hunting for leaves in late October. With a

The educational activity was part of Sherri

statement.

guide in hand,

Linville’s unit on the respiratory system.

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students explored

While masked and social distancing, the

Just before Election Day in late October,

the Hillsdale

student scientists mixed aloe and 99.9% isopropyl alcohol to produce their own pump bottle of hand sanitizer.

Campus to search

Upper School students came together to

for and identify the

participate in Civic Engagement Day—a unique program in which students discussed

Leaf hunt

many different types of leaves. Students

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voting, rhetoric, the implications of past

Upper School math teachers Anna

presidential elections, and major issues that

also looked for signs of fall on their walk.

were on the ballot. Lesson plans for the

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discussions were prepared by Director of

Upper School students in Teresa Bardon’s

Works-McKinney and Cassie Levesque used a summer grant to design lesson plans that incorporate methods that allow students to continue to assess each other during remote learning experiences throughout first semester. One of the methods they studied is the QFT (question formulation technique) that Levesque learned while taking an online

Experiential Learning Nick Francis and members of the Upper School faculty.

Civic Engagement Day was part of an initiative driven by Seven Hills’ E.E. Ford

The QFT method encourages students to

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come up with several questions about a

Lotspeich Spanish teacher Megan Hayes

particular subject, share their questions with

employed the Story Listening method to tell

their classmates, and answer a portion of

the story of el tiburón grande y el pez (the big

the questions, based on their interests.

shark and the fish). Throughout the early

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October lesson, the shark and the fish

late November. The students became the

during five-minute presentations given entirely in

matching grant of $250,000 awarded to Seven Hills in 2019.

computer science class studied robotics in

Spanish-speaking countries across the globe

Grant, a prestigious dollar-for-dollar

Harvard University class over the summer.

Eighth-graders in Karen Glum’s exploring

Spanish 4 class shared research of various

became friends. Story Listening is a teaching Spanish 4

technique that ties together drawings and spoken and written words to facilitate language acquisition.

Spanish. During the early September

Hummingbird Robotics Kits. The kits include

................... ........

presentations, students discussed a number of

lights, motors, and sensors for students to

In early fall, juniors in Marielle Newton’s

create their own robots. The programs

class read “The Crucible,” a book about the

first class to use the Middle School’s new

Salem witch trials in Massachusetts.

areas, such as the structures and cathedrals of Chichicastenango in Guatemala and Medellín in Colombia. ........................................

Newton said students

First-graders in Jennifer Egan’s class worked on

also took on character

number sense skills in late October. The lesson

parts and then worked

helped students build upon their growing

with peers in small

understanding of the value of numbers. The

groups to analyze

students demonstrated their understanding of

which characters are motivated to look good

how to represent numbers by using tally marks,

and which are motivated to actually be good.

10s, and ones, and addition/subtraction.

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Robotics

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2020-21 FIR S T S E M ES T E R F I N E A ND PER FO R M ING A RT S SA M PLE R Upper School Contemporary Ensemble

As part of her signature music curriculum, Doherty music teacher Maria Eynon taught Unit II students how to embody music, rhythm, and movement during a lesson in mid-September. Eynon worked through a number of dances, including the popcorn dance and the first steps of “Cotton Eye Joe,” which is a complex set of hand and step movements. ......................................

The Upper School Contemporary Ensemble recorded a stellar performance at The Schiff Center in mid-November. Click the following link to view the performance, which was recorded by technical theater director Trey Tatum.

Eighth-graders in Elissa Donovan’s art class used their at-home art kits to work on a drawing project using the technique of direct observation in mid-December. The students are learning to gauge the proportions and angles of shoes they found at home and to draw them on paper. ......................................

Lotspeich pre-kindergarteners and kindergarteners in the Taft Early Childhood Center enjoyed a virtual performance by Schoolhouse Symphony in mid-November.

Students learned about the different

instruments and their families from the educational group. Schoolhouse Symphony is a six-member symphonic ensemble in the Cincinnati area that performs educational shows for students. ......................................

Seven Hills senior Aaron Ziegler invented a Virtual Music Translator for people who have hearing impairments. Aaron’s work, which is his Personal Challenge project, has been featured in several media outlets and recently won first place at the Ohio Invention Convention. ......................................

Upper School Chamber Ensemble

Contemporary Ensemble ......................................

The Upper School chorus recorded a beautiful performance in mid-November.

Click the following link to view the Upper School Chamber Ensemble, which was recorded by technical theater director Trey Tatum.

Chamber Ensemble ......................................

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CONTEMPORARY & CHAMBER ENSEMBLES • SCHOOLHOUSE SYMPHONY • VIRTUAL MUSIC

backdrops and placards. The pumpkin patch came together to create a nighttime Halloween scene with a variety of pumpkins of all colors in the Unit III hallway. ......................................

First-grade Improvisation

Lotspeich first-graders worked on the art of improvisation at the direction of their teacher Russell White in early October.

Working through a number of colorful scene descriptors, the students played the game “four corners,” in which they pretended to play trombones despite a pesky bird flying into the bell of the instrument, sing in an opera with a horrible case of the hiccups, score a winning touchdown, and win an esteemed science award. ......................................

in the DAC Black Box Theater, the students participated in an activity called, “Yes, and,” in which students make quick statements, one after the other, and become more comfortable with stage direction and improvisation. ......................................

Upper School students put on an outdoor play in late October. The theater department, led by teachers Marc Raia and Trey Tatum, produced a four-actor outdoor show in late October. The play, “The Midnight Express,” written by Tatum, is a ghost story about two sisters reuniting in the woods after a tragedy.

The Seven Hills theater department worked hard to create innovative ways to redesign projects and thrive in the fine arts while maintaining social distance. ......................................

Fourth-graders in Lotspeich art teacher Jody Knoop’s class studied and practiced the art of soft sculpture, which is part of Lotspeich’s fourth-grade curriculum. Knoop’s lesson included designing, sewing, and stuffing garden gnomes, which even incorporated carded wool from Knoop’s sheep, Lana.

Middle School Theater

Upper School students in Daniel Vance’s general art class worked on drawing and shading drills in mid-September. The students used clamp lights that cast hard light and created shadows on the simple objects, including cones, spheres, and cylinders. Vance said the exercise allowed students to improve upon their abilities to build images using value, which is the levels of light and how they are shading the lightness or darkness on paper. ......................................

In mid-September, sixth-graders in Jacob Hauser’s theater class learned all about what happens when creativity and spontaneity take the stage. Spread out at different points

Unit III art students worked collaboratively in mid-October to create a 3-D pumpkin patch.

The multimedia and interdisciplinary art project, led by Doherty art teacher Kacey Watkins, incorporated the students’ original

“Knowing how to sew and assemble can be useful in so many life situations,” said Knoop.

“These gnomes were a perfect subject, the students received a lot of hugs, and we had a blast while acquiring some great skills!” ......................................

T R A N S L ATO R • B L AC K B OX • I M P R OV I S AT I O N • 3-D P U M P K I N PATC H • T H E M I D N I G H T E X P R E S S

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SE V E N H ILL S A R T S S A M PL ER, C O N T I N U E D

Doherty students studied the Panamanian art of making molas.

Lotspeich students used yarn, felt, and wool to make garden gnomes.

Upper School students created beautiful images out of watercolor.

US

Middle School students designed and crafted hats out of foil.

Š 2021 The Seven Hills School

SEMESTER IN REVIEW: F A L L 2 0 2 0