FALL
CONNECTIONS
2017
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WHAT’S IN THIS ISSUE? School Snapshots 2
Family Spotlight 3
Focus on Faculty 4
Campus Guests 5
Message from the Head of School Building Community through Empathy. As our 2016-17 school-wide theme, this phrase served as our north star throughout the year. We asked ourselves the important question: “Who are we as a community?” We talked about our values, examined our traditions, and spent time getting to know one another. I was often heard saying, “the strength of a community is evidenced by how well we welcome newcomers, how well we thank people, and how well we say goodbye.”
Focus on Students 6
Community Life 8
Oh, the Places They’ll Go! 12
Alumni News 16
2016-17 Annual Report 18
EDITOR Amy Walters CONTRIBUTING EDITOR Corinne Hayhurst,
Shoshana Ziblatt
PHOTOGRAPHERS Lori Auffhammer,
Matt Beardsley, John King Photography, Adam Lechner, Kathleen McNamara, Rhys Miller, and Seven Hills faculty
As I look back on our accomplishments I can say—without hesitation—my second year at Seven Hills was even more exciting than my first! Some of the most memorable and significant moments came from time spent away from my desk connecting with the community. I deepened my relationships with students, parents, and graduates. I served as a Middle School advisor, visited classes, read to Lower School students, and jumped at opportunities to engage with alumni and their families. I also continued to get to know the amazing people who work at Seven Hills. I am inspired and humbled by what they do to keep our students excited about learning, our campus beautiful, and our programs running smoothly. This issue of Connections includes highlights from the past year. Our theme, at times subtle, was at play throughout. Our science initiative (p. 6-7) flourished—the chickens are actively producing eggs, the orchard is yielding fruit, and our Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) Team won its regional competition this spring. We re-envisioned our beginnings
WRITERS Carolyn Cruz, Riki Gibson, Goli
Favorite Read Alouds
Mohammadi, Dan Murphy, John Safipour ‘13, Amy Walters, Shoshana Ziblatt DESIGN RossTurnerDesign.com PRINTER Norco Printing THE SEVEN HILLS SCHOOL
975 North San Carlos Drive Walnut Creek, CA 94598 (925) 933-0666 www.sevenhillsschool.org
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KATHLEEN’S READING LIST
Finding Winnie
by LINDSAY MATTICK
Nanette’s Baguette by MO WILLEMS
Ada Twist, Scientist by ANDREA BEATY
and endings by adding an All-Community Parent Dinner at the start of the year and enhancing our year-end graduation ceremony (p. 12). Our faculty and staff professional development work centered on building cultural competency skills (p.4), while our Board of Trustees, faculty, and staff had important conversations to better articulate the Seven Hills educational philosophy, resulting in a set of belief statements that reflect our school and our approach to teaching and learning (p. 19). This is an exciting time to be at Seven Hills. Along with a talented and creative faculty and staff, we welcomed 399 students at the start of the year. Our students are learning about leadership with Student Councils in both Lower and Middle School and our Kids Green Committees stewarding our resources. After a two-year math task force pilot, the K-5 faculty have committed to a new math program which we’ve begun to implement. A new rotating schedule in Middle School provides for deeper learning, additional advisory time, electives, and even more meaningful service opportunities. International trips to Japan, Costa Rica, and France will move into the school year to offer a three-continent immersion experience for Middle School students (p. 8). And, we’ll explore opportunities to expand our Reggio-inspired Early Childhood Education program. Life is good at Seven Hills. I hope you enjoy this retrospective. Thank you for being part of the Seven Hills community that is made stronger by the diversity of perspectives you each bring and by your contributions of time and resources. It is with deep gratitude that I look back on 2016-17 as a year of meaningful and fulfilling teaching and learning. Gratefully,
Kathleen McNamara Head of School
From Her Night Stand
Blindspot
by ANTHONY GREENWALD and MAHZARIN BANAJI
Thanks for the Feedback by DOUGLAS STONE and SHEILA HEEN
MISSION STATEMENT The Seven Hills School is a learning community with the mission to develop the intellect, engage the spirit, and foster respect for, and responsibility to, our world.
Hillbilly Elegy by J. D. VANCE
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SCHOOL SNAPSHOTS: 2016-17
398
15
Seven Hills students representing hens laid 1,300 eggs in our new chicken coop
270 families
$4,125,162
328 recordbreaking turnout for the Seven Hills auction,
TV LAND
current value of the Seven Hills endowment
93%
parent participation in the Annual Fund
22
bird nests built and placed throughout campus by Red Barn students
3,621 books collected
for the PIA Book Swap to reuse and donate 2
72
trees planted in the new orchard
1
%
of faculty and staff participated in cultural competency workshops
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parent speakers at the inaugural Career Pathways event
FAMILY SPOTLIGHT A Community for Our Entire Family: An Interview with the Skepner Family “It was late fall, a beautiful day, and the campus was under construction—Sunshine and Big Red were just finished and the administration building and library were just being built,” remembers Amy Skepner, as she and her husband, Brad, toured Seven Hills in 2001. They were looking for a school for their son, Jacob ’12, who was four at the time. “There were temporary trailers, and we remember thinking that it would be exciting to have these new spaces to look forward to.” They visited Red Barn, Kindergarten, and lastly Middle School where they observed the older students making eye contact and genuinely greeting them. Even though it seemed a long way off for their family, Brad and Amy were well-aware of the challenges that characterize the child to adolescent transition—young people once excited about learning, suddenly withdrawing. This was clearly not the norm at Seven Hills. Hands shot up in classes as students, eager to contribute and ask questions, appeared captivated with the lesson and their teacher. They left the tour that day saying to themselves, “If you could send your child to Seven Hills, why on Earth would you not?” And that was the beginning of their Seven Hills journey. Jacob, now 19, made the transition to Michigan State University last year. “It took him some time to adjust, but he knew how to advocate for himself and communicate with ease and confidence, thanks to Seven Hills,” said Brad. The Skepners are certain the skills nurtured at Seven Hills will serve their daughters too as they make their respective transitions at the end of this year—Grace ’18 to high school and Hannah ’14 to college. The Skepners have a long and unique history with Seven Hills. They were part of early campus improvements, helped shape what are now enduring community traditions, and bid farewell to longstanding Head of School Bill Miller. Amy helped start the Book Swap, chaired the Halloween Festival, served as room parent multiple times, and co-chaired the Parent Involvement Association. Brad served on the Board of Trustees for nine years, lending his expertise in development and land use during the construction
of Hunt Hall, a facility project that transformed campus. Despite having dedicated hours to the school, they are modest about their contributions, saying, “It just seemed like the right thing to do.” Amy and Brad will soon be “graduating” from Seven Hills this spring, along with their daughter, Grace ’18. It is a bittersweet moment for the family, but they plan to remain connected. “Seven Hills has been a community for our entire family during our children’s formative years,” said Brad. “In many ways, we’ve grown up as parents at Seven Hills. It’s an extension of our family and our values. We are still very close with the parents of Jacob’s classmates—we have a very strong alumni parent bond which will continue.”
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FOCUS ON FACULTY Challenging our Assumptions
Growing Seven Hills Cultural Competency The room was nearly silent as the entire Seven Hills faculty and staff were asked to participate in a reflective writing exercise to explore their own social identity. They peeled back the layers to ask themselves, what unique perspectives do I contribute as a teacher, parent, community member? What are my blind spots and assumptions? Drawing on what they’d learned in sessions with Robert Greene, cultural competency consultant with Jones & Associates, they explored their own attitudes and bias to gain insight that will ultimately result in an environment that supports inclusive cross-cultural understanding, communication, and collaboration. This professional development work on cultural competency originated with the Board of Trustees and is rooted in the school’s strategic plan, Approach 2020. The school’s commitment to selfreflection and improvement in this area was part of what attracted Kathleen McNamara to Seven Hills and the role of Head of School.
work—and ultimately providing a lens through which to evaluate and articulate our core values, curriculum, and policies.” Today’s students live in an interconnected, global society. To succeed, Seven Hills graduates will need a core set of soft skills— collaboration, empathy, and an ability to communicate with and understand people who are different from themselves. In his book, The Difference: How the Power of Diversity Creates Better Groups, Firms, Schools, and Societies, Scott Page demonstrates that environments with individuals from vastly different backgrounds and life experiences, if they can work together, outperform those with a more homogeneous make up. This is just one example from the growing body of research within the education and business sector that points to the importance of this work. Diversity and inclusion have always been a priority at Seven Hills. With a focus on building cultural competency skills that can be used in any situation—school, work, family—Seven Hills is promoting a deeper understanding of inclusion, critical to the future success of our students.
“Working on our cultural competency as a community and as individuals does not have a start and finish,” Kathleen said, “It is an effort that requires mindfulness and ongoing effort. As a school, our initial focus is on developing the skillset to do this important
Highlights from 2016-17: • Multiple trainings led by Robert Greene with faculty, staff, administrative leadership, and the Board of Trustees on building trust, discovering personal biases, and unpacking individual assumptions that impact classroom teaching, collaboration, and community building • All Community professional development reading assignment: Blindspot: Hidden Biases of Good People • Head’s Advisory Committee on Cultural Competency meetings to begin planning on how to best roll out education opportunities for the parent community • Work on creating school beliefs (see page 19) and cultural competency statements, in addition to formation of faculty committee on social justice
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CAMPUS GUESTS PARENT LECTURE SERIES SPARKS ENGAGING CONVERSATIONS Documentary filmmaker and actress
Jennifer Siebel Newsom kicked off
the Parent Lecture Series with stories and clips from her award-winning documentaries The Mask You Live In and Miss Representation. While sharing her perspective on the historic presidential election, Jennifer helped shine light on how we can raise a healthier generation of boys and young men.
Co-founder and Executive Director of Girls Leadership Simone Marean, shared engaging new research on parenting daughters. Exploring how to identify healthy relationships, develop effective communication strategies, and engage in conflict resolution, Simone imparted wisdom on navigating the unique challenges facing girls.
Connecting with the audience and provoking a mix of laughter and tears, Dr. Madeline Levine, the co-founder of Challenge Success and the author of the New York Times bestsellers, The Price of Privilege and Teach Your Children Well, provided research-based advice on how to help kids flourish in a fast-paced, pressure-filled world.
AUTHOR VISITS GENERATE STUDENT EXCITEMENT FOR READING AND STORYTELLING Seven Hills students were in for a treat when Mitali Perkins, author of both Bamboo People and Rickshaw Girl stopped by for a visit. Perkins told her personal story of immigrating from India to the Bay Area as a middle school student, how books were her lifeline, and how writing became her passion.
ECE and Lower School students participated in an unforgettable storytelling performance by Kirk Waller during the library-sponsored Reading Celebration. Imaginations ran wild as students were carried away to new lands filled with outlandish characters, enhanced by Waller’s mixture of instruments, songs, and voices.
Penny Warner, author of the Code
Busters Club series, led an interactive “code-busting” visit with 4th and 5th grade students. Working in teams, students used patterns, the scientific method, and secret codes to search for clues under the tutelage and creative force behind the popular series.
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FOCUS ON STUDENTS I Don’t Know, Let’s Find Out! We all “do” science. It is how we understand and relate to the world around us. Our investigations—watching, listening, recording, experimenting, and hypothesizing, begin at a very young age. In fact, children are natural scientists while many adults grow out of this role, leaving it to the “experts.” In 2016, a significant gift to support the Seven Hills STEAM and natural science programs was a welcome opportunity to nurture student curiosity and ignite a deep and lasting excitement for science. Handson learning spaces were expanded throughout campus with additional gardens, a 72-tree orchard, an outdoor science classroom, enhanced makerspaces, and a chicken coop, home to 35 chickens. The addition of a dedicated science coordinator in the Lower School and the formation of faculty teams across the grades have made it easier for teachers to respond to student-driven inquiry. From ECE through 8th grade, student queries and natural wonderings inspired a variety of lessons throughout the year. At the same time, faculty have re-kindled their own sense of wonder and have become comfortable saying, “I don’t know. Let’s find out!” as they delve into discovery alongside their students.
Light, the Human Eye, and “Selfies” With the doors carefully sealed and windows covered, the Middle School science room was transformed into a temporary darkroom. Science teacher Matt Shargel has been teaching this multi-week lesson on light and optics for years, but wants his students to influence the direction each time. He finds handson demonstrations are the best entry point that leave students saying “Wow! How does that work?” During this year’s lesson, 7th graders used the scientific method to design and build a pinhole camera out of an old oatmeal box and photography paper. Next, they took a self-portrait (a challenging task that requires experimenting with exposure time and sitting very still), and then worked with the negative and developed the image in the makeshift darkroom. At each step in the process, students learned about light physics, chemistry, physiology, art, and even a bit of history—the pinhole or “camera obscura” dates back thousands of years. This trial and error process of creating an old-world “selfie” led the students to a greater understanding of light, optics, and a disappearing art.
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At the end of the day, the goal is much broader than a fun and memorable lesson—Matt considers his teaching a success if students can say, “Science is cool! I love it, and I’m good at it.”
FOCUS ON STUDENTS Highlights from 2016-17: • Inspired by their desire to have more birds in their play yard, Red Barn students created bird nests to hang around campus, researched nesting behavior and materials, and created campus maps to place the nests.
• Students imagined,
designed, and created various projects with the use of a newly donated laser cutter, 3D printers, and other design tools in an improved Science Annex and library “makerspace”.
•The campus chickens
provided countless lessons in a variety of subjects. Students tasted fresh eggs, studied the life cycle, and engaged in community service with the donation of eggs to local food banks.
• Lower School Science
Coordinator Stephanie Chiang helped K-5 teachers respond to student inquiry with curriculum and experiments aligned with the Next Generation Science Standards.
Operation Tadpole! When 1st graders discovered that there were tadpoles in the school creek, and that the creek was going dry, they set out to rescue them. With spirited resolve, they gathered two large containers full of tadpoles over several weeks in March and released them in the nearby Heather Farm Park. They also kept about 40 tadpoles in their classroom aquariums to learn about their life cycle. The students were excited to see pollywogs turn into frogs and toads and spent a lot of time researching their new little friends before releasing them into the wild. As part of the science curriculum, animals made their way into nearly every classroom this past year. With classroom tarantulas to care for, the 2nd grade classes wove webs, created edible spiders, and even made trading cards of different arachnids. The 3rd graders welcomed crayfish into their classrooms to learn about adaptation; the Kindergarteners became amateur entomologists as they studied the life cycle of butterflies; and 5th graders learned about incubation as they observed and nurtured hatching chicks and cared for their classroom guinea pigs, Gary and Chewy. These hands-on life science lessons are just a few examples of how Seven Hills cultivates the natural wonderings of its students.
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COMMUNITY LIFE International Travel Deepens Student Connection and Understanding Seven Hills has spent the last two years working toward expanding its international travel opportunities for Middle School students. In addition to the longstanding exchange program with Japan, Seven Hills students will now be able to travel to Costa Rica and France. Starting this school year, all three trips will take place in February, over the new Presidents’ Week vacation, creating a cohesive, three-continent immersion experience that connects with classroom lessons in language, history, science, and art. “By moving the trips into the school year, students will have the opportunity to share their experiences with the larger community and incorporate the lessons learned into their Seven Hills experience before high school,” says Head of School Kathleen McNamara. Offered to 7th grade students, the trips to both France and Costa Rica are long enough for students to have an immersive cultural experience with visits to urban and rural environments, home stays, service projects, and ample opportunity to practice language skills.
n
Japa
With more than 30 students and faculty members traveling to Japan this past summer, the demand for international experiences is greater than ever. Fostering international understanding and responsibility, Seven Hills students attended classes with Japanese students who had visited Seven Hills last fall and toured Tokyo, Kyoto, and even Hiroshima.
France
“The visit to Hiroshima was particularly poignant for our students because of the new 7th grade capstone project called Conflict, Compromise, and Conflict,” says Kathleen. “This three-week lesson centers on understanding the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki from all points of view, so the visit really resonated with students.” Nothing compares to experiencing new cultures, and Seven Hills has discovered how to make this opportunity available to more students and deepen the connection to classroom learning and to each other. “The trips abroad I experienced with Seven Hills, both Costa Rica and Japan, gave me an immersive, positive, and open outlook into different cultures,” says Leah Hall ’17.
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ca
i R a t Cos
COMMUNITY LIFE 8th graders delight audiences in their production of Xanadu.
A Red Barn student creates a selfportrait.
Inwardly Calm, Outwardly Kind 4th graders present their autobiographies.
First graders share their animal research projects.
The ethereal hum of the singing bowl was just one tool used by Director of Student Life Dan Rogoff to explore mindful listening at Seven Hills this past year. In his weekly visits to classrooms, students were tasked with listening in silence to the resonating bowl. When the sound of the vibrating bowl was no longer detectable, they were asked to raise their hands and share the diverse range of sounds they heard. From throat clearing and a ticking clock to their own breathing and birds outside the window, students were surprised by sounds they’d never noticed before. Dan offered catchy phrases to remind students to be mindful. Phrases like, “center when you enter,” “I see you,” and “inwardly calm, outwardly kind” were introduced early in the school year and soon could be heard repeated by students and faculty. Although the skills of mindfulness were presented differently in each grade, one lesson learned throughout was that mindfulness doesn’t take a lot of time. It is a practice that, once developed, can be applied everywhere, all the time. Integrating mindfulness into daily life promotes health, develops focus, and creates a kind and compassionate community. Seven Hills students took their new-found skills to heart and even shared them with their families at home.
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COMMUNITY LIFE
Kindergarten performs Little Red Hen to a packed house.
5th graders discover the natural beauty of Yosemite.
Caption goes here. Caption to come upon photo/layout approval.
Who’s got spirit? The new Lower School cheer team.
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6th grade athletes flex their muscles.
Students create special bonds during schoolwide buddy time.
COMMUNITY LIFE Career Pathways Connects Generations All smiles at the Walnut Creek Twilight Parade.
In April, a Career Pathways event made its debut, providing a venue for parents to share their professional experience with Seven Hills 6th graders. This “career-day style” event connected the generations and gave students a broader sense of how they might turn their interests, skills, and passions into a career. With 20 guest speakers from a variety of industries and professions, participants shared stories about their career journeys. The keynote speaker, Amity Millhiser, kicked-off the event with three important questions to consider: “What are you passionate about? What are you good at? What does the world need you to do?” Voted one of the 50 most powerful women in technology, Amity is the Chief Clients Officer for PwC and the aunt of two Seven Hills alumni, Victoria ’15 and Amity ’17 Stahl.
2nd graders celebrate traditions from around the world.
In typical Seven Hills fashion, this wasn’t a one-way, lecture-style event. Student moderators led a panel discussion before splitting off into small groups for deeper conversations with guest professionals. Groups were organized into relatable professions, such as The Doctors, The Energy Experts, The Lawyers, and so on. Many students were surprised by what they learned in the small group sessions, including how their career paths may look very different from that of the speakers’ and their parents’ because of the ever-changing economy. One student commented, “Companies look for well-rounded candidates with experience, skills, education, and passion for the work.” Looking forward, organizers of Career Pathways hope to include additional Middle School grades and alumni guests.
Parents and faculty gather at the inaugural All Parent Community Dinner.
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OH, THE PLACES THEY’LL GO! Graduation Celebrates the Class of 2017 In June, Seven Hills honored the Class of 2017 with a special community-wide graduation ceremony. The event was a mix of old and new traditions with opportunities for graduates to reflect on their time at the school and listen to inspiring messages about their futures. Festivities began under an outdoor tent where they reminisced with their families while looking at memory boards made in their honor. As usual, the 8th grade speeches and individual favorite quotes were highlights of the ceremony. With the entire K-7th grades in attendance this year, the graduates’ words of wisdom took on new significance. Graduation also provided an opportunity to honor and recognize longtime and departing faculty member Marianne McBride, who was presented with her own diploma and a new award named in her honor—The Marianne McBride Distinguished Faculty Award. The festivities concluded with the traditional faculty and staff receiving line—an emotional and fitting Seven Hills goodbye!
“I encourage all of you to continue to let your outof-the-ordinary, extraordinary differences shine.” – Claudia Russell ’17
“More importantly, Seven Hills has encouraged us to be positive contributors to our community.” – Alannah Scott ’17 12
OH, THE PLACES THEY’LL GO! Class of 2017: High School Destinations Leah Danielle Allison, Monte Vista Autumn Magnolia Ardale-Koenig, Monte Vista Tony Paul Baldacci, De La Salle Valerie Paige Begg, Las Lomas Frank Brinkerhoff, Carondelet Elizabeth Emma Contreras, Las Lomas Sydney Scherrie Delgado, Dunn School* Ellen Recio Dickey, Head Royce John Thomas Earle, De La Salle Emma Elizabeth Engstrom, San Ramon Valley* Ava Fard, Monte Vista Jimmy Curtis Fitzgerald, Bentley Julia Ann Goodman, San Ramon Valley Cole Lawrence Griscavage, College Preparatory Caitlin Barbara Fausia Gronowski, Stevenson Ajani Ibrahima Gueye, De La Salle Leah Hall, Carondelet Holden Alexander William Hilal, Athenian Kanoe Lauren Hoch, San Ramon Valley Mitchell Nolan Hoey, De La Salle Delaney Jamisen Hughes, Alhambra*
Kirsten Erica Ishii, Head Royce Lucy Anne Jurow, Carondelet Devin Elizabeth Lanzone, Bentley Katrina Cecelia Larner, Athenian Sydney Rose Lauer, Head Royce Nathan Edward Ledesma, Northgate Kennedy Claire Merrion, Campolindo James Carl Roberston Moore, Las Lomas Abram Dreyfus Moudi, College Preparatory Ava Dreyfus Moudi, College Preparatory Nicolas George Niculescu, De La Salle Oliver Thomas Northing, Athenian Micah Sophia Perry, Berean Christian Matthew David Pflieger, College Preparatory Lucia Grace Pirone, College Preparatory Garrett Anthony Pontin, College Preparatory* Claudia Catherine Russell, Head Royce Alannah Tate Scott, San Ramon Valley Sonia Ella Singh, College Preparatory Amity Virginia Stahl, Carondelet* Charlie Kate Stokes, Carondelet* Caroline Jane Sween, Campolindo *Class Representative
Thank you to Daniel Nomura ’13, Emma Godfrey ’13, Mariah Brown ’13, and Zack Mintz ’13 for offering advice to our newest alumni.
Class of 2017 Receives Advice from Alumni To kick-off graduation festivities, the Class of 2017 gathered for the Alumni Welcome Lunch and officially joined the ranks of more than 1,000 Seven Hills graduates. During the lunch, four college-bound, Seven Hills alumni participated in a panel discussion on “the high school experience from a Seven Hills perspective.” They encouraged graduates to get involved with sports and clubs, keep an open mind, use good time management skills, be yourself, and stay in touch.
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OH, THE PLACES THEY’LL GO! Class of 2013 Returns for Senior Send-Off
Class of 2013 College Destinations Seven Hills graduates from the Class of 2013 have big plans and are now in colleges and universities across the United States. NORTHEAST MIDWEST
Purdue University
The Class of 2013 returned to campus in May to catch up with old classmates and faculty members four years after their own Seven Hills graduation. Sharing memories, high school adventures, upcoming college plans and future endeavors, these classmates spent the morning grateful for their time, friendships, and unique Seven Hills experience that prepared them for high school and beyond.
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College of the Holy Cross Dickinson College New York University Pennsylvania State University Saint Joseph’s University Tufts University Villanova University
WEST
Brigham Young University Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo (2) Chapman University (2) Diablo Valley College (2) Gonzaga University Linfield College Loyola Marymount University Montana State University Pomona College Saint Mary’s College University of Nevada Santa Clara University (3) University of San Francisco Seattle University University of Southern UC San Diego (2) California (2) UC Santa Barbara Whitman College
SOUTH
Auburn University George Washington University (3) Johns Hopkins University Tulane University
OH, THE PLACES THEY’LL GO! Reunion Celebrates Faculty, Connects Alumni In June, more than 100 alumni, alumni parents, families, and faculty joined together at the All-Alumni Reunion and special celebration honoring two long-serving faculty—Marianne McBride and Susie Canchola. Sharing stories and expressing gratitude, attendees recognized Marianne McBride for her 37 years of teaching Middle School English and French, and Rainbow teacher Susie Canchola who moved to Southern California after 19 years at Seven Hills. Marianne will continue working with Seven Hills to keep alumni connected.
Alumni Events: Save the Date
Oct 26 Fall Happy Hour
Nov 28 Career Pathways Networking Event (SF)
Apr 7 Spring Happy Hour
May 12 Class of 2014 Senior Send Off Jun 1 Alumni Welcome Luncheon
Jun 9 All-Alumni Reunion
Career Pathways Networking Event November 28, 2017 6:00 – 8:00pm The City Club of San Francisco with special keynote by Pac-12 Commissioner Larry Scott AP ’14, ’16, ’17 See sevenhillsschool.org for details.
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ALUMNI NEWS Laura Michelle Patterson ’99 Giving Back Through Music Seven Hills was a safe place for Laura Michelle Patterson ’99, now 32, to explore her passions and be herself. She recalls being drawn to music from a very young age, taking voice lessons along with flute and piano. The leap from performer to songwriter was initially scary, but Laura faced her fears, releasing her debut album “Novel with No End” in August 2016.
Ian Agol ’82 Prize-Winning Mathematician Embracing Hands-On Learning As a prize-winning mathematician and math professor at UC Berkeley, Ian Agol ’82 has established himself as one of the leading experts in the field of geometric topology and the study of three-dimensional space. He attended Seven Hills for 6 years (along with his twin brother, Eric) and went on to earn his B.S. from CalTech and his Ph.D. from UC San Diego, both in mathematics. In 2016, Ian was awarded the prestigious Breakthrough Prize in Mathematics for his research in 3-D geometric topology and solving the mysteries of shape-shifting spaces. The Breakthrough Prize was founded by top technology entrepreneurs including Google co-founder Sergey Brin and Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg. The award came with a significant financial prize, and Ian was very honored to receive recognition for his contributions to the field.
In April 2017, Laura paid a visit to the Seven Hills Middle School where she performed a few songs and discussed her new music video. She talked about her experience, including how she came to use her music success to give back to the community. The students enjoyed hearing from one of their own. Laura is the first national VOICE for Donate Life America, a nonprofit dedicated to increasing organ and tissue donations. She partnered with Donate Life to honor her late father, James Howard Patterson. James had a heart transplant when Laura was a baby, and he passed away from related complications when she was just 15. In his final years, James served as a source of inspiration and support for her music pursuits which was a source of joy for both of them. Laura’s hit, “Novel with No End,” is a tribute to her father, and all profits from the song support Donate Life America.
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During his acceptance speech, Ian fittingly said, “I would like to acknowledge my teachers who encouraged my interest in mathematics. This includes my doctoral advisor Mike Freedman whose example encouraged me to be fearless—to work on hard problems, and to not be afraid to admit what I do not know.”
ALUMNI NEWS Marc Gould ’00 and Becky Horton ’01 Tying the Knot Seven Hills is known for instilling a lifelong love of learning, but for Marc Gould ’00 and Becky Horton ’01, their Seven Hills experience turned into a lifelong partnership when they tied the knot last spring. As the first Seven Hills alumni wedding, former Head of School Bill Miller and many fellow Seven Hills alumni were both in the wedding and in attendance. Marc and Becky “dated” in Middle School at Seven Hills and then headed their separate ways for high school and college—she at Davidson and he at Indiana University. They both returned to the Bay Area in 2012 where they reconnected over a few dinners and eventually started dating again. Settled with their careers, Becky is an attorney doing complex commercial litigation and Marc is an accountant with KPMG. The couple were married in San Francisco last April. Seven Hills wishes them love and happiness!
Stay Connected Be sure to follow Seven Hills on social media to get glimpses into campus life and find a growing network of Seven Hills parents and alumni.
The Seven Hills School Seven Hills (for alumni)
@7HillsWC
@sevenhillswc
Seven Hills School Professionals
Alumni: Do You Have News to Share? Let us know what’s happening in your professional and personal life by submitting news to Carolyn Cruz at ccruz@sevenhillsschool.org.
Parents of Alumni: Please Forward This Publication If your son or daughter no longer maintains a permanent address at your home, please notify Seven Hills of his/her new mailing and email address at ccruz@sevenhillschool.org.
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2016-17 ANNUAL REPORT 2017-18 Board of Trustees
A Message from the Board Chair My wife Melissa and I passed an important Seven Hills milestone when our oldest child, Holden ’17, graduated with his classmates last June. His 8th grade experience—from World War I trench simulations and Ashland’s Shakespeare Festival to the muchanticipated 8th grade research paper and Ted Talk—served as a first-hand reminder of the richness of our programs. After graduation, Holden traveled to Japan with 27 of his classmates, and our whole family had the privilege of meeting up with the group in Japan on their last day. The opportunity of a lifetime, I was so impressed by the deep history and impact of the school’s Japanese exchange program. We are thrilled that this year’s 8th graders will be able to share their amazing experiences from Japan with the rest of our community when they return from their visit in February.
BOARD MEMBERS Jamil Akoni Lisa Barnett Sween Patrick Blake Laura Furstenthal John Gingrich Khira Griscavage Julie Gutzwiller Sameer Hilal Matthew Janopaul Mackenzie Lesher Patrick Lin Robert Little Matthew Macomber Gina Morris Annette O’Donnell-Butner Julie Anne Springman Wickes ’98 Seiyonne Suriyakumar ’02 Kirsten Young
WE THANK THE FOLLOWING TRUSTEES FOR THEIR SERVICE THROUGH JUNE 2017 Jodee Brydges Fred Hughes Elizabeth Mahler Nancy Wallace
The work of the Seven Hills Board of Trustees in 2016-17, in partnership with Kathleen, was immensely fulfilling. We have learned much from Kathleen as our thought-leader and have enjoyed seeing the school from her vantage point—both hearing places of real strength as well as her vision for the future. We completed important work on a series of belief statements (p. 19) that distill the essence of the Seven Hills philosophy. Together with our mission, these belief statements will provide a unifying framework to guide our decision-making process as we plan for the future. The Board also made great progress in laying the foundation toward enhancing diversity, inclusion, and cultural competency in our community. I am grateful to the members of the Board for their commitment to the school’s mission. They work tirelessly with the necessary skills and mindset to govern an independent school in the 21st century. Likewise, I am grateful for and inspired by the entire Seven Hills community—your support fuels our transformational programs. Thank you to every parent, grandparent, alumnus, and alumni parent who made a gift and/or contributed their time and wisdom to the school in 2016-17. Here’s to another remarkable year at Seven Hills! Warmly,
Sameer Hilal Chair, Board of Trustees
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SEVEN BELIEFS FOR SEVEN HILLS With the Seven Hills mission as its cornerstone, Approach 2020 established a strategic framework for the school’s future. As work to operationalize the aspirations of the 2014 plan continued last year, the Board of Trustees, faculty, and staff discussed how best to clearly articulate the Seven Hills
philosophy in a way that will inform our decision-making process. As we thought about the unique transformational potential of a Seven Hills education, we arrived at a series of core beliefs about education and community. These have become the Seven Beliefs for Seven Hills.
AT SEVEN HILLS, WE BELIEVE THAT Every child deserves a whole child education, that balances academic excellence with social and emotional development. Learning is joyful. Through an integrated and experiental program, students are taught compassion, agency, and collaboration.
Passionate and creative faculty challenge, nurture, and inspire each child. Our vibrant
community is connected by over five decades of service and lifelong learning.
Out commitment to diversity Our beautiful,
and inclusion fosters cultural competency and global understanding.
natural campus provides unique opportunities for student engagement, innovation, and wonder.
Effective stewardship of our financial, physical, and philanthropic resources is a shared responsibility.
These seven statements will be put to use in 2017-18 and in future years to guide our decisions, define our priorities, and help shape our actions as a school and community.
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HONOR ROLL OF DONORS 2016-17 Thank you for Being Part of Something Big THANK YOU. We are grateful for our steadfast community of supporters whose unwavering commitment brings learning to life for every Seven Hills student. Together, we create a joyful, engaging, and academically rigorous learning environment that prepares today’s students for academic success and life of meaningful contributions. Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of listings in this report. If we have made an error or omission, we sincerely apologize, and please bring it to the attention of the Development Office at (925) 933-0666.
Annual Fund Donors
Maximilian and Lori Auffhammer
Neil and Patrice Konigsberg
Ilya Borovikov and Victoria Holcomb
Raj and Rupy Krishnan
Bret and Sarah Cameto
Mitch Kumagai and Deborah Podberesky
Frank and Elizabeth Cassal
Bruce Ledesma and Cheryl Sendaydiego
Ewan and Alyson Chesser
Eric and Karen Littell
Michael and Shirley Coke Alex Copeland and Eileen Beall Daniel and Lindsay Delaney
Visionaries
John and Laura Furstenthal
John Gingrich and Christine Currie
Ian Agol ’82 and Michelle McGuinness
Ravikanth Ganapavarapu
Sebastian and Renee Bea Patrick and Alison Blake David and Emily Breach
Parnassus Investments
William Dutra
John and Khira Griscavage
Gregory Pilarowski and Anna Gai
Eric and Stéphanie Ebel
Sameer and Melissa Hilal
Peter and Julie Gutzwiller
Larry and Cybille Scott
Lee and Candace Fleming
Frederick Hughes, Jr.
Yi Shi and Shangjie Zuo
GoodAgent.org
Fred and Noel Hughes
Blake Haley and Christine Deakin Robert Ishii and Nancy Wallace
Robert and Wendy Greer
Matthew and Marissa Janopaul
Delbert and Kimberly Stafford
Conrad and Selena Lai
Wendy Jordan Scott and Lori Keith
$10,000 - $19,999
Eric and Megan Lindberg
The Benevity Community Impact Fund
Matthew and Kamin Macomber
$20,000 - $29,999
Robert and Renee Little
Leadership Circle
BlackRock Matching Gift Program Ryan and Nicole Brown George and Stephanie Buhalis Christopher and Annette Butner
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A special thanks to the more than 400 parents, faculty, grandparents, alumni, alumni parents, and friends of the school, who supported the Seven Hills Annual Fund between July 1, 2016 and June 30, 2017. Gifts to the Annual Fund provide for every aspect of school life including our dynamic faculty, beautiful campus, and whole child program to benefit our inspiring and wonderful students. Thank you for your thoughtful and enthusiastic participation.
Giving Champs $5,000 - $9,999 Amber DeSilva
KKR Gives Employee Matching Gift Program Ari and Sheryl Lauer Stephen and Mackenzie Lesher Patrick and Darlet Lin
David DeSilva
Elizabeth Mahler and Pamela Keith
Scott Dickey and Ana Recio
Kathleen McNamara and Jihad Mirza
Corby and Heather Stead Wells Fargo Community Support Campaign
Gregory and Victoria Longstreet Kathleen Manning Jonathan and Gillian Marek MasterCard Matching Gifts Program McKesson Foundation, Inc. Drew and Kaeti McMillan Robert Mehranfar and Jodee Brydges
Jay and Genevieve Gudebski
Jay and Julie Meissner
Scot and Liann Hagey
Henri and Lorena Moudi
Jonathan and Alyssa Harris
Carlton and Ericka Nunez
Morgan Stanley
Neda and Satpal Hillyer
Stephen and Maggie Oetgen
Headmaster’s Circle
Barry and Sue Hoch
Shami and Lori Patel
Brett and Kymberly Johnson
David and Sylvia Pearlstein
Katherine Alberts and Lori Siegel
Charles and Lainie Johnson
Gerald and Kristen Posey
Simon Ashiku and Annette Chen
Peter and Tara Khoury
Scott and Paige Radell
Kenneth and Jennie Klein
Jeremy and Jennifer Rich
Wally and Kirsten Young
$2,500 - $4,999
Jerry and Gayle Klusky
Jeffrey and Jessica Pozzi
SalesForce.com Foundation
Dolby Match Program
John and Julie Rhee
Thomas and Julie Ducharme
William and Allison Roberts
Alexander and Samantha Duff
Jonathan Russell and Rachael Applegate
Gene and Alicia Bakkum
Brad and Amy Skepner Steven and Susie Sovik
Omid and Ellie Fard
Kristine Baldacci
Cynthia Stephenson- Catterton
Michael and Katherine Gandy
Jonathan and Ali Singh
Dan and Sibhan Stokes
General Electric Foundation
Simerjit Singh and Harmol Raikhy
Christopher and Karen Begg
Stephen and Katherine Stahl
Antonio and Seena Benavides
Michael and Mercedes Stead
Brittany Berg
David and Anabelle Satterfield
Edward and Devra Struzenberg John and Diane Suciu
Bruce and Barbara Goodman
Brad Surak and Claudia Furtado
Gene and Valerie Howard
Tanner Wickes and Julie Anne Springman Wickes ’98
IBM Matching Grants Program
Liesa Wise Arthur Woo and Emmelie Sabatte
Tunghua and Yuyu Huang
Robert and Barbara Jaspar Thomas and Danielle Kahl
Farhad Zamani and Georgina Jensen
Kaiser Permanente Community Giving Matching Gift Program
Benefactors
Byongkook Kang and Helen Yoon
$1,000 - $2,499
Janet Katari
John and Deborah Steinbuch Christopher and Carrie Swany John Sween and Lisa Barnett Sween Carlo Tamburrino and Paulette DeFalco
Jonathan and Amanda Ambrose
Robert and Amy Walters
Lands’ End, Inc.
David and Joelle Weckerle
Autodesk Inc.
Christopher and Danette Leighton
Amir Axelrod and Sherry Wang-Axelrod
Stan and Carol Lesher
Bank of America Matching Gifts Program Gordon and Diana Baty Terrence and Camolin Becker Thomas and Gloria Beckett
Alexandr and Julia Lints
Jeffrey and Heidi Abramson
Randall and Elizabeth Luskey
Annie Allen Kenneth and Risa Allison
Milton and Edith Melczer
Russell and Crystal Alpert
Steven and Vanessa Capelli
Morgan Stanley Global Impact Funding Trust, Inc.
CDO, Inc.
Frank and Natasha Nicholson-Bjerre
Brian and Kristen D’Arcy
Nick Adamson and Carisa Harris Adamson
Margaret McCormick Neil and Pamela Menzies
Kevin Considine and Christine Paige Considine
Friends
Up to $999
Tara Buttles
Ronald and Fannie Chan
Joshua and Tara Wellen
LexisNexis Cares Norman and Mo Livermore
Pacific Gas & Electric Gregory and Liana Pope William Radtke and Tabitha Kix-Radtke
Kellen and Andrew Bothwell Stephen and Paula Breitbart Brent and Christiane Brinkerhoff
Dan and Carol Busack
Charles Killian and Michelle Watts Killian Cornel and Alexandra Lee
Nicholas and Clare Bisho
Larry and Deveney Totten
Jamil and Cheryl Akoni
Anonymous (2)
Gretchen Bartzen
Norma Bristol/ Instrumental Music Program
Bryan and Jenifer Kester
Sameer and Stella Advani
Kevin and Michaela Katari
James and Lea Baldacci
Todd Thorner and Leyla Khosrovani
U.S. Bank Foundation Employee Matching Gift Program
Walter and Natasha Acuña
Gerry Bakalian and Deborah Mata- Bakalian
Jason and Nicole Ambrose Anonymous (9) Rodolfo and Virginia Arias
Jonathan and Kristin Butler Bill Butner and Bil Sullivan Jones Butner Robert and Susan Canchola Michael and Kimberly Carpenter John and Sharon Carroll Lucien and Lauren Cazenave Michael Chamberlain and Kathleen Jiménez Charles Schwab Foundation Cisco Community Connection Matching Gifts Program The Clorox Company Foundation Kelley Cochran William and Cynthia Cogswell
Lydia Avramenko
Casey Conroy and Diana Herrera-Conroy
Pedro Babiak and Laura Lippow
Dawn Craig and Teresa Brink
2016-17 Faculty and Staff Donors In addition to their countless daily contributions to Seven Hills and our students, 100 percent of our faculty and staff supported the Annual Fund in 2016-17, thank you! Tanveer Alibhai Annie Allen Virginia Arias Lori Auffhammer Kristine Baldacci Karen Begg Brittany Berg Clare Bisho Stephanie Bolanos Kellen Bothwell Christiane Brinkerhoff Norma Bristol Susan Canchola Michael Chamberlain Stephanie Chiang Kelley Cochran Cynthia Cogswell Carolyn Cruz Rebecca Cushing Cora Davidson Jason Davis Gerry Dunn-Gerardin Barbara Eaton Scott Espinosa-Brown Deborah Frerk Riki Gibson Matti Gold Susanne Goldman Patty Gonser Christi Gotvald Heather Harrington Katherine Henderson Mike Henderson Stepahnie Hough Kim Hughes Gina Hurley Janis Jones Nancy Lane Rebecca Larson Adam Lechner ’87 Michelle Levie
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Sarah Lewis Lisa Lindgren Shauna Maraccini Alisha Marsh Marianne McBride Phil McFann Kathleen McNamara Rhys Miller Zarko Morales Dan Murphy Mary Murphy Carolyn Nelson Nick Obando Tina Ory Heidi Plumb Megan Prieto Renee Ramig Generra Rocchi Dan Rogoff Mark Roquet Michael Sandberg Lauren Sanders Julie Scarpelli Carol Shafer Matt Shargel Deborah Shipherd Stephanie Sproul Katherine Stahl Cassidy Thompson Emily Tolosa Patti Turetzky Linden Van Wert Beth Wadsworth Amy Walters Alison Wash Mari Weiss Joanie Wills Riley Wise Kirsten Woods Ponce Yambao
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2016-17 Annual Fund Class Captains A special thanks to our Class Captains who shepherded our Annual Fund efforts in 2016-17 and helped us achieve an impressive 93 percent parent participation. Your enthusiasm is inspiring!
Rainbow Del Stafford
Red Barn Renee Bea
Ryan and Nicole Crowley Carolyn Cruz
Sadegh and Narguess Ghorban
Thomas and Pauline Jeffers
Amy Cupples
Riki Gibson
Dan and Rebecca Cushing
John and Jacki Gingrich
Matthew and Natalie Johns
Cary and Kathleen Dalziel
Mark and Naomi Glasky
Brad and Cora Davidson
David Godsoe and Renee Ramig
Davidson Educational Therapy & Consulting Jason and Lisa Davis Paul and Christa Deeringer
Laury Glasgow
Matti and Karen Gold Edward Goldberg and Larisa Genin Susanne Goldman
Megan Delgado
Patty Gonser
Santosh and Eva Marie Dhanalal
Google Inc. Employee Giving
Imran and Regula Dhedhi Amish and Shilpa Doshi
Mark and Christi Gotvald
Todd and Christine Dow
John and Jennifer Graham
Alice Duff
Thomas and Valerie Greeley
Lawrence and Janis Jones
Marianne McBride John and Lindsay McCormick James McDonnell and Linda Margulies Philip McFann
Katherine Jue
Joseph McKenna ’04
Zahoor Kareem and Tanveer Alibhai
John McWeeney
John Kittredge†
Miklos and Kathryn Melczer
Nathan Kochly and Jennifer Davis
Jim and Roberta Merrion
David Koenig and Audrey Ardale-Koenig Emily Koster
Brian and Melinda Merrion Neil Meyer and Stephanie Chiang
Chalis Kuba
Dan Michael and Lillian Leong
Troy and Nancy Lane
Neil and Rhys Miller
Ross and Olga Larner Brent and Rebecca Larson
Abe, Zack ’13 and Lizzie ’13 Mintz and Catherine Cutler
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
John Anthony and Angela Miranda
Adam ‘87 and Shannon Lechner
Momentary Images LLC
Robert and Christine Lee
Zarko Morales
Marc and Wendy Greenberg
David and Michelle Levie
Jason and Gina Morris
Sarah Lewis
4th Casey Conroy Marissa Janopaul
Benjamin and Joanna Grossman
Amara Morrison
Peter and Sue Elkind
Whitney Livermore ’00
Ken and Diana El-Sherif
5th Chip & Lainie Johnson 6th Vicky Holcomb Kirsten Young
Warren and Peggy Gutzwiller
Kevin Moylan and Rania Berkeley
Scott and Katherine Espinosa-Brown
Russell and Jane Hall
Gerald and Charlotte Estes
Patricia Hausmann
K Amanda Ambrose
1st Sameer Advani Deepa Bangalore 2nd Casey Conroy Marissa Janopaul
3rd Ryan Crowley
7th Matt Macomber
8th Nancy Wallace
Mark and Kristine Earle Sofia Earle ‘14 Richard and Barbara Eaton Gabe Echeverria and Chandra Lynn Lauren Elkind
Kurt and Sheryl Ettinger Paul and Laurel Evans Bejan and Torrey Farahbakhsh
Jack and Marcia Greenberg
Jim and Hali Hausmann Trevor and Oanh Hawkins William and Kim Hecht Stan and Sarah Helton Guy and Susan Henshaw
Vladimir Filonov and Maria Filonova
Paul Ho
James and Marcie Fitzsimmons
James and Cara Hollis
Deborah Frerk Joe and Beth Furstenthal
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Doug and Susan Greenberg
Patrick and Alison Hoey Gabriel and Stephanie Hough
Mary Gaines
Patrick and Kimberly Hughes
Anne Gartner
Gina Hurley
Nicholas Gartner
Jason and Anna Husk
Steve Gerardin and Gerry Dunn-Gerardin
Richard and Jennifer James
Greg Gholson and Katherine Henderson
Matthew and Nicole Jeffers
Harsha Madannavar and Deepa Bangalore
Clare Moore
Daniel Murphy
Matthew and Shauna Maraccini
Mary Murphy, Carolyn, and Sarah Moore
Mark Shapiro/Roberta Goldberg of the Ayco Charitable Fdn.
Carolyn Nelson
Michael and Alisha Marsh
Marygail Nelson Calin and Anca Niculescu Stacy L. Norman
Robert and Caroline Maruska
Richard and Carol Northing
Michael and Eileen McAndrews
Eniola and Aderonke Olatunji
Paula O’Reilly Jon and Tina Ory Oliver and Amy Parker Norman Parsons Theresa Patterson Gregory and Claudine Penney Camile Pennix John and Hannah Pirone Heidi Plumb Joseph Pollock and Rebecca Demorest Toby Pontin and Jennifer Wilson Nickolas and Megan Prieto Ralph Raulli Thomas and Linda Reiser Generra and Nicole Rocchi Phillip and Teri Rogers Daniel Rogoff and Laura Cox Mark and Katherine Roquet Timothy and Jennifer Ruane Timothy and Katharine Rudd George and Cheri Russell Colin Safreed and Xochitl Gonzalez Safreed Matthew Sager and Amanda Ashton-Sager Michael and Stephanie Sandberg
Keith and Deborah Shipherd Shervine Shirazi and Ameneh Khosrovani David and Lynley Sides Douglas Spear and Isabelle Ord ’86 Stephanie Sproul Brooks and Michelle Stratmore Diana Superfin Seiyonne Suriyakumar ’02 Kristel Svansjo The Walt Disney Company Foundation Daniel Tiraschi and Heather Harrington Emily Tolosa Jeffrey and Michaela Traynor Harpreet and Anudeep Ubhi Andrew and Susan Ulvenes
The overall operating budget in 2016-17 was more than $11 million. Faculty and staff salaries and benefits continued to account for more than 70 percent of the overall operating expenses, while tuition provided more than 87 percent of the overall operating revenue. Second to tuition, the Annual Fund and auction combined were the largest source of operating revenue.
OPERATING REVENUES Tuition Annual Fund Auction Other
$9,698,574 87.6% 611,112 5.4% 159,758 1.4% 642,148 5.6%
Total $11,381,592
United Way of the Bay Area Linden Van Wert Geoffrey and Beth Wadsworth Brian and Sophia Walsh Daniel and Barbara Wark Alison and Bob Wash Murray and Mari Weiss
Jay Saoud and Kristina Kramer
Roger and Lani Werne
Julie Scarpelli
Dilantha and Manoja Wijesuriya
Steven and Linda Wight
Michaele-Ann Schmitcke
Robinson and Joanie Wills
Susan Schnieders
Riley Wise
Paul and Carol Scott
John and Lisa Woll
Suzanne Seegers
Kirsten Woods
Alfred and Laurel Seivold
Ponce and Lourdes Yambao
Andy and Carol Shafer
Glen and Elisa Yeung
Mark Shapiro and Roberta Goldberg
Seven Hills is committed to enhancing the student experience at every turn while keeping tuition as low as possible. The Board of Trustees helps manage the school’s finances with the goal of supporting mission-driven growth and fiscal strength.
Cassidy Thompson
Lauren Sanders
Edward Scherr and Shelly Pozzi
FINANCIALS
Matthew and Kristine Shargel
† Deceased
OPERATING EXPENSES1 Salaries and Benefits $7,998,612 71.4% Instructional 1,476,096 13.2% Tuition Assistance 736,556 6.6% General and Administrative 318,456 2.8% Fundraising 138,619 1.2% Capital 535,509 4.8% Total
$11,203,848
Excludes depreciation/ amortization $946,278
1
Endowment: $4,125,162 Total Liabilities and Net Assets: $31,654,637 These numbers reflect pre-audited financials. Audit will be available upon request as of December 2017.
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Endowment Donors
The Seven Hills endowment continues to grow with new gifts in honor of our beloved faculty and programs. As a permanent source of income, all endowment gifts are held in trust and generate ongoing support for missioncritical and strategic priorities.
Last school year, payout from the Seven Hills endowment provided more than $100,000 to the operational budget, reducing reliance on tuition and other sources of revenue. A special thanks to those listed below for making an endowment gift in 2016-17. Together with supporters from years past, you have created an enduring legacy.
Toby Pontin and Jennifer Wilson
Delbert and Kimberly Stafford
Gregory and Liana Pope David and Emily Pottruck
Brooks and Michelle Stratmore
Timothy and Katharine Rudd
John Sween and Lisa Barnett Sween
Jonathan Russell and Rachael Applegate
The Walt Disney Company Foundation
Michael and Stephanie Sandberg
Geoffrey and Beth Wadsworth
Lauren Sanders
Brian and Sophia Walsh
Julie Scarpelli
Robert and Amy Walters
Schwab Charitable Fund
Wells Fargo Community Support Campaign
Larry and Cybille Scott Brian and Michelle Sharpes Jonathan and Ali Singh
Walter and Natasha Acuña
The Clorox Company Foundation
Thor and Christine Grossen
Bruce Ledesma and Cheryl Sendaydiego
Nick Adamson and Carisa Harris Adamson
William and Cynthia Cogswell
Jay and Genevieve Gudebski
Stephen and Mackenzie Lesher
Jamil and Cheryl Akoni
Ryan and Nicole Crowley
Peter and Julie Gutzwiller
Eric and Karen Littell Robert and Renee Little
Kenneth and Risa Allison
John and L. Adrienne Cupples
Russell and Jane Hall
Gregory and Victoria Longstreet
Russell and Crystal Alpert
Brian and Kristen D’Arcy
Happy Valley ICF/DD-H Inc.
Jason and Nicole Ambrose
Paul and Christa Deeringer
Ben and Lilly Hatanaka
Randall and Elizabeth Luskey
Imran and Regula Dhedhi
Jill Hatanaka
Anonymous
Matthew and Kamin Macomber
Maximilian and Lori Auffhammer
Alexander and Samantha Duff
Gene and Alicia Bakkum
Scott and Katherine Espinosa-Brown
Katherine Alberts and Lori Siegel
Gordon and Diana Baty Sebastian and Renee Bea Ramin and Patricia Behmand The Benevity Community Impact Fund
Paul and Laurel Evans Omid and Ellie Fard Fidelity Charitable Gift Fund
Patrick and Alison Blake
John and Laura Furstenthal
David and Emily Breach
Anne Gartner
Ryan and Nicole Brown
Nicholas Gartner
George and Stephanie Buhalis
Mark and Naomi Glasky
Christopher and Annette Butner Bret and Sarah Cameto Kelly Cardella Frank and Elizabeth Cassal Chevron
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Kurt and Sheryl Ettinger
Bruce and Barbara Goodman John and Jennifer Graham
The Hennessy Foundation Kevin and Elaine Hennessy Sameer and Melissa Hilal Patrick and Alison Hoey Dewey Horton and Ann Hatanaka Fred and Noel Hughes Robert Ishii and Nancy Wallace Matthew and Marissa Janopaul
Marianne McBride Drew and Kaeti McMillan Kathleen McNamara and Jihad Mirza Neil Meyer and Stephanie Chiang Dan Michael and Lillian Leong Alan Moore Clare Moore
Brett and Kymberly Johnson
Frank and Natasha Nicholson-Bjerre
Charles and Lainie Johnson
Calin and Anca Niculescu
Zahoor Kareem and Tanveer Alibhai
Richard and Carol Northing
Janet Katari
Michael and Ellen Peterson
Marc and Wendy Greenberg
Charles Killian and Michelle Watts Killian
John and Khira Griscavage
Ross and Olga Larner Ari and Sheryl Lauer
John and Hannah Pirone Joseph Pollock and Rebecca Demorest
Stephanie Sproul
Robinson and Joanie Wills Wally and Kirsten Young
JULIAN RETTGER FUND FOR EMOTIONAL WELL-BEING Julian Rettger graduated from Seven Hills in 2003. His parents established Julian’s Fund for Emotional Well-Being in 2010, to honor Julian, who passed away in June of that year. Julian’s family has raised more than $500,000 through the fund to support the social and emotional well-being of students. Seven Hills has named the library in his honor because of his early and continuing passion for books. Mary Ann Gordon Philip B. Rettger and Diane Bell-Rettger
Named Endowment Funds Create Enduring Legacies
Parents Honor Faculty with Endowment Gifts
Over the years, individuals and families have established named endowment funds that continue to provide for the school. Like contributions to the general endowment, these gifts are invested in perpetuity with a percentage of the interest earnings used each year for specific purposes.
Cybille and Larry Scott (parents of Alexander ’14, Sebastien ’16, and Alannah ’17) hosted fellow 8th grade parents in their home in May to celebrate an endowment fund their family established at Seven Hills in 2016—the Scott Espinosa-Brown Endowed Fund for Student Life, Leadership, and Service. That evening, they also encouraged other families to join them by supporting the endowment as a way to honor their child’s Seven Hills journey.
The Barlow Family Endowed Fund
Joseph Family Minority Scholarship Fund
The Brown Family Endowed Fund
Julian Rettger Fund for Emotional Well-Being
The Butner Family Endowed Fund
Karen Malin Endowment for Professional Development
Deborah Jansen General Endowment Fund
Matthews Music Scholarship
The Hennessy Family Endowed Scholarship Fund The Hilal Family Endowed Fund Jim Clark Former Trustees Endowment Fund
The Scott Espinosa-Brown Endowed Fund for Student Life, Leadership, and Service
With gifts in honor of teachers who had most inspired their own graduate, Class of 2017 parents answered the call and raised more than $48,000 in support of the endowment and will have a new plaque installed on the endowment wall on campus to recognize their contributions. These endowed graduation gifts will benefit Seven Hills incredible faculty and students in perpetuity. Thank you, Class of 2017!
The William H. Miller Endowment Fund
If you are interested in establishing a named endowment fund with a minimum gift of $50,000, please contact Director of Development Amy Walters at awalters@sevenhillsschool.org or (925) 933-0666. Named funds are a meaningful way to create a permanent legacy for your family.
During graduation week, parents gathered and celebrated together at the second annual 8th Grade Parent Dinner, where they were recognized for their dedication to the school and many contributions.
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Steve and Beth Marini
Hills Angels in Perpetuity
Mark and Mindee Mastrov
In recognition of their exceptional generosity, we annually honor the Hills Angel donors who, over time, have cumulatively contributed $25,000 or more to the Annual Fund. Your loyal and significant support has provided for generations of Seven Hills students and faculty.
Pat Matthews and Patti Paulson
Susan Rogers
Scott and Tomi Matthews
Fred and Susan Safipour
Stephen and Nancy McCarthy
Andrew and Jinny Rudd Edward Scherr and Shelly Pozzi Steven Schwab
Wendy McDermott
Larry and Cybille Scott
James McDonnell and Linda Margulies
Carl Shapiro
Kevin McGuirk Daniel and Marina Miller
Mark Shapiro and Roberta Goldberg Brian and Michelle Sharpes
Jeffrey and Heidi Abramson
Stephen Cohn and Rose Anne Critchfield
John Gingrich and Christine Currie
Matthew and Melissa Jose
Bill and Kristy Miller
Ian Agol ’82 and Michelle McGuinness
Michael and Shirley Coke
Anthony Giordano and Theresa Klinger
Sheldon Kahn and Sarah Liron
Sam Mills
Charles and Alexis Glavin
Joseph and Odette Kardek
Abraham Mintz and Catherine Cutler
Elizabeth Solomon
James and Dorothy Mills Tom and Julia Miner
Murray and Christine Sheldon Philip Simon and Terry Neben
Annie Allen
Alex Copeland and Eileen Beall
Robert Allen
The Copeland Family
Kent and Diana Godfrey
Susan Alonso
John and Debby Cunningham
Bruce and Barbara Goodman
Ross and Amy Kari Janet Katari
Langdon and Elizabeth Morris
Mary Dalsin-Mills
Dan and Linda Gordon
Kevin and Michaela Katari
Paul and Diane Morton
Ronald and Caryn Suber
Mathew and Sarah Bakulich
Steve and Celeste Danglade
Richard and Lori Green
Jerry and Carolina Katz
Clarence and Irene Mou
Mitchell and Karen Kay
Gretchen Bartzen
Charles and Nancy Deschane
William and Frances Myers
Patrick and Teresa Sullivan
Kelly and Carrie Barlow
Stephen and Katy Gronowski
Brad and Shiva Berman
Amber DeSilva
Patrick and Alison Blake
David DeSilva
Parke and Victoria Boneysteele
Scott and Deborah DeVries
Kevin Booth
Robert Dolinko and Laurie Bronson
Brian Atwood and Lynn Edminster
David and Emily Breach David and Kim Bridges Robert† and Alice Bridges Foundation Ryan and Nicole Brown
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Geoffrey and Lesleen Riley
Todd and Christine Dow Joseph and Holly Eiden Irwin and Vivian Eskanos Ira and Pamela Finch
Christopher and Annette Butner
Charles Fiske and Karen Leo
Philae Carver
David and Jessie Flatt
Mark Fosbury and Kristin Castagno
Roger and Madeline Fleischmann
James and Françoise Cervantes
John and Laura Furstenthal
John† and Susan Chapman
Bob Gallo Sandra Gallo
Adam and Carol Chase
Ravikanth Ganapavarapu
Chung-Cheng and Jen-Kuei Chen
Shrikant and Ira Garde
James and Kathy Clark
W. Philip and June Gardner
Ronald and Susan Codd
Kimberly Gilmore
Thor and Christine Grossen
George and Bonnie Kennedy Larry and Julie Kirsch
Kenneth and Jeanifer Grullon
Steven and Rochelle Klein
Peter and Julie Gutzwiller
Bob Kliger
John and Wendy Hammergren Michael Han and Annie Hahn Terence Heywood and Pamela Lesoganich- Heywood Sameer and Melissa Hilal Diane Horton
Stuart and Anne Knowles Benjamin and Judy Kronick Jim and Shannon Lanzone David and Traci Lardner Ari and Sheryl Lauer Henry and Jennifer Leingang
Brad and Amy Skepner Corby and Heather Stead
Brian and Patricia Napper
Suri and Rushika Suriyakumar
Subhendu Narayan and Kavitha Rao-Narayan
Bahman and Mardjan Taheripour
John and Ruth Nelson
Ronald and Robyn Taylor
Brent and Elizabeth Nomura
Larry and Deveney Totten
David and Sally Nosal
Christopher Trinkus
Stephen and Maggie Oetgen
Richard and Karen Walker
Peter and Isabelle Op de Beeck
Michael and Maria Walton
Ralph Pais and Gayl Huston
Tom and Marla Williams
Charles and Adelaide Park
Douglas and Joyce Wing
Dennis and Bonnie Wells Keith and Susan Wilson
Shami and Lori Patel
Bruce Woods and Nancy Frary-Woods
Michael and Sherrie Littlejohn
Jerome and Jane Perez
Glen and Elisa Yeung
Eric and Amy Peterson
Roy and Cathy Yih
James and Laura Hulburd
Norman and Mo Livermore
Joseph and Toni Petite
Mark and Shawn Young
Robert Ishii and Nancy Wallace
Jeffrey and Jennifer Loomis
Scott Pipo and Gloria Pickhover
Wally and Kirsten Young
Matthew and Marissa Janopaul
David and Connie Lowe
Abraham and Deanna Hsieh Frederick Hughes, Jr. Fred and Noel Hughes
Paul and Deborah Jansen Thomas and Mary Anne Jorde
Stephen and Mackenzie Lesher
James and Shari Lucas John Lyngaas and Linda Noel
Michelle Place Joseph and Rosalia Polizzi Ingrid Ray Christine Riley
† deceased New Hills Angels Member
Ways to Make a Difference Our mission calls us to build a foundation that creates a lifelong love of learning. We accomplish this goal in partnership with our extended community through three primary fundraising efforts. We invite you to join us.
Heritage Society The Heritage Society honors those who have included Seven Hills in their estate plans. Through their thoughtful planning, members of the Heritage Society are providing for the future of the school. Thank you for your vision and commitment. Pete Babiak and Laura Lippow Parents of Steven Babiak ’07 and Sydney Babiak ’11 Gretchen Bartzen Director of Development (1995–2012) Brad and Shiva Berman Parents of Daniela Berman ’05 Jon and Lisa Blake Parents of Adam Blake ’11 and Andrew Blake ’12 John† and Susan Chapman Parents of Chris Chapman ’03 and Emma Chapman ’05 Jim and Laura Hulburd Parents of Alanna Hulburd ’06 and Kyle Hulburd ’09 Paul and Deborah Jansen Parents of Ben Jansen ’03 and Nicholas Jansen ’05 Thomas and Mary Ann Jorde Parents of Kevin Jorde ’01 and Christopher Jorde ’03 Joel King Director of Finance and Operations (2000–2011)
Jim and Karen Malin Head of Lower School (1992–2013) Kathleen McNamara Head of School (2015–present) Dan and Marina Miller Parents of Marshall Miller ’01 Bill and Kristy Miller Headmaster (1992–2015) Parents of Hennessy Miller ’04 and Keenan Miller ’08 Abraham Mintz and Catherine Cutler Parents of Elizabeth Mintz ’13 and Zachary Mintz ’12 Philip Rettger Parent of Julian Rettger ’03† Linden Van Wert Faculty member since 1975, Librarian (1976–2015), Green Ombudsman (2015–present) John and Alice Villanueva Parents of Amber Villanueva ’96 and Erica Villanueva ’99 † deceased
If you have included Seven Hills in your will or trust or are interested in learning more about how to do so, please contact Director of Development Amy Walters at awalters@sevenhillsschool.org or (925) 933-0666.
ANNUAL FUND
The Annual Fund is the school’s cornerstone fundraising effort each and every year. The Annual Fund is part of the school’s operating budget and thus provides yearly and essential resources above and beyond tuition. Gifts directly support the many things you love most about the school, from hands-on-learning opportunities to our talented faculty.
AUCTION
The school’s annual auction is a fun community-building event that also raises vital funds for student programs and the endowment. Mark your calendars for this year’s auction, Saturday, March 24, 2018. This treasured tradition is a fantastic way to connect with other families while supporting the school.
ENDOWMENT
Gifts to the endowment provide for the school’s long-term financial health. While the Annual Fund is put to use immediately, the endowment is invested in perpetuity with interest earnings used each year to sustain our programs and to support strategic initiatives.
How to Make a Gift There are variety ways to make a gift to the school including: Gifts of cash Appreciated securities
Bequests, real estate, or other planned gifts
Corporate matching gifts
Gifts in kind
You can also make a gift online at: my.sevenhillsschool.org/give, or by mail. Checks should be made out to The Seven Hills School and sent to:
The Development Office • The Seven Hills School 975 North San Carlos Drive Walnut Creek, CA 94598 Questions? Contact Director of Development Amy Walters at awalters@sevenhillsschool.org or (925) 933-0666.
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CHEERS! In March, the Seven Hills
community tuned in for the Emmy-worthy TVLand auction. With the Saturday Night Live set as the backdrop, the Seven Hills faculty-staff band kicked off the evening and left everyone wanting “More Cowbell!” Taking the theme to heart, attendees arrived as cast members of ER, F∙R∙I∙E∙N∙D∙S, Home Improvement, Saved by the Bell, and The Voice. With a record-breaking turnout of more than 325 attendees, Seven Hills raised more than $325,000, including $75,000 towards the newly established endowment for science. “The auction is a hallmark event for the school community and a whole lot of fun,” says 2017 Auction Co-Chair Steve Lesher. “It’s as much friend-raiser as fundraiser, and our parents are over-the-top with their creativity and generosity!” The auction’s success is a year-round, community-wide effort thanks to the the commitment of event sponsors, donors, countless volunteers, the Board of Trustees, and the tireless and steady leadership of our Auction Co-Chairs, Nikki Brown and Steve Lesher—a star-studded and talented cast indeed! Photos courtesy of www.JohnKingPhotography.com
Auction Co-Chairs Nikki Brown and Steve Lesher
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Committee Kristen D’Arcy Amanda Ambrose Carisa Harris Adamson
Stephanie Buhalis Nick Bisho Bret Cameto Lauren Cazenave
Katherine Gandy Wendy Greer Joanna Grossman Marissa Janopaul
Alex Lee Patrick Lin Renee Little John McCormick
Jessica Pozzi Jennifer Ruane Cheri Russell Michelle Stratmore
Board Liaisons John Gingrich and Matt Macomber
Auction Coordinator Riki Gibson
Corporate and Business Sponsors
Oliver and Amy Parker
Cinemark Blackhawk Movies 7
Jules Thin Crust
Tina Ory
Steve and Kate’s Camp
Brad and Amy Skepner
Kallie Jo Photography
Palm House San Francisco
John and Diane Suciu
Emmy
Robert and Amy Walters
Kelley Cochran William and Cynthia Cogswell
Parksmart Regional Parking, Inc.
The Bar Method
Arthur Woo and Emmelie Sabatte
Zahoor Kareem and Tanveer Alibhai
The Pickett Family
College Nannies + Tutors
Pamela Keith and Elizabeth Mahler
The Seven Hills School
Pinnacle Promotions
Color Me Mine
Kendra Scott
The Woodhouse Day Spa
360 Medical Weight Loss Specialists
Pinot’s Palette
CorePower Yoga
Kleid Design Group Fine Custom Cabinetry
Cassidy Thompson
John and Hannah Pirone
Emily Tolosa
Jeff Dudum
Neil and Patrice Konigsberg
Total Wine & More
McKesson Foundation
Nick Adamson and Carisa Harris Adamson
Heidi Plumb Polished Nail Bar & More
Town Hall Theatre
Pro Form Laboratories
Sameer and Stella Advani
Gerald and Kristen Posey
Treasure Island Sailing Center
MuscleMilk
Golden Globe BeneSys Administrators Diablo Foods Grocery Outlet
Teen Choice Farmers & Merchant Bank
SAG Clancy & Diaz, LLP Modus, Inc. Reiser Group, Inc. Servco Foundation
Actor Alliant Insurance Services Armanino LLP Choicelunch ENroute Market
Raffle Sponsor Robert and Renee Little
Table Host Sponsors Dallas The Little and Scott Families
Three’s Company Goodman, Griscavage, Hilal, Lauer, Moudi, and Sween Families Servco Pacific, Inc.
Glee Faculty Sponsorship Christopher and Annette Butner
Item Donations
Adventure Day Camp Jamil and Cheryl Akoni Katherine Alberts and Lori Siegel Annie Allen Jon and Amanda Ambrose American Kitchen American Conservatory Theater Apres Soleil Tans Artistic Designs for Living Asterias Biotherapeutics Maximilian and Lori Auffhammer Bay Area Children’s Theatre Beach Blanket Babylon Christopher and Karen Begg Bel and Bunna’s Books Randy and Darlene Bennett, SMC Men’s Basketball Nick and Clare Bisho Blackhawk Country Club Blackhawk Plastic Surgery Patrick and Alison Blake Blow Dry Bar Norma Bristol Ryan and Nicole Brown Burger Family Trust Christopher and Annette Butner
Brian and Kristen D’Arcy The Dutra Family Encore Gym ENroute Market Scott and Katherine Espinosa-Brown
Chris Kretz Chalis Kuba Lafayette Park Hotel & Spa Lands’ End
Exploratorium
Nancy Lane
Jim and Shannon Lanzone
Fat Maddie’s Grille
Rebecca Larson
Flywheel Sports
Adam Lechner ’87
Forbes Mill Steak House
Christopher and Danette Leighton
John and Laura Furstenthal Games Unlimited Ravikanth Ganapavarapu John Gingrich and Christine Currie
Stephen and Mackenzie Lesher Sarah Lewis Patrick and Darlet Lin Robert and Renee Little
Veena Lohia
Christi Gotvald
Matthew and Kamin Macomber
Ashley Gould Marc and Wendy Greenberg John and Khira Griscavage Benjamin and Joanna Grossman
Majeroni Orthodontics Shauna Maraccini Richard and Patricia Marcogliese Martinez Gun Club
Jay and Genevieve Gudebski
John and Lindsay McCormick
Peter and Julie Gutzwiller
Peggy McCormick
Heather Harrington
Kathleen McNamara and Jihad Mirza
Katherine Henderson Sameer and Melissa Hilal Stephanie Hough Fred and Noel Hughes
Michael Merrill Design Studio
Gina Hurley
MoMo’s
Jason and Anna Husk
Mooyah Burgers, Fries and Shakes
Instrumental Music Program
Bret and Sarah Cameto
Canvas & Cabernet Kelly Cardella
Robert Ishii and Nancy Wallace
Moraga Country Club
Mike and Shirley Coke Kathleen McNamara and Jihad Mirza
Kimberly Carpenter
Matthew and Marissa Janopaul
Neiman Marcus
Matthew and Kamin Macomber
Q-Zar Laser Tag Gray and Brenda Reavis Clement and Audrey Reid Mark Roquet Matthew Sager and Amanda Ashton-Sager
UCSF/UCB Ergonomics Research & Graduate Training Program UrbanSitter Beth Wadsworth Alison Wash
San Francisco Opera
Wente Vineyards
Lauren Sanders
Linden Van Wert
Larry and Cybille Scott
Wheel Kids Bicycle Club
Seven Hills Brownie Troop 33835 (3rd Grade)
Tanner Wickes and Julie Anne Springman Wickes ’98
Matthew and Kristine Shargel
Robinson and Joanie Wills
Shell Oil Company
Riley Wise
Brad and Amy Skepner
Arthur Woo and Emmelie Sabatte
SkinSpirit Sky High Sports Sloat Garden Center Smile Power Orthodontics SoulCycle
Kirsten Woods Ponce Yambao Wally and Kirsten Young Zachary’s Chicago Pizza
Steven and Susie Sovik
SAVE THE DATE!
Robert Mehranfar and Jodee Brydges
Robert and Susie Canchola
Center REPertory Company
Jeffrey and Jessica Pozzi
The Dorian
Nail Today
Jennifer Perlmutter Gallery
Frank and Natasha Nicholson-Bjerre
JetSuiteX
Nordstrom Walnut Creek
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2018 EVENTS October 12 All Community Parent Dinner
The Seven Hills School 975 North San Carlos Drive Walnut Creek, CA 94598
Non Profit Org. U.S. Postage
PAID
Handled with Care
November 28 Career Pathways Networking Event January 15 Applications Deadline
March 24 Auction
April 12 Evening of Art, Innovation & Greenstival
May 4 Grandparents & VIP Day
June 7 Graduation
June 9 All Alumni Reunion
Gonna Watch Our Garden Grow! Seven Hills students and Linden Van Wert, Seven Hills Green Ombudsman and former librarian, planted 72 trees in the new Seven Hills orchard. The road adjacent to the orchard and leading into campus has been named “Linden’s Orchard Lane” in gratitude for her commitment to the school’s green initiatives.
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