FALL
CONNECTIONS
2020
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WHAT’S IN THIS ISSUE?
School Snapshots 2
Family Spotlight 3
Focus on Faculty 4
New Leaders 5
Focus on Students 6
Community Life 8
Oh, the Places They’ll Go! 12
Alumni Events 14
2019-2020 Annual Report 16
EDITOR Corinne Hayhurst
Message from the Head of School Building CommUnity in our Diversity In the world of the 24-hour news cycle, there are so few surprises left in the world, but the beginning of 2020 brought a big one! The coronavirus pandemic, closure of our campus, and launch of distance learning at Seven Hills brought us a different type of growth that no one saw coming. It raised questions:
• How do we achieve our whole-child mission in an entirely new format?
• What are the most important elements of a Seven Hills education that we need to keep in place?
Distance learning showed us that our supportive community is special, no matter the format—inspiring faculty, hardworking staff, joyful students (who we missed seeing in person!), a forwardlooking leadership team, and devoted parents who embraced distance learning right alongside us. During my fifth year at Seven Hills, in addition to the transition to distance learning, (p.4), we launched a community-wide effort to look at every aspect of our program as part of our CAIS accreditation, hired new leaders to our team (p. 5), and came up with creative ways to celebrate our community members well, including a neighborhood parade (p.9) and Zoom birthday party (p.11)! Opportunities to connect—in person and virtually—with our passionate graduates (p.12), engaged alumni (p.14), and loyal donors (p.18) filled me with energy and appreciation.
CONTRIBUTING EDITOR
Amy Walters
PHOTOGRAPHERS Danilo Ebias,
Adam Lechner ’87, Barb Eaton, Kathleen McNamara, Rhys Miller, Seven Hills Faculty and Parents WRITERS Riki Gibson, Dan Murphy DESIGN RossTurnerDesign.com THE SEVEN HILLS SCHOOL
975 North San Carlos Drive Walnut Creek, CA 94598 (925) 933-0666 www.sevenhillsschool.org
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Favorite Read Alouds
Seven Hills’ ability to be nimble and creative in the wake of uncertainty is supported by our generous community (p.18). Philanthropic momentum helps us maintain our innovative teaching and learning practices and the overall emotional well-being of our students and adults in these unchartered waters. I am more grateful than ever. At our first-ever virtual auction (p.26), the Board of Trustees launched the new Community Support Fund to assist families in our community who are experiencing economic hardship in the health and financial crisis. I am so grateful to everyone who supported this fund that will keep our community strong and whole—thank you! To kick off each of my years at Seven Hills, I build a theme around “Building Community.” Many of you are familiar with our 21-year partnership with the Kita City prefecture in Tokyo, and the theme for the Tokyo 2020 (postponed to 2021) Olympic Games is Unity in Diversity. As we begin a new school year, during a global pandemic, in an election year, with the racial injustices of our own country on our minds, Building Community by Creating Unity in our Diversity feels like an apt and timely theme. As I begin my sixth year at Seven Hills, I have immense appreciation for this community that is made stronger by your diverse perspectives, and your trust and partnership in our program. It is with deep gratitude that I look back on 2019-20 and with great expectation, look forward to more learning, discovery, exploration, and unity in the year ahead. With gratitude,
Kathleen McNamara Head of School
KATHLEEN’S READING LIST From Her Night Stand
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.
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SCHOOL SNAPSHOTS: 2019-20
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Middle School students
40 students and 5 chaperones traveled on the new 7th grade World War II history trip (they went to England, France, & Germany)
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Thousand
81
submitted in the library’s pumpkin book character contest
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$73,600
families raised for the new Community Support Fund to support new tuition assistance needs during the pandemic
apples ordered by Epicurean food service
109 creative pumpkins
participated in the state division championship of the National Archery in School program
families joined the first virtual pizza party on Zoom to support local businesses
6 CAIS accreditation members
visited Seven Hills virtually and in-person to see our mission in action
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yard signs
delivered to graduates’ homes to celebrate the Class of 2020
299
years served at Seven Hills by our first 7x “Super 7” employee
Barb Ewell Eaton 19 virtual parent meetings
paintings done at the easel by Rainbow and Red Barn students
held during distance learning
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FAMILY SPOTLIGHT We Can Make A Difference: An Interview with the Swiggett Family Morgan and Lisa Swiggett both grew up in East Bay public schools, but describe their experience as a “one size fits all” approach. Four years ago, they were hoping to find a school for their children, Tabitha and Duncan, that could offer a more intimate and personal learning experience, that focused on the social aspects of learning alongside the academic. As they talked to family and friends who attended local private schools, they heard that the kids from Seven Hills were more prepared overall for their high school experience. “We heard that Seven Hills students were well-rounded kids, who knew how to learn, were socially comfortable with each other, and were willing to try everything. It sounded like the whole package for what we wanted for our kids,” Morgan recalls. When they first drove through the Seven Hills gates for their admissions tour, they asked themselves, “are we still in Walnut Creek?” In addition to the natural campus, they were especially sold when they toured the Red Barn space—the dreaminess of the setup, the freedom the children had, and the unique style of early childhood education. They noticed how Shauna Maraccini and the other teachers communicated with the 3-5 year-olds—seeing them as whole people already, with their own sets of challenges and desires, and never sounding worn out or frustrated. Now several years into their Seven Hills journey, the Swiggetts have seen the ways in which the school has fostered different passions in their children. Duncan’s favorite memories consist of any time spent learning with Linden. Being on the Kids Green Committee has been significant for Tabi, who loves to bring a ziplock bag to school to pick up trash with her friends. One day Duncan noticed trash that had blown and collected near the freeway, and asked, “Mommy, why is all that trash here?” It served as an opportunity for their family to clean up the area together, take pride in their work, and live out a part of the Seven Hills mission, fostering respect for, and responsibility to, our world. This spirit of making a difference has inspired Morgan and Lisa to volunteer both at Seven Hills and throughout the Bay Area. They are co-room parents for the first time this year, and have been
found at many Campus Beautification days getting themselves dirty in the creek. Lisa has enjoyed the chance to use her visual arts degree to create stunning decorations for the auction; Morgan has brought his musical and marching band experience into classroom music times. “We want our kids to know that we live in this
community, we have the advantages of this community, and that giving back time to make it better is super important.”
Morgan and Lisa are grateful for the opportunity to be part of a close school community they didn’t have growing up—where administrators know your name, you know the parents of your children’s friends, and you have open communication with teachers. Even through the transition to distance learning, they know Seven Hills is the right fit for their family. “Within one week of things shutting down, we had our materials, and we had the school to lean on. We didn’t have to worry,” says Lisa. The Swiggett family does look forward to when students and families will all be back together in person. With both children now in Lower School—they’re excited to make many more memories— from the Gold Rush and Box City, to Japan and all the delicious meals that will come out of the new Tenvold kitchen.
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FOCUS ON FACULTY We’re All in This Together: Faculty Collaboration in the Transition to Distance Learning An integral part of the Seven Hills culture, faculty collaboration has really become a prime focus of teacher development over the past few years. Collaborating across classrooms to plan curriculum and lessons, the formation of grade-level and subject area teaching teams, and increased alignment from grade to grade, the Seven Hills program emphasizes the importance of leveraging teachers’ strengths while remaining flexible to new methodologies that benefit student learning. When families around the world navigated school closures due to the coronavirus outbreak, the successful pivot to distance learning at Seven Hills was in large part due to the structure and culture of collaboration that was already in place. In the weekend prior to our campus closure, teachers could be seen planning for diverse student needs, assembling distance learning care packages, and researching the new digital tools that were becoming available. They imagined ways to reshape a unit, reexamine a scope and sequence, and asked each other—how can we do this even better? How can we make this more inclusive? The Seven Hills traditions of ingenuity, creativity, and collaboration have proven even more essential in our current environment. Despite not being able to reopen in person this past August, teaching teams spent the summer learning from the successes and lessons of last spring and developing ageappropriate, dynamic curriculum for remote learning. The addition of content coordinators over the past few years has allowed Seven Hills the opportunity to mix and match students and lessons across learning styles and interests. In distance learning mode, support teachers and floating guest teachers can host virtual breakout sessions for small group support, differentiation, and enrichment. It takes a village, and collaboration across grades and disciplines has made our program stronger than ever, as well as more sustainable over time. We are moved by the words of the 6th graders’ High School Musical performance, “we’re all in this together.”
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It takes a village, and collaboration across grades and disciplines has made our program stronger than ever, as well as more sustainable over time.
NEW LEADERS JOIN THE SEVEN HILLS TEAM As we bid farewell to a number of long-serving members of the leadership team last year, Seven Hills is excited to begin the 202021 school year with four new administrators coming aboard the leadership team. Experts in their fields, passionate about education,
Alexander Kopelevich has joined the
and eager to continually enhance the Seven Hills experience to benefit students, these leaders are creating the best learning experience for students while helping us move our school strategic plans forward.
Dan Meyers has taken the helm as Seven
administration as the Chief Finance and Operations Officer. Alex grew up in Moscow, Russia, and brings 25 years of experience leading finance, human resources, business, and operations in independent schools in Los Angeles, Florida, Pennsylvania, La Cañada, and Pasadena, and most recently at Bentley School in Lafayette. Wearing many hats, he is a solid collaborator with our faculty, staff, and Board of Trustees as he helps move the school’s strategic priorities forward and plan for the future. When not on campus helping the school run smoothly, Alex can be found local or long-distance trips on his motorcycle or driving his car somewhere up Highway 1.
Hills’ next Head of Middle School, following the retirement of Scott Espinosa-Brown (p. 22). With 20 years of research-driven educational experience, Dan partners with Middle School students and their families in their developmental journey towards high school and mentors faculty and administrative colleagues to lead the program forward. Prior to Seven Hills, Dan served as Assistant Head of School and Dean of Faculty at The Ethel Walker School in Simsbury, Connecticut. Seven Hills has represented a return home to the East Bay for Dan and his family, who welcomed their second son in July. Outside of school, Dan enjoys trail running and has completed several marathons and ultra-marathons.
Muhammad Ramadan is our Director
Jase Turner leads Seven Hills’ efforts
of Educational Technology. He promotes innovative uses of EdTech in classrooms that point back to the school’s mission, enhance learning, support innovative thinking, and facilitate collaboration with teams. His aim is to empower learners, educators, and all members of the community to reach their positive potential through technology. Before joining the Seven Hills technology department, Muhammad was the primary educational technology administrator at Thaden School in Arkansas; he also spent 15 years as an educator in middle and high school. When not doing EdTech, you can find Muhammad traveling the world or playing ultimate frisbee.
to carry out the goals and priorities set forward in our bold strategic plan, Whole Child, Whole Community as the new Assistant Head for Strategic Priorities. He works to advance our program aspirations in curriculum and professional development, spearheads Seven Hills’ diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts, and also serves as a middle school advisor and Restorative Justice teacher. Jase came to Seven Hills from Bishop O’Dowd High School in Oakland where he served as Associate Principal for Student Life. A fun fact about Jase: he was inducted into Pomona-Pitzer Athletics Hall of Fame for his college baseball career and was drafted by the Kansas City Royals.
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FOCUS ON STUDENTS The Joy of Writing: Writer’s Workshop at Seven Hills School writing programs have a history of feeling formulaic, a “one size fits all” approach with an emphasis on structure, rather than individualized student voice and choice in what they want to write about. Over the past few summers, many Seven Hills faculty have honed their practice as lifelong learners at Columbia University’s Teachers College Readers and Writers Project, which has become the pedagogical framework for Seven Hills’ K-8 writing curriculum over the past four years. Informed by years of research in child development, the Readers and Writers Project’s mission is to help students become confident readers, writers, and inquirers.
The goals and beliefs of the Project align with Seven Hills’ educational philosophy of building in student agency, voice, and choice, as well as fostering meaningful interactions between peers and teachers. These self-differentiating programs include a minilesson, scaffolded practice, one-to-one and small group conferring, as well as plenty of time for students to write independently. The writing curriculum focuses on three main genres: narrative, opinion, and informational writing. Students focus on the narrative genre, including “small moments,” in the early elementary grades. By 8th grade, they are creating pieces related to an essential
“Students can choose to write about what matters uniquely to them.” Beth Wadsworth, Learning Specialist
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idea or theme, including memoirs of self-discovery and memory. Students can choose to write about what matters uniquely to them within the current genre being studied, and move through the workshop process of writing their own pieces that reflect mastery of their learning. They are encouraged to add personal elements such as small actions, internal dialogue, and external details, which help them access memory and build a compelling story. As students share their process with their writing partners or groups, they also build trust and affinity with their peers.
Schedule of a Writers Workshop 5. Sharing Students share their work with a writing partner, and teachers honor student work.
4. Independent writing Students use this additional time to hone their craft.
“In Writer’s Workshop, students learn that their lives are worth writing about and that they should care deeply about what they write,” says Beth Wadsworth, who focuses on literacy in the Lower School. Since implementing this model at Seven Hills, teachers have seen more writing energy and enthusiasm from their students, who feel more invested in their work. From a Kindergartener naming their feeling to a Middle School student writing their truth, students are developing their own voice and becoming skilled, vulnerable, and passionate writers.
1. Mini-lesson Teachers present a mini-lesson on structure, language development, or craft. These short 8-10-minute lessons follow a systematic progression providing young writers with strategies to learn the hallmarks of the given genre.
2. Independent writing After the mini-lesson, students have long stretches of independent time to write, building their stamina as writers. As students work, teachers assemble small groups or confer one-on-one to do individualized coaching. These conference conversations with each student focus on one aspect of the student’s writing and offer specific feedback aligned to next steps.
3. Mid-workshop interruption Teachers pause the writing time to clarify, highlight student work, add a teaching point, or motivate the writers.
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COMMUNITY LIFE
Third grade Cottage News journalists take a hard hat tour of the Tenvold kitchen construction.
Kindergarten celebrates harvest time at Smith Family Farm.
Inspired by their summer reading, Posted, Middle Schoolers cover lockers with encouraging post-it notes.
Enjoying their first field trip, ECE students watch Last Stop On Market Street at the Bay Area Children’s Theater.
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All-aboard! Kindergarten teachers reimagine the annual end of year train trip with a campus drive-thru.
Celebrating student voice and learning at an outdoor Green & White Day Assembly.
Seven Hills surprised the graduating 8th graders with yard signs to celebrate the Class of 2020!
Fun with business and math during 5th grade Box City.
Welcoming Ms. Cardella Home Despite the uncertain times and shelter in place in April, Seven Hills faculty and staff were able to connect as a school family to celebrate Kindergarten teacher Kelly Cardella’s final chemotherapy appointment and welcome her home. Socially distanced in decorated cars, employees lined Ms. Cardella’s street on a beautiful sunny day and cheered for her as she arrived home with her family. They also decorated her entire house with paper chains covered in notes of wellwishes and pride. Seven Hills is excited to have Kelly back in the Kindergarten classroom this year!
Second graders sharing games and connection with our Japanese guests.
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COMMUNITY LIFE
Recreating Works of Art During Quarantine
Fourth graders explore handson science, art, and human perception at the Exploratorium in San Francisco.
Assembly guest Unique Derique dazzles Lower School students with comedic mishaps and circus tricks.
The Yale Spizzwinks a capella group entertains students with their riveting vocals and signature humor.
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During the transition to distance learning, Lower School art teacher Rebecca Larson found inspiration for her students in the “Getty Museum Challenge� that took off on social media. She asked Lower School students to select a famous portrait of their choosing and to recreate it using household objects they could find themselves. It was a great way to introduce some art history to the students as well as encourage some pretty amazing creativity to exercise their artistic sides! Here are some of their striking recreations.
Bringing home the Spring Break Camp fun during a virtual cooking class.
The 2nd grade team brings laughter to their remote classroom with Crazy Hat Day!
6th graders participate in a service day at Kids Against Hunger in Pleasanton.
Lunch with Linden: A Virtual Birthday Party More than 70 members of the Seven Hills community, past and present, joined us for “Lunch with Linden” over Zoom to celebrate Linden Van Wert’s 80th birthday. From school librarian to Green Ombudsman, Linden has had a positive impact on generations of families during her 43 years at Seven Hills, living our mission in fostering respect for and responsibility to our world. As a secret surprise to honor her on her birthday, alumni, students, parents, and coworkers put together a digital album full of birthday wishes, cards, and pictures for her. Happy birthday, Linden!
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OH, THE PLACES THEY’LL GO! Virtual Commencement Ceremony and Parade Celebrates the Class of 2020 Although Seven Hills was not able to hold a traditional graduation ceremony due to the coronavirus pandemic, the community came together to celebrate the Class of 2020 and recognize their milestone achievement. Graduation morning began with a virtual ceremony on Zoom, where graduates’ families, friends, and former teachers joined online to celebrate the 8th graders. In keeping with special traditions, the ceremony was marked by student speeches, advice from Kathleen McNamara, and individual meaningful quotes shared by each of the 45 graduates. Immediately following the virtual ceremony, each graduate and their family were invited to a drive-through campus parade, where each student was awarded their diploma in a socially-distanced style reminiscent of morning drop-off. In the days leading up to graduation, each student also received a yard sign delivery and “graduation in a box” to open after the ceremony, complete with a graduation program, t-shirt, lei, “Quarantine Jag,” custom cookie, and confetti popper. In the wake of adversity, challenges, and disappointment at the end of their year, the Class of 2020 graduated even more determined, creative, and resilient—qualities that will benefit them during unprecedented times and beyond. Cheers, graduates!
“Each and every student here is a star. During the day, we can’t see stars, or at least it’s really hard to. However, at the end of the day, the stars shine brightly, reminding us that they are still here. We may not be in the halls every day, but at the end of the day, we will shine brightly to remind you we are a part of the Seven Hills community.”
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– Grace Carpenter ‘20
OH, THE PLACES THEY’LL GO! Class of 2020: High School Destinations
Class of 2016: College Destinations
Zoya Acuña, Acalanes
Rachel Husk, Las Lomas
Isabella Ambrose, Athenian
Olivia James, Carondelet
Seven Hills alumni from the Class of 2016 have big plans and were accepted into top colleges and universities across the U.S.
Fia Andersen, Athenian
Nicholas Johns, De La Salle
Brandon Betz, De La Salle
Tre Johnson, Las Lomas
Zayan Boghani, College Park
Stephen Klein, Athenian
Julia Buhalis, Battle Ground Academy
Alex Kochly, Northgate
Grayson Konigsberg, San Ramon Valley Grace Carpenter, Miles Koster, Bentley San Ramon Valley Noni Lee, Northgate William Catterton, Kaveri Lee, Carondelet San Ramon Valley Matthew Lin, Head-Royce Ella Delaney, Benjamin Marek, San Ramon Valley College Preparatory Eliana DeSilva, Carondelet Grace McCargar, Northgate Shahriar Dhedhi, Stevenson Lucia Mercado, Northgate Cole Dutra, Grace-Elizabeth Mills, San Ramon Valley Bentley Chloe Ebel, Miramonte Alison Rhee, Miramonte Rohan Ganapavarapu, Wren Roberts, Northgate Athenian Liana Rozbahani, Charlotte Gandy, Carondelet Carondelet Paige Scheinberg, Ryan Gandy, De La Salle College Preparatory Nate Greenberg, Northgate Lucas Seifart, Jake Greer, Athenian San Ramon Valley Jack Grossman, Las Lomas Andrew Shargel, Las Lomas Taylor Gudebski, Thacher Claire Stead, Las Lomas Chloe Hausmann, Sophia Swany, Monte Vista Carondelet Cullen Hoch, San Ramon Valley
MIDWEST
Cleveland Institue of Art Indiana University Bloomington Northwestern University
NORTHEAST
Boston College Emerson College Georgetown University Harvard University Princeton University Villanova University
WEST
Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo California State University, Chico California State University, Long Beach Chapman University (3) Claremont McKenna College Concordia University, Irvine Diablo Valley College Lewis & Clark College (2) Pomona College Saint Mary’s College of California San Diego State University Santa Clara University University of California, Los Angeles University of California, San Diego (2) University of California, Santa Cruz University of Oregon University of Nevada, Reno University of Portland University of Southern California University of Utah University of Washington
SOUTH
Duke University Texas Christian University (2) Tulane University
INTERNATIONAL
The University of British Columbia
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ALUMNI EVENTS Working in partnership with the Alumni Council, Seven Hills had a busy year helping to connect our alumni network through both inperson and virtual events. Whether a networking event in San Francisco, opportunities to reconnect with classmates, keeping up to date with the latest happenings, or looking for ways to give back, Seven Hills hopes to inspire alumni to engage and strengthen the relationships they have with each other and the school.
ALUMNI HAPPY HOUR Alumni and alumni parents from the Class of 1995 thru 2012 had a blast catching up with old friends and making new connections over drinks and appetizers at the Alumni Happy Hour at Drake’s Dealership in Oakland. Guests also had the opportunity to toast special guest Scott Espinosa-Brown as he headed into his final few months at Seven Hills.
SENIOR SEND-OFF As high school seniors celebrated their graduations in new and unique ways last spring, Seven Hills welcomed back the Class of 2016 for the first-ever virtual Senior Send-Off event. Class of 2016 alumni and their parents joined faculty and staff on Zoom to share stories and memories, and chat about their next adventures ahead.
CARE PACKAGE PARTY Many thanks to the Class of 2015 alumni parents who gathered on campus to assemble and stuff care packages for young alumni in their first year in college, filled with cozy treats and handwritten notes from their favorite Seven Hills teachers.
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CONNECTIONS AROUND THE COUNTRY Where in the world is Ms. McNamara? On her travels to the east coast last year, Kathleen McNamara stopped to catch up with Elliot Heywood ’13 in Washington, D.C. and Ronil Synghal ’14 and Ben Breach ’15 in Philadelphia at the University of Pennsylvania.
HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS WELCOME CLASS OF 2020 The Class of 2020 was officially welcomed into the alumni ranks at the longstanding Alumni Welcome Luncheon, held live on Zoom. While it might not have been the traditional get-together in Tenvold, the wise insight from a panel of alumni speakers continued. Five members of the Class of 2016—Natalie Ionescu ’16, Armaan Johal ’16, Dami Olatunji ’16, Hanako Helton ’16, and Aidan Davis ’16—shared advice on transitioning to high school, balancing academics and social life, and the importance of staying connected to Seven Hills.
CAREER PATHWAYS NETWORKING EVENT In November 2019, Seven Hills parents, alumni, alumni parents, faculty, and staff came together at the Google offices for the third annual Career Pathways Networking event in San Francisco. The evening event opened with cocktails and networking followed by an engaging fireside chat with Jim Lanzone, former CEO at CBS Interactive and Chief Digital Officer at CBS Corporation (now CEO of Tinder). Lanzone discussed how his love for television spurred his journey of leaving law school, to starting his first start-up Clickr.com, to becoming CEO at CBS. Career Pathways showcases the strength of the Seven Hills community by providing an engaging forum for alumni, alumni parents, and current parents to stay connected and network with one another.
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2019-20 ANNUAL REPORT A Message from the Board Chair As I reflect on the past year, the phrase, “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times,” from Charles Dickens’ A Tale of Two Cities could describe what Seven Hills has accomplished and endured during the global pandemic. In these times of uncertainty, we have much to be thankful for. I would especially like to applaud the tremendous efforts of Kathleen McNamara, who has partnered with the educational leadership team, faculty, staff, and Board of Trustees to lead us through one of the most challenging years in our school’s 58-year history. It’s also important to acknowledge that many of the below milestones would not be possible without the strong partnership and financial support of every parent, grandparent, guardian, alumnus, and alumni parent.
• As the Bay Area shelter-in-place order arrived in mid-March, Seven Hills quickly pivoted to distance learning. As we enter the new school year, our distance learning program is even more robust and ready to meet the needs of our families.
• The Board of Trustees carefully examined the school’s projected financial condition and made the strategic decision to suspend the planned tuition increase for the new school year.
• We successfully launched our first-ever online auction, and our generous donors helped us raise
more than $180,000, including over $73,000 for our new Community Support Fund, designed to assist families in need because of the pandemic.
• Over the summer, in the midst of unprecedented social unrest on both the local and national levels, members of our Board’s Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Committee met to further augment the school’s ongoing DEI work and begin specific discussions focused on racial injustice and systemic racism, so our community can start to have candid conversations about race as well as inform our anti-racism curriculum going forward.
• We have also made significant investments to implement pandemic best practices related to student cohorts, staffing, educational spaces, and communal spaces, and Seven Hills stands ready to re-open safely in compliance with state and county guidelines.
• Finally, Kathleen, together with administrators and faculty members, successfully completed the CAIS accreditation process. They submitted a 92-page self-study document in December and welcomed the CAIS team to campus in early March, prior to the campus closure. We received a very positive visiting committee report in July, and anticipate receiving a seven-year accreditation, the highest rating possible, this winter.
Indeed, we are more grateful than ever for our community, and there is more exciting work to be done as we remain focused on our strategic priorities and, most importantly, our students. In partnership with Kathleen, her team, and the Board, it’s my belief that Seven Hills will emerge from this period a healthier and stronger institution that will educate future artists, athletes, entrepreneurs, leaders, thinkers, and writers to be passionate about improving the world. Sincerely,
Matt Janopaul Chair, Board of Trustees
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FINANCIALS 2019-20 Board of Trustees BOARD MEMBERS Sameer Advani Jamil Akoni Heather Alumbaugh Pat Blake Annette O’Donnell-Butner Paul Deeringer Candace Fleming Matt Janopaul Raj Krishnan Alexandra Lee Mackenzie Lesher Patrick Lin Rob Little Matt Macomber Julie Meissner Ronke Olatunji Bryce Pinkos ’99 David Satterfield Seiyonne Suriyakumar ’02 Lisa Barnett Sween Kirsten Young
OPERATING REVENUES Net Tuition1 $9,688,765 85.4% Annual Fund and Auction2 693,075 6.1% Other 732,254 6.5% Endowment Draw 235,362 2.1% Total $11,349,456 1. Net Tuition does not include $1,437,108 Tuition Assistance 2. Does not include Raise the Paddle
$73,600
OPERATING EXPENSES3 Salaries and Benefits $8,409,755 74.5% Instructional 992,633 8.8% General and Administrative 725,688 6.4% Fundraising 104,365 0.9% Plant 451,070 4.0% Debt Service 610,321 5.4% Total
$11,293,832
3. Excludes non-cash depreciation/amortization
Capital Projects and Maintenance $156,789 Note: capital expense is funded via operations, gifts, and reserves
Endowment $5,264,283 Total Liabilities and Net Assets $32,241,627
$881,152
Seven Hills is committed to investing in and enhancing the student experience while keeping tuition increases as low as possible. The Board of Trustees sets tuition annually and oversees the school’s finances with the dual goals of supporting mission-driven growth and promoting fiscal strength. The overall operating budget in 2019-20 was over $11 million. Faculty and staff salaries and benefits continued to account for nearly 75 percent of the overall operating expenses, while tuition provided 85 percent of the overall operating revenue. Philanthropic support of the Annual Fund and auction, combined with alternative revenue, is the largest source of operating revenue other than tuition. These numbers reflect pre-audited financials. Audit will be available upon request as of December 2020.
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HONOR ROLL OF DONORS 2019-20 Extraordinary Gratitude In what will be remembered as an extraordinary year of learning, we extend our sincerest gratitude to our many philanthropic partners who contributed to Seven Hills during the 2019-20 school year. With your generous support, Seven Hills continues to deliver on our promise of a whole child education that is student-centered, guided by dedicated faculty who instill a love of learning, a growth mindset, and the skills to navigate our diverse and ever-changing, complex world. In the following pages, we recognize the collective generosity of parents, trustees, grandparents, alumni parents, alumni, foundations, friends, faculty, and staff who have made an extraordinary impact in the lives of our students.
Annual Fund Donors Visionaries
$20,000 - $29,999 Benjamin and Sara Clinger Ravikanth Ganapavarapu Robert and Renee Little
Leadership Circle $10,000 - $19,999
Anonymous The Benevity Community Impact Fund Patrick and Alison Blake Christopher and Annette Butner Fidelity Charitable Gift Fund Matthew and Marissa Janopaul Kenneth and Jennie Klein Stephen and Mackenzie Lesher
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We are most grateful to our Annual Fund donors and the more than 95% of families who gave above and beyond the cost of tuition to create the best learning environment for students between July 1, 2019 and June 30, 2020. From big ticket items to the smallest details that set Seven Hills apart, the Annual Fund directly supports the people, programs, and experiences that we love and value most about a Seven Hills education—adding the extra in extraordinary.
David and Anabelle Satterfield Schwab Charitable Fund Del and Kimberly Stafford Corby and Heather Stead
Giving Champs $5,000 - $9,999
George and Stephanie Buhalis Jonathan and Kristin Butler Fermin and Sharda Caro Del Castillo Frank and Elizabeth Cassal Chevron Matching Employee Funds Brian and Kristen D’Arcy Daniel Delaney Lindsay Delaney
David DeSilva Baird and Alissa Fogel Charles Gibson and Terezia Nemeth Robert and Wendy Greer Joel and Holly Grossman Louis Grossman Frederick Hughes, Jr. Fred and Noel Hughes Wendy Jordan Imran Junaid and Anita Bhat Raj and Rupy Krishnan Jim and Shannon Lanzone Patrick and Darlet Lin Richard and Patricia Marcogliese Jonathan and Gillian Marek Drew and Kaeti McMillan
Kathleen McNamara and Jihad Mirza National Philanthropic Trust David and Sylvia Pearlstein Gregory Pilarowski and Anna Gai
Yi Shi and Shangjie Zuo Patrick and Diane Suciu Thomas and Stephanie Taira The Deramus Foundation Nghia and Pranom Tran Wally and Kirsten Young
Head’s Circle
$2,500 - $4,999 Sameer and Stella Advani Katherine Alberts and Lori Siegel Anonymous (3) Simon Ashiku and Annette Chen Maximilian and Lori Auffhammer Bank of America Charitable Gift Fund
100% of the Faculty and Staff participated in the Annual Fund
Bank of America Matching Gifts Program Dennis and Veronica Brinkmann Dan Browne and Palwasha Barekzaie Kevin Bui and Trina Dong Paul Chua and Grace Chan Paul and Christa Deeringer Zoran Djuric and Gordana Djordjevic Eric and Stéphanie Ebel David Fitzgerald and Haywon Lieh Lee and Candace Fleming Jay and Genevieve Gudebski
$5.2
million
Adding the Extra in Extraordinary: Your Gifts at Work!
Dollars the endowment surpassed last year
Extraordinary Opportunities
Karan and Ella Gupta Scot and Liann Hagey Jacques and Kimberly Herring Sameer and Melissa Hilal Brett and Kymberly Johnson Thomas and Danielle Kahl Pamela Keith and Elizabeth Mahler Peter and Tara Khoury Mitchell Kumagai and Deborah Podberesky Cornel and Alexandra Lee Yong Jae Lee and Yaewon Kang Kurt and Leighanne Levensaler Ning Li and Jing Yang Eric and Karen Littell Zhonghui Luo and Li Huang Matthew and Kamin Macomber MasterCard Matching Gifts Program Paul and Kristina McCaffrey Jay and Julie Meissner Cassian and Jeanette Naughton Neil Pathare and Paru Chaudhari Robert and Margie Pearce Jeffrey and Jessica Pozzi Jeremy and Jennifer Rich Jon and Tatyana Russell Salesforce.com Foundation
Ross Schwaber and Catherine Fielding Simerjit Singh and Harmol Raikhy Andrew and Kathryn Solomon Brooks and Michelle Stratmore Edward and Devra Struzenberg Edward Surak and Claudia Furtado Morgan and Lisa Swiggett The San Francisco Foundation TPG Vanguard Charitable David and Joelle Weckerle Davis Yee and Nina Lee
Benefactors
$1,000 - $2,499 Jamil and Cheryl Akoni Jason and Nicole Ambrose Jonathan and Amanda Ambrose Peter and Tina Andersen Anonymous (2) Amir Axelrod and Sherry Wang-Axelrod Douglas Baloun and Traci Huahn Brian and Lisa Baskin Gordon and Diana Baty Ilya Borovikov and Victoria Holcomb Robert and Judy Butler Michael and Dara Buzzard
Kimberly Carpenter Ronald and Fannie Chan Rick and May Chuarta Kevin Considine and Christine Paige Considine Ryan and Amie Cort Imran and Regula Dhedhi Thomas and Julie Ducharme Mario and Graciela Dueñas Mario and Tamara Dueñas Alexander and Samantha Duff Jonathan and Laura Forman Juan Gaviria and Marcela Robledo Sadegh and Narguess Ghorban GoodAgent.org Douglas Hilmen and Joy Hirayama Paul Ho and Katherine Jue James and Cara Hollis IBM Matching Grants Program Andy and Barb Jaspar Jewish Community Federation Byongkook Kang and Helen Yoon Jeffrey and Nicole Kangas Tanveer and Sarah Khan Charles Killian and Michelle Watts Killian Brent and Rebecca Larson
Students expand their horizons through a wellrounded curriculum of art, music, world language, technology, science, PE, and digital literacy.
Jeremy Lasky and Michelle Fang Jae Lee and Shireen Advani Lee Robert and Christine Lee Alexandr and Julia Lints Norman and Mo Livermore Randall and Elizabeth Luskey Kathleen Manning Aimee Medeiros James Mellor and Mimi Melton MGD Painting & Decorating, Inc. Jason and Ginelle Mills Henri and Lorena Moudi Nand and Sarbani Mulchandani Pacific Gas & Electric Justin and Tracy Pajer Rahul Parikh and Rina Shah Gregory and Liana Pope William Radtke and Tabitha Kix-Radtke Rafi Rafiei Rozbahani and Banafshe Nabizadeh Sean Ragasa and Thanh Tran John and Julie Rhee George and Cheri Russell Jay Saoud and Kristina Kramer Brian Scheinberg and Laura Pierson- Scheinberg Armin Seifart Kat Sellis Papadakis
Extraordinary Educators
Dedicated teams of lead, support, and specialty teachers inspire lifelong learning and promote individual learning styles to encourage each child’s success.
Extraordinary Student Experience
An on-campus counselor, restorative justice classes, mindfulness times, student clubs, and electives support students’ social and emotional well-being.
Extraordinary Integrated Technology
Students have access to an iPad or laptop during the school year, supported by a Director of Educational Technology, to create flexibility to transition between on-campus and distance learning.
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2019-20 Annual Fund Class Captains With tireless enthusiasm and dedication, the Annual Fund Class Captains helped secure a solid 95% parent participation for the 2019-20 Annual Fund campaign by encouraging fellow parents to make their annual commitment. Many thanks to our Annual Fund Parent Chair Katie Alberts and the entire Class Captain team for ensuring a bright future for our students.
Rainbow Jeanette Naughton
Red Barn Grace Chan
Kindergarten Joel Grossman
1st Wren Amos
2nd Andrew Bothwell
3rd 4th 5th 6th
Joel Grossman Jay Meissner Casey Conroy Marissa Janopaul Jason Husk
7th Vicky Holcomb
8th Michael Gandy
Annual Fund Parent Chair Katie Alberts
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6% Jesal and Shachi Shah John and Deborah Steinbuch Shahzad Sultan and Hina Ahmad Christopher and Carrie Swany John Sween and Lisa Barnett Sween Carlo Tamburrino and Paulette DeFalco Michael Tatara and Helen Kurtz Larry and Deveney Totten Ahmad Varoqua and Joanne Marzan Robert and Amy Walters Daniel and Barbara Wark Joshua and Tara Wellen Wells Fargo Foundation Educational Matching Gifts Program Workday
Friends
Up to $999 Jeffrey and Heidi Abramson
of the overall operating budget contributed by the Annual Fund and Auction
Walter and Natasha Acuña Nick Adamson and Carisa Harris Adamson Nyah Akoni ’18 Annie Allen Christina Alonso Russell and Crystal Alpert Faisal Althenayan and Rasha Alshaye Anonymous (13) Rodolfo and Virginia Arias David and Vivian Auslander Autodesk Inc. Gene and Alicia Bakkum Carlos and Domenica Benitez Patrick and Min Berbon Nick and Clare Bisho Altaf and Salimah Boghani Stephanie Bolanos Andrew and Kellen Bothwell David and Kim Bridges Bright Funds Foundation
Brent and Christiane Brinkerhoff Bill Butner and Bil Sullivan Jones Butner Mark and Kelly Cardella Adrian Carrillo and Michelle Barahona Lucien and Lauren Cazenave Michael Chamberlain and Kathleen Jiménez Steve and Lucy Chappell Edward and Vanessa Childs Cisco Community Connection Matching Gifts Program Peter and Precilla Clancy The Clorox Company Foundation Daniel and Kelley Cochran William and Cynthia Cogswell Casey Conroy and Diana Herrera-Conroy Jeremy Coyne and Tet Salva
Dawn Craig and Teresa Brink Ryan and Nicole Crowley Dan and Rebecca Cushing William and Linda Daniel Brad and Cora Davidson Jason and Lisa Davis Pamela Dayton Amish and Shilpa Doshi William Dutra Bayley Dycus and Katrina Thomas-Dycus Samuel East and Kristy McVey East Barbara Eaton Danilo Ebias Lauren Elkind Scott and Katherine Espinosa-Brown Kurt and Sheryl Ettinger Paul and Laurel Evans Bejan and Torrey Farahbakhsh Joseph and Lucy Felcher Marlon Fernandez and Wren Amos Cecilia Figueroa
EVERY student, faculty, and staff member benefits from the Annual Fund
James and Marcie Fitzsimmons Jamaal Footman and Laney Erokan Michael and Katherine Gandy Anne Gartner Gregory Gholson and Katherine Henderson Laury Glasgow Susanne Goldman Bob and Patty Gonser Mark and Christi Gotvald Doug and Susan Greenberg Jack and Marcia Greenberg Marc and Wendy Greenberg John and Khira Griscavage Benjamin and Joanna Grossman
Jesus and Lucy Hernandez Tony Hernandez Spencer and Gina Hinck Dewey Horton and Ann Hatanaka Gabriel and Stephanie Hough Patrick and Kimberly Hughes Jason and Anna Husk Richard and Jennifer James Matthew and Nicole Jeffers Thomas and Pauline Jeffers Matthew and Natalie Johns Charles and Lainie Johnson
95% of Parents participated in the Annual Fund
Daryal and Christie Hall Russell and Jane Hall James and Hali Hausmann Patricia Hausmann Travis and Corinne Hayhurst William and Kimberly Hecht Brian Hennessy ’04 Hernandez Janitorial Services
Kaiser Permanente Community Giving Matching Gift Program Pedram and Fatemeh Karbassi Zahoor Kareem and Tanveer Alibhai Hope Katakis Megan Kaye ’09 Bryan and Jenifer Kester Mark Kilroy and Mari Shurtz
Edward and Christine Kim Andrew and Alana Kleinberger Nathan Kochly and Jennifer Davis Neil and Patrice Konigsberg Emily Koster Kathryn Kreuser Chalis Kuba Carlton and Carrie La Cour Troy and Nancy Lane Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory Adam ’87 and Shannon Lechner Elgin and Michele Leslie Tom and Jacqui Levey David Levin and Julie Scarpelli Steve and Sarah Lewis Carla Lo Coco ’92 Carlos Lobo and Riki Gibson Paresh and Veena Lohia Mohamed and Chelsea Lounnas Thomas and Denise Lyle Matthew and Shauna Maraccini Jennifer Marcus Michael and Alisha Marsh Robert and Caroline Maruska James McDonnell and Linda Margulies Philip McFann Andrew McManus John McWeeney James and Nina Meehan Michael and Leanne Mercado Neil Meyer and Stephanie Chiang Dan Michael and Lillian Leong Bill and Kristy Miller Neil and Rhys Miller John Anthony and Angela Miranda Modus LLC Monsanto Clare Moore Daniel Murphy Carolyn Nelson
Marygail Nelson Frank and Natasha Nicholson-Bjerre Calin and Anca Niculescu Stacy Norman Kerry and Charlene O’Brien Eniola and Aderonke Olatunji Jon and Tina Ory Jason and Melissa Ovadia Camile Pennix Bryce Pinkos ’99 and Shawn Wood Heidi Plumb Joseph Pollock and Rebecca Demorest Don and Fern Prosnitz Robert and Gina Puljiz PwC Shandon Quinn and Diane Maroongroge Gustavo Rafaela and Samantha Buono Nathan and Kimberly Rapp Ralph Raulli Ingrid Ray Michael and Brianne Riley David Rippon and Heather Alumbaugh Daniel and Kristine Rivera Cyrell Roberson Generra and Nicole Rocchi Jonathan and Jennifer Rodde Phillip and Teri Rogers Daniel Rogoff and Laura Cox ROSS Gives Back Michael Rubiano Gay Lee Rubin Nathan Rynerson and Daphna Klugman Amit Sachdeva and Rebecca Rubin Philipp Sack and Sukhwant Singh Colin Safreed and Xochitl Gonzalez Safreed Matthew Sager and Amanda Ashton-Sager Ibrahim and Aylin Sahin Michael and Lauren Sanders
100% of the Board of Trustees participated in the Annual Fund Edward Scherr and Shelly Pozzi Susan Schnieders Steven Schwab Keith and Deborah Shipherd Matthew and Jennifer Shump Jonathan and Ali Singh Paul Smith Angelina Sosa Douglas Spear and Isabelle Ord ‘86 Stephanie Sproul Stephen and Katherine Stahl Jeff Steinberg and Kirsten Woods Cynthia Stephenson Diana Superfin Seiyonne Suriyakumar ’02 and Anika Shah Kristel Svansjo Daniel and Lindsay Sweetnam The Walt Disney Company Foundation Cassidy Thompson Jason and Adrienne Timmons
TisBest Philanthropy United Way of the Bay Area William and Kimberly Vaughn Geoffrey and Beth Wadsworth Brian and Sophia Walsh Brian and Taryn Wardwell Bob and Alison Wash Murray and Mari Weiss Roger and Lani Werne Eric ‘96 and Emily Wight Steven and Linda Wight Robinson and Joanie Wills John and Lisa Woll Arthur Woo and Emmelie Sabatte Ponce and Lourdes Yambao Farhad Zamani and Georgina Jensen Doug and Lorna Zlock Arlo and Christine Zoerner
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Endowed Fund Celebrates 26 Years of Service for Scott Espinosa-Brown With a passion for education and students, Scott-Espinosa Brown guided students, faculty, and families at Seven Hill for 26 years. For many, Scott was a constant and friendly presence, welcoming generations of students and families into Middle School. Greeting students at carline each morning with a smile and a wave, Scott’s ability to listen, validate, and encourage students to take risks and give their best effort has left an enduring impression on the Middle School’s culture, programs, and students. As Mr. E-B graduated with the class of 2020 in June, parents, alumni parents, and alumni celebrated Scott’s retirement from Seven Hills by making generous gifts to The Scott Espinosa-Brown Endowed Fund for Student Life, Leadership, and Service. Established by parents Cybille and Larry Scott (AP ’14, ’16, ’17) in 2016, the fund has grown to more than $250,000 with gifts inspired by graduating parents and alumni over the last four years. “Our family established this endowment as a way to show our deep appreciation for Scott and the important role he played in our children’s lives,” says Cybille Scott. “This fund will ensure Scott’s legacy continues to impact the student experience for years to come. What a great tribute!” This endowment fund will support student growth and the overall student experience by investing in the programs and initiatives at the heart of a Seven Hills education—student life, leadership, and service. Whether expanding service learning opportunities, creating opportunities for “student voice and student choice,” expanding our middle school advisory and elective program, investing in athletics, or growing leadership opportunities for students, this fund will continue to support programs outside of the classroom that give students the opportunity to thrive.
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The Seven Hills Endowment Continues to Grow Hitting a significant milestone this year by surpassing $5 million, the Seven Hills endowment continues to grow. A source of permanent income, all endowment gifts are held in trust and generate ongoing support for mission-critical and strategic priorities. Last school year, the payout from the Seven Hills endowment provided more than $220,000 to the operational budget, reducing reliance on tuition and other sources of revenue. Over the years, individuals and families have established named endowed funds at Seven Hills as a way to create a permanent legacy at the school. Designated for a specific purpose, we are most grateful for those who have established a named fund and created an enduring legacy for the students of Seven Hills. A heartfelt thank you to those 2019-20 endowment donors listed below, together with donors from years past, for creating an enduring legacy for the students of Seven Hills. Anonymous Pedro Babiak and Laura Lippow Ilya Borovikov and Victoria Holcomb David and Emily Breach Stephen and Paula Breitbart Lucien and Lauren Cazenave William and Cynthia Cogswell Stephen Cohn and Rose Anne Critchfield Megan Delgado Sydney Delgado ’17 Fidelity Charitable Gift Fund James and Marcie Fitzsimmons Michael and Catherine Fleck
Lee and Candace Fleming Mark and Kathy Foletta W. Philip and June Gardner Stuart Gilliam and Rhonda Hughes Mark and Naomi Glasky Kent and Diana Godfrey Benjamin and Joanna Grossman Blake Haley and Christine Deakin Kevin and Elaine Hennessy Sameer and Melissa Hilal James and Laura Hulburd George and Bonnie Kennedy Steven and Rochelle Klein Jim and Shannon Lanzone
Named Endowment Funds The Barlow Family Endowed Fund The Brown Family Endowed Fund The Butner Family Endowed Fund Deborah Jansen General Endowment Fund The Hennessy Family Endowed Scholarship Fund The Hilal Family Endowed Fund Jim Clark Former Trustees Endowment Fund Joseph Family Minority Scholarship Fund Julian Rettger Fund for Emotional Well-Being Karen Malin Endowment for Professional Development Matthews Music Scholarship The Scott Espinosa-Brown Endowed Fund for Student Life, Leadership, and Service The William H. Miller Endowment Fund
Named endowed funds can be established with a minimum gift of $50,000. If you are interested in learning more, please contact Director of Development Amy Walters at awalters@sevenhillsschool. org or (925) 933-0666.
Whitney Livermore ’00 Mark McKenna and Alice Hunter Jerry and Deborah Mellin Neil Menzies Neil Meyer and Stephanie Chiang Bill and Kristy Miller Morgan Stanley Global Impact Funding Trust, Inc. Calin and Anca Niculescu Richard and Carol Northing John and Hannah Pirone David and Emily Pottruck John and Julie Rhee Harrold and Margaret Rust
Brian Scheinberg and Laura Pierson-Scheinberg Schwab Charitable Fund Larry and Cybille Scott Philip Simon and Terry Neben Jonathan and Ali Singh John and Deborah Steinbuch Jack Weir and Mauna Wagner Wells Fargo Foundation Educational Matching Gifts Program Steven and Linda Wight John and Lisa Woll Arthur Woo and Emmelie Sabatte
Julian Rettger Fund for Emotional Well-Being The Julian Rettger Fund for Emotional Well-Being was established in 2010 in honor of Seven Hills graduate Juilan ’03 who passed away in June of that year. Now at more than $560,000, this fund supports the social and emotional wellbeing of students and has played a significant role in supporting our wholechild approach to education. Anonymous Kathleen Manning Telos Academy
The Walt Disney Company Foundation Linden Van Wert
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2019-20 Hills Angels in Perpetuity
In recognition of their enduring commitment to Seven Hills, we wish to give a special thanks to the Hills Angel donors who, over time, have contributed $25,000 or more cumulatively to Annual Giving. Your support has made a tremendous impact on generations of Seven Hills students for nearly 60 years!
James and Shari Lucas
Ingrid Ray
John Lyngaas and Linda Noel
Christine Riley
Matthew and Kamin Macomber
Susan Rogers
Steve and Beth Marini Mark and Mindee Mastrov Pat Matthews and Patti Paulson Scott and Tomi Matthews Stephen and Nancy McCarthy Wendy McDermott
Jeffrey and Heidi Abramson Ian Agol ‘82 and Michelle McGuinness Annie Allen
Bob Gallo
Benjamin and Sara Clinger
Sandra Gallo
Ronald and Susan Codd
Shrikant and Ira Garde
Ravikanth Ganapavarapu
Robert Allen
Stephen Cohn and Rose Anne Critchfield
W. Philip and June Gardner
Susan Alonso
Michael and Shirley Coke
Kimberly Gilmore
Brian Atwood and Lynn Edminster
Alexander Copeland and Lolli Beall
John Gingrich and Christine Currie
Mathew and Sarah Bakulich
The Copeland Family
Anthony Giordano and Theresa Klinger
Andrew and Jinny Rudd Fred and Susan Safipour Edward Scherr and Shelly Pozzi Steven Schwab Larry and Cybille Scott Carl Shapiro Mark Shapiro and Roberta Goldberg
Robert Ishii and Nancy Wallace
James McDonnell and Linda Margulies
Matthew and Marissa Janopaul
Kevin McGuirk Daniel and Marina Miller
Paul and Deborah Jansen
Bill and Kristy Miller
Philip Simon and Terry Neben
Thomas and Mary Anne Jorde
James and Dorothy Mills
Brad and Amy Skepner
Sam Mills
Matthew and Melissa Jose
Elizabeth Solomon
Tom and Julia Miner
Sheldon Kahn and Sarah Liron
Corby and Heather Stead
Abraham Mintz and Catherine Cutler
Ronald and Caryn Suber
Joseph and Odette Kardek
Brian and Michelle Sharpes Murray and Christine Sheldon
Patrick and Teresa Sullivan
Charles and Alexis Glavin
Ross and Amy Kari
Langdon and Elizabeth Morris
Mary Dalsin-Mills
Kent and Diana Godfrey
Janet Katari
Paul and Diane Morton
Bruce and Barbara Goodman
Kevin and Michaela Katari
Clarence and Irene Mou
Brad and Shiva Berman
Steve and Celeste Danglade
Jerry and Carolina Katz
William and Frances Myers
Patrick and Alison Blake
Daniel Delaney
Dan and Linda Gordon
Mitchell and Karen Kay
Brian and Patricia Napper
Parke and Victoria Boneysteele
Lindsay Delaney
Richard and Lori Green John and Khira Griscavage
Pamela Keith and Elizabeth Mahler
Subhendu Narayan and Kavitha Rao-Narayan
Ronald and Robyn Taylor
Kevin Booth
Charles and Nancy Deschane Amber DeSilva
George and Bonnie Kennedy
John and Ruth Nelson
Christopher Trinkus
David and Emily Breach
Stephen and Katy Gronowski
David DeSilva
Thor and Christine Grossen
Larry† and Julie Kirsch
Richard and Karen Walker
David and Kim Bridges
Brent and Elizabeth Nomura
Robert† and Alice Bridges Foundation
Scott and Deborah DeVries
Kenneth and Jeanifer Grullon
Steven and Rochelle Klein
David and Sally Nosal
Bob Kliger
Ryan and Nicole Brown
Robert Dolinko and Laurie Bronson
Peter and Julie Gutzwiller
Stuart and Anne Knowles
Stephen and Maggie Oetgen
John and Wendy Hammergren
Benjamin and Judy Kronick
Michael Han and Annie Hahn
David and Traci Lardner
Terence Heywood and Pamela Lesoganich- Heywood
Henry and Jennifer Leingang
Kelly and Carrie Barlow
John and Debby Cunningham
Gretchen Bartzen Sebastian and Renee Bea
George and Stephanie Buhalis
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James and Kathy Clark
Geoffrey and Lesleen Riley
Todd and Christine Dow
Christopher and Annette Butner
Joseph and Holly Eiden
Philae Carver
Ira and Pamela Finch
Mark Fosbury and Kristin Castagno
Charles Fiske and Karen Leo
James and Françoise Cervantes
David Fitzgerald and Haywon Lieh
Sameer and Melissa Hilal
John† and Susan Chapman
David and Jessie Flatt
Abraham and Deanna Hsieh
Irwin and Vivian Eskanos
Adam and Carol Chase
Roger and Madeline Fleischmann
Chung-Cheng and Jen-Kuei Chen
John and Laura Furstenthal
Diane Horton
Frederick Hughes, Jr. Fred and Noel Hughes James and Laura Hulburd
Jim and Shannon Lanzone Ari and Sheryl Lauer
Stephen and Mackenzie Lesher Robert and Renee Little Michael and Sherrie Littlejohn Norman and Mo Livermore Jeffrey and Jennifer Loomis David and Connie Lowe
Peter and Isabelle Op de Beeck
Suri and Rushika Suriyakumar Bahman and Mardjan Taheripour Carlo Tamburrino and Paulette DeFalco Larry and Deveney Totten
Michael and Maria Walton Dennis and Bonnie Wells Tom and Marla Williams Keith and Susan Wilson Douglas and Joyce Wing
Ralph Pais and Gayl Huston
Bruce Woods and Nancy Frary-Woods
Charles and Adelaide Park
Glen and Elisa Yeung
Shami and Lori Patel
Roy and Cathy Yih
Jerome and Jane Perez
Mark and Shawn Young
Eric and Amy Peterson
Wally and Kirsten Young
Joseph and Toni Petite Scott Pipo and Gloria Pickhover Michelle Place Joseph and Rosalia Polizzi
† deceased New Hills Angels Member
New Community Support Fund Helps Families in Need
Heritage Society
Understanding that the future success of Seven Hills depends on plans made today, the Heritage Society honors members of the community who have remembered the School in their estate planning. Thank you for your thoughtful planning and commitment. Pete Babiak and Laura Lippow Parents of Steven ’07 and Sydney ’11 Gretchen Bartzen Director of Development (1995–2012) Brad and Shiva Berman Parents of Daniela ’05 Jon and Lisa Blake Parents of Adam ’11 and Andrew ’12 John† and Susan Chapman Parents of Chris ’03 and Emma ’05 Jim and Laura Hulburd Parents of Alanna ’06 and Kyle ’09 Paul and Deborah Jansen Parents of Ben ’03 and Nicholas ’05 Thomas and Mary Ann Jorde Parents of Kevin ’01 and Christopher ’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 ’01 Bill and Kristy Miller Headmaster (1992–2015) Parents of Hennessy ’04 and Keenan ’08 Abraham Mintz and Catherine Cutler Parents of Elizabeth ’13 and Zachary ’12 Philip Rettger Parent of Julian ’03† Linden Van Wert Faculty member since 1975, Librarian (1976–2015), Green Ombudsman (2015–present) John and Alice Villanueva Parents of Amber ’96 and Erica ’99
The Seven Hills community has always supported one another in times of need. A spirit of generosity and a willingness to help has long been a defining feature of our community. As the school embraced a new model for teaching and learning as COVID-19 and school closures prompted virtual school, Seven Hills found new ways to come together in support of each other, and this year’s first-ever virtual auction was a shining example. During this year’s virtual Raise the Paddle, more than $73,000 was raised for the newly launched Seven Hills Community Support Fund, to support members of our school community who are experiencing economic hardships because of the global coronavirus pandemic. “The goal for this fund is to keep our community healthy, vibrant, and whole by helping families with unexpected financial need during these uncertain times,” said Kathleen McNamara. “It is the thoughtful and caring actions that we take during times like these that demonstrate the strength of our community, and we were grateful for the generous response.”
† 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.
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A VIRTUAL DANCE PARTY THROUGH THE DECADES! It was a weekend to remember as the 2020 Auction, Just Dance! Dancing Through the Decades, went virtual for the first time last spring. From flappers, to disco dancers, to break dancers, the Seven Hills community came together and had a groovin’ time as they hit the virtual dance floor over Zoom! The night kicked off with an “Evolution of Dance” video showcasing the awesome dance moves of our very own teachers and administration. Professional auctioneer, Sharon Mor, kept the watch party moving with dance trivia, prizes, our $5,000 tuition credit raffle, and the Raise the Paddle for the newly-launched Community Support Fund. Over the weekend, more than $180,000 net was raised to support our incredible programs, students, and teachers, including over $73,000 for the Community Support Fund. A huge thank you to our dedicated co-chairs Kristen D’Arcy, Matt Macomber, and Lori Siegel, who with their team of volunteers led the way with planning and pivoting the Auction to an online experience. Thank you to everyone who put in countless volunteer hours, sponsored the event, entered the raffle, donated items, and raised their paddle. This amazing dance party wouldn’t be possible without the support of our community.
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Auction Co-Chairs
Auction Coordinator
Encore Gym
Sarah Lewis
Kristen D’Arcy
Enhanced by Amelia
Matt Macomber
Riki Gibson
Scott Espinosa-Brown
Limitless Escape Games Livermore
Lori Siegel
Committee Carisa Harris Adamson Cheryl Akoni Nick Bisho Nikki Brown Alissa Fogel
Auction Database
Laurel Evans
Lindsay Wildlife Experience
Dan Murphy
Fantasy Forum Actors Ensemble
Item Donations
Bejan and Torrey Farahbakhsh
Lokanta Mediterranean Grill & Bar
Nick Adamson and Carisa Harris Adamson
Marlon Fernandez and Wren Amos
Randall and Elizabeth Luskey
Adventure Day Camp
Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco
Matthew and Kamin Macomber
Veena Lohia
Holly Grossman
Katherine Alberts and Lori Siegel
Baird and Alissa Fogel
Shauna Maraccini
Lizzy Luskey
Annie Allen
Jenny Marcus
Deb Mah
Jamaal Footman
Susan Alonso
Forbes Mill Steak House
Alisha Marsh
Kristy McVey East
Russell and Crystal Alpert
Frank Family Vineyards
Kelly McCargar
Jeanette Naughton
Ravikanth Ganapavarapu
Phil McFann
Melissa Ovadia
American Conservatory Theater
Drew and Kaeti McMillan
Steve Lesher
American Swim Academy
Elizabeth Garcia
Renee Little
Arthur Murray Studio
Anne Gartner
Kathleen McNamara and Jihad Mirza
Rebecca Rubin
AuburnJames Winery
glamXanu Christi Gotvald
Ross Schwaber
Lori Auffhammer
Lisa Swiggett
Avid4 Adventure
Jay and Genevieve Gudebski
Morgan Swiggett
Gene and Alicia Bakkum
Kathy Henderson
Stephanie Taira
Michelle Barahona
Sameer and Melissa Hilal
Board Liasons
Bay Area Children’s Theatre
Gina Hinck
Matt Macomber
Nick and Clare Bisho
Jason and Anna Husk
Julie Meissner
Andrew and Kellen Bothwell Brie Lynn Photography Christopher and Annette Butner Citizen Salon Claremont Club & Spa, A Fairmont Hotel Kelley Cochran Cocina Hermanas Color Me Mine COPA Soccer Training Center CorePower Yoga Ryan and Nicole Crowley Brian and Kristen D’Arcy Jason Davis Lindsay Delaney Diablo Rock Gym Dynasty Bistro Ed’s Mudville Grill
Stephanie Hough
Leanne Mercado Harriett L. Michael Mooyah Burgers, Fries and Shakes Nand and Sarbani Mulchandani Dan Murphy Carolyn Nelson
I Heart Art
Oakland A’s Community Fund
Jack’s Urban Eats
Oakland Zoo
Andy and Barb Jaspar
Charlene O’Brien
John and Morgan Jenkins
Tina Ory
Jiva Health
Justin and Tracy Pajer
Megan Kaye ’09
Pediatric Motor Playground
Charles Killian and Michelle Watts Killian
Piatti Restaurant and Bar
Daphna Klugman
Gregory Pilarowski and Anna Gai
Nancy Lane
Heidi Plumb
Jim and Shannon Lanzone
Jeffrey and Jessica Pozzi
Lareen Fender’s The Ballet School Performing Arts
Gina Puljiz
Jeremy Lasky and Michelle Fang
Rebel Art School, Inc.
Adam Lechner ’87 Cornel and Alexandra Lee Lemonade Stephen and Mackenzie Lesher Elgin Leslie
Gray and Brenda Reavis Relax the Back, Walnut Creek Kristine Rivera Generra Rocchi Dan Rogoff Round Hill Country Club
Sarah’s Science
The Seven Hills School
Julie Scarpelli
The Seven Hills School Board of Trustees
Ross Schwaber and Catherine Fielding
The Woodhouse Day Spa
Seven Hills Girl Scout Junior Troop 33835
Cassidy Thompson
Shadowbrook Winery
Town Hall Theatre
Matthew and Kristine Shargel
Nghia and Pranom Tran
Jennifer Shump Sienna Ranch Six Flags Hurricane Harbor Concord Smile Power Orthodontics Stephanie Sproul Del and Kimberly Stafford Patrick and Diane Suciu SusieCakes
Torsap Thai Kitchen
Patricia Turetzky Tutu School Walnut Creek Harpreet and Anudeep Ubhi Alison Wash Mari Weiss West Wind Drive-Ins & Public Markets Wheel Kids Bicycle Club, Walnut Creek
Taheri’s Mediterranean Restaurant and Catering
Joanie Wills
Thomas and Stephanie Taira
XD Team
The Bar Method East Bay
Kirsten Woods Zachary’s Chicago Pizza
SAVE THE DATE! Virtual Seven Hills Auction
March 20, 2021 Details to Follow
Lauren Sanders
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A COMMUNITY GRAPHIC HISTORY PROJECT
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Seven Hills was founded in 1962 by a small
curriculum of caring that attends to the
group of parents who wanted to create a
emotional, social, and aesthetic life of the
different kind of educational experience for
student. This whole-child approach remains as
their children—one that combined academic
integral to the student experience today as it
excellence with character-building, and a
was 58 years ago. From its humble beginnings
as an idea shared by dream-building parents,
members came together to collaborate on
Seven Hills now serves over 400 students and
a graphic history project. We look forward
their families.
to building upon the strength of our faculty,
As we look ahead to our 60th anniversary in
the depth of our community, the proof in our
2022, past and present Seven Hills community
graduates, and the great possibilities ahead of us.
Illustration by Giselle Chow, www.gisellechow.com
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2020-21 EVENTS
October 8 Parent Lecture Series
October 15 All Community Parent Dinner January 15 Applications Deadline January 27 Parent Lecture Series
March 20 Auction
June 10 Graduation
June 12 All Alumni Reunion
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 dmurphy@sevenhillsschool.org.
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The Seven Hills School 975 North San Carlos Drive Walnut Creek, CA 94598