Outstanding academic achievements and more

Twenty-two members of the Class of 2013—27% of the class—have scored to date at least one perfect 800 on one of the three sections of the SAT or on one SAT Subject Test. On the ACTs, 12 members of the class earned 14 perfect scores of 36 in math, science, English, or reading.

Fifty-eight seniors and 2012 graduates have been named AP Scholars by the College Board for their exceptional achievement on the college-level AP Exams. Of the 234 Advanced Placement exams in 16 subjects taken in May by 101 students, 98% of the scores were 3’s or better on the 1-5 national scale, qualifying our students for advanced standing in college, and 49% of the scores were 5’s! They scored an average of 4.26 (“Well Qualified”).

Twenty-seven percent of the Class of 2013 received recognition in the National Merit Scholarship Program. This included nine semi-finalists and 13 Commended students. In addi-tion, one senior was recognized as a National Achievement Outstanding Participant.

Nineteen Middle Schoolers served as delegates from the DRC, France, and Saudi Arabia at the Jr. Model UN Conference.

A senior participated in the Head of the Hooch Regatta in Chattanooga, TN. The Hooch is the largest regatta in the Southeast with over 2000 boats. This year his boat—the Men’s Youth 8—

Our meaningful difference: The Seven Hills Method

What sets Seven Hills apart—our meaningful difference—is how we teach rather than what we teach: The Seven Hills Method.

The Seven Hills Method develops habits and values that last a lifetime: our students’ confidence in independent thought and inquiry, collaborative problem solving, a global view that considers the perspectives and needs of people around the world, creativity to innovate and adapt, communica-tion skills to lead and inspire, and never-ending passion for learning and for living fulfilling lives. The main points of The Seven Hills Method follow, and examples appear throughout this review of the first semester.

• We pose engaging questions that foster students’ passion for learning.• We design complex tasks that build logic, critical thinking and problem solving skills.• We structure learning activities that require creativity, independent thought and innovation. • We focus on content that engages students in compelling global issues. • We design opportunities for meaningful collaboration. • We craft opportunities for skilled and confident communication in a variety of media. • We emphasize the use of technological tools for research, analysis, and communication.

2012-2013 SCHOOL YEAR TO DATEThe Seven Hills School January, 2013

finished in First Place racing against 63 teams in their event.

Two sophomores and one freshman performed in the OMEA Southwest Region Orchestra (an auditioned honors orchestra for grades 9–12) with the finest young musicians in the Cincin-nati/Dayton area.

A fifth grader finished second and received honorable mention at the very competitive KMEA Bluegrass Elementary Piano Competi-tion at Morehead State University. He is one of the recipients for the Cincinnati Symphony Club Scholarship offered by CCM.

Thirty Upper students represented the USA, Venezuela, Indonesia, Malawi, and Rwanda at the Model UN. A junior won the Distin-guished Delegate award for her committee, and three seniors received Honorable Men-tions for theirs. The theme of the conference was Latin America.

A sophomore was selected to play in the Ohio All-State Orchestra at the OMEA Conference in Columbus. This is the top student ensemble in the state—the best of the best.

The Chinese I & II Honors students earned top honors, including two First Prizes, at the 2012 Greater Cincinnati Area Chinese Sing-ing Competition, sponsored by The Confucius

InsideCollege Counseling Report 2Four new programs in 2012-13 3 Learning through inquiry, hands-on discovery, technology, collaboration 4Celebrating outstanding sports achievements 8First semester fine & performing arts sampler 9

Continued next page

Report from Director of College Counseling Susan Marrs

The Seven Hills College Counselors are very pleased to report that, in this ex-tremely selective year of college admissions, about 80% of our 83 seniors have already been accepted to at least one of the colleges on their list, by schools large (e.g., Texas A&M, Michigan, Rutgers), small (e.g., Butler, Hamilton, Wil-liams), and in between (e.g., Case Western, Georgia Tech, Tulane).

The majority of our seniors applied Early Action or Early Decision, and 70% of them have already been accepted to such colleges as Auburn, Babson, Baldwin-Wallace, Chicago, Claremont McKenna, Columbia, Cornell, DePaul, Duke, Earl-ham, Elon, Emory, Northeastern, Pomona, Rice, Skidmore, Villanova, Williams, and Yeshiva.

Although more than three months of waiting remain for many students—some won’t hear from schools until early April—a number of them have already re-ceived multiple and significant merit scholarship awards along with their letters of acceptance.

To reach this point, seniors have written (and we’ve read and reread and reread) hundreds of essays—usually 3 to 5 per student—on prompts ranging from the predictable (“Write about an experience that held special meaning for you”) to the pause-giving (“What is the most significant challenge facing society today?” “What do you most regret?” “What does Play-Doh™ have to do with Plato?”).

They’ve talked with us about what to wear to an interview, how to construct a resume, whom to ask for a recommendation, how to get in touch with an admis-sions officer, when to contact a coach, which scores to send, and a million other details. And we’ve strategized with them on every single point.

This is an outstanding class by any measure. Whether the standard is their excellent SAT scores (averages of 648 critical reading, 665 math, 658 writing), the accolades showered on them by their teachers, the inspiring record of their participation and leadership in extracurricular activities, or the focused and ener-getic spirit they display every day, the Class of 2013 makes us proud. This early record of their college acceptances is a happy result of their exceptional talent and hard work.

“Our belief is that students have to understand themselves before they can even begin to consider which college would be best. So our counselors lead them through a highly individualized process that’s as much about self-dis-covery as it is about researching dozens of colleges and universities. The result is that they go to colleges where they belong, and they thrive.” Susan Marrs

Institute at Miami University and the Department of GREAL at Miami University. One Chinese I Honors class won First Prize in the High School Group (2-6 members) category. The second Chinese I Honors class won First Prize in the High School Group (6+ members) category. The Chinese II Honors class won Third Prize in the High School Group (2-6 members) category. In addition, a freshman won Second Prize in the High School Solo category.

A fifth grader recently attended the Ohio Young Birders Annual Conference in Dayton. He was one of three students—and the youngest—who helped famous naturalist/birder Kenn Kaufmann in the

final presentation of the conference. Our student also wrote an extensive article on the conference that was published on the blog site (The Eyrie) of the American Birding Association.

A sixth grader’s artwork is included in the new book, Cincinnati: Our City, Our Story, written by noted author and Seven Hills alumna Louise Borden.

A junior was among the Greater Cincinnati students in the first round of selections announced for the 2013 TAP MD Program.

A senior took her last test to earn her U.S. Figure

Skating Gold Medal in Ice Dance on Nov. 27, mak-ing her an official USFS Double Gold Medalist in Moves in the Field and Ice Dance.

Upper math students earned top honors at the Rose Hulman Math Contest in which 183 students from seven local high schools participated. Individual re-sults for eight students including a first place among junior boys and a second place among senior girls.

Middle Latin students earned high honors at the UC Certamen. The Level 1 eighth graders were impres-sive. The boys placed fifth, and the girls made the finals and finished a razor-close second.

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Outstanding academic achievements and more Continued from page 1

Seven Hills introduces four exciting new programs

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Starting this school year, Seven Hills equipped every student in grades 6–12 with an iPad 2 to use at home and on campus during the school year. The results have been rewarding.

• Teachers can place even greater emphasis on inquiry-based learn-ing, critical thinking and real-life problem solving.

• Students can conduct extensive electronic research and gather live data to answer complex questions.

• Students have immediate and portable access to e-textbooks and note-taking software that even more fully develops individual study habits, organization, and productivity.

• Instant quizzing software enables teachers to test students’ compre-hension halfway through a lesson and adjust accordingly.

• Immediate access to electronic databases and archives provides a much richer context for discussions of literature, science, and history.

• The ease of recording and sending sound files has become a pow-erful tool for language teachers.

Just a few examples of iPad use by students and teachers:

Eighth grade art students are creating stop motion animations.

Sixth grade Latin students are creating podcast infomercials (using music, images, vocal persuasion) to “sell” a Roman god/goddess of their choice; using a flashcard app that lets students quiz themselves on weekly vocabulary; creating an e-newspaper depicting life in ancient Rome; and more.

English 10 Honors and English 12 students are now receiving both visual and audio grading of their essays through the teacher’s use of the screencasting iPad app Explain Everything, which enables him to provide spoken suggestions and clarification to accompany his writ-ten notes. He creates mp4 files for the students to view the oral and visual grading in realtime as a Quicktime file.

1-to-1 iPad program in grades 6–12

Beginnings

This year Seven Hills launched Beginnings, a program designed spe-cifically for parents and their children ages 12 to 36 months as a Pre-Kindergarten readiness opportunity.

Beginnings is designed and led by Seven Hills’ team of early childhood teacher and counselor experts. Children and their parents work together on a weekly basis as they explore, discover and create in an age-appropriate and stimulating learning environment. Beginnings is rich with experiences focused on developing motor skills, exploring early language and literacy, and encouraging social-ization. Parents can gain insight and resources from early child-hood experts to help them guide their children at home. “In our first semester, we saw children begin to build confi-dence, expand their understanding of social cues and work alongside their caregivers to paint, build, bake, read and sing,” said Julie Brackett, Beginnings Director. “Beginnings is a fantastic way to introduce toddlers to a structured learning envi-ronment that fosters their already keen and curious minds.” The 12-week Spring semester of Beginnings is starting on Jan. 23. Each weekly session runs from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. at both campuses. For more information, visit www.7hills.org/begin-nings or call 513-728-2336. The program is open to the public and space is limited.

Three exciting new programs debuted at the start of this school year—1-to-1 iPad program in grades 6–12, Beginnings pro-gram for toddlers and parents, Creating Conversations Speaker Series—and it was announced that a fourth new program—Pre-Kindergarten for Two-Year-Olds—will start next school year.

Above, Middle/Upper collabora-tion in French. Below, using iPads for an integrated science/physical education unit on nutrition.

The Creating Conversations Speaker Series and Pre-Kinder-garten for Two-Year-Olds are on the next page.

Examples of learning through inquiry, hands-on discovery, technology, collaboration

Ancient History 9 students had the opportu-nity to decipher ancient Greek tablets and to see artifacts excavated from the ancient city of Troy from the U.C. Classics Department.

As part of a nationwide coalition of leading exemplary high schools, students from the Contemporary History class designed an election and orchestrated a weeklong mul-timedia presentation to educate their fellow students about the principal issues of this election cycle. The students’ work was pro-filed on WVXU-FM.

Students in all four divisions ran simulated

elections, as part of our overall effort to engage our students in the local, national, and global issues that affect their lives and futures. Similarly, teachers of social studies and history, science, foreign language and literature frame extended explorations of significant contemporary issues.

Environmental Science students went on a field trip to the Thomas More College Biological Station on the Ohio River where they learned about the water quality of the river by examining chemical, physical, and biological parameters. Part of the biological component was to electrofish and examine

the (only temporarily stunned) variety of fish species caught.

Seventh grade science students kicked off the year with a study of the then recently-landed Mars Curiosity Rover. Students learned about the Engineering Design Process which they then used to design, build, and race their own rubber band-powered rovers. They also explored the challenges of communication between NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory and the rover on Mars. They experienced the difficulty firsthand during an activity in which blindfolded students (the “Rover”) had to navi-gate a maze and pick up “rocks“ guided only

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Responding to widely-recognized studies indicating that the most rapid form of brain formation takes place in the earliest years of a child’s life, Seven Hills will expand its Early Childhood Learning Program to include Pre-Kindergarten for Two-Year-Olds (children who will be two years of age as of Sept. 1, 2013) beginning in 2013–2014 at the Doherty Campus.

Taught by experts in the early childhood field, classes will introduce children to the love of language and literacy, integrate sensory lessons and motor skill development, and encourage hands-on discovery. The classroom will be filled with rich educational resources and the lessons will be built on a thoughtfully-developed, exploratory cur-riculum. The class size will be limited to 10 students.

In 2013–2014, the Pre-Kindergarten for Two-Year-Olds program will be offered on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. at the Doherty Cam-pus. For more information, visit www.7hills.org/prek2yrolds or call the admission office at 513-728-2400.

Pre-Kindergarten for Two-Year-Olds

Creating Conversations Speaker Series

The Seven Hills School’s new Creating Conversations Speaker Series is designed to engage as a community in conversations, with each other and the help of experts

in their fields, about raising bright, healthy, happy kids. Open to the public at no ad-mission charge, these events take place on both campuses.

The kickoff speaker for Creating Conversations was David Walsh, Ph.D., one of the world’s leading authorities on children and parenting. He presented programs on “Smarter Parenting Smarter Kids” for teachers, parents, and the community on Oct. 25.

Lisa W. Kuan, M.D., a pediatric neurologist at CHMC and a Seven Hills parent, spoke with teachers and parents about brain development in young children on Nov. 15.

On Jan. 25, an expert panel of Seven Hills early childhood counselors and educators will present “Ready, Set, Go! What Does It Mean To Be Ready for School.”

On Feb. 28, Ann Anzalone, a nationally-known consultant on learning styles, educa-tional plans and academic performance, will present “Setting Children Up for Suc-cess.”

A panel including renowned speech and language therapist Nancy Fluharty and Seven Hills elementary teachers discussing language and literacy will take place on April 18.

For more information or to register for the events in the Creating Conversations Speak-er Series, go to www.7hills.org/CreatingConversations.

“In social studies, students explore the causes and effects of historical events... They examine evi-dence from the past, looking for patterns, biases and points of view in order to construct clear and insightful narratives of the past.”The Seven Hills Method

by commands written ahead of time by the “rover driver.”

After Unit II’s discussion about food chains/webs in ecology, the third graders dissected owl pellets. When finished dissecting the pellets, the students matched the bones found inside the pellets to determine what the owl ate.

In the Sixth Grade Bird Studies Program, student scientists get firsthand field and class-room experience throughout the year work-ing with university professors/bird banders as they colorband birds that visit the Middle School Bird Garden. The students will con-tinue to monitor the banded birds, commu-nicate with the researchers, post updates on the class wiki, conduct biweekly bird counts and submit data to eBird, complete inquiry projects, and present their data.

Fourth graders enjoyed getting firsthand ex-perience with honeybees on their annual bee field trip to Greenacres Farm, an excellent extension to their science unit on bees. They learned about bee communication, extracted honey from a real hive, tasted local honey as well as honey from other parts of the U.S., and were able to see a live hive in action.

The annual Sixth Grade Insect Day on Oct. 18 included students and parents working together on experiments with tiny subjects—termites!

As part of their study of the history of im-migration to the United States, fourth grad-ers participated in a simulation. They were each given the identity of an immigrant and had to encounter the officials at Ellis Island to present their case. Through this simula-tion, they learned about the challenges fac-ing new immigrants, coming off the ships from far-off lands, when they stepped on the shores of America.

Seventh grade science students studied the challenges of the vacuum of space on space travel. They learned about vacuums and their effects by placing candy Peeps into mi-cro vacuum chambers and observing the re-sults. Students then had 10 minutes to design a two-piece spacesuit with helmet capable of protecting their Peep from the vacuum. Five of the 42 spacesuits successfully protected a Peep, resulting in the admittance of those surviving Peeps into the Peeponaut Hall of Fame.

Second graders explored concepts like tem-perature, base ten values, and number sen-tences using dominoes in small groups. This hands-on approach allowed math to “come alive” for the students.

First graders read Wheel Away by Dayle Ann Dodds, then they adapted the patterns of the story and scripted a presentation using words for sounds to go with the nouns of their choice.

Fifth grade math students wanted to see How Large A Million Really Is, so they built a millions cube, using traditional place value cubes—a unit or ones cube (which is a cm cubed), a tens (ten cubes cm high), a hun-dreds (10cmx10cm flat), and a thousand (10cm x10cm x10cm cube.) They then pro-ceeded to build a 10 thousand tower, then a 100 thousand (10x10 thousand flat) and then a million—a ten x ten x ten thousands cube. One million cm cubes was so large that groups of kids took turns getting inside. The math explorers went on to build a billions cube which would be 3.5 classrooms high by 1 classroom wide and 1.33 classrooms long. After this investigation, students figured out how far a million cm cubes would stretch, how many pieces of .25 inch graph paper would be needed to reach a million squares, how high a million pennies would be, and how far a million of their steps would go.

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“In science, students pose their own questions arising from everyday experiences and design methods for investigation and data collection.

“Our mathematics teachers encour-age students to ask open-ended ques-tions so that they discover differ-ent ways to solve problems and learn to explain how and why certain con-cepts work.”The Seven Hills Method

Social Studies Day at the start of the year gave fifth graders a preview of what they will be studying in social studies this year. The students got to be part of an archeologi-cal dig. As items were unearthed, they had to determine what the items were and how they were used in colonial times. They also played the colonial games of hoops and sticks and trap ball. They were enlisted in and drilled for the Continental Army, where they learned commands, how to march, and how carry a musket.

The Personal Challenge project is a culmi-nating experience for every Upper School student. As a graduation requirement, stu-dents design and carry out original projects to expand their passions in uncharted areas or to learn a skill entirely new to them, stretching the students beyond their comfort zones. Nov. 14 was one of two Personal Challenge Sharing Days this year, when students shared their projects with the school community: what they learned from the process and the growth in ability, sense of mastery they acquired, and confidence they experienced in completing their self-designed Challenges. Personal Challenges included, to name just a few, researching and present-

ing an oral family history, writing a book about build-ing a computer, dry-point engrav-ing, doing organic chemistry research, and participating in a triathlon.

The Middle and Upper Theater programs have

collaborated on several activities this year. Eighth graders joined ninth graders in the DAC to work on theater games facilitated by the Upper students. Another collabora-tion involved Theater 6 students taking on a challenging activity in preparation for Insect Day. Groups of 2 to 4 students were to work together quickly to write a song about a specific insect, complete with chorus, solo parts for every member, choreography, and a big finish. All in under 15 minutes! And the sixth graders did it! With imagination, talent, teamwork, and confidence.

Third graders enjoyed a visitor from the Hamilton County Soil and Water Conserva-tion District who taught them about worms and their role as decomposers in a food chain. They read a story filled with informa-tion about worms and then had an oppor-tunity to handle and explore the worms in small groups.

Sixth grade pre-algebra classes kicked off their unit on integers by celebrating Integer Day. The students, who were encouraged to “dress” for the occasion with numbers some-where on their clothes, worked at different stations doing game-like math activities.

As part of the QUEST (scientific thinking) unit, fifth graders designed paper airplanes in sci-ence class and conducted tests to determine which one would fly the farthest.

As part of Unit I’s study of Scientific Inquiry, students completed an experiment in the sci-ence lab to see what happens when a pop-corn kernel is heated. The students created an hypothesis and recorded the results.

A first grade science class explored light with

many materials. After shining light though transparent and translucent objects, they tested solids and mirrors. Their favorite activ-ity was a walk with prism glasses.

Unit I architects built structures for an experiment using toothpicks and gumdrops. After measuring their projects, the teachers shook them. They passed the “shake and quake” test if the structure remained standing. This project is in conjunction with their unit of study on cities.

Eighth graders participated in a four-day Adventure Trek in the North Carolina moun-tains in September. The students rotated through a series of leadership and team-building activities: hiking, climbing, orien-teering, setting camp, preparing meals, and getting to know one another in a totally new context. As part of an effort to process the experience, eighth grade English students worked in teams to construct a “serial nar-rative” describing those aspects of the ex-perience that were particularly meaningful to them. To prepare for this activity, students were asked to bring back with them one object that symbolized for them the most moving experience they had: compasses, pine cones, vials of “white” water, etc. In their English classes, they composed group stories—literally passing their laptops from hand to hand—into which they weaved linked narratives centered around their ob-jects.

“We provide an open-minded class-room atmosphere and materials that offer windows and mirrors to all our students. We en-courage students to debate different points of view in class discussions while still maintain-ing a civility and respect for others that is essential to navigating a com-plex world.”The Seven Hills Method

French III students interviewed a group of French 6 students about their lives. The Upper Schoolers’ assignment was to write biographies about their students, using the two past tenses and the present, as well as current vocabulary they had recently studied. The Upper Schoolers used their iPads to take pictures of their sixth graders, combined the photos with the biographies, and gave them to the French 6 students.

On Science Day August 23, the fifth graders explored the scientific concepts of sound and light through various activities.

The second graders’ field trip to the Cincin-nati Zoo on Oct. 24 was a walking field study of the various sections of the Zoo, with particular academic tasks to complete, including reading a map and utilizing math problem-solving skills. Students explored the number of toes of different mammals, estimated the weight of large creatures, and conducted an experiment to determine which scent most attracts an armadillo. Students gathered information on clipboards and shared their findings within small groups.

During their study of D’Aulaire’s Greek Gods

and Goddesses, fifth graders worked in small groups to present Greek skits to their class-mates. Their presentations of Theseus and the Minotaur, Jason and the Golden Fleece, and Heracles encouraged student collaboration and creativity.

As part of the first graders’ unit of study of gravity, they made and launched parachutes with their choice of either a large or small paperclip attached to the strings.

Students in Unit I did Pumpkin Math where they estimated the weight, size, and amount of pumpkin seeds inside four different pump-kins. Each pumpkin was then weighed and measured, so the students could compare the actual number to their estimate.

As part of their study of nutrition and the Five Food Groups throughout the year, first graders explore a different food group each month. In addition to sampling a wide range of often unfamiliar fruits and vegetables, the students expand their knowledge through a Skype visit with Whole Foods Market experts.

Third graders created Literary Mobiles for a book report project. After reading a book of their choosing from any liter-ary genre, the children built their unique mobiles around the concepts of Setting, Char-acters, Begin-ning, Middle, and Ending.

In the Elastic Glider event/competition, teams of AP Physics students designed, built, and tested two elastic-launched gliders designed for the highest time aloft. The event chal-lenged students to build and test gliders that must be launched at floor level, ascend to a high point, then transition into a slow de-scending glide pattern.

After their trip to the Cincinnati Zoo, first and fifth grade buddies worked together to make 3-D animal habitats for their as-signed zoo animals. The animals and people were drawn to scale, a skill the fifth graders learned in math.

Doherty and Lotspeich fifth grade science students are collaborating on “Scientific Inquiries” and “Future Inventions,” specifi-cally in the areas of communication, health, medicine, transportation, and green initiative buildings. Students Skype with one another throughout the unit and come together to share their projects, creative hypotheses, and scientific findings at two impressive sci-ence exhibitions on both campuses.

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“We craft projects that require students to use such tools as PowerPoint and iMovie, wikis and blogs. They Skype with other students in this country and abroad; they become skilled researchers, learn sophisticated techniques to evaluate sources, and take advantage of opportunities to present their ideas on important issues and events. In the process, they learn to lis-ten, reflect, and respond in ways that are at once informed, clear, mean-ingful, and purposeful.”The Seven Hills Method

Celebrating outstanding sports achievements

“We provide opportunities for students to learn teamwork, practice good sportsmanship, be productive team members and learn to cooperate and accept responsibility for their own behavior.”The Seven Hills Method

Seven Hills had an outstanding fall sports season, including state competitors in golf, tennis, and cross country; a second consecutive sectional championship for volleyball; a league championship and MVC Player of the Year, MVC and Enquirer Coach of the Year, and All-State Second Team honors for golf; an MVC Runner of the Year for cross country; and All-League and All-City selections for every varsity team!

Head of School Chris Garten said, “We have had another very successful season, but an even greater source of pride is the way our students conduct them-selves both on the field and in the stands. Throughout the season, our athletes have shown tremendous tenac-ity and dedication. They commit themselves to work hard in practice, they support one another, and they play like a team. My thanks to all of the coaches for all you have done to make this past season such a suc-cess. Both you and our athletes make us proud!”

The varsity golf team was league champion, placed third in the Princeton Invitational among 26 teams, placed third in the sectionals, and advanced to the state tournament where the team placed ninth. At sec-tionals, a sophomore was the medalist with the lowest score of 72, and a freshman finished third at section-als and fifth at districts. The coach was named MVC

Coach of the Year and Enquirer Coach of the Year! Indi-vidual player honors included All-State Second Team, All-League Player of the Year (for the second consecutive year), and All-League First and Second Team honors.

The Middle School had another impressive fall sports season, including a fourth-consecutive league cham-pionship and second-consecutive Runner of the Year for girls cross country and an undefeated season for girls tennis! The Middle School girls soccer team had

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Photos by Keith Neu

a season record of 10-8-1, and the boys soccer Gold team had a 10-1-2 record.

Fifth/Sixth Grade Girls Volleyball captured the league championship in their division of the Cincinnati Youth Volleyball Association (CYVA). The team had a 6-3 regular season record.

One Fifth/Sixth Grade Boys Soccer team placed third in the Ohio Area SAY Soccer State Tournament and finished their season with a 15-3 overall record!

The Doherty/Lotspeich Girls Wings 2 team played in a soccer tournament in Milford and won the tournament!

In cross country, one girl competed at state and was named MVC Runner of the Year. One boy was named to the All-League First Team. The girls team placed second in the MVC.

For the second consecutive year, the varsity vol-leyball team was sectional champion in Division IV. Players earned All-City Second and Third Teams and All-League First Team, Second Team, and Honorable Mention.

The varsity girls tennis team had a season record of 8-8, won the CTC invitational, and placed third in the league. The team was ranked fourth in the city and 10th in the state for Division II. Five of seven players advanced to districts, and a doubles team advanced to the state Final 16. Players earned All-City and All-League recognitions, including First Team, Second Team, and Honorable Mention.

The girls varsity soccer team had an 8-6-2 season record and placed third in the MVC. Individual hon-ors included two All-City First Team selections and six recognitions for All-League First Team, Second Team, and Honorable Mention.

The boys varsity soccer team had a 9-7-2 season. Indi-vidual honors included two All-City selections and six recognitions for All-League First Team, Second Team, and Honorable Mention.

For the first time in Seven Hills history, bowling—the fastest growing sport in the MVC—was offered as a varsity winter sport. Off to a great start, the team won its first match against Summit on Dec. 5.

F i r s t s e m e s t e r a r t s s a m p l e r

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“In the arts, we provide students with a safe environment and the confidence to trust themselves to discover and express the best of what makes them uniquely human.”The Seven Hills Method

Middle’s Acting Workshop presented two one-act plays—Nicholas Nickleby: School Master and The Marvelous Playbill (pictured at top left))—were simply wonderful! Out-standing acting, direction and production; dazzling costumes; and surprises to leave the audience cheering!

The fabulous Doherty Zoo installation was a collaborative project of the third, fourth and fifth graders. They worked in groups and learned about art installations, researched Continued next page

Upper’s talented musicians in the Symphonic Ensemble and the Contem-porary Ensemble presented a wonderful Winter Instrumental Concert.

One section of the Doherty Zoo.

and picked an animal, built them from scratch, plastered and creatively painted the appropriate colorings for each animal. Students also worked in groups to create fabulous backdrops of the animals’ habitats, as well as jungle flowers and vines

Upper’s amazing choral singers (above) pre-sented an outstanding Winter Choral Concert and performed on a concert tour including the Cincinnati Museum Center.

The Upper School produc-tion of the Molière satire The Learned Ladies was out-standing, simply dazzling! The performance included five short scenes written by this year’s Directing class. Like the rest of the play, these scenes were written in rhyming couplets.

Talented sixth, seventh, and eighth grade musi-cians (below) presented an impressive Middle School Instrumental Winter Concert.

The 9’ tall Dude, created collab-oratively last year by the Materials and Design classes from plaster, wire and piping, now has a best friend, Dog Doode!

Middle art students helped to create two magnificent 12-foot elephant sculp-tures for the decor and auction of the Zoo’s annual black tie fund-raiser, Zoofari—Wild India. It was a great showcase for our talent-ed students and faculty! The elephants were auctioned off to benefit the Zoo for $1200 to Queen City Cookies in Northside.

Below at right, just a few of the talented students in Pre-K to Grade Five who gave outstanding performances in Doherty’s All-School Winter Program!

At left, a sample of the artwork, using varied media & illustrating different lessons, that fills Lotspeich’s hallways. Below, Lotspeich second graders did a great job of presenting their de-lightful musical, “December ‘Round the World.”

Middle School Choral Concert with 120 singers!

Dude and Dog Doode