The run up to our spring holiday brought the usual whirlwind of activity.

Last Friday featured the Middle School’s annual Global Education Day. Visiting experts from Hamilton County R3Source presented on waste reduction; a team from Procter & Gamble described their efforts to provide children with safe drinking water; a naturalist from Great Parks of Hamilton County spoke on wildlife adaptations; and the director of global conservation from the Cincinnati Zoo described both local and global efforts to save endangered wildlife. Later that same afternoon, Lotspeich’s third, fourth, and fifth graders performed a lively choral concert, featuring songs by everyone from Franz Joseph Haydn to Bob Marley and The Beach Boys, accompanied on recorders, Orff instruments, ukuleles, and handbells.

We enjoyed — and learned from — three special events sponsored by our DEI team. On Saturday, Seven Hills hosted the second annual gathering for LGBTQ+ families, an afternoon of food, fellowship, and relaxed conversation. In conjunction with Ramadan, the Upper School’s DEI Council sponsored a lantern contest to symbolize illumination, guidance, and community spirit sought during this holy month. The South Asian Resource Group welcomed the Upper School community to a presentation by Kalpana Kotagal, a Seven Hills alumna and current parent, who described her work as a commissioner on the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) to empower minority groups and women in the workforce. 

Over last weekend, several Upper School classics students traveled to Columbus for the Ohio Junior Classical League’s Annual Convention. Each year, more than 800 Latin students from across the state gather for a series of competitions: academic tests, art contests, Certamen, and creative performances (in both English and Latin) as well as a dance, a toga banquet, and OJCL’s Got Talent! In the state Certamen, a Jeopardy-style game with questions on Latin grammar, vocabulary, and literature; Roman history, culture, and mythology, Seven Hills’ advanced team bested 17 teams from other Ohio schools to become the 2024 State Certamen champions.

On Tuesday morning, our Middle and Upper School squash teams gathered for a ribbon-cutting ceremony to dedicate the new squash facility in the basement of the Stoehr Gymnasium. What a great way to celebrate the launch of our fastest growing athletic program! 

Throughout the week, Doherty students celebrated their annual Cultural Connections Week, a five-day immersive experience, devoted to studying the geography, economy, politics, and culture of a single nation. This year, the focus was on Nigeria, including the annual simulated flight for the pre-kindergarten students in the corridors of Haile Hall. Doherty’s week culminated with a fabulous production of the annual Unit III musical“Seussical KIDS,” a show by Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty, with a plot derived from several of Dr. Seuss’s most famous works, including “Horton Hears a Who!,” “Gertrude McFuzz” and “Horton Hatches the Egg.” This spirited performance — followed quickly by Friday’s Middle School Talent Show — was a wonderful way to usher in our Spring Break.