Doherty
June 9, 2021
Inclusiveness, Kindness, Willingness: Doherty’s Fifth-Graders Move Up
With the backdrop of an intimate crowd, sunny skies, and singing cicadas, Doherty fifth-graders celebrated each other and their Lower School careers during a beautiful closing ceremony in early June in the Doherty courtyard. The students listened to the warm remarks of Head of Doherty Tracy Murch, their Unit III teachers, Dana Pease and Bill Schmidt, and Head of School Chris Garten. During the ceremony, students presented words of inspiration about their classmates, which ranged from applauding their academic prowess to their love for frogs and comedy. Garten called the occasion a celebration of the culmination of eight years of hard work. “You are all a very talented class and I am proud of your leadership,” said Garten. “Doherty is a tight-knit community and you have set the tone this year of inclusiveness, kindness, and willingness to take risks and try new things.”
Doherty Year-End Awards
During Doherty’s Closing Program in the courtyard with family and friends, several students received academic and citizenship awards, including fifth-grader Eli Kampel, who received the Hoeland Award; fifth-grader Nikhila Puri, who won the Loveland Award; and spelling bee winner, fifth-grader William Liu, and runner-up Eli Kampel.
The Ohio Math League fourth-grade winners were Zach Veronica and Leo Cai, with John Griffin named runner-up. The fifth-grade winners were Eli Kampel and William Liu, and runner-up was Nikhila Puri.
Doherty’s Student Council Citizenship Awards were presented to Unit II students Nina Maloney and Leo Kampel, and Unit III students Abe Adams, Henry Maxwell, Donovan Maloney, and Avery Walker.
A Trip Down Memory Lane at Doherty
Seniors who began their Seven Hills careers on the Doherty Campus returned in late May to say goodbye to their teachers and reflect on Lower School memories. Seniors gathered in the Doherty Library, where they were greeted by librarian Jo Schnirring, parents, and other Doherty faculty. The seniors watched a heart warming slideshow of their time at Doherty and enjoyed dropping in to see some of their old teachers. #WeLoveDOHERTY!
Pre-kindergarten Moving Up Ceremony
Pre-kindergarten for 2-year-olds spent their nature walking time delivering roses to teachers and staff as a thank you for all of their work during the last year. “This year, we were determined to start with our nurse Carolyn Vincze, of whom we were especially fond, as she popped in for surprise visits, to encourage us to wear a mask or shield,” said pre-kindergarten teacher Julia Brackett. They visited Doherty Lower School counselor Angie Bielecki to say “thank you” for reading them stories, and for teaching them how to calm down by using counting techniques, breathing techniques, and meditation. The students continued to pass out roses out to the teachers around the Doherty Campus.
What a Day!
Wearing Tye-Dye shirts they made in art class, Doherty students recently enjoyed a day of fun on the field. With grade-level activities blocked out throughout the day to maintain social distancing, the students participated in tug of war contests, water balloon fights, jumped in a huge bounce house, played cornhole, and ran through obstacle courses. Head of Doherty Tracy Murch said the students were thrilled with the exciting day. “The students truly enjoyed the full day of fun to celebrate their hard work and mark the close of a successful school year,” said Murch.
SNAAP Banquet Celebrates Students, Families
The Seven Hills Network of African American Parents (SNAAP) hosted its 2021 Recognition Banquet on June 5. The banquet celebrates the students moving from fifth to sixth grade, eighth to ninth, and this year’s Upper School graduates. SNAAP committee member Cindy Jones served as the afternoon’s mistress of ceremonies. Jones opened the ceremony with a moment of silence and in memoriam for Seven Hills parents and SNAAP members Tasha Porter and Tysha Wilder. The afternoon then segued into a musical performance from Preston Bell Charles III, a welcome from SNAAP member Yoti Walker, and a musical selection from rising eighth-grader Vivian Brown. Ken Best gave the invocation before lunch, which was followed by opening remarks from Head of School Chris Garten. “Thank you all for the support you have given to our children,” Garten said. “We really are proud of the resilience and courage you’ve shown (this year).” Garten also spoke about Seven Hills’ in-depth examination of diversity, equity, and inclusion, and the energy from faculty and staff surrounding the curriculum. He said he has a “sense of hope about our school community.” Following Garten’s remarks, SNAAP co-chair Kimberly Jackson presented the Tasha K. Porter Leadership Award to the Upper School’s African American Awareness Club for its achievements during the 2020-21 school year. The event’s keynote speaker, Dr. Chris Lewis, vice provost for Academic Programs at the University of Cincinnati, professor of family medicine at UC, and physician at UC Health, shared words of wisdom with students and attendees. He told students not to think about what they wanted to be when they grow up, but who they want to be. Inspired by the words of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Lewis said, “What are you doing for others?” SNAAP co-chair Tonya Best then presented the rising students, including Class of 2021 graduates Summer Jones, Savoy Lackey, and Riyah Vaughn; rising ninth-graders Devyn Best, Sydney Best, Evie Ferguson, Mason Griffin, Erin Jackson, Saxon Lackey, Arman Merchant, and Devan Willis; and rising sixth-graders Briana Morris and Karringtyn Wilder. The ceremony closed with words from Head of Upper School Matt Bolton, graduate reflections from Jones and Lackey, and closing remarks from Best and Jackson.
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