Eighth-grade Closing Ceremony

Seven Hills recognized the achievements of its 84 rising ninth-graders and sent them to the Upper School with warm words of wisdom during the eighth-grade Closing Ceremony held in early June. Head of Middle School Bill Waskowitz opened the ceremony by telling the students they attended to the challenges of the 2020-21 school year. “We are strong and we are compassionate,” Waskowitz said. “We’re in a community of individuals who strive to enjoy the wonderful years known as Middle School.” Waskowitz thanked the students, faculty, and parents. Head of School Chris Garten shared words of congratulations for the Middle School. “What I see everywhere is how engaged our students are,” Garten said. He added, “I think this year the pride has risen to an even greater level.” The ceremony also included Middle School student performances, awards, and reflections from the eighth-graders. Waskowitz shared his yearly charge, telling the story of Larry Walters, who in 1982 became famous for piloting a lawn chair attached to weather balloons above Long Beach, California. Waskowitz said when a reporter asked Walters why he did it, Walters said, “A man can’t just sit around.” Waskowitz said this was a charge to students to not just sit around and take the risk of pursuing their dreams. “Don’t listen to who others think you should become,” he said. “Do what makes you happy.”

Click here to view more photos from the ceremony.

Middle Schoolers Raise More than $20,000 for The Caring Place

Over the course of six afternoons, with 169 students walking a total of 5,712 laps, the Middle School Student Council-hosted walk-a-thon, raising $20,502.85 for The Caring Place, a local organization that provides many services to Cincinnati neighborhoods. At an end-of-year assembly, students and Middle School teachers Jennifer Licata and Theresa Keller presented the check to the executive director of The Caring Place, Sharifah Tafari and board member Grace Spencer. “The Middle School typically supports The Caring Place during a regular school year,” said Licata. “We needed to incorporate COVID-19 safety protocols into our efforts, so the walkathon was a new way to help The Caring Place and have fun in the process! Theresa and I are proud of the students’ support and dedication to raising money for the organization.” We are #StingerProud of the Middle School!

Awards of Distinction

During the Middle School Closing Ceremony, three awards were presented, recognizing the hard work of students throughout their time at Seven Hills Middle School. The Patricia Howard Award of Distinction, presented by Middle School dean Andy McGarvey, was awarded to eighth-grader Lauren VordemEsche. The Archie Griffin Sportsmanship Award was presented to eighth-graders Reagan Licata and Brady O’Connor by Middle School Athletic Director Roger Schnirring.

Seven Hills Breaks Ground on Middle School Expansion and Renovation Project

Members of The Seven Hills community came together on June 1 to break ground on the Middle School Expansion and Renovation project. The project will create three, grade-level common areas in the Middle School and increase the size of the Middle School from 22,950 square feet to 35, 625 square feet. Existing classrooms and lab spaces will be renovated and doubled in size to promote flexible seating. The Innovation Lab will also double in size and have increased student capacity. The expansion and renovation was designed with help from the Board of Trustees Facilities Committee, Head of Middle School Bill Waskowitz, faculty, and many others. “We’re here to celebrate a milestone moment in the history of the school,” said Head of School Chris Garten. “This is a project we’ve been planning together for a decade and we’re so thrilled to finally see it come to fruition.” Garten thanked those in attendance, which included Middle School students and faculty, current and retired members of the Board of Trustees, as well as Board Chair Steve Baggott and former Board Chair Jen Stein, and many other members of the Seven Hills community. Garten also thanked the Seven Hills administrative team, Director of Development Margo Kirstein and Director of Finance Robert Horne, for their invaluable efforts on the project. Garten put a spotlight on Waskowitz and the talented Middle School faculty. “We are incredibly lucky to have the group that stands in front of us with Bill Waskowitz at the helm,” Garten said. “Since Bill came to Seven Hills in 2010, he and his faculty have worked tirelessly to develop a program that is designed to meet the unique developmental needs of students this age.” Garten also shared words from Waskowitz, who was unable to attend the groundbreaking. “This is a day I and my Middle School colleagues have dreamed of for almost a decade,” Waskowitz wrote. “Like Chris, I’m deeply grateful for all who’ve worked so hard to make this new facility a reality and I thank you from the bottom of my heart… I’ve devoted my life to working with students this age and today is among the proudest moments of a long and fulfilling career. So, thanks to all of you and especially to our students for filling our days with joy.”

Asia Day

Seven Hills continued its decades-long tradition of Asia Day—a full-day lesson that celebrates countries like China, South Korea, and India, a culmination of an extensive study of Asia. On May 28, students had the choice to participate in a variety of activities that represented a different piece of Asian culture, including henna, Asian board games, cricket, and a kung fu demonstration from a local dojo. The day’s celebrations ended with Holi, an Indian festival that welcomes the start of spring. “It’s curriculum based, but it’s a day of fun,” said Middle School history teacher and Dean of Middle School Andy McGarvey. “I hope the students walk away from Asia Day with an appreciation of different cultures. There’s just so much out there.”

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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.

Click here to see more photos of the event.