Final Civic Engagement Day focused on mental health

The Upper School’s third Civic Engagement Day focused on mental health. Students learned about reducing mental health stigma and ways they can support their own mental health and that of their peers. Active Minds, an organization aiming to change the culture around mental health for young adults, trained students in V.A.R., or Validate, Appreciate, Refer protocol. Students learned the simple steps of V.A.R. that can lead to productive and supportive conversations regarding mental health. Active Minds also led a lesson about mental health stigma and how talking about mental health should be as easy as talking about physical health. The day was organized by science teachers Bridget Ancalmo and Brian Berning, theater teacher Marc Raia, and Upper School counselor Vicky Hausberger. “Mental health is an important issue for our students to understand if they wish to navigate the world around them successfully. We hope that they now have a better understanding of the important aspects of mental health, and that they are equipped to appropriately handle pertinent situations for themselves and others,” said Director of Experiential Learning Nick Francis.

Four Students win national Scholastic Awards

Four Upper School students won five awards from the National Scholastic Writing and Arts Awards. Junior Annelise Hawgood won gold for her critical essay and was named best in grade, an award that is only given to two students per grade level throughout the country. Senior Jenny Hu won two gold medals for her flash fiction and personal essay. She was also given the American Voices Medal, which only goes to one writing competitor in the region. Sophomore Alice Bachleder won silver for her critical essay. Competing for art, senior Loura Ma received a silver medal for ceramics. “The results for students at the national level is nothing short of remarkable. It is impossibly hard to win a national award, and Seven Hills students won four in writing plus the best in grade award and the American Voices Medal. I’m proud of these students for honing their skills and believing in their voices,” said Upper School English Department Chair Mark Beyreis.

Congratulations to new members of the Cum Laude Society

The Upper School honored its 19 inductees for 2022 and nine inductees for 2021 into the Seven Hills chapter of the Cum Laude Society, a national honor society that recognizes academic excellence, during a dinner in April. New members from the junior class are Shayana Bharucha, Ellie Cain, Erin Finn, Annelise Hawgood, Jerry Hou, Charlotte Lafley, George Mentrup, Rohan Nambiar, Anna Papakirk, and Jack Ringel. New members from the senior class are Suhani Gupta, Rosalie Hoar, Riley Jones, Aahana Katneni, Gabriella Khaskelis, Robby Ligeralde, Naina Purushothaman, Santiago Rodriguez, and Sebastian Rodriguez. The following seniors, who were inducted in 2021 as juniors, were also honored at the event: Sarah Croog, Kathryn Guo, Jacky Hou, Jenny Hu, Angel Liang, Julia Moser, Allie Nathan, Ella Jo Piersma, and Manan Vij. Former Seven Hills English teacher Linda Maupin was the event’s guest speaker, who spoke about how strength of character is more important than recognition and awards. Head of School Chris Garten shared with inductees that Cum Laude Society recognizes academic excellence in some of the country’s best high schools. Seven Hills is one of only 21 schools in Ohio with a Cum Laude Society. “To reach this designation at a school this strong is an honor. You know from your classroom experience just how talented so many of your classmates are. You all did incredibly hard work to get to this point, and we thank you for your focus,” Garten said.

Click here to read the faculty remarks for the 2022 inductees.

Numerous Stingers Win Awards

Congratulations to the following Upper School students and teachers for being recognized for their academic, writing, and athletic excellence. Senior Naina Purushothaman was named a semifinalist for the U.S. Presidential Scholars program for outstanding academic performance. She was one of only 23 semifinalists in the state of Ohio. Freshman Josie Schneider was given the Award for Aspirations in Computing by the National Center for Women in Technology. She was honored for her demonstrated aspirations in computing and technology. English teacher Caleb Paull received an honorable mention for the Overture Awards Arts Educator Award. He was nominated by senior Jenny Hu. Senior Tillie Kraus was chosen as a recipient for the 2022 Anthony Munoz Foundation’s Straight “A” Scholarship. She was honored for her academic excellence, athletic achievement, strong ambition, winning attitude, ability to overcome adversity, and active role in her community.

Band Day in Physics

Students in Tim Drew’s physics class played modern songs as part of their unit on sound and music. In groups, students had to build a stringed, piped, and percussion instrument that were in harmony with each other. Applying the mathematics they had learned in the unit, juniors Ainsley Hubert and Olivia Morris and senior Emma Schlueter played “Africa” by Toto.

Crime Investigation in English

As part of their reading of “The Round House” by Louise Erdrich, students in Marcus Miller’s freshmen English class attempted to solve the crime that is central to the book’s plot. “The Round House” takes place on a Objiwe reservation in North Dakota, where 13-year-old Joe, who frustrated with the poor investigation into his mother’s violent attack, sets out to find his mother’s attacker with his friends. In Miller’s class, he challenged the students to find evidence throughout the book, question the details that Joe discovered, and formulate a theory of who committed the crime. The students sketched out their theories on posters and presented them to the class.