Eight students are National Merit Finalists

Discussing the war in Ukraine

Led by the Upper School history department, more than 100 students and faculty gathered to discuss the Russian invasion of Ukraine. “As you can see, this is weighing on a lot of people,” history teacher Dan Polikasaid of the high attendance. He and history teachers Brian Wabler and Eric O’Connor explained the history of NATO and Russian President Vladimir Putin’s possible justifications for the invasion. The teachers answered questions from students about effects on geopolitics and the global economy, the role the United Nations is playing, and possible impacts on the United States. Upper librarian Megan Whitt provided advice for finding credible resources for information about the situation.

Upper Shares Personal Challenge Projects

Upper School students had their first of two Personal Challenge Project sharing days in early February. Throughout the halls and classrooms of the Upper School, students and faculty learned about the hard work and dedication students put into their Personal Challenge Projects. Students shared how they learned Ancient Greek, created a food blog, wrote a children’s book, designed websites, wrote a cookbook, and more. Personal Challenge Projects are a required experience that spurs students to explore a talent or interest of theirs in greater depth.

Alumni Career Panel Held

Three Seven Hills alumni visited the Hillsdale Campus to give career and life advice, share stories, and answer questions with Upper School students on Feb. 10. Bryan Bibler ’04, Blair Lanier ’06, and Vitaly Goldfeder ’04 talked about how Seven Hills gave them the opportunity to study a variety of topics, which helped them determine what they wanted to do in the future. The panel was moderated by junior Anna Papakirk. Bibler, who started his own tutoring company Thirty-Six Education, told students to believe in themselves and be confident in their abilities. “Stay open to opportunities and when they present themselves, pounce on them,” he said.

African American Awareness Club Provides Food for Bethany House

Through a recent fundraiser, the African American Awareness Club was able to purchase dinner for 28 families staying at Bethany House. For years, Seven Hills has worked closely with Bethany House, which provides family-centered homelessness services. With the help of a discount from LaRosa’s, AAA was able to get pizza, salad, and dessert for all the families. Thank you to junior Diairra Daniels and seniors Paris Weems, Gabrielle Christmon, and Joshua Porter for volunteering to pick up and deliver the dinners.

Juniors Restart Tutoring Club

After being positively impacted by it as freshmen, Ellie Cain and Abigail Li, now juniors, restarted the JPP Club, in which Seven Hills students go to John P. Parker School during free bells to tutor elementary school students in math and English. “Being a part of the community created by the JPP club taught me to love the Seven Hills community as much as it taught me to love doing service,” Cain said. The club’s activities were paused because of COVID-19 but Cain and Li were determined to keep the club going. They received overwhelming interest from other students and were thankful for teachers and faculty that volunteered as drivers. “We hope to build a strong foundation for the future of the club so that younger members can continue its work for many years to come,” Cain said.