Upper
November 13, 2020
Civic Engagement Day
Just before Election Day in late October, Upper School students came together to participate in Civic Engagement Day—a unique program in which students discussed voting, rhetoric, the implications of past presidential elections, and major issues that were on the ballot. Grouped by grades, the students watched news clips and participated in talkbacks throughout the morning before an early dismissal at noon. Lesson plans for the discussions were prepared by Director of Experiential Learning Nick Francis and members of the Upper School faculty. Civic Engagement Day was part of an initiative driven by Seven Hills’ E. E. Ford Grant, a prestigious dollar-for-dollar matching grant of $250,000 given to Seven Hills in 2019. “I think that setting time aside for this kind of experience sends a message about the importance of civic engagement and the responsibility that comes with living in a democracy,” said Head of Upper School Matt Bolton.
Shakespearean Revenge, via Zoom
Seniors in Marielle Newton’s AP English class recently began a unit in which they are reading the Shakespearean play, “Hamlet,” with a few innovations and tweaks to accommodate a dynamic reading experience among in-person students and remote students. As they begin the classic dramatic tale of revenge, Newton is asked students to design and craft personalized costumes to avoid social contact. Main character roles are also fully integrated across learning platforms, with some of the main characters being read by students who are in-person, as well as those learning remotely.
Previewing the Class of 2025!
Eighth-graders learned about life in the Upper School during a modified Move Up Day in early November. Each year, eighth-graders attend classes and learn more about Upper School from their older peers. Move Up Day was a little different this year. Students gathered in The Schiff Center, in a socially distanced way, and watched informative videos about the Upper School featuring current students and learned more about athletics and the Experiential Learning program. Students also heard from a panel of seniors, who answered frequently asked questions about what the Upper School is like. The event was coordinated by Seven Hills’ Admission Office and students received a “Class of 2025” t-shirt.
Upper School Receives Computer Science Education Award
Seven Hills’ Computer Science program was recently recognized by the INTERalliance, a student-run nonprofit whose mission is to inspire and assist young talent to pursue an IT career in Greater Cincinnati. Seven Hills was named a Chapter Honoree, a nod to the level of participation of Seven Hills students in Cincinnati-based chapter events. In addition to the recognition, Seven Hills was also recognized for the work of senior Aaron Ziegler, for building software that allowed hearing impaired and deaf children to experience music via a visual application. Computer science teacher Marcus Twyford, who also serves on the INTERalliance board, said he is inspired by the interests and hard work of his students.
What Are You Reading?
As a way to tap into and encourage the reading culture among students who are spending more time at home these days, The Middle and Upper School library is running a selfie contest. Middle and Upper School librarian Megan Whitt and associate librarian Gail Bloom have launched the contest by sharing selfies with their own choices—Ta-Nehisi Coates’ “The Water Dancer” for Whitt and “Punching the Air” by Ibi Zoboi and Yusef Salaam for Bloom. “We are asking students and faculty to take a selfie with the book they are currently reading or that they’ve read this semester,” said Whitt. “It can be a print book, e-book, or audiobook.” Participants are also asked to attach a sentence about why they would recommend the book to librarian@7hills.org by Monday, Nov. 16, at 9 a.m. Whitt said participants will be entered into a contest to win a $20 gift card to Blue Manatee Literacy Project (https://shop.bluemanatee.org/) or Mazunte (https://mazuntetacos.com/). There will be two student winners and one faculty/staff winner per division.
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Five Stingers Sign to Play in College
Five Stingers from the Class of 2024 signed their letters of intent to continue their athletic careers in college.
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