Award Winning author Nancy Churnin visits Lower Schools

On April 8 and 9, children’s book author Nancy Churnin visited Doherty and Lotspeich, where she shared her writing journey and fascinated students of all ages with her stories. Churnin explained that one of her books, “The William Hoy Story,” took over 10 years to be published.

“It took a while, but would we say I failed?” Churnin asked the kids. “No, because I kept trying! We only fail when we stop trying.”

Churnin also discussed her goal when writing “The William Hoy Story” was to bring more attention to Hoy’s incredible baseball career and how he challenged preconceptions of what deaf people were capable of during the late 1800s.

Churnin has won many accolades for her works including the 2021 National Jewish Book Award and 2022 Sydney Taylor Honor for “Dear Mr. Dickens,” a true story that is the subject of an educational program offered by The Charles Dickens Museum in London; and two Sydney Taylor Notables, in 2021 for “A Queen to the Rescue, the Story of Henrietta Szold Founder of Hadassah” and in 2018 for “Irving Berlin, the Immigrant Boy Who Made America Sing.”

Newroz Celebration

First grade students in Aimee Burton’s class learned about the Kurdish New Year celebration known as Newroz from first grade Sidar Balaban’s mom, Nazan Bedirhanoglu. This holiday, marking the Spring Equinox, signifies not only the start of spring but also the commencement of the new year. Various nations throughout the Middle East and Asia commemorate their versions of Newroz. Translating to “the New Day,” Newroz holds profound significance for the Kurdish people, representing freedom. During Newroz festivities, participants wear vibrant attire adorned with the customary Kurdish hues of yellow, green, and red. Families and friends come together to prepare and enjoy special delicacies, dances and songs, and recite poetry. A cherished Newroz custom involves holding hands and dancing in circles around a blazing fire.

Witnessing the Eclipse

On April 8, the entire Seven Hills community ventured outdoors, donning their eclipse glasses, to marvel as the moon obscured nearly the entire sun. Before this cosmic occurrence, seventh grade science teacher Kristin Suer’s students presented a play for Lotspeich and Doherty, which explained the mechanics behind the eclipse.

Fourth Graders visit Camp Kern

In early April, fourth graders in Sara Snyder and Shane Marsan’s classes continued the Seven Hills tradition of an annual trip to Camp Kern. Students spent two days and one night learning about Ohio history through hands-on experiences. Students visited Fort Ancient, searched for fossils, tried archery, and participated in team-building activities.

“Lotspeich fourth graders have been going to Camp Kern for over 40 years,” Snyder said. “Our trip not only reinforces the social studies curriculum but also allows an opportunity for social growth and a new way to connect with their fourth grade community. The trip reinforces the Ohio history curriculum outside of the traditional classroom in a hands-on way. We are able to hike to Fort Ancient to see the ancient mounds and to visit the museum there. We also have experiential learning opportunities through a variety of activities. We hiked through the Camp Kern campus with experienced camp staff who offer new information about Ohio history and the nature around us.”