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Our Mission, Methods, and Values

At Seven Hills, we are guided, each day, by our mission, our values, our commitment to a diverse community, and our ambitious vision for the future. Together, they shape who we are today and who we’ll be tomorrow. 

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Seven Hills engages hearts and minds, guiding students to cultivate their unique capabilities and preparing each for a meaningful role in a rapidly changing world.

The seven core values that Seven Hills instills in our students are:
  1. Pursuit of excellence
  2. Respect for others and appreciation of diversity
  3. Kindness, caring, and compassion
  4. Honesty and integrity
  5. Fairness and justice
  6. Personal responsibility and accountability
  7. Commitment to community

The Portrait of a Learner is meant to be a guiding star by which teachers, coaches, administrators, and other members of the community can design educational experiences that bring out the best in our students. It identifies the qualities and values we strive to foster in students not just by the end of their journey, but at every step and milestone, from pre-kindergarten to pre-calc, from early childhood to senior year, from the acorn to the oak.

A Seven Hills learner engages the mind by...

 

  • asking "why" and "what if." 
  • thinking critically and creatively.
  • synthesizing many spruces.
  • practicing discernment.
  • constructing knowledge.
  • reflecting on one's learning.

A Seven Hills learner engages the heart by...

 

  • practicing empathy.
  • balancing commitments.
  • developing persistence.
  • knowing oneself.
  • discovering purpose.
  • finding joy in learning.

A Seven Hills learner engages the community by...

 

  • learning from and with others. 
  • developing cultural competence.
  • respecting other perspectives.
  • demonstrating good citizenship.
  • acting responsibly.
  • exhibiting leadership.

At Seven Hills, our educational philosophy drives everything we do. We believe, of course, in setting students up for a successful college career. But we also want to play a role in preparing them for the rest of their lives. That’s why we intentionally model and teach our values to our students every day.

Our teachers share a commitment to continuously developing their lessons and methods based on new research and best practices. The result is an intentional, future-focused curriculum that helps students become skilled problem solvers, empathetic leaders, and compassionate human beings.

At Seven Hills, we:
  • Believe that learning should be engaging and relevant.
  • Use teaching methods designed to ensure that students acquire the intellectual and social skills they need to thrive in an increasingly complex global community.
  • Focus not only on the acquisition of knowledge, but on inquiry, discovery, and the application of skills to meaningful problem-solving.
  • Teach students to make choices, to manage their time, to think critically and creatively, and, above all, to take responsibility for their own learning.
  • Are committed to exploring educational best practices and to adapting our instructional methods to advances in technology and developments in the world

At Seven Hills, our classrooms are open, nurturing, and highly participatory. Teachers guide students through a journey of self-discovery while getting to know their individual learning styles and interests. By giving students the freedom to explore and experience new things, we help them become confident in who they are and what they want to do.

At Seven Hills, we believe that:
  • Students learn best when they work in an atmosphere of open inquiry and mutual respect.
  • The school should provide a safe, supportive, and challenging environment, with clear goals and high expectations for student achievement and conduct.
  • Education is relationship-based and that students learn best when teachers fully understand the interests, motivations, and individual learning styles of each of their students.
  • The school should provide the widest possible range of opportunities for students to explore personal interests and develop individual talents.
  • Extracurricular and athletic activities should be open to all students who wish to participate, regardless of their innate ability.

We believe that who students are is just as important as what they know. That’s why we explicitly model and teach our values to our students from a very early age. As they grow into their own person, we strive to nurture their intellectual, moral, and social skills, so that they can become engaged, articulate, and responsible citizens of the world.

At Seven Hills, we:
  • Believe that the school, in partnership with our families, plays a critical role in helping students develop character and core values.
  • Strive to nurture the intellectual, aesthetic, moral, and social skills our students will need to become engaged citizens and responsible leaders.
  • See our teachers, administrators, and staff as role models, mentors, and collaborators, engaging with students in meaningful and mutually respectful ways.
  • Value individuality and believe that a rich diversity of backgrounds and perspectives enriches our community.
  • Encourage students and faculty to be actively involved in their communities, making us all more aware of the needs of others.
  • We pose engaging questions that foster students’ passion for learning.
  • We design complex tasks that build logic, critical thinking and problem solving skills.
  • We structure learning activities that require creativity, independent thought and innovation. 
  • We focus on content that engages students in compelling global issues. 
  • We design opportunities for meaningful collaboration.
  • We craft opportunities for skilled and confident communication in a variety of media.
  • We emphasize the use of technological tools for research, analysis, and communication.

Our strategic plan, adopted by the Board of Trustees in May 2019, will guide the continuing evolution of The Seven Hills School. Progress is well underway in these, the six main pillars of the plan:

  • Ensuring the long-term financial sustainability of the school’s rich and varied program.  
  • Maintaining the excellence of the faculty and staff.
  • Realizing fully our commitment of diversity, equity, and inclusion.
  • Shaping new, future-focused programs to prepare students for a rapidly changing world.
  • Sustaining a school culture that supports students’ physical and emotional health and well-being.
  • Enhancing facilities to support a comprehensive and innovative program.