Launch of Civic Engagement Seminars

The Upper School had the first of three day-long Civic Engagement Seminars. Funded by a leadership grant from the Edward E. Ford Foundation, the three seminars will run throughout January and February are designed to help deepen student understanding of contemporary issues. “These seminars are about all of us changing in some way our understanding of the world, our understanding of our place in it, and our understanding of our agency in the world. Imagine if all of us leave these seminars with just a little bit of difference in how we view ourselves and our world and what we can do,” Director of Experiential Learning Karen Glum told the Upper School students during an all school meeting. The 17 seminars are based around five categories: social justice, environment, politics and government, public health, and global issues. Alex Maggio ’03 gave the keynote address about his work as a writer and executive producer in Hollywood, who dramatizes the climate crisis onscreen. “Stories can be an essential force for change. They can dissolve barriers and lower our defenses. To survive the coming decades, we are really going to need good stories to light the way,” Maggio said.

Seven Hills Lifers honored with lunch

On Friday, Jan. 20, 38 Upper School seniors who have spent their entire education at Seven Hills gathered for the Lifers Lunch with their parents, hosted by the Development Department. The event started last school year to honor students and their families for their dedication to Seven Hills. Director or Development Margo Kirstein thanked parents for trusting Seven Hills with their children for so long. “One of the great pleasures of working at a school like this is getting to watch the arch of young people’s lives. We are so proud of how all of you have grown up,” said Head of School Chris Garten, who came to Seven Hills as the Head of School when the lifers were in pre-kindergarten.

Celebrating Lunar New Year

Middle and Upper School Chinese students in Mia Wu and Nanyue Zhu’s classes celebrated the Lunar New Year by making dumplings. The combined cultural and cooking lessons had parent volunteers help the students make a range of dumplings to honor the holiday, which is on Sunday, Jan. 22. Making dumplings is a tradition so family and friends are able to spend time together. In addition to dumplings, Tea ‘N’ Bowl and Boba Cha were on the Hillsdale Campus offering Asian food and bubble tea during lunch.

Awards Roundup

Upper School students often show their talents, academic achievements, dedication to service, and strong characters outside of school and are honored for it. Here are some of the awards recently given to our Upper School students:

Cameron Impact Scholarship
Senior Jack Ringel was awarded the merit-based, impact-driven Cameron Impact Scholarship, a full-tuition scholarship to any four-year university that is given to only 10-15 high school students annually. In addition to a GPA requirement, recipients must demonstrate excellence in leadership, community service, extracurricular activities, and academics. Congrats, Jack!

Congressional App Challenge
Freshman Ethan Avera won the 2022 Congressional App Challenge for Ohio 2nd Congressional District for designing an app called Recycle Master that helps people learn what items can be recycled or composted through a game. “I wanted to teach people, especially young people, what is and isn’t recyclable or compostable so they can develop good habits and make more informed purchase choices, as well as help protect the environment” Avera said in a release from Congressman Brad Wenstrup’s office.