Saluting seniors online and in person

We still had College Announcement Day, Awards Assembly, and a reflection from a teacher chosen by seniors -- it's just that the events went online. But this year, we added a couple of other touches: administrators delivered Keystone yard signs to seniors, and the school installed photos of the seniors along Craig Place. Click here for some slideshows from the day.

Message from Mr. Handmaker regarding the 2020-21 school year Dear Friends, We hope you are staying healthy while enjoying this beautiful spring weather. Last week, I attended via Zoom a Fourth Grade Leadership Team Meeting to answer questions the students had regarding school and next year. As you would expect from Keystone Cobras, their questions were thoughtful and contained a great deal of insight. Sadly, their inquiries also reflected how much the students miss being on Keystone’s campus, seeing their friends and teachers in person, and reveling in each other’s company face-to-face. I want to share with you what I told the students as well as answer some other questions we’ve received. I will say up front that there’s much we still don’t know as we plan for next year. The Keystone Safety Committee, which includes teachers, staff, and administrators, continues to meet daily; we plan for a variety of contingencies, so we will be ready for whatever may come. As I told the students, school will begin on August 19. Depending on the recommendations of public health experts, government orders, and in consultation with other heads of school, we may open school in a variety of ways. We could start classes in person with social distancing measures in place or students wearing masks; we might have to remain in distance learning mode. We may create a hybrid model that includes both in-person instruction combined with distance learning. We might have a daily schedule that differs from the past. Our approach could also look different among divisions. We are studying many models so we can make the most informed decision possible. At this point, we hope to have our Outdoor Education trips for next year, but here again, this will be determined by the conditions on the ground and the most recent recommendations of experts. Decisions regarding Middle and Upper School Interscholastic Sports will follow the policies of the leagues to which we belong. Once school is out for this year, our faculty and administration will evaluate what has worked well this spring in distance learning, and where we can improve. This will be the focus of our professional development for this summer and next fall. In addition, we will conduct a survey in late May/early June so we can receive your input. Whatever mode we are in, we intend to provide an academically excellent experience while helping children learn ethical growth, community involvement, and responsible leadership. We will also continue to teach children how to grow socially and emotionally whether we’re in person or online. My recent conversation with the fourth graders had me feeling a variety of emotions. I was impressed with the astute nature of their questions while being deeply touched by their attachment to their classmates, their teachers, and their school. Candidly, I found myself tearing up as they expressed how much they wish to be back on campus. Their fears, their emotions, and their hopes and wishes reflect our collective anxieties and aspirations. Please know that in the same way our students miss school, we desperately miss them and you. It’s great to see our students via Zoom, but it’s just not the same. As a part of our work, the Safety Committee created a set of COVID-19 Guidelines to guide our decision making process. We are sharing that document with you below. In the meantime, thank you for your support through these difficult times. One day, we will reconvene on Keystone’s campus and learn from one another, laugh with each other, and enjoy being together. We look forward to being with you in person when that day comes. Sincerely, Billy William B. Handmaker Head of School

Seniors learn cooking online During a lunch break, the seniors gathered in their respective kitchens and learned some cooking techniques with Mr. Tijerina, the school's marketing and communications director, food writer with San Antonio Magazine , and one-time restaurateur/chef. The class made quick guacamole, avocado toast, pasta in an olive oil sauce and stir-fried sweet peppers. With their newly-acquired skills, the seniors should be able to handle themselves in their own kitchens when they get to college.

Fifth-graders tear up their own dance floors Although the in-person fifth grade dance didn't happen, the students still had a party. Several parents combined forces and decorated their homes and threw a party that featured a virtual appearance from local comic Cleto Rodriguez and a dance lesson from Semeneya Dance Studio. Then the fifth graders showed off their moves and had their own Friday blowout.

Teacher Appreciation Week goes virtual This year, families took it upon themselves to celebrate Teacher Appreciation Week. Some sent photos and videos, while others created impromptu parades in front of teachers' houses. Meanwhile, the PTO sponsored food delivery so faculty and staff could order their own meals. Here are a couple of videos from the week .

Notice and Election of 2020-2021 PTO Council Slate   From the PTO: Dear Keystone Families,   We hope that all is well with you and yours.  In light of Keystone’s closure in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, your Parent Teacher Organization Council (PTOC), as the governing body of Keystone’s Parent Teacher Organization, must amend its procedures for electing PTOC members for the 2020-2021 school year. We are pleased to announce the proposed slate of 2020-2021 PTOC officers below.  Within the next week or so, the PTOC — with assistance from Keystone staff — will conduct an online election on our slate. You will also be able to submit “write-in” nominations for all positions.Families are asked to vote once, per parent or guardian.[All votes submitted will be anonymous, and will be collected and tallied by Keystone administration. Thank you for your patience and understanding are we make these necessary changes to accommodate our unprecedented times. We believe that our amended process will allow for greater input by the Keystone PTO members, which is a welcome outcome. Keystone’s PTOC promotes diversity and inclusivity in its membership, and remains committed to availing volunteer and service opportunities to interested families, students, and faculty, whether via service on the PTOC or in other important capacities. Notwithstanding all of the unknowns, parent engagement will be crucial to ensuring our healthy transition back to school/campus, and there will be numerous ways to volunteer through PTO next year. We are humbled by and appreciative of your ongoing support and enthusiastic interest in serving our Keystone.   2019-2020 Parent Teacher Organization Council PTO 2020-2021 Slate   President - Cassandra Nowicki-Parker    President Elect - Bryant Hayes Secretary – Melissa Bullerwell Treasurer – Simya Ahmad Parliamentarian – Sukrutha Gujiula VP Marketing – Sumiti Green VP Enrichment – Sakshi Malhotra VP Communications – Rami Head VP Community – Jaime Walman Little School Rep – Rose Parham Lower School Rep – Ana Soileau Middle School Rep – Gina Ledoux Upper School Rep – Courtney Green

Order yearbooks now

Although we are in distance learning mode now, the Yearbook Staff had enough time to complete the book and now it's available for pre-order. Order by June 1 to guarantee a yearbook, and pick them up at the beginning of next school year. Those who don't buy a book online in advance risk not having a book available, because they may sell out before distribution next year, said Yearbook sponsor Mrs. Arnold. Click here or on the image above to order.

Wellness Weekly

From Nurse Penny and Counselors Mrs. Raymer and Dr. Shapiro: Hello to our Dear Cobra Community, Mrs. Raymer, Nurse Penny, and Dr. Shapiro hope that you have had a wonderful first week of May. Here are our wellness and self-care resource selections for this week. Please peruse and enjoy at your leisure.  Nurse Penny’s Picks: If Disney songs were about quarantine: https://youtu.be/eI47Q_pfqsQ Mrs. Raymer’s Picks:  How to help your child’s compassion grow: https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/video/item/how_to_help_your_childs_compassion_grow Dr. Shapiro’s Picks: Creating a “Pleasant Events” calendar with your child: https://ggia.berkeley.edu/practice/pleasant_events_calendar_for_kids Keystone’s Wellness Team remains available by virtual meeting, phone, or email during this period of distance learning for support of students and families. Please do not hesitate to contact us and we hope this finds you and your families healthy and well.  All our best, Penny, Alison, & Erica

Keystone community responding to pandemic Members of the Keystone community are living out the school's pillars of Community Involvement and Responsible Leadership by launching or supporting fundraisers to help organizations involved in the pandemic. We'll include them on the Keystone website at: https://www.keystoneschool.org/covid-19-resources . Click on the "fundraising efforts" tab.

Billy's Blog: From the Head of School

“How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives.” --Annie Dillard “I’m baking.” “I’m going for walks with my parents.” “I’m working on my art.” “I’m learning guitar.” These were some of the responses we heard from Keystone students in our weekly Upper School class meetings and in conversations with middle schoolers when we asked how they are spending time while in work-at-home mode. Some students have seen this time when they are “stuck” at home as what I would call a “forced opportunity.” None of us chose to live during the worst pandemic in a century. However, in true Cobra fashion, many students are opting to learn a skill they wish they always had or find some other form of self-improvement. Read more here.

Important Events and Notes

Video salute to Mrs. Elizondo coming Monday Make sure to check out Keystone' Instagram , Facebook or YouTube channel on Monday for a special tribute to Mrs. Elizondo as she finishes her career at Keystone. It's a heartfelt video and we want you to add your own message to Mrs. E, and encourage alumni, current students, parents, alumni parents, colleagues and former colleagues to thank her for sharing her gifts with Keystone over the years.

Little School graduation - May 15 The Little School will celebrate its graduation with a car parade on its campus from 6-7 p.m. Teachers will be on hand to celebrate the children, and hand out goodie bags to each family. Click here for a flyer.

Lower School End of Year Ceremonies - May 15 Lower School students will cap off their school year in special ceremonies on Friday, May 15, class via Zoom. Parents, look for Zoom invitations from Mrs. Vilagi in the coming days. Here's the schedule: 9 a.m. Kindergarten 9:30 a.m. First Grade 10 a.m. Second Grade  10:30 a.m. Third Grade 11 a.m. Fourth Grade

iPad return day: May 22

Students who have been issued an iPad are to return the devices on Friday May 22 between 11 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. You will receive an email with a form that must be filled out and is to accompany the iPads when they are returned.

Summer Online at Keystone Watch your email for more information about Keystone's new online summer offerings. Here's the lineup: Virtual Tutoring: Members of Keystone's National Honor Society and recent graduates will be available online to help rising 3rd through 9th grade students in math and reading. Math Enrichment: Middle School math teacher Mustafa Citci will lead fun math activities for rising 5th and 6th grade students. Young Writer’s Workshop: Keystone's new second grade teacher, Monica Trivizo, will lead activities for rising 1st through 4th graders. Free Enrichment: Keystone faculty will offer activities geared to rising 1st through 4th graders via email free of charge to Keystone families. These activities will focus on creativity, especially in theatre, music and cooking. The flyer will offer more information on dates and costs for tutoring and the workshops, and details on how to sign up.

This week's morning messages Every school day begins with a short video from Mr. Handmaker. If you missed any, here are this week's messages: Monday: https://youtu.be/H7YbzJH88Y4 Here’s a video about doodling: https://youtu.be/CfJzrmS9UfY Tuesday: https://youtu.be/ypO1dfJ6knU In honor of Cinco de Mayo, here’s a video from Mariachi Vargas: https://www.kqed.org/arts/13855340/acclaimed-mariachi-vargas-celebrate-cinco-de-mayo-at-davies-symphony-hall Wednesday: https://youtu.be/vchA0GlpBeI Here’s a video about traditional boat building in Iran: https://www.atlasobscura.com/videos/traditional-boats-in-iran Thursday: https://youtu.be/fSKdlcyLeac Here’s a concert recording on this week’s 50th anniversary of the release of The Beatles’ final studio album, “Let it Be:” https://youtu.be/7P6X3IWLECY Friday: https://youtu.be/2H1HHA5oEvg Here’s a video about “Angel’s Glow,” a Civil War mystery that a pair of high school students solved:  https://youtu.be/7IpWJGlSSlg

Keystone part of Big Give Emergency Relief fundraiser In this unprecedented time, many of you have asked how you can help. All members of the faculty and staff have been working with the goal of helping our students be successful despite the unforeseen circumstances of COVID-19. If you are in position to give back at this time, please consider honoring all of Keystone’s faculty and staff with a generous gift that is most comfortable for you. Your support will go towards Keystone’s operating budget and the school's commitment to academic excellence in this fluid and rapidly-changing situation. Here's Keystone's page

Keystone apparel available online Classes may take place online, but you can get physical merchandise through Vivroux Sports. Go to https://vivrouxsports2020.itemorder.com and order items. Or visit the company's store at 2222 Breezewood Blvd. in Alamo Heights to shop in person.

Support Keystone while you shop

If you're getting school supplies or adding to your home office from either Office Max or Office Depot , please mention Keystone. As part of the Give Back to Schools program , the stores give 5% of the purchase price of qualifying school supplies in credits to Keystone for office supplies. Be sure to include the school's ID number when you make your purchase. Keystone's school number is: 70100727.

If you're purchasing items from Amazon, please consider supporting Keystone with your purchases and use AmazonSmile. Just designate Keystone as the beneficiary and a portion of your purchases will go to the school.

We want to hear from you! If you have news to share about the students, alumni, faculty or staff at Keystone School, please send it to: etijerina@keystoneschool.org .

Follow Keystone on social media

‌ ‌ ‌ ‌