Schedule changes and cancellations


From Mr. Handmaker:

Dear Families,

Now that we’re one week into Gov. Abbott’s order that schools remain in distance learning through the end of the school year, we want to share announcements for the rest of the year. As you can imagine, we're very sad to be cancelling or postponing so many events. 

Last Day of School: Our last day of this school year in all divisions is May 15, as opposed to the earlier date of May 20. We are making this change to reflect the cancellation of final exams in the Middle and Upper School; we hope this will allow families with children in multiple divisions to plan accordingly.

Senior Graduation: The original graduation date of May 24 has been postponed. We are asking seniors and their families to reserve June 14 and August 9 as possible graduation dates. If neither of those dates are possible, we will hold a virtual graduation on August 9 and schedule a Class of 2020 in-person celebration as soon as possible.

Summer at Keystone: Camp Cobra basketball and volleyball camp, Writers’ Workshop, Cat Class, Camp Hollywood and Little School cooking and art camps will not take place this year. If you have already paid for these camps, your school account will be credited.

Upper School Play: “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” is cancelled. It had been postponed pending a date when it could be presented, but current restrictions prevent it from taking place.

“Fighting Cancer with the Mind”: An April 30 lecture by Dr. Jamie Jacobs of Harvard Medical School in conjunction with the Harvard Club of San Antonio has been cancelled. Both Keystone and the local Harvard Club hope to hold an event on campus in the future.

50th Alumni Reunion: This event has been postponed to a future date.

This school year is ending in a way we could have never imagined. It has been tough and you have risen to the challenge and persevered in this difficult time. Thank you! 

We’ll send more announcements over the summer with suggested activities for children and planning updates for the 2020-21 school year in the coming months. Whether we begin next school year on campus, in distance learning, or some combination of the two, we will be ready to provide an exceptional education and a true sense of community to you, our students and families.

With hope and gratitude,

Billy

William B. Handmaker
Head of School
Students celebrate Virtual Spirit Week
Keystone families went all out this week for the first-ever Virtual Spirit Week.

Here were the themes for each day:

  • Hat Day
  • Neon Day
  • Crazy Hair Day
  • School Colors

Throughout the week, families sent in photos of students celebrating the themes, and extending the spirit of Keystone throughout the city and beyond.

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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.

Seniors: If you order your book by May 1, you can have it shipped to your home this summer.

All other grades: 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 are excited for a long weekend and have had a wonderful week! Here are our wellness and self-care resource selections for this week. Please peruse and enjoy at your leisure. 

Nurse Penny’s Picks:

Mrs. Raymer’s Picks: 

Dr. Shapiro’s Picks:

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.
9th Graders raising money for University Health System

A group of 9th graders have come together to create a GoFundMe page to raise money for the University Health System Foundation.

Billy's Blog: From the Head of School
“One of the most important things you can do on this earth is to let people know they are not alone.”
Shannon L. Alder

At a time when we’re all hunkered down and isolating ourselves, it would be easy to become self-centered and lose sight of the suffering of others. Thus, it is all the more impressive when our Keystone Cobras look beyond themselves and want to take care of those people in need. In a school that holds “community involvement” and “responsible leadership” as core values, it is heartening to see the ways that students are finding ways to help people. 

Important Events and Notes
Save the Date: May 16
Students who have been issued an iPad are to return the devices from 9 a.m.-noon on May 16.

Please watch your email and future issues of the Communiqué for more information on how the dropoff will take place.
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:

Here’s a performance of “mathemagic:”


Here’s a living room concert from violinist Nancy Zhou ’11:

And here’s a link to performances at the Globe Theatre:

If you haven’t yet visited the San Antonio Public Library, check it out: mysapl.org

And make sure to get the Libby app on your mobile phone, or use it on your browser at www.libbyapp.com .

Here are seven great libraries you can visit virtually:

Here’s a video about the career of Henry Aaron and how he broke the then-unbreakable home run record of Babe Ruth: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4HvOMTSe_GI

Here’s a story about Henry Aaron and how his athletic achievements affected our country: 
(Warning: The story includes images of hate mail)
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.

Keystone apparel available online
Classes may take place online, but you can get physical merchandise through Vivroux Sports.


Or visit the company's store at 2222 Breezewood Blvd. in Alamo Heights to shop in person.
Alumni News
Nancy Zhou '11 featured in living room concert
Nancy Zhou '11 performed a solo concert from her New York City living room as part of a concert series with The Violin Channel.

The classical music news outlet is arranging performances with noted musicians and broadcasting them on Facebook.

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