Keystone students excel at Science Fair | |
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Congratulations to the Keystone students who earned honors at the Junior Academy of Science competition.
Special kudos go to 10th grader Rashmi, who won top prize in the Medicine & Health, Microbiology, Biochemistry division. Her topic: "Differentiating Steatosis from Non-alcoholic Steatohepatitis using Ultrasound Fatty Liver Indicator"
Here are all the Keystone winners:
Upper School:
- Rashmi, 10th grade – 1st Grand Fair II
- Joanna, 11th grade – 2nd Grand Fair III (Botany, Zoology, Behavioral, Environmental division)
- Shaum, 9th grade – 5th Grand Fair I
Middle School
- Aditi, 7th grade – 2nd Grand Fair III
- Marc-Anthony, 6th grade – 1st Place Chemistry
- Sathvik, 7th grade – 2nd Place Math & Computers
- Nirmal, 7th grade (not pictured) – 3rd Place Physics
Terrific work!
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Academic WorldQuest makes it 13 regional titles in a row
Keystone’s Academic WorldQuest teams scored big this week. The school's three teams took 1st, 2nd and 3rd place in the regional competition this week.
This makes 13 years in a row that Keystone has captured the regional title and advanced to national competition.
Academic WorldQuest pits four-player teams of high school students in testing their knowledge of international affairs. Teams answer 10 questions in 10 thematic categories.
Here’s Keystone’s top-placing team (from left):
Lorenzo, 12th Grade
Julia, 10th Grade
Ishan, 11th Grade
Andy, 12th Grade
Read more here
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9th grader trains at music conservatory in Mexico
Joaquín, a current 9th grader, is an impressive percussionist who's studied under different programs.
He spent four years studying at the National Conservatory of Music (or Conservatorio Nacional de Música) in Mexico City. It’s a demanding and very selective program.
Even now, Joaquín continues to take lessons with his percussion teacher in from the conservatory in Mexico via video calls.
Here in San Antonio, he plays with Youth Orchestra of San Antonio and recently performed as part of an ensemble in a concert at the Tobin Center.
Talk about dedication!
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Eighth grader helps collect items for earthquake relief
Keystone families opened their hearts and closets this week to help victims of the recent earthquake in Turkey and Syria.
Eighth-grader Audrey asked for winter gear, and parents and students brought enough blankets, sleeping bags, hats, scarves, and sweaters, and other items to fill several SUVs.
Middle schoolers helped sort and pack items on Thursday afternoon. Additional volunteers transported the items to the Turkish embassy in Houston, which will then distribute the donations to afflicted areas.
Great job, Audrey, and thanks to Keystone families!
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11th grader wins Congressional App Challenge
Congratulations to 11th grader Joanna for winning the Congressional App Challenge.
In this competition, members of the U.S. House of Representatives choose winning projects from teams that create outstanding apps.
Joanna partnered with a cousin who attends Choate Rosemary Hall to create Stress Scope, which measures a user’s stress and provides tips to help manage high levels of it. To create the app, they used Java and Android Studio.
Rep. Rosa DeLauro named the duo winners in Connecticut’s Third District.
Read more here
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Keystone students place at piano competition
Congratulations to 9th grader Anna,10th grader Aarav and 6th-grader Isa for placing high in the 38th Annual Janice Kay Hodges Contemporary Piano Competition.
Anna placed second in the 9th grade level. As part of the award, she will also receive a scholarship for Interlochen Summer Arts Camp in Michigan.
Aarav came in third in the 10th grade division, while Isa came in third in the 6th grade division.
Great job!
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Seventh-grade girls finish runners up
After a tough game that went down to the final minute, our 7th-grade girls finished runners-up in their division.
Congratulations on a great season!
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Mrs. Tyroff accepts state award
Last week, Mrs. Tyroff accepted a well-deserved honor.
She received the Edmund J. Farrell Distinguished Service and Achievement Award From the Texas Council of Teachers of English Language Arts for a career of achievement and contributions to the teachers' organization.
Keystone students and alumni credit her with teaching them how to write clearly and effectively.
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Registration for Keystone summer coming next week
Registration links for Keystone's summer camps will go live next week.
Here's the lineup:
Little School Camps - May 30-June 9: Students 3-8 years old will delight in art and cooking projects. Cost: $585/student for the two-week camp, add $150/student for extended day program.
Camp Cobra - May 30-June 2: Basketball and volleyball for rising 3rd-8th grade students. Cost: $150/student for each camp.
Camp Hollywood - June 5-9, June 12-16: Students in rising 3rd-8th grade will write, direct, star and film their own productions. Cost: $300/student per week.
Writers Workshop - June 19-30 (Monday-Friday): Students in rising 6th-9th grades will create their own original works in different literary styles. Cost: $300/student for the two-week camp.
Math/Science Camp - July 10-14: Rising 5th/6th graders will have so much fun, they'll forget they're learning too.
Camps are limited to current and incoming Keystone students.
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Billy's Blog: From our Head of School | |
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“Your scientists were so preoccupied with whether they could, they didn’t stop to think whether they should.”
-Dr. Ian Malcolm in “Jurassic Park”
Over the years, Keystone alumni have expressed appreciation and gratitude for learning how to write well. They explain that, compared to their college counterparts, they can express themselves fluently, they are not afraid to take on complicated topics and long papers, and they are able to compose an essay quickly. Former Cobras describe their calm, serenity, and thankfulness for the excellent teachers at Keystone as their college roommates panic over a writing assignment that feels perfectly manageable to Keystone alumni. Perhaps it’s the ability to both challenge and support students that led the Texas Council of English Language Arts to award Keystone 8th grade English teacher Cindy Tyroff the Edmund J. Farrell Distinguished Service and Achievement Award at their annual conference last Friday in Denton.
So, how do we continue to teach writing in the age of AI? This is the topic of conversations, blogs, news stories, and much hand wringing since the news about ChatGPT came out a few months ago. (And yes, I am writing this blog myself.) The arrival of this latest form of artificial intelligence has hit the educational world with a thunderclap as we have seen the quality of ChatGPT essays and the speed with which they are written. Countless news stories have described the perceived threats and the opportunities that ChaptGPT poses to educators teaching students to think and write critically.
As you would expect, teachers and administrators at Keystone have been in dialogue regarding ChatGPT.
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Important Events and Notes | |
Keystone alumni mom to hold fashion show in San Antonio - Feb. 25 | |
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For 10 years, Keystone mom Roshnic Latif held a fashion show to highlight her designs, sometimes featuring Keystone students as models.
Now she's an alumni mom, and she's holding her final show in San Antonio later this month. Money raised from this show will benefit the Center for Refugee Services.
For more information or to purchase tickets, click here.
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Keystone Food & Drink Festival - March 31
Mark your calendar: Our annual spring fundraiser, the Keystone Food & Drink Festival, takes place on Friday, March 31 on campus.
This event brings together parents, grandparents, alumni, parents of alumni, and friends of Keystone onto campus for an evening of enjoying outstanding dishes, along with alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, while coming together and catching up in person.
Whether you would like to represent your business or your own family, please consider purchasing a sponsorship for the upcoming Keystone Food and Drink Festival. The Food and Drink Festival offers exciting opportunities to strengthen your brand while supporting Keystone in its efforts to help its students realize their potential.
To secure a sponsorship, or purchase individual tickets, go to: https://event.gives/foodanddrink
Please also consider donating an item for the silent auction. If you would like to contribute to the auction, please contact Bella Peters at bpeters@keystoneschool.org.
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Family Fun Day - April 22
Save the Date: Saturday, April 22
Time: 4 pm – 7 pm
Location: Main Campus
Enjoy an outdoor event filled with food trucks, free games, inflatables, and crafts. Open to all Keystone families, grandparents and siblings.
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Cobra Radio podcast features Athletic Director Coach Montgomery | | |
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The current episode of Cobra Radio features Keystone's new Athletic Director, D'Andre Montgomery.
Coach Montgomery talks about her track career, winning a world championship, running in the 1996 Olympics, and the importance of developing a championship mindset.
Find this episode and subscribe on:
Spotify
Apple Podcasts
Google Podcasts
If you're searching for it on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or Google Podcasts, type in "Cobra Radio" and "Keystone".
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Get your Keystone gear now | |
We are working with Follett, which provides fanwear and other merchandise to colleges, universities and K-12 schools. Place your orders with Follett, and your merchandise will ship directly to your house.
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Support Keystone while you shop | |
AmazonSmile ending Feb. 20 | |
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You have about a month to continue supporting Keystone through the AmazonSmile program. This allows customers to designate Keystone as their charity of choice and we receive 0.5% of the purchase price to the school.
Keystone has received nearly $3,500 since joining the program in late 2018.
Amazon announced this week that it's shutting down the program on Feb. 20. So for the next few weeks, go to smile.amazon.com, and support Keystone with your purchases.
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We want to hear from you! | |
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