Keystone celebrates Halloween | | |
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Keystone mom explains Día de los Muertos
The day after we celebrated Halloween on campus, Keystone parent Mrs. Romero came to speak with 2nd and 6th graders about the Mexican tradition of Día de los Muertos.
Mrs. Romero -- a native of Veracruz -- has studied Aztec and Mexican traditions and explains the meaning and significance of the day.
For the younger children, she spoke of the candy skulls, the movie “Coco,” and kept her presentation more fun.
When she spoke with older children, she was able to touch on Aztec cosmology and religion, and how the celebration of Día de los Muertos blends Catholic rituals with indigenous ones. She spoke of how families in Mexico spend the night at cemeteries and the observances turn into big celebrations.
Such wonderful presentations!
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Volleyball advances to regional playoffs | |
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Congratulations to the varsity volleyball team on becoming Area Champs! They beat Brazos Christian School of Bryan, Texas, earlier this week, 3-1 (25-18, 25-16, 22-25, 25-13).
They advance to the regional playoffs on Friday in a rematch against Rosehill Christian School of Houston. The game is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. and will be played at Schulenburg High School, a neutral site.
The winner of this game advances to the state semifinals. Let's go Cobras!
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Senior's drone team wins competition
Congratulations to senior Anneliese, who served on a team that won a recent drone competition.
Her team has been practicing for months, creating code using Python, and learning how to fly the drone manually.
Anneliese even obtained a federal drone commercial pilot's license.
The competition was part of the Digital Avionics Systems Conference, and sponsored by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Aerospace and Electronics Systems Societies, and hosted by St. Mary’s University.
Other members of the winning team came from Judson Early College Academy, St. Anthony's High School and BASIS Shavano.
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Middle Schoolers make gingerbread houses to improve teamwork
Maybe it's a little early, but the 7th and 8th graders still looked like they were having fun constructing gingerbread houses.
Both grades spent time during their Advisory period to work on team building skills and to just relax.
Click here for more photos.
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New Keynote now available | |
The latest edition of The Keynote, the student publication, is now live. Check it out at KeystoneKeynote.com or click on the flyer above. | |
Billy's Blog: From our Head of School | |
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“Our ability to reach unity in diversity will be the beauty and the test of our civilization.”
Mahatma Gandhi
Watching students in the Little and Lower School Divisions, resplendent in their costumes, march in their respective Halloween parades could not be more enjoyable. Sometimes it’s hard to tell who’s having more fun - the children or the proud parents and grandparents who look on and wave.
Year after year, it’s fun to see how children wish to disguise themselves; in some ways, it can also serve as a barometer on popular culture. If you’re unaware of which movies, shows, or books are prominent in any year, just check out which costumes appear most frequently. For younger children, Halloween can seem too good to be true. As a colleague pointed out about Halloween, “you get to dress up and eat candy, what’s not to like?”
Also on Monday, students in Middle and Upper School participated in their annual Halloween revelry with good-natured contests and competition. As they eagerly anticipated the judges’ decisions on which high school grade produced the most creatively decorated cake, the best video, the most creative costume, or the most artfully choreographed dance, students enjoyed one another’s company and appreciated this once-a-year fun. Students at Keystone work very hard to achieve academic excellence; they also know how to have fun.
A few days before Halloween, we observed Diwali on both campuses for the second year in a row.
Read more here
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Important Events and Notes | |
Annual Fund parent drive draws to a close | |
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From Mrs. Villafranca:
Dear Cobra Families,
We did it! We finished the Annual Fund parent drive with another all time high: 99.20%!
Last year, we finished with what had been the highest-ever participation mark of 98.23%.
One amazing note: This is the first time in Keystone’s annual fund history that Middle School reached 100% participation. Amazing!
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A special thank you to Keystone’s amazing Annual Fund Co-Chairs and Captains. We could not have done this without you!!!
2022-2023 ANNUAL FUND
Chairs - Ara Romero and Abe Martinez
PK3 - Vanessa Hinojosa Gonzalez and Fernando Contreras Valdes
PK4 - Rami and Brian Head
K - Trianna and Robert Johnson
1 - Marissa and Pablo Pallan
2 - Heidi and John Muñoz
3 – Sumiti and Richard Green
4 – Liz and Marcin Donda
5 – Luz Oliveira Martins and Katie Urbis
6 – Mary Ann Notestine and Jerry Arismendez
7 – Juliana Robledo
8 – Paola Duhem and Alberto Sandoval
9 – Baishakhi and Subrata Debnath
10 – Dritana Marko Serbo and David Gimeno Ruiz de Porras
11 – Anna Weissman and Cassandra Parker-Nowicki and Michael Nowicki
12 – Nathalie and Andrew Cross
Thank you for expressing your support of our school, its mission, and our children. Because of YOU, we made Annual Fund history at Keystone School once again!
With gratitude,
Adriana
Adriana Villafranca
Director of Development and Alumni Relations
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Little School Admissions Open House - Nov. 6
Dear Keystone Families,
Last call for our Little School Admissions Open House! It's happening Sunday, November 6, from 2-4pm. At this event, you will be able to tour campus, meet teachers, current parents, and administrators, and hear about our accelerated program.
If you are interested in the 2023-2024 school year, children must be three years old AND potty-trained by the time school starts in August 2023.
Please RSVP here. The address for the Little School is 117 Valero Street. We look forward to seeing you!
If you have any questions, please contact Director of Enrollment Management Andrea Banks.
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Keystone Book Fair - Nov. 7-11 | |
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Keystone's Fall Book Fair takes place Nov. 7-11.
Please download the flyer here for more information about how to schedule an on-campus visit and how to purchase books online.
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Visit Keystone - Upper School - Nov. 7
Dear Keystone Families,
Our Visit Keystone event for prospective Upper School families takes place Monday, November 7, from 9-10:30 a.m.
This event is specifically designed for families who are new to Keystone and are interested in our Upper School program for the 2023-2024 school year.
Please RSVP here. We look forward to seeing you!
If you have any questions, please contact Director of Enrollment Management Andrea Banks.
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Visit Keystone - Lower School - Nov. 9
Dear Keystone Families,
Our next Visit Keystone event for prospective Lower School families takes place Wednesday, November 9, from 9am-10:30am
This event is specifically designed for families who are new to Keystone and are interested in our Lower School program for the 2023-2024 school year.
Please RSVP here.
We look forward to seeing you!
If you have any questions, please contact Director of Enrollment Management Andrea Banks.
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Lower School GrandFriends Day - Nov. 18
Dear K-4 Families:
Please join us for GrandFriends Day on the main campus and enjoy a special time with your grandchild at Keystone. During the day you will participate in activities and spend time with your loved one. The event is Friday November 18th from 8:30 AM to 10:30 AM.
All guests must be registered by Tuesday, November 15th. Use this link to register https://bit.ly/GrandFriendsDay
As a reminder, please do not park in the La Fonda parking lot.
Little School's GrandFriends Day takes place Nov. 17. Families should have already received information.
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Alumni virtual gathering - Nov. 30
On Wednesday, November 30th we have a virtual alumni gathering at 7 p.m. CST. Join us for an update on your alma mater, reminisce about your days at Keystone and reconnect with alumni. This event has been moved from its original date of Nov. 9.
To register please fill out this form (https://forms.gle/vsbPr4g6xy9v5YRu7). We will send reminders to those who register as we approach the event.
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Gingerbread workshop - Dec. 10 | |
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Sign up now for a beloved Keystone tradition, the annual Gingerbread Workshop with Kit Myers. It's scheduled for Dec. 10, from 9-10:30 a.m. in the Cafeteria.
Kits must be purchased in advance, and prices begin at $22.
Click here for a flyer with more information or purchase your gingerbread house kits here.
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Save the Date - Feb. 3 - Spurs Keystone Night | |
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Save the date: This year's Keystone Night at a Spurs game is Friday, Feb. 3, 2023 at the AT&T Center.
Come out and watch the Spurs take on the Philadelphia 76ers.
We'll share ticketing information when it becomes available.
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College Visits
Wednesday, Nov. 9
8th Period: Baylor University (TX) - In-person
Thursday, Nov. 10
7th Period: The University of the South (TN) - In-person
Friday, Nov. 11
6th Period: Hofstra University (NY) - Virtual
College visits to Keystone are intended for students only. Links for the virtual visits are accessible through Naviance 15 minutes prior to the visit. Please see Ms. Christiansen for assistance.
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Cobra Radio podcast features seniors Lorenzo and Andrew | | |
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The next episode of Cobra Radio features seniors Lorenzo (left) and Andrew.
They spent the summer researching the history of Keystone. They’ll share some of what they uncovered and why they took on this project. You’ll learn about how Founders Hall was purchased in pieces, a hidden feature inside Founders, and how the school almost had a different name.
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 | |
If you're shopping with Amazon, please use AmazonSmile | |
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.
Make sure to install the Smilematic browser extension. It works with Firefox, Chrome and Safari and automatically redirects users to AmazonSmile when they visit Amazon. Here's the tool: https://couponfollow.com/smilematic.
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We want to hear from you! | |
Follow Keystone on social media | | | | | |
