New Keynote now live

The newest edition of The Keystone, the student publication, is now live. Check it out at KeystoneKeynote.com.

Come to Keystone Night at the SA Philharmonic

We’ve had Keystone night at basketball and soccer games, so let’s have a Keystone Night at the San Antonio Philharmonic!

The Philharmonic and Keystone are joining for a special concert on Saturday, May 13. On that night, conductor Noam Aviel leads the orchestra in Beethoven’s “Eroica,” with additional works by Rodrigo, Piazolla and Plaza.

Purchase your tickets here: https://saphil.org/event/cl9 

Use promo code KEYSTONE for a 20% discount.

Then come early for a special Keystone reception before the show.

Download the invitation here for more information.

Middle School Announcement

Jennifer Wivagg will become the Director of Technology at St. George Episcopal School this July.

In her new role, Dr. Wivagg will return to her love for educational technology by creating a program from the ground up. This allows her to tap into her expertise and education from her PhD program at the University of Texas where she focused on learning technologies, then leading curriculum and instructional technology initiatives in the Comal School District, and her experience as Director of Innovation and Learning here at Keystone

While we are sad to see her go, we are excited for her in this new opportunity and are grateful for the progress she has led as the Head of Middle School, Director of Curriculum and Instruction, and in her earlier role as Director of Innovation.

Dr. Wivagg loves developing new ideas and seeing them through to fruition, so this new role is tailor made for her.

She will continue in her current position at Keystone through the end of the school year.

We will soon commence a national search for a new Head of Middle School. We will also begin a search for a Director of Curriculum and Instruction, who will partner with teachers to align Keystone’s curriculum across divisions, support faculty in their professional growth, and bring to our community the most recent research in elementary/secondary education and at the college/university level.

In the meantime, we are proud to announce that Mallory Matthews will serve as Interim Head of Lower and Middle Schools. She is well equipped for these new responsibilities, with experience as Middle School Director at Park City Day School in Utah.

Ms. Matthews oversaw both the lower and middle schools in Park City as Director of Studies, before she joined Keystone in 2021 as Head of Lower School. She began her education career as a middle school classroom teacher, coach, and advisor at The Kinkaid School in Houston, and as a middle school social studies teacher in Bogotá, Colombia. She holds a bachelor's degree in Integrated History Education from Wittenberg University in Springfield, Ohio, and a Master’s in Education from the Harvard Graduate School of Education.

Congratulations to Dr. Wivagg as she takes on this exciting opportunity.

You don't have to have anything in common with people you've known since you were five. With old friends, you've got your whole life in common.

-Lyle Lovett

Every year at this time, we observe the mixture of emotions for seniors as they look forward to the next step in their educational journey but also realize that they will be leaving the school, the teachers, and perhaps most importantly, the friends they’ve had for many years.

That mixture of emotions comes through in the latest episode of the Cobra Radio podcast. In it, seniors Quincy and Stella share with Keynote co-editor Caden stories of meeting in kindergarten, how they played basketball and volleyball with each other, and how they had a “divorce” in 8th grade, but soon got back together.

The episode illustrates a sincere friendship that spans most of these young womens’ lives, and it’s worth a listen.

So is a previous Cobra Radio interview with seniors Ana, Hazel, and Maya. They visited with co-editor Aleena for a podcast episode, and their free-floating conversation included lower school classes, middle school teachers and high school sports and clubs. It was easy to laugh along with these four soon-to-be graduates as they recalled their thirteen years together. 

At Keystone, and other independent schools, these students are called “lifers.” They are young adults who have spent their formative years of schooling with each other and grown up together. They have cheered for one another in moments of triumph and consoled each other in times of hardship. 

PTO General Meeting - April 25

From Keystone's PTO:

Please join us for the Spring PTO General Meeting of the school year on Tuesday, April 25th at 7:00 pm via Zoom. The meeting will include a welcome from Head of School Mr. Billy Handmaker, PTO updates, and guest speakers Senior Class members Lorenzo and Andrew, Keystone Librarian Mrs. Jeanette Vilagi, and Keystone Counselor Dr. Erica Shapiro.

https://keystone.zoom.us/j/92988454929?pwd=VDBJUXAybTl1V3RMQmJXYUp2NnNOdz09

Meeting ID: 929 8845 4929

Passcode: 5SUbCi

Spring Virtual Alumni Gathering - May 3

Dear Alumni:

Join us for a special presentation on the history of Keystone by two current Upper School students and an update on your alma mater from Head of School Billy Handmaker. The virtual gatherings are a great way to connect with alumni from all over the country. 

The gathering is scheduled for Wednesday, May 3^rd at 6 pm CST. For the zoom link please email Bella Peters, bpeters@keystoneschool.org.

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