Seniors Named National Merit Commended Scholars | |
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Congratulations to the nine Keystone students named 2024 National Merit Commended Scholars.
Out of some 1.3 million students who took the PSAT, these young people are among the approximately 34,000 Commended Scholars from around the country in the 2024 National Merit Scholarship Program,
They are:
- Sofia
- Connor
- Morgan
- Mars
- Ava
- Kate
- Tony
Two other students received Commended recognition: Siri, who tragically died in May; and Joshlyn, who no longer attends Keystone.
Way to go!
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Keystone again ranked Best Private School in San Antonio | |
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Keystone was once again ranked the best private high school in San Antonio and Bexar County, and the best in the city in several other categories:
- Best Private K-12 School
- Best College Prep Private High School
- Best High School for STEM
- Most Diverse Private High School
Niche, the platform that rates colleges and secondary schools, released its ratings this week and also named named Keystone among the best schools in the state. Keystone ranked #6 in Best College Prep Private School, #7 in Best High Schools for STEM, #8 in Best Private K-12 Schools, #9 in Best Private High School, and #11 in Most Diverse Private High School.
The announcement made local news, with a story on ExpressNews.com.
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Stuffed bears help kindergarteners learn geography | |
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Students in kindergarten kicked off their geography studies this week through their travel bear project.
In this year-long unit, students bring small stuffed bears from home to class.
Throughout this school year, the kindergarteners will take the bears with them whenever they travel, or send them off with friends or family members who are traveling. Then whoever has the bear takes a picture of the stuffed animal in a specific location and sends it back to Keystone. The teachers mark locations on a map to help students develop their geography skills.
Super cute and an effective way to encourage young students to learn.
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Seniors Shashi (left) and Nandini are Student Ambassadors for the Mayor’s Fitness Council. | |
Seniors meet with local dignitaries for wellness project
Seniors Shashi and Nandini, who are Student Ambassadors for the Mayor’s Fitness Council, met with representatives of several organizations last week at a special event.
They participated in a Community Partner Meet & Greet, which gave student ambassadors a chance to present and discuss their projects that aim to improve health and wellness throughout the San Antonio community.
The Keystone students’ project, “Mind and Matter,” addresses the mental health needs for upper school students at Keystone School and other high schools in the San Antonio community.
They met with community partners for seed funding and highlighted their work to a group including Mayor Ron Nirenberg and Dr. Claude Jacob from MetroHealth.
Keep up the great work!
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Medical Interest Club collecting donations for pediatric cancer research
If you missed the Medical Interest Club's paleta sale on Friday, there's still time to make a donation to support pediatric cancer research.
Club members created a fundraising page through Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation, which supports the fight against pediatric cancer. Click here or on the flyer to make a donation.
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Pick up lost and found items Oct. 2-6 | |
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Dear Parents,
We will have a lost and found table set up for the week of parent/teacher conferences.
It will sit by the nurses office, under the portico and be available from 9 a.m. Monday, Oct. 2nd until 6pm Friday, Oct. 6th.
Any items not claimed by 6 p.m. on October 6th will be donated.
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San Antonio Spurs Keystone Night - Dec. 26 | |
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Join the Keystone community for a special Keystone Night on Dec. 26 at the Frost Bank Center, formerly the AT&T Center, to watch the San Antonio Spurs take on the Utah Jazz. Bring the extended family or take a break from holiday celebrations. This is the first season of worldwide sensation Victor Wembanyama, with an exciting roster of promising young talent.
Keystone has arranged special ticket pricing, and a portion of the sales comes to the school as a donation. As an added bonus, the first 100 tickets sold can participate in the Courtside Experience, where fans can come early and watch both teams warm up and practice from the first 13 rows of the arena. So enjoy a holiday outing, catch a fun game, and support the school at the same time!
Get your tickets by clicking here or on either of the team logos.
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Billy's Blog: From our Head of School | |
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Great acts are made up of small deeds.”
-Lao Tzu
With service as a tenet of our Cobra Code, we talk a lot at Keystone about helping others. It’s gratifying to see our students and alumni take that commitment to heart and amaze us with the ways they find to serve.
One of our recent alumni, Beril Saygin ‘20, spent her summer cycling from Austin to Anchorage, Alaska as part of the Texas 4000 for Cancer, a 4,000-mile ride over 70 days. Beril, a Plan II Honors student at UT-Austin, will study cancer care disparities for her graduation thesis.
Beril served as her team’s Fitness Chair. In that role, she was tasked with creating a training program, instilling safe cycling practices, and preparing 46 cyclists to ride to Alaska. Beril and her teammates rode up Pikes Peak at 14,000 feet, cycled 150 miles between Banff and Jasper National Parks in Canada in one day, and crossed the Continental Divide four times through mountain passes. She did all of this to raise funds for cancer research and community awareness. (Compared to Beril’s accomplishment, my weekend morning bike rides along the San Antonio River feel pretty inconsequential.)
Meanwhile, alum Courtney Chua Stevens ‘04, is running the NYC Marathon in November to raise funds for Rising New York Runners. This program is designed to help children of all ages and abilities build confidence, gain motivation, and develop healthy attitudes toward physical activity that last for life.
Courtney attributes her motivation to run the 26-mile course to her father’s staying physically active during his health struggles. Like the Keystone chapters of Girls on the Run and the boys’ program See Us Run, Courtney has channeled her love for running into helping people. Help her efforts here.
Closer to home on Keystone’s campuses, current Cobras have designed ways to aid people in need.
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For the week of Oct. 2-6:
Monday, Oct 2
1st Period: Davidson College (NC)
2nd Period: Louisiana State University
6th Period: Boston University
Tuesday, Oct 3
6th Period: Trinity University (TX)
Wednesday, Oct 4
6th Period: Colgate University (NY)
Thursday, Oct 5
2nd Period: Centre College (KY)
6th Period: Smith College (MA)
Friday, Oct 6
2nd Period: Princeton University (NJ)
Unless otherwise noted, all visits will take place in the College Corner upstairs in Stevens Hall. Meetings are only for Keystone students. Please see information from College Counselor Ms. Christiansen for policies and other details.
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Important Events and Notes | |
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Keystone Annual Fund Kicks Off Oct. 2
From Mrs. Villafranca:
The Annual Fund of Keystone’s 75th anniversary year kicks off on Monday, October 2nd., and we are aiming for a historic 100% parent participation!
Starting next week through the month of October, you will receive encouraging messages from Keystone’s Annual Fund Captains during the active phase of the campaign. A donation that is most comfortable for you and your family will count towards participation in your child(s) grade. Our goal is 100% parent participation and to surpass $300,000 in parent contributions.
Your gift supports a variety of facility improvements around the main campus and the Little School, helps to provide professional development workshops for faculty and staff, and supports tuition assistance for much needed families and more!
Please help us by donating now or making a pledge today at https://www.keystoneschool.org/donate/
Keep in mind, that the Annual Fund is separate from the Food and Drink Festival in April that also helps to support the general fund through ticket sales and sponsorships.
A special thank you to our Annual Fund Chairs Ara Romero and Abe Martinez and to all our Annual Fund Captains for leading the effort. Thank YOU in advance for contributing to the Annual Fund. Go Cobras!
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2023-2024 Annual Fund Captains
Chairs - Ara Romero and Abe Martinez
PK3 – Melissa McLeaird and Randal McLeaird
PK4 - Vanessa Hinojosa Gonzalez and Fernando Contreras Valdes
K – Crystal Mendoza and Raymond Aguilar
1 - Trianna and Robert Johnson
2 - Marissa and Pablo Pallan
3 – Heidi and John Muñoz
4 – Melissa Escamilla
5 – Liz and Marcin Donda
6 – Kristen and Chris Upton
7 – Mary Ann Notestine and Jerry Arismendez
8 – Juliana Robledo
9 – Paola Duhem and Alberto Sandoval
10 – Baishakhi and Subrata Debnath
11 – David Gimeno Ruiz de Porras and Dritana Marko Serbo
12 – Anna Weissman and Cassandra Parker-Nowicki and Michael Nowicki
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Pass the word about Visit Keystone events | |
Dig Pink volleyball game - Oct. 5 | |
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Please join us for Keystone’s first-ever Dig Pink volleyball game on Wednesday, Oct. 5. All proceeds from gate and concessions sales will go to the Lobular Breast Cancer Alliance.
Your presence will make a difference to our players and our cause, because anonymous donors will contribute $15 for every Keystone community member in attendance. You will make a difference just by coming to the game!
JV starts at 5pm, and Varsity takes the court at 6pm. See you there!
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Make sure to download your season pass | |
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Keystone families: Reminder -- please download your season pass so you can get free admission to sporting events at the Gym.
Current families will receive an email with a special link. Please do not share this outside the Keystone community.
Visting families can purchase tickets here: https://www.keystoneschool.org/athletics/athletics-tickets/
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Picture day is Oct. 11 - order school photos now | |
Junior Class pizza sale - Oct. 13 | |
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Come get your pizza to support the Junior Class.
Slices of cheese pizza cost $2 each in advance and orders will be billed through RenWeb. A La Carte, salad bar and milk will be available for purchase through Cafeteria Services.
Pizza purchased on the day of the sale costs $2.50 per slice.
Place your order by 5pm, Wednesday, Oct. 11. Click on the flyer or place your order through this form.
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Eclipse viewing - Oct. 14 | |
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The Keystone PTO invites families and children in grades 2nd through 12th to campus on Saturday, October 14, 2023 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., to view the Ring of Fire eclipse (weather permitting). This is a truly special event, as the previous Annular Eclipse over the US happened 11 years ago!
For more information and to register for the event please view the registration form by clicking on the following link: https://bit.ly/KSeclipse
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NHS raising money for Leukemia & Lymphoma Society - Oct. 14 | | |
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Keystone’s chapter of the National Honor Society is participating in The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Light The Night campaign, a service-learning program that helps raise critical funds for blood cancer patients. The walk takes place Oct. 14.
Funds raised in Light the Night go to the society’s Children’s Initiative, which seeks to accelerate treatments with fewer harmful side effects.
For more information or to donate, click here or on the flyer.
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Student Council Spaghetti Lunch - Oct. 20 | |
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Student Council is putting on its annual Spaghetti Lunch on Oct. 20, so buy your plate now!
Orders include spaghetti with marinara sauce (a secret recipe overseen by Mr. C) or butter sauce, garlic bread, carrots and ranch, and lemonade.
Plates cost $5 for grades K-4, and $7 for grade 5-12 and parents.
Click here or on the flyer to order your plate now.
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Gingerbread House event - Dec. 9 | | |
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Keystone's annual gingerbread house event will take place on Sat., Dec. 9.
It's a beloved Keystone tradition, and you can now save a spot.
Click on the photo or register here.
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Michelle Ravitsky '15 performing in Hansel and Gretel opera production | |
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Congratulations to Michelle Ravitsky '15. She's currently singing in the OPERA San Antonio production of Hansel and Gretel in the role of the Dew Fairy.
The performance takes place Oct. 5 and Oct. 7 at the Tobin Center.
Click here for information and tickets.
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Get your Keystone gear now | | |
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Snag your Keystone swag at our online store: KeystoneSchoolStore.com.
And check out the sweet anniversary gear, too!
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. A portion of your purchase will benefit Keystone, too.
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Support Keystone while you shop | |
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Keystone is proud to announce a partnership with ShopRaise.
ShopRaise is an easy way to make philanthropy part of your online purchases. From groceries and apparel to technology and travel – a percentage of almost everything you buy goes to support our cause. The best thing is the program is free, you do not pay any more for the items you buy, and you get access to all the best coupons and deals.
Please help us support and promote our program by doing these 3 simple things:
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We want to hear from you! | |
Follow Keystone on social media | | | | |
