Weekly Message from Head of School 2025/1/6-2025/1/10
Dear Keystonians,
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I hope that the first part of 2025 is treating you and your families well.
This weekend I am traveling with colleagues and two students to a teacher recruitment fair. We have a small number of openings for the 25-26 school year, so if you know wonderful teachers around the world, point them to Keystone!
One of my favorite moments of the hiring season so far came in an online interview this week when a candidate asked a group of leaders a thoughtful question:
What is one thing that if you took it away, Keystone wouldn’t be Keystone anymore??
That is a difficult question, there is so much that blends together to make Keystone the unique school that it is. There was broad agreement in the group that it was hard to pick one thing, but between the five or six of us, we picked two. First, our Chinese Thread— this is a hallmark and signature of our school without which we would be unrecognizable.?But to realize a throughline as meaningful and complex as the Chinese Thread, you need master teachers working in collaboration to continually optimize the learning experiences of the students in their care.
We all agreed that without the amazing people at Keystone, it wouldn’t be the place that it is. And it isn’t just a set of individual people that make up the faculty and staff at Keystone, it is a level of quality that is quite extraordinary.
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The same day a candidate asked that question of us, I looked out the window to my office which overlooks the site of a mural in progress on a wall just outside our campus.
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Earlier this year Keystone art teachers inquired about painting this mural on a stark wall to the east of our south gate.?After working with the town leadership and gaining approval on a design, the mural is slowly coming to life at the hands of our talented students guided by our amazing teachers.
It was one of those brilliant January days we’ve been having— cold, crisp and stunningly clear and bright. Several students were working on the mural, and scenes inspired by ELP trips to Dunhuang were beginning to come into relief in the bright winter light. Inspiration from distant corners of China flowing into to our peaceful neighborhood in Houshayu. Beyond the wall, some aunties from the neighborhood danced together to their music coming from a small speaker. I opened my window to soak it in and could hear students chatting and laughing together.
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This moment in time is emblematic of the Chinese Thread is at Keystone. Yes, it is a curriculum that we have documented and continually revise, but?the Chinese Thread?is also an invitation,?to facilitate?a series of magical moments like this one. It is a feeling that defies a simple definition, and a journey for which there can be no recipe book or step by step instruction manual. The magic of Keystone takes teachers whose hearts are full of curiosity about how to make learning better, and open to trying new things. That’s what I love about Keystone— the Chinese Thread and the amazingly talented people who architect the magic. And of course, all of this is why we invest so much time in our recruitment—to find those teachers best positioned to continue this legacy.
Wish us luck!
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Wishing you a peaceful and happy weekend!
Emily 孟思渊
