Weekly Message from Head of School 2023/04/23-2023/04/29
Dear Keystonians!
Hope this finds you enjoying a happy Friday evening!
Yesterday I had the pleasure of shadowing an 11th grader for the day. I enjoyed many engaging and thought-provoking classes and activities and was deeply impressed with the experience of living a full day the new secondary school schedule that has been implemented this year. Overhauling a school schedule is not an easy feat in the best of times, and I tip my hat to the dedicated leaders and faculty who invested the time to make this happen in the middle of a pandemic. The new schedule is an amazing display of student-centered thinking. What I experienced yesterday (and the students experience every day) is a schedule that gives intensive time for a diverse range of coursework and, at the same time, prioritizes a rhythm to the day that is healthy and has space for important creative outlets; there are breaks, time for movement, and unstructured time to dream and create.
Speaking of dreaming, the students dreamed up an event perfect for the days leading up to the Labor Day Holiday. During Community Time yesterday the 11th graders delighted in a program that was led by members of Keystone’s Sports Council. It was a collaborative field day experience for some of our third-party staff members, such as members of our security team, housekeepers and kitchen crew. The students and colleagues engaged in some friendly competitions for a while enjoying each other's company on the beautiful field.
My favorite part was when some adults and students started using the tug-of-war rope as a giant jump rope, creating a new game that the organizers couldn’t have even imagined! It reminded me of something that one of our primary teachers said at a Parent Coffee Morning on Tuesday about the importance of play. Play means that there are no rules, and that children (and adults!) can invent and negotiate the terms of their play freely.
Indeed! How joyous it was to see adults and teenagers playing and enjoy unstructured time together in the fresh air! How impressive that a school with such a rigorous academic program also creates space for this kind of brilliant student-led activity! One of our administrators earlier this fall described a philosophy at Keystone of “saying yes to student’s good ideas” as core to our keystone related to building character and community in our residential setting. It is wonderful that we believe that, and even better that we have made space for it. What it feels like to live, work and learn in this community is beyond words.
Wishing each of you a restorative long weekend!
Warmly,
Emily
