Keystone students win honors at state Science Fair | | |
Congratulations to Keystone's winners in the 2025 Texas Science and Engineering Fair. The fair took place last weekend at Texas A&M in College Station.
Here are the honorees:
High School
1st Place Cellular and Molecular Biology – Rashmi, 12th grade
2nd Place Cellular and Molecular Biology – Aarav, 12th grade
3rd Place Cellular and Molecular Biology – Neerja, 10th grade
3rd Place Earth & Environmental Systems – Aditi, 9th grade
Middle School
Naval Science Award – Akhil, 6th grade
| | Upper Schoolers advance to state tennis tournament | | |
Top row from left: Andrés, Ian, Brian.
Bottom row: Caroline, Emily, Audrey, Kunling, Anvi, Zoe. (Not pictured: Kevin, Sarim, Jackson)
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Congratulations to the varsity tennis team for placing well at this week's district tennis tournament and advancing to the TAPPS 3A state tournament next week. Special shoutout to junior Zoe, who won the girls singles division.
The top eight finishers in each division advanced to state.
The players:
- Zoe (11th grade) - 1st place girls singles
- Jackson (12th grade) - 3rd place in boys singles
- Ian (12th grade) and Kevin (11th grade) - 3rd place in boys doubles
- Sarim (11th grade) and Andrés (10th grade) - 6th place in boys doubles
- Brian (10th grade) - 7th place in boys singles
- Audrey (10th grade) - 7th place in girls singles
- Emily (10th grade) and Caroline (9th grade) - qualified for state
| | 7th graders visit Hill Country ranch | | |
Seventh graders visited Mo-Ranch in the Hill Country town of Hunt this week for their Outdoor Education trip.
On the trip, they challenged themselves on a ropes course, learned archery, practiced team-building exercises and learned more about the region's terrain.
They even came back with a class pet. Ms. Vanilla reports that Liam caught a leech during a Water Ecology lesson.
"We're naming her Della Grace because her scientific name is Philobdella gracilis," she said. "However, we're letting her go by the original name Liam gave her, Big Chongolongas, as well because leeches are hermaphroditic."
When the students returned to school, they learned about leech classification and adaptations in science class.
What a terrific experience!
| | 3rd graders visit Hardberger Park | | |
Third graders made their Outdoor Education trip to Hardberger Park this week.
Students took about an hour and a half guided walk and stopped frequently to learn about the different things along the way. They learned about the land bridge that spans Wurzbach Parkway, saw a 450-year-old tree called "Phil's Tree," after park namesake and former Mayor Phil Hardberger, and took in a beautiful view of the park on an overlook.
We suspect the students excitedly told their parents about the different facts about plants and wildlife they learned this week.
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Students dine à la française
A big merci to Brasserie Mon Chou Chou in the Pearl for making a special afternoon happen for Madame Bonnamour's French class.
The students dined on a four-course menu that included soupe à l'oignon and crème brûlée.
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Little Schoolers learn about gardening
Little School parents Stephanie and Joseph Roybal came to talk to the children about gardening this week. During the presentation, the young ones learned about worms and spring planting, and spent a little time in the garden of the Little School.
Special thanks to Texas Green Bee and Evergreen Garden for donating plants.
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Rey Feo Fabian Castillo and his court visited Keystone this week and delighted a gym filled with Lower School students.
The "ugly king," a tradition that goes back to medieval Spain, is part of San Antonio's Fiesta celebrations. Here, the Rey Feo is the winner of a competition to raise money for college scholarships. As part of Fiesta royalty, he visits schools, nursing homes, and other organizations.
¡Viva Fiesta!
| | 9th grader excelling in gymnastics | | |
Congratulations to 9th grader Diego on his success in competitive gymnastics.
In the 2025 season, Diego is the USA Gymnastics Level 9 Junior Elite Texas State Champion for Pommel and Parallel bars, 2nd place for Rings, High Bar, and Vault, 3rd place for Floor, and 2nd place All-Around!!
He plans to compete in the USAG Development Program National Championships in Salt Lake City in early May.
He began gymnastics at the age of 3, and is now a top 10 nationally-ranked level 9 Elite men's artistic gymnast. Level 9 is just under Elite level, which allows gymnasts the opportunity to compete on the Olympic and professional level.
Good luck, Diego!
| | Announcing Keystone Fine Arts Festival | | |
The Keystone Fine Arts Department proudly announces the Keystone Fine Arts Festival taking place April 25th on the Keystone campus.
Here's the schedule:
5-6 pm: Exhibitions
- K-12 Studio and Digital Art will be exhibiting artwork in Shadfan (upstairs and downstairs hallways).
- 3D design (10th/11th grades) sculptures will be set up outdoors around campus.
- 7th/8th grade poetry and studio art students will have collaborative ekphrastic works exhibited in the library.
6-6:30 pm: Musical set featuring the US music classes.
- Various musical groups will perform
- The Keystone Band will be performing an eclectic selection of songs, featuring tracks from iconic artists such as The Smiths, The Strokes, The Beatles, and more. The band consists of senior Ian on guitar, sophomore Brian on bass and vocals, and sophomore Audrey on guitar, vocals, and drums.
7:30 pm: Theater production
- Curtain rises for the theater dept production of Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night.
There will be light snacks served in Shadfan.
| | Billy's Blog: From our Head of School | | |
“Life doesn’t get easier or more forgiving; we get stronger and more resilient.”
-Steve Maraboli
For years now, we’ve heard and read about a national mental health crisis among children and adolescents. And in a school where young people succeed at a high level in many areas and often make achievement look effortless, Keystone students face a myriad of pressures. From the anxiety to constantly perform at a high level to their fear of disappointing others and themselves, they can feel like there’s an omnipresent weight on their shoulders.
It can be tempting for teens, like adults, to look for relief and temporary escape through a variety of means; some are healthy while others pose risks. Whether it’s through vaping, alcohol, or illegal substances, teens, like adults, can attempt to ease their stress by self-medicating. This problem is neither new nor unique to this generation of young adults; nevertheless, as the grownups in their lives, we need to pay attention, educate our children, and intervene if necessary.
Fortunately, there are some positive signs about this generation of young people. Simply put, studies show that teens aren’t using substances as much as certain experts expected, and overall rates are declining throughout the country.
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Christopher Guzman '99 and Nancy Zhou '11 celebrate musical centennial
Christopher Guzman '99 and Nancy Zhou '11, helped celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Junior Tuesday Musical Club a couple of weeks ago.
They performed during a gala concert at Christ Episcopal Church.
Christopher currently serves as a Professor of Piano at Northwestern University's Bienen School of Music. Nancy is an Associated Artist of the Queen Elizabeth Chapel in Belgium and Professor of Violin at the San Francisco Conservatory.
| | | Important Events and Notes | | Food & Drink Festival brought smiles and support | | |
The Food and Drink Festival was an incredible night featuring food from local favorites such as Barbaro and Extra Fine as well as new finds like Toro or Sari Sari. Keystone alumni joined in the fun with current families and new friends. This year we tried a wine pull where guests could purchase a mystery bottle of wine. We sold 54 bottles of wine, and each winner could take home their lucky rubber duck too.
If you didn't make it to the event or just didn't get a chance to bid on some awesome international trips, we're offering another chance to get in on the fun! We are reopening the auction trips for a buy now opportunity! Anyone has the opportunity from now until April 30th to purchase the trips at the same price as the winning bid.
International destinations include Ireland, France Portugal, Spain, Scotland, Florence, Zurich, and a South African safari. Domestic vacations include the Adirondacks, and Nashville.
Check out the flyer with more info here.
Thank you to our sponsors who made this event possible!
| | Group Picture Day - April 9 | | |
Group picture day is scheduled for Wednesday, April 9.
If you'd like to order a photo of your child's class, please click on the camera photo or this link.
You can also download the printed flyer here. Fill out the print form, include a check or pay online and return with your child to give to the photographer on Wednesday.
| | Literati Book Fair ends April 11 | | |
The Literati Book Fair runs through April 11 in the Keystone Library!
Lower School students will visit the fair during their library class times and all students are invited to stop in throughout the school day as teachers and time allow. Parents are invited to visit the fair with their children before or after school. Every purchase supports our library!
Our online fair is open now until the end of our on-campus fair.
Visit our Keystone fair page or use this QR code to purchase a gift card and find online favorites like Dog Man and The Baby-Sitters Club, as well as educational games, STEM kits, puzzles, and more! Get started on your child’s (or your teacher’s!) digital wish list today.
Want to volunteer? Visit the Signup Genius to choose a time to help at the bookfair.
Thank you for supporting a lifelong love of reading and our library!
| | Grades 7-12 Book Fair - April 28-30 | | Keystone Day at UIW Baseball Game - May 4 | | |
Get your tickets now for Keystone Day at a University of the Incarnate Word baseball game!
The game takes place at 1p.m. on Sunday, May 4 at Sullivan Field on the UIW campus. The Cardinals are playing UT-Rio Grande Valley.
Keystone families get a discount on tickets and students can run the bases after the game.
Here's how to order the tickets:
STEP 1: Go to https://tickets.uiwcardinals.com/#/event-list
STEP 2: Select the Baseball game on 5/4 vs. UTRGV
STEP 3: Select seating in GA seating
STEP 4: When you go to checkout, enter the promo code: "KEYSTONE25"
STEP 5: Check out
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Volunteer for the Keystone School Book Fair!
The Spring School Book Fair is just around the corner, running through April 3–11, and we need your help to make it a success! Whether you can help set up, assist shoppers, or break down at the end, every bit of help makes a difference.
Click here to sign up!
International Day Food Buffet
International Day is April 17! Help us celebrate by signing up to serve or bring a dish for the International Food buffet. Sign up here by April 14.
Connect with the PTO
Follow and connect with us on social media at instagram.com/keystoneschool_pto
| | Keystone summer programs available | | |
Spots are filling up our summer opportunities!
Click here to view and download our Summer at Keystone 2025 booklet. Inside you will find a list of camps we are offering, an overview of the schedule of camps and descriptions of each offering.
If you are interested in signing up for any camps, you can either scan the QR code provided in the booklet or visit our camp web page at www.keystoneschool.org/summer-at-keystone-2025. The clickable registration links are also provided on the summer camp webpage.
Camps do have limited sign-up spots available, so please register as soon as possible. Sign-ups will be honored on a first come first serve basis. Once your registration form has been received, you will receive a confirmation email from either Angie Shotzberger (main campus camps) or Dena Hoenig Valdez (Little School camps) verifying your spot or a waitlist notification due to the camp being full. Please allow 24 hours for your email notification.
If you have any questions, please contact Angie Shotzberger, Assistant Head of Lower/Middle School and Director of Summer Programs.
| | Get your Keystone gear now | | |
Snag your Keystone swag at our online store: KeystoneSchoolStore.com.
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.
| | Support Keystone while you shop | | |
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:
| | We want to hear from you! | If you have news to share about the students, alumni, faculty or staff at Keystone School, please send it to: etijerina@keystoneschool.org. | | Follow Keystone on social media | | | | |
