Keystone School

 

Keystone School
Academic Excellence
Established	1948
School type	Private, K-12
Religious affiliation	non-sectarian
Head of School	Hugh McIntosh
Location	San Antonio, TX, USA
Campus	Urban
Enrollment	415 (K-12)
Faculty	42
Average class size	14-18 students
Student:teacher ratio	10:1
Average SAT scores (2003-2005)	2000 of 2400 (Class of 2006)
Average ACT scores (2003-2005)	n/a
Athletics	6 sports
Color(s)	Red and Black
Mascot	cobra
Conference	TAPPS 3-A
Homepage	www.keystoneschool.org

Keystone School, generally called simply Keystone, is a co-educational independent private school for students from kindergarten to twelfth grade, located in San Antonio, Texas, USA. The greater Keystone School consists of the Lower School, serving kindergarten through fourth grade students, the Middle School, serving fifth through eighth grade students, and the Upper School, consisting of the ninth through twelfth grades. Keystone is regarded as one of the most academically competitive schools in South Texas [1][2][3].

History

The School was established as the Keystone School and Guidance Center in June of 1948 with the personal funds of its founders, John H. Eargle and William B Greet. In June of 1953, the school moved to its present location at 119 East Craig Place in San Antonio's renowned Monte Vista Historical District. By 1954, Edwin Eargle had added an Upper School to serve students in the ninth through twelfth grades. Accreditation was granted by the Texas Education Agency in the summer of 1957. The school has undergone considerable expansion over the past half century, particularly in the last fifteen years.

Campus

Keystone's turn-of-the-century Victorian and classical-revival campus occupies nearly a full city block of restored mansions and carriage houses between McCullough, North Main, and Woodlawn Avenues, just north of San Antonio's downtown business and tourist district. Because it is located in a protected historic district, the buildings on its campus can be neither razed nor significantly modified, leaving the campus with a unique and quirky atmosphere. Many classes are located in old bedrooms or living rooms, and the Upper School darkroom is built into an old bathroom. In keeping with the requirements of the Monte Vista Historic Board, all newly constructed buildings must be built in strict keeping with the District's Victorian architectural pattern language. The most notable exception to this rule is the school's Activities Center, which was exempted from the District's architectural requirements as a result of being set well back from the street.

The following buildings and facilities can be found on the campus:

• Founders' Hall, often referred to as the Main Building, was the first building to be occupied by the school on its present campus. It houses much of Keystone's administrative offices in addition to classrooms, the Dining Hall, and a theatre and dance studio.
• E.M.Stevens Hall, located immediately to the east of Founders' Hall on East Craig Place, is another restored mansion. It houses a number of classrooms and science labs in addition to most of the school's lockers. The building is used primarily by the Upper School.
• North Hall is a restored apartment building that houses classrooms for all three of Keystone's schools.
• The Carriage House, built in 1904, is home to classrooms and a large science and chemistry laboratory. It was originally used as a stables for what is now Founders' Hall. Efforts to demolish the building in 2002 in order to replace it with a more modern and space-efficient facility were thwarted by the Monte Vista Historic Board [4].
• West Hall, a restored mansion adorned with large Doric columns on its southern facade, houses the majority of the Lower School's classrooms and facilities, including its library. An electrical fire in April of 2006 caused over $100,000 in damages, but the building has since been restored to its original form in the wake of a remarkable community outpouring [5].
• The Edwin Eargle Library, an old mansion on Woodlawn Avenue, was purchased and restored by Keystone in the 1990s. It had fallen into significant disrepair at the time of the school's purchase of the building, but now houses the Upper School library and computer facilities.
• The Lloyd Jary Performing Arts Center, named for its architect, is immediately to the east of the Eargle Library. The two buildings are connected to one another. The facility was completed in 2000, and is built to resemble an old house as per the requirements of the Monte Vista Historic Board. As a result, the windows on its eastern facade are false.

.

Admission

Admission to Keystone is selective and limited, and is particularly competitive for prospective students rising into kindergarten and the first and ninth grades. By its own description, the school offers admission "to qualified students without regard to ethnic, racial, or religious backgrounds[...]" [6] and, according to its own records, counts 43% of its student body as being "non-Anglo" [7].

Lower School admission

Students entering kindergarten and the first through fourth grades are tested for achievement and readiness by the Head of Lower School using standardized tests normed by age. The Head of Lower School may also test other applicants through the fourth grade when recent standardized tests are not available or there are concerns about the match between the applicant and the school’s program.

Middle and Upper School admission

The Independent School Entrance Examination, or "ISEE," is required for applicants to the fifth through twelfth grades. The test, which was developed by the third-party Education Records Bureau, lasts approximately three hours and is offered on a variety of dates. In addition, the Heads of the Middle and Upper Schools personally review the recent test scores and grades of the applicants. The ISEE is often required only when scores are not available or there is a question about matching the curriculum of a previous school with that of Keystone.

Academics

Upper School graduation requirements

Students in the Upper School must take no fewer than 21 academic courses in order to attain eligibility for the faculty's recommendation that the Headmaster confer a Diploma. These courses must be distributed, as a minimum requirement, in the following manner, wherein a credit of 1.0 is awarded for successful completion of a course conducted five times weekly during the entirety of an academic year:

• 4.0 credits in the Social Sciences
• 3.0 credits in Mathematics
• 3.0 credits in Science
• 2.0 credits in the Foreign Languages
• 1.0 credits in the Fine Arts and Humanities
• 1.5 credits in Physical Education and Sports
• 0.5 credits in Health Education

All students will have completed no fewer than four Advanced Placement courses by the time of their graduation. No fewer than twelve hours of community service are also required to be eligible for commencement exercises.

Foreign language instruction

Students begin their foreign language studies in the Lower School years, taking classes in Spanish. Upper School students are required to study a foreign language for two academic years. Programs are offered in French and Spanish. Those students who prove fluency in both languages are exempted from the credit requirement, but are permitted to pursue off-campus studies in other languages for credit. Upper School language courses may extend to all four years as electives.

Science programs

Keystone participates at the Alamo Regional Science and Engineering Fair. In 2006, 31 of 34 students moved on to compete at the ExxonMobil Texas Science and Engineering Fair. At the International Science and Engineering Fair, Keystone students won two grand prizes in 2003, 2004, and 2006, and three grand prizes in 2005. Keystone offers a Science Club to students in the middle school grades. Each summer, Keystone offers a course in Advanced Physiology, the focus of which is the dissection of a cat.

In 2005, Neela Thangada was named Top Young Scientist ^{[citation needed]} and in 2006, Elizabeth Monier won sixth place individually in the Siemens Westinghouse competition ^{[citation needed]}.

Advanced Placement

As a college preparatory school, Keystone applies a heavy focus to the Advanced Placement (AP) program, which offers students the possibility of earning college credit during their high school years. Courses are offered to prepare Upper School students for the following AP Exams:

• Biology
• Calculus BC
• Chemistry
• English Language
• English Literature
• European History
• French Language
• Spanish Language
• United States History

AP Performance

In 2005, Keystone achieved the world's highest average test scores in four different AP subject areas [8]. Over the past eleven years, between 55% and 80% of students' scores have been either fours or fives. All AP exams are graded on a one-to-five scale, with most colleges and universities offering credit for scores of or above a three. In May of 2005, 100% of students between the tenth and twelfth grades who took the exams scored at least a three [9]. Forty-five students from the classes of 2005 and 2006 were recognized as Advanced Placement scholars. Graduating class sizes are usually in the mid-twenties.

Extracurricular programs and student life

Field trips

As a component of its science education, Keystone offers its students a number of field trip options at many of the grade levels. Students in grades 8 through 10 are offered trips to Olympic National Park and Yellowstone National Park. The vast majority of the students participate in these programs. These trips generally last five and six days. The trips provide opportunities for extensive camping and hiking. They are considered to be a component of the academic program, and those students who do not participate are expected to complete additional academic work as a substitution.

Many middle school students also go on overnight field trips. These include the following: The fifth grade goes Spelunking in Natural Bridge Caverns and Wonder World Caves. The Keystone class of 2012 which attended the school in 2004-2005 were the first fifth grade class ever to go on an overnight trip. The sixth grade goes on a Coastal Bend Trip. The seventh grade goes to the Renaissance Festival in Magnolia. The eight grade goes to Yellowstone.

Athletics

In 1998 and 1999, the varsity girls' volleyball team won the TAPPS 3-A State Championship. Though not in the same conference for varsity sports, the school's traditional athletic rival is Saint Mary's Hall, which was once located immediately adjacent to Keystone, on the campus now occupied by the San Antonio Academy. As they are generally regarded among the most preeminent private schools in South Texas, the rivalry has become fierce, and the annual middle school basketball, volleyball and lacrosse games between the two schools are played with great passion by both sides. Due to size differences, the Upper Schools do not generally compete against one another.

Fall Interscholastic Sports Girls' Volleyball Boys' Soccer

Winter Interscholastic Sports Basketball

Spring Interscholastic Sports Girls' Softball Boys' Lacrosse

The athletics program utilizes many facilities including:

• The Activities Center houses a basketball court with six baskets and two locker rooms.
• The Blacktop has a full, outdoor basketball court.
• Olmos Basin Sports Complex, commonly known as "The Basin," is the site of soccer and lacrosse practices and games.
• Lambert Beach is home to softball practices and home games.

Tuition

Tuition to Keystone for high school students in the 2005-06 school year is $11,435. Keystone offers need-based financial aid.

External links

• Keystone School web site

TAPPS 3A

Abilene Christian School - Arbor Christian Academy - Bethesda Christan School - The Briarwood School - The Brook Hill School - Burton Adventist Academy - Calvary Christian Academy - Central Texas Christian School - Classical Academy - Concordia Academy - Covenant Christian Academy - Dallas Academy - Faith Christian School - First Baptist Christian Academy - Greenville Christian School - Harvest Christian Academy - The Highlands School - Hill Country Christian School - Holy Trinity Catholic High School - Keystone School - Lakehill Preparatory School - McKinney Christian Academy - New Braunfels Christian Academy - Northeast Christian Academy - Prince of Peace Christian School - Round Rock Christian Academy - Sacred Heart Catholic School - Sendero Christian Academy - Shady Grove Academy - St. Joseph Catholic School - Texas Christian Academy - Trinity Christian Academy - Waldorf School - The Woodlands Christian Academy

Donate to Wikimedia