Weekly Message from Head of School 2025/09/08-2025/09/12
Dear Keystonians,
A warm Friday greeting to each of you! This busy week had so many highlights for me, including the beautiful gestures of kindness on Wednesday as our community celebrated Teachers Day. Many thanks to all the families who sent in treats and snacks for our teachers and to the diligent parent volunteers who arranged them so beautifully for distribution in the teacher lounges across campus. It was also great to host Primary School families at the two Back to School nights this week; and thanks to the teachers for those long days to ensure that parents could get a peek into their child’s learning life at school so early in the year.
I have also enjoyed my first few informal classroom observations as part of our new Keystone Professional Educator Program. This program was designed over the last year and a half to ensure shared understanding of teaching excellence and accountability for continual professional growth. The observation feedback from colleagues and leaders will form part of each teacher’s portfolio along with regular student feedback surveys and teachers’ own reflections on their own professional goals. This is a big project, and I commend the teachers and leaders who have worked so hard over the past year to successfully get it off the ground! The KPEP system launch is part of the school’s Strategic Action Plan this year. For new families, and as a refresher for returning families, today I will share a bit about our strategic efforts this year.
Our strategic plan is simple and elegant--watchwords that our Founding Head of School Malcolm McKenzie always pushed the school towards. It was the result of a truly collaborative effort, shaped by the invaluable insights of our students, teachers, parents, school leaders, and trustees and finalized in the fall of 2024. It is our shared commitment to Keystone’s future, outlining the concrete steps we will take to bring our most important aspirations to life. Each year, for the next few years, we will make an annual action plan that drives our work for the school year.
Our plan is built upon two powerful, visionary ideas that define our purpose:
China and the World: In our next season, our learners will engage and lead Keystone's hopeful vision of China and the world. They will do this by fostering safe, peaceful, and sustainable relationships between people and our fragile planet.
New World School: We will deepen and expand future-focused teaching and learning, creating engaging opportunities in the spirit of our New World School.
These two big ideas are supported by four essential pillars that translate our vision into action: China, The World, “New World School,” and Systems of Excellence.
This year, we begin this exciting work with our specific 2025-26 Strategic Actions. I invite you to see how these actions connect to our larger vision:
Pillar: China (中国) | These actions root our students in meaningful engagement with and understanding of China’s rich culture, history and vibrant future, building the “safe, peaceful, and sustainable relationships” that begin in our community.
Action: 1A Improvement to Experiential Learning Program Trips
Action: 1B Build on success of Sishui Rural Education Center
Action: 1C Improve systems of communication and trust with parents, enhancing school-family connection
Pillar: The World | These actions expand our students’ horizons and bring the world to Keystone, directly fulfilling our mission to connect China and the world.
Action: 2A Expansion of Global Programs
Action: 2B Enhance experience of International boarding students
Action: 2C Create opportunities for faculty to learn about world’s other top residential high school programs
Pillar: “New World School” | This is the core of our future-focused learning ecosystem, where we innovate in curriculum and scheduling to create the “engaging opportunities” of a New World School.
Action: 3A Development of TSET Program in Secondary School
Action: 3B Improvements to Primary School daily timetable
Action: 3C Curricular and divisional initiatives (restorative justice, house system, etc.)
Pillar: Systems of Excellence | These actions provide the foundational tools and professional growth necessary to sustain and power all our ambitious goals.
Action: 4A Launch of Keystone Professional Educator Program (for faculty professional growth and evaluation)
Action: 4B Keystone development of bespoke AI platforms for instructional analysis and leadership
Action: 4C Complete 3-year parent survey
This plan is our promise to every member of our community, a promise of intentional, thoughtful growth focused squarely on our students’ learning and their futures. We will share regular updates on our progress.
Thank you for your trust and support. Together, we are making Keystone better and better.
Warmly,
Emily McCarren
