Weekly Message from HOS 2025/12/01-2025/12/05

Dear Keystonians,  

December’s festive chill is in the air! I just love winter; it is my favorite time of the year.   

I’ve really been enjoying our weekly flag raising this year. The Middle School advisories rotate the responsibility for sharing a short speech of encouragement to the students. This week’s speech by Olivia Dong, from Grade 8, was quite touching, so I asked her permission to share it with you all here. 

“Good morning! I am Olivia from 8Q. The topic for today’s flag raising speech is the five shared values. I will talk about compassion and respect. Compassion is what connects us. It is the feeling that stirs when you see someone sitting alone, and you go over to say hello. It is the patience we offer a friend who is struggling, and the kindness we show without expecting anything in return. Compassion is the heart of our school. It is what makes Keystone not just a place of learning, but a place of belonging.   

Respect is how we show that compassion. It is in our actions. It is listening to someone’s opinion, even if you disagree. It is valuing the work of our teachers, the effort of our classmates, and the cleanliness of our shared spaces. Respect is the foundation of trust. It is what allows us to feel safe, to take risks in our learning, and to be our true selves.   

Compassion and respect are a choice we make every single day. In the hallway, in the classroom, on the field. They are not complicated. But together, they create the environment we all want to be a part of.   

Let’s have a good week. Thank you.”    

I just love Olivia’s reflection. The way she connected values to actions, to belonging and learning, and reminded us all that we have agency—that our choices every day, the way we treat each other—is what makes our school a place we all love to be.   

Olivia’s focus on listening and belonging is also at the heart of another important project: our Family-School Communication Task Force. This group of dedicated parents has been meeting this term to help us strengthen the dialogue between home and school, ensuring every voice feels heard and valued. I am deeply grateful for their thoughtful partnership.   

In these last few weeks of 2025, let’s reflect on Olivia’s wise words and make choices to act with compassion and respect.  

Yours,  

Emily