From the Alumni Office
Monday, April 1st, 2013-
APRIL 2013
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Spring is back at The Key School! While it was cold and a little snowy towards the end of March, students have returned back to school after Spring Break and have been greeted by sunny skies and warm temperatures! The Upper School has begun its fourth quarter and seniors are enjoying their last few months on campus before graduation!
Read below for alumni news, campus updates, and general information you might like to know! -
FEATURE ARTICLE
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iPads Transform Physics Egg Drop
Contributed by Marilyn Meyerson, Head of Libraries and Technology.
The egg drop is a rite of passage for Key School 9th graders. Each spring, in their physics classes, they construct devices made of straws and tape to convey an egg as it drops from the second floor of the Science/Library bldg.
"This project is a way for students to put Newton’s second law into action," says physics teacher Derek Lieske, "I’ve been doing it for fifteen years, but it was done before I arrived at Key." In addition to constructing the device, students traditionally write a paper and present an oral report, replete with equations, explaining Newton’s principles in relation to the egg drop.”
IPads transformed the historic project this spring. Students collaborated to film iMovie infomercials explaining acceleration, force and mass. “The project was just as rigorous as in the past, but the students were far more engaged,” explained Lieske. “Student collaboration was stronger and each group member contributed equally. It was also more efficient. Students made their films or used the Explain Everything app while in class. It was efficient--it took less class time. It was even easier to grade. Because students uploaded their work to their YouTube channels and shared the link, I could easily review their work to assess it."
An added iPad bonus for one student was her ability to participate in this historic project despite being home sick. She joined in virtually via FaceTime! -
ALUMNI NEWS & NOTES
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Alumni Profile - April 2013
20 years from now, "I would hope to see a new generation of children relishing in the excitement of learning in creative, stimulating, and challenging ways."
Read more about this month's featured alumna, Brooke McCloskey '97!
Have you missed our previous Alumni Profiles? Check them out here:
January 2013: March Bishop '04
February 2013: Larry Kahn '76
March 2013: Andrea Kames Wood '98 -
Alumni Updates
Coming to Terms with the Nation: Ethnic Classification in Modern China, a book written by Tom Mullaney '96, Associate Professor of History at Stanford University, was recently long-listed in the Social Sciences category for the ICAS Book Prize 2013. Congratulations and good luck Tom!
Eve Kushner '86 is hard at work on her lifelong project Joy o' Kanji, writing one essay about each of the 2,136 written characters used in daily life in Japan.
In addition to her corporate job as a certified wellness coach and certified tobacco treatment specialist, Cara Citrowske '97 recently launched a private coaching practice, Kick It Catalyst, where she specializes in helping women quit smoking. Through her website, she has been able to coach women in the US, UK, Australia, and Barbados and teach them how to become smoke-free. Currently, she lives in Minnesota with her husband Judd and their two children: 5 year old Cam and 2 year Savanna.
Christy Hostler '02 lives in Virginia and was recently promoted to Medical Management Specialist I at Erie Insurance. Outside of work, she was also recently elected to the Board of Directors of the Roanoke Valley Horse Rescue Inc. She adopted her first horse from the rescue in 2006 and added another to her barn earlier this year.
Luke Smith '04 is an actor currently understudying an off-Broadway play called "Hit the Wall" that concerns the Stonewall Inn Riots of 1969 that are credited for sparking the gay-rights movement. He understudies three speaking roles, a guitar player and a keyboard player. Prior to that he was in the feature film "Something Whispered" starring Cuba Gooding, Jr. In addition to his acting career, Luke is a songwriter for a band called "Awning" that plays out frequently in NYC. A full length album will be released sometime this year. Click here for information about the band and to download some of their music for free.
Hayes Biche '09 founded "Pitch Please," a co-ed a capella group at Oberlin College. Click here to see Hayes and the group perform.
We would love to share your good news and life updates, so update us today by clicking here! -
UPCOMING EVENTS
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Alumni Wye Island Outdoor Education Trip
Relive your days as a Key student as we revisit a landmark spot of the Outdoor Education Program! Join us for an Alumni Outdoor Education trip to Wye Island on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, taking place on Friday June 15, 2013 - Saturday June 16, 2013. All canoes, tents, food, and community gear will be provided by the Outdoor Education office. To sign up for the trip, email Brian Michaels, Head of Outdoor Education, at bmichaels@keyschool.org. Hope to see you there!
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2013 Alumni Reunion Weekend!
SAVE THE DATE!
This year's Alumni Reunion Weekend will be held on October 11 and 12, 2013 at The Key School. Stay tuned to upcoming monthly newsletters, the Key Alumni Website, and social media for more information! -
FROM THE ALUMNI OFFICE
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Alumni Phonathon
On March 27, five current Key seniors spent their Wednesday evening in the Advancement and Alumni Office calling more than 150 alumni as part of our Spring Phonathon. Although they left a lot of messages with many alumni, they enjoyed the conversations they had answering questions about classes, teachers, and what awaits them after Key. A special thank you to all who made pledges and gifts on the phone or in the days following! A list of those donors and all of the alumni that have supported Key this fiscal year can be found here.
There is still time for you to support the 2012-2013 Annual Fund. Your tax deductible gift helps support all aspects of student experiences that make Key so special! To make a pledge or gift, click here or call Suku Powers at 410-263-9231. This fiscal year ends on June 30, 2013. Thanks for your continued support! -
Obezags - Mid-Atlantic Champs!
A big thank you to the entire Obezag community who spent hours voting for Key in the recent USA Today America's Best High School Mascot competition. We can proudly claim that the Obezags won the honor of being voted the best mascot in Maryland and the Mid-Atlantic region, and finished as one of the top six schools in all of the country!
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Annapolis Book Festival is a Success!
Thanks to all of the alumni that made it out to enjoy the 2013 Annapolis Book Festival on April 13! More than 3,000 people enjoyed author panels, used book sales, children's activities, and entertainment throughout the day. Some highlights of the day included author panels headlined by CNN anchor Jake Tapper and former Maryland Lieutenant Governor Michael Steele, ComicKey (a family-friendly comic adventure), and an American Girl doll spa and tea party.
A special thank you to Donna Jackson Nakazawa '77 who was one of the author's featured and to Dede Binder '88, Harry Ivrey '71, Channing Martin '06, Marlene Niefeld '88, and Nikki Simmons '08 who volunteered for the event. -
Engaging Minds, Inspiring Ideas: Summer Teaching Institute
Are you or someone you know in the field of education? If so, consider signing up for Key's Engaging Minds, Inspiring Ideas on Friday, June 14. This is a professional development institute for educators, administrators and IT managers. The institute's focus is interdisciplinary teaching and progressive educational practice. The theme for this summer's work is Enhancing Student Learning: the art of strategic teaching - iPads, SMART Boards and web resources.
Entering its fifth year, these sessions are led by current Key faculty members. Its focus is on using technology in meaningful ways in the classroom, recognizing the classroom as a digital environment, and strategically deciding best practices for the use of technology. Key faculty members are using technology for educational purposes everyday in a variety of ways, so information shared through the institute is practical and useful for all experience levels.
Some of the feedback from last year's participants included, "it was well worth the time," "a must for language arts teachers who want to incorporate technology with the editing and writing process," and "very worthwhile!"
Click here for more detailed information about the sessions and how you can sign up! -
Admission Open House Fridays
Admission Open House Fridays
Pre-Kindergarten - Grade 12
Every Friday, Beginning May 3
9:00 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.
Open House Fridays for prospective parents interested in Key School begin Friday, May 3rd and continue through August. Encourage your friends to visit us and learn about Key School’s distinctive programs. Because there are spaces available in some grades, it’s not too late to apply for the 2013-2014 school year! Tours are available every Friday from 9:00-10:30 a.m. or by individual appointment. For more information, contact Jessie Dunleavy, Assistant Head of School for Enrollment Management, with questions regarding Open House Fridays or for other inquiries. -
NEW AT KEY
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Key Students In The News
Key Theater presented Argonautika in March 2013. For a full recap of the play and photos, please click here.
It was a very successful winter season for all Obezag sports teams, so congratulations to the Boys and Girls Basketball, Indoor Soccer, and Indoor Track teams! Click here to read more about each team's season.
Carter MacLeod '14 was featured in What's Up Annapolis as an "Athlete Worth Watching."
James Rizek '24 won third place in a Green Expo poster contest sponsored by the Davidsonville Area Civic Association, earning $25 for Key’s environmental education program!
Key’s Delegation at the Penn Model Congress was incredibly successful, taking home seven awards for both committee and full-session work: one Gavel Award, and six certificates. In addition, William Kast '13 was voted Vice President of Penn Model Congress. Click here for more information about the weekend! -
Class of 2013 College Acceptances
Members of the Class of 2013 are hearing from schools about college admissions and acceptances are continuing to roll in. While a final list will be published right before graduation, here's where Key students have been accepted so far.