Message from Head of School

Life is to be lived in the present—fully, creatively, passionately—says a popular adage. We have witnessed admirable examples of such zestful living, amply seasoned with creativity, passion and engagement during this past school year. Not to chronicle student and faculty highlights, as we place the final punctuation point on 2007-2008, would be an oversight. Hence, I devote this all-too-brief précis to noteworthy moments of the year we have just lived, emblematic as they are of Key’s programmatic richness and of its Mission-fueled values and priorities.

• Two faculty presentations, highlighting Key signature programs (The CHUMS school partnership and the Fourth Grade Islamic Studies unit), delivered to packed conference halls, filled with AIMS colleagues, avid to hear about Key’s global perspectives initiatives and to learn from our teachers’ expertise.

• Middle Schoolers’ immersion in courses of study, which made various continents come to life through the study of geography, literature, history, and politics, and which enabled the students to make their learning “visible” through portfolios and public exhibits. Fascinating was a student’s account of his father’s flight from Nasser’s oppressive regime, as was the inspirational exchange between students and organizers of beleaguered Mexican migrant workers.

• Poignancy abounded as educator/guest speaker Rodney Glasgow told his life story, thereby facilitating an Upper School student/faculty discussion on issues of race, class and other differences. Equally moving was the Parents’ Association’s sponsoring of the film “God Grew Tired of Us,” providing a moving cinematographic depiction of young Sudanese victims of multi-decade tribal conflicts. The presence that evening of two such victims, with their horrifying testimonies of the hardships they had endured, captivated the audience of young and old.

• Breathtaking boys’ basketball teams—Varsity and Junior Varsity—whose athletic prowess gave untold excitement to their fans throughout the winter months and brought to Key two coveted MIAA League Championship titles.

• A student-led exchange with architects designing the upcoming Barn Renovation, in which the students’ extensive research into “green” practices and construction methods (inclusive of cost/benefit analyses) gave impetus to the architects to incorporate many of these suggestions into their plans, and to praise the students’ passion and depth of commitment to environmental stewardship.

• A first-time service learning trip to Belize, undertaken by globally committed Key citizen/students, whose sweat and brawn enabled a small village to add walkways to the mud-filled paths children traverse en route to school, and to begin a rehabilitation project within their modest school house.

• A workshop sponsored by Key’s Learning Department and led by Dr. Gerard Gioia, Division Chief of Pediatric Neuropsychology at the Children’s National Medical Center, continuing our faculty’s examination of emerging research on children’s brain development and on its implications for teaching and learning.

• Visually arresting theatrical productions—Arabian Nights, Once on this Island, and Shining Princess of the Slender Bamboo—whose exotic themes informed and entertained. And musically sophisticated culminating performances in every division, one of which highlighted Key’s Orfeo partnership with the Annapolis Symphony Orchestra, brought its distinguished maestro to campus as artist in residence, and promoted lively Iberian repertoire, thanks to exquisite interpretation from Key’s dancers and singers.

• The “passing of the torch” of Key School icons, Mary Jane Milner and Whitall Clevenger, whose combined service to Key’s children and families encompasses over six memorable decades.

• The completion of a Performing Arts Studio, serving Key’s drama and dance programs in unprecedented ways, and the finalization of the much awaited Barn Renovation plans, with construction work beginning in June 2008.

• Arduous preparations in advance of Key’s 50th anniversary in 2008-2009, a year in which we hope to continue “Inspiring Ideas and Engaging Minds.”

Needless to say, the notable items that could further define 2007-2008 are unending; but space constraints impose measure and discipline. Suffice it to say in closing that we have lived life fully throughout this last academic cycle, and in so doing, we have perpetuated our ideals: fostering a commitment to the search for meaning, to civic engagement, and to lifelong learning.

Best wishes for the summer!
Marcella Yedid