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MAY 2016
Contact Keystone:
KeyNews—Keeping Up With Keystone
1-800-255-4937
[email protected]
Every
May,
The
Keystone
School takes time to recognize our teachers, as part of
Teacher Appreciation
week. During this time, I
take time to reflect on why
I became a teacher. I think
back to my teachers and
those that influenced my
choice to enter the world of
education. I believe that
each student has or can
find that one teacher who
truly makes a difference. Whether it’s the subject area that helps your
student connect, or
just the way in which
the teacher responds
that appeals to your
student. I hope that
each of our Keystone
students are able to
find that one teacher
here at Keystone who
makes a difference in
their educational journey. If your student is
hesitant to reach out
and make connections,
please help them to
take that step forward. Encourage
them to pick a teacher,
just one, and share a
bit more about them-
Attention 8th grade
families: Keystone will
be hosting a webinar
on May 17th at 7:00
pm ET for 8th grade
students preparing to
move to 9th grade.
We’ll talk about differIf you and your student
ences, guidance suphave found that one
teacher who has made a port and have 9th
difference, be sure to take grade teachers availatime and thank them for
ble to answer quesit!
tions. Click here to sign
Erica Rhone, Head of School up to attend!
selves. These personal
connections can really
help your student to feel a
deeper connection with
our school. The more we
know about your students
and their educational experiences and challenges,
the more we can help to
focus our support.
Inside this issue:
Thank You Teachers
2
Recommendations
3
Motivation
4
Note Taking Tips
5
Student of the
Month
5
Webinar Schedule
7
Tech Tip
8
Page 2
Thank you, Keystone Teachers!
My teacher was very helpful throughout the year. I emailed her several
times to ask questions and always
received clear answers within one
day. I also feel she provided very
helpful feedback that helped me improve my quality of work.
Mrs. Puentes, English 2
Ms. Koschoff was always more than
willing to answer my questions and/
or explain things further.
Ms. Koschoff, Health
I had a very positive experience with
Mrs. McVicker. Her feedback on my
assignments was excellent and she
was enthusiastic and encouraging.
Mrs. McVicker, World History
Ms. Franco was awesome, as she is in
other course. I was hesitate of taking
this course with the fear of the teacher I would get, but when I found out it
was Ms. Franco, I was thrilled.
Ms. Franco, Physical Education
My teacher was always helpful and
kind and I found her sense of humor
refreshing.
Ms. Taylor, Biology
My teacher, Mr. Karlik, was very
open minded and encouraging. I felt
like I could easily talk to the teacher
and get answers I understood.
Mr. Karlik, Game Design
Mrs. Axtell was the best English
teacher I have EVER had!!!!
Mrs. Axtell, AP English List
Miss Kasa was very helpful and
encouraging-always answering
my questions.
Miss Kasa, Algebra 1
Every time I would e-mail her, she
would reply in at least an hour!
She always helped me, and always encouraged me to ask questions.
Ms. McConnell, English 2
My Geography teacher was my
favorite teacher because she always left the most detailed responses. She always praised my
work and was very welcoming to
any questions I had.
Ms. Mauro, Geography
Mrs. Natasha Lewis was an excellent teacher. In all of our communications, she's been kind, helpful, and to-the-point when it
came to my questions. She was
extremely encouraging and knew
what she was doing. I rarely had
any questions after she explained
concepts/assignments to me.
Mrs. Lewis, English 3
She was awesome, really one of
my favorite teachers I've had
with Keystone so far. Really great
teacher honestly.
Ms. Caravella, Marketing
Just an awesome experience with
this course content and the
teacher was very attentive.
Mr. Campsie, 8th grade Health
She was a good teacher and
helped me learn a lot.
Ms. Wagner, 8th Grade
Social Studies
Ms. Lawrence always provided
clear answers and demonstrated a
comprehensive knowledge of the
course material.
Ms. Lawrence, AP English Language
Mrs. Benedict always gave me
feedback and encouraged me to
work harder. She always helped
me when I needed. Overall Mrs.
Benedict was very helpful.
Mrs. Benedict, Algebra 2
Letters of Recommendation: The Importance of
Connecting with your Recommender
Picture this- You’re a teacher at an online high school. You have a section
of X many students, most of whom have never contacted you directly.
Student Jane Doe, whose name you only recognize by her assignment
submissions, emails you and asks you to write her a letter of recommendation for college applications. Your teacher mind thinks, “Eeek! I am
flattered that she asked me for help during such an important and crucial
time in her future-planning! But, do I know enough about Jane to write a
letter verifying her academic prowess and the qualities that would make
her a valued asset at this prospective college? I am worried I don’t know
enough about Jane to write her the rock star letter she deserves!”
For Keystone teachers and counselors, this scenario is not uncommon
during the college application season, which spans from OctoberFebruary each school year. There are very few circumstances in which a
teacher would deny the request to write a letter of recommendation.
However, there are letters of recommendations that a teacher or counselor feels more prepared to write, and those are for the students that they have connected with over the
course of their Keystone enrollment. How can a Keystone student connect with and impress their teachers?
Here are some examples:
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Foremost, students should work hard in their courses and put forth 100% effort on all assignments!
Students show maturity through email and phone etiquette. Grammar is really important in emails, too!
Students are cordial in all communications with Keystone staff.
Students should make time to include fun notes in emails. For example, telling their teachers a little
about the weather in their home state, wishing them a happy holiday, or have a unique email signature!
Students sometimes call their teacher when they have a question instead of emailing.
Students keep teachers looped-in on recent accomplishments. For example, students share blurbs or
pictures from winning awards or competitions.
The take-away counseling tip for this newsletter to parents and students is to really think about taking the
time to connect with your teachers and counselors to build a relationship before you request a letter of recommendation. Not only is it great for our school community, but it could help you on your college applications, too! We also ask student’s to fill out a form when they request a letter of recommendation, so in addition to building that relationship, be sure to take the time to complete the form seriously and fully.
If you have questions about letters of recommendation, email [email protected]
Congratulations to Keystone’s 33 April Graduates from 20 US states
and 3 different countries! Best wishes on your future success!!
Page 4
Communication Can Equal Motivation!
Let’s face it motivating students can be really tough, practically a full time job at times. It has been mentioned multiple
times throughout these articles that finding why a student is
not motivated is the key to being able to help them. Some
students are easily discouraged because they are not sure if
they are on the right track for an assignment. Others might
be discouraged through emails, teacher feedback, and other
communications that can be sent by Keystone. This can often
be cleared up by reaching out!
Encourage students to reach out to their teachers. Teachers often have their contact information in multiple places within the course because they want students to reach out if there is an issue. Teacher contact
information can be found in course announcements, the Staff Information or Orientation tab, and/or the
Teacher’s office located in the class menu of each course. Even if the teacher gives a few encouraging
words, it can change a student’s outlook on things, but first they must reach out. Always remember we
are all on Team Keystone and want all students to succeed.
May Email Forecast
What
Progress Reports
*Sent every other Monday evening to the parent email address we have on file
Monday Morning Message
*only sent to full-time online STUDENTS
When
Monday, May 16th
Monday, May 30th
Every Monday morning this month!
(5/9, 5/16, 5/23, 5/30)
Can also be found on Keystone’s Facebook
page: https://www.facebook.com/
keystoneschool/
Important Information About Completing Keystone Courses
Thursday, May 19th
*coming from Guidance Counselor, Cristena
Jenner
New Parent Orientation and Getting
Started Webinar
*Please refer to the Webinar Schedule
found on page 7.
Page 5
Handwritten Notes vs. Digital Notes
(Quicker isn’t always the best)
As many of us already know, technology tools can be distracting. If you incorporate these tools into your note-taking habits, you
can almost assume that it will take less time for you to type your notes than via pen and paper…or does it?
In a study published by Pam Mueller and Daniel Oppenheimer in Psychological Science, they wanted to discover if note-taking
by hand or by computer affects learning. Muller and Oppenheimer narrowed down two approaches to note taking: Generative
is “summarizing, paraphrasing, and concept mapping.” Whereas Non-Generative is “copying everything verbatim.” The study
finds that the Generative form is found more in hand-written notes, and digital notes taken on a laptop or other mobile device
uses the Non-Generative form.
After running this hypothesis through three different studies, they found
that students are more likely to remember and study the notes that
were hand-written than those typed on a computer. Although they have
found that hand-written notes take longer to transcribe, those notes
only capture the key concepts and phrases that the teacher provides,
which makes actually makes it easier to recall the lecture.
With new technology coming out that mimics handwritten notes, it can
be hard to turn away from it. But, in the end, if you do not have your
computer with you or find a course a little more challenging than others,
it might be in your benefit to take up a pen and piece of paper to record
your notes.
Find more about the study here:
http://www.npr.org/2016/04/17/474525392/attention-students-put-your-laptops-away?
utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=npr&utm_term=nprnews&utm_content=20160417
Keystone Career Webinar
Join the Keystone Guidance Team on May 26th at 7:00 pm ET for
a Webinar about the Career Clusters and the ways you can start
planning your career path with Keystone!
We will discuss:

Setting up a Course Plan

How to use the Occupational Outlook Handbook

Career Clusters

Level of Job Preparation

Tools to Use at Keystone
To sign up to attend, click here:
http://www.signupgenius.com/
go/20f044cabab2ea5fd0-exploring
Page 6
Congratulations to our Student of the month- Nathan Crane!
Hi! My name in Nathan Crane and this is my last month
with Keystone, so I wanted to share some things with everyone!
I currently live in Kiev, Ukraine, and have been for nine and
a half years now. In light of that, Keystone Online has been
a fantastic option for me academically. I joined Keystone 3
years ago, my 10th grade year, and it has truly allowed me
to do things I would not have been able to do otherwise.
Last year, I applied something to my life that I heard financial expert Dave Ramsey say, “Live like no one else, so later, you can live like no one else”. I started to think about
my dreams, goals, and passions and decided that I would
do what is necessary to make them happen. A dream I
have is starting some businesses around the world. To do
that, I have to have a good education, so I really try to do
well in school because that is what will get me to that
dream. Recently, I was accepted into the University of South Carolina which had the top International
business school in America! Another dream is to have a large music audience. I am an audio and music
producer, I record, mix, and master music for myself, and on occasion, other people! In a month, my new
record will be released and sold, I will be having a show, and will see a year and a half’s worth of work
come together! Another dream is to have a large YouTube audience, I have a YouTube channel to show
my life as an American living abroad and promote the idea of positive thinking in a healthy way. I am always busy working on things I know will get me to where I want to be in the future.
My message to you- Don’t be afraid to work. Today, there are too many people not taking advantage of their opportunities in life because they don’t want to work to get what or where they want to
be. Unfortunately that is not how life works, you have to get yourself to your goals. Fun fact- you can, it is
very possible, and in the end, the work will be worth it if you really want it! As Nike and Shai LaBeouf say,
“Just do it!” Thanks for listening!
Congratulations, Nathan!
Hello from The Keystone
Staff:
Represented in this picture are
our Student Services and Admissions representatives, Data Processing and Finance, Warehouse, Instructional Supervisors,
and Student Success Advisors.
Page 7
Check out the May Webinar Schedule
Getting Started webinars are designed for new students and parents, but any Keystone student or parent is welcome
to sign up and attend! You can click on the event to sign up or use the links provided below.
Event
Date
Time
Presenter
Audience
Getting Started The Right Way With Keystone
May 5th
3 pm ET
Megan Strittmatter
New Students and Parents
Getting Started The Right Way With Keystone
May 10th
7 pm ET
James Bonham
New Students and Parents
Middle School Transition
May 16th
7 pm ET
Keystone Staff
Middle School Parents
Getting Started The Right Way With Keystone
May 18th
12 pm ET
James Bonham
New Students and Parents
New Parent Orientation
May 24th
7pm ET
Elizabeth Jones
New Parents
Career Webinar
May 26th
7pm ET
Matt Dufford
Keystone Students
Getting Started The Right Way With Keystone
June 1st
7 pm ET
James Bonham
New Students and Parents
Getting Started Webinars: http://www.signupgenius.com/go/30e0f4bafaf29a6fc1-getting
Middle School Transition Webinar: http://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0f4ca8a92ca7f85-keystepping
New Parent Orientation 5/24: http://www.signupgenius.com/go/30e0f4bafaf29a6fc1-newparent
Career Webinar 5/26: http://www.signupgenius.com/go/20f044cabab2ea5fd0-exploring
New Parent Orientation Webinar
New Parent Tool Kit
Join us on Tuesday, May 24th at 7:00 PM ET for a
New Parent Orientation webinar designed to help
answer all of your “getting started” questions.
We’ll go more in-depth on the role of the Keystone Parent, the Strong Start program, and how
to support your student. There will also be time
for you to ask questions. Our goal is to give you
the tools needed to help your student succeed!
We have prepared several documents to help
you as a new Keystone parent get oriented to
Keystone and start to embrace your role as the
parent of a successful independent learner! We
suggest you review all the documents carefully
and keep them for reference. You can download
them to your computer, print them, or come
back to this site again and again to view them as
needed.
Click here to sign up to attend the webinar:
http://www.signupgenius.com/go/30e0f4bafaf29a6fc1newparent
Click here to access the Parent Tool Kit:
https://fw.unitymg.com/rdr/D:2797
Page 8
Tech Tip of the Month
How to Take Screenshots on PC and Mac Computers
Sometimes it's easier to show someone what you're seeing on your computer screen instead of
explaining it. The following instructions will show you how to easily take screenshots on your computer.
Windows
In Windows, one easy solution is the PrtScn key. When you press it, an image of your screen is
copied to the Clipboard. This is called a screen capture or screen shot.
PLEASE NOTE: To print the screen capture or send it to someone in an e‑mail, you'll first
have to paste the image into Paint or some other image-editing program and save it.
Mac
In Mac, you will need to press Command (⌘)-Shift-3 on your keyboard. Once you do, the
screenshot will be saved as a .png file on your desktop. From here, you can print or email the image.
Keystone’s Mission
The Keystone School provides high quality, individualized educational experiences in a safe, technology enabled learning environment to empower students to achieve their academic and personal goals.
More information about Keystone’s mission and our expected school wide learning results
can be found in the student handbook posted in the online homeroom and on our website.