1

College Resources 2-3

Keystone Social Experi-

ence.

4-6

Student Of The Month 6

Email forecast 7

December Webinar

Schedule

8

Tech Tip 10

DECEMBER 2016 Contact Keystone:

1-800-255-4937

Inside this issue:

Partnering with You to Provide Social Support

As parents in this day and age, you are surely aware that the social media arena has exploded and, with it, the opportunities for all of our students to interact with others socially in many more ways than before. Here at The Keystone School, we want to help to reinforce both the im-portance of social interactions in the online space, and the im-portance of developing social skills in the face-to-face world. The development of social skills in one realm alone will not setup your student up for success as a

21st century member of an ever-changing, competitive world. However, while stu-dents growing up now will innately develop online social skills, they will need our assistance in develop-ing proper face-to-face so-cial norms, unless they are already exposed to those environments on a regular basis. As the Head of School, this is exactly what I would encourage you to do today. Even though you have made the choice to have your student engage in online independent edu-cation, I would highly en-courage you to establish a way to have your student engage in social opportuni-

ties with others in your community, within your travels, or as part of their daily routines. I assure you, if you make the develop-ment of both online social skills and face-to-face so-cial skills a priority for your students, they will become a better-rounded individu-al, and a more successful student.

Erica Rhone,

Head of School

info@keystonehighschool.com

Starting this month, Keystone will be hosting a Keystone Live Event on the 3rd Thursday of every month at 4:00 pm ET!

The first event will be a Behind The Scenes Keystone Tour. Have you ever won-dered who the people were behind Student Services? What about our Guid-ance team? See them in person and get a glimpse into life at the Keystone

office!

Join us live on Facebook on De-cember 15th at 4:00 pm ET.

2

Pa

Extracurricular and college applications If you’ve begun the process of researching colleges to apply to, you may begin to get the feeling that the only two things that these admissions offices care about is your grade point average (GPA) or SAT/ACT test scores. For most schools, especially the larger public universities, that is mostly true, those are the top two items used to determine your admission decision. There is also a third component used when evaluating your application, and that third factor is used to learn about who you are, to get a sense of you as an individual. This can be shown through reference letters, extracurricular activities, work experi-ences, volunteering or the application essay. What do these things have in common? For the most part, they all revolve around things outside of the classroom; peer-to-peer interaction, your hobbies, you functioning in the ‘real world’, or your ability to express yourself to others through writing, using your unique experiences.

Students often ask what else they can do to make their college applications more competitive outside of their GPA and test scores. The guidance department’s answer is simple; connect with people, or your community in a productive way. Volunteer with an organization you admire. Join a club based on an ac-tivity or a hobby you really enjoy. Take time to send your teachers a nice mes-sage when you’ve completed an assignment that has resonated with you or interested you. Not only will it help with your college applications, but it will nourish your overall wellness and help build some friendships and positive memories along the way!

College Application Tool Kit You asked, and we listened! Keystone Parents and Students have asked for a one-stop shop for all college preparation related information, tools and resources. While all of this infor-mation is housed in the Guidance Services Resource Center available in the BlackBoard hom-eroom, we realize that it can be difficult to access that if your student is inactive and it can-not be seen from the parent observer account. Keystone has compiled all the college prepar-atory related information and put it in one document- the College Application Tool Kit. Click here to download it! https://fw.unitymg.com/rdr/C:17026

Are you interested in being featured as a student of the month? If so,

email guidance@keystonehighschool.com!

3

One of the items within the college preparation list is taking the SAT or ACT exam. This exam, along with your child’s courses, grades, and extra-curricular activities will help determine the colleges they apply. To help your child prepare for the SAT/ACT exams, K12 is now offering Test Prep courses. The Test Prep sessions are adaptive online prep courses which can help strengthen a student’s performance on the SAT or ACT exams. Each session occurs right be-fore the test date to ensure your child feels prepared and ready to take the exam. We offer two different types of sessions throughout the school year:

Instructor-Led sessions COST $899 Synchronous Sessions with experienced, energetic, certified teachers

three one hour English sessions and three one hour Math sessions Asynchronous Lessons with practice questions, quizzes, and easy to understand

explanation videos Access to library of video resources Individual help sessions by appointment three full length practice tests

Guided, Self-Study sessions COST $299 Asynchronous Lessons with practice questions, quizzes, and easy to understand

explanation videos Access to library of video resources Drop-in help desk sessions three full length practice tests

Visit https://www.k12courses.com/supplementary/test-prep-and-college-counseling.html or call 855-534-6298 for complete details and ordering information.

SAT Test Date SAT Prep Session

Jan 21, 2017 Dec 5-Jan 13

Mar 11, 2017 Jan 23-May 3

May 6, 2017 Mar 20-Apr 28

Jun 3, 2017 Apr 17-May 26

ACT Test Date ACT Prep Session

Feb 11, 2017 Dec 26-Feb 3

Apr 8, 2017 Feb 20-Mar 31

Jun 10, 2017 Apr 24-Jun 2

4

Page 4

2016-2017 College Admission Exam Dates

Attention Juniors and Seniors: if you are planning to apply to a U.S. four-year university this year, you will need a score on a college entrance exam (either the SAT or the ACT). Test dates and registration links can be found below. Sophomores and Juniors: the PSAT is only offered in October. Now is the time to find a testing location. Remember to cite Keystone’s CEEB Code when you sit to take the tests! The code is 390363.

SAT Registration Link: http://sat.collegeboard.org/register

ACT Registration Link: http://www.actstudent.org/regist/ PSAT Registration: Contact your local public high

school

2016-2017 SAT/ACT Test Dates

Keystone’s CEEB code is 390363

Registration Deadlines

Test Test Date Regular Late (fees apply)

SAT January 21st, 2017 December 21st, 2016 January 3-10, 2017

ACT February 11th, 2018

(No test centers in NY

for this date)

January 13th, 2017 January 14-20, 2017

SAT March 11th, 2017 February 10th, 2017 February 21-28, 2017

ACT April 8th, 2017 March 3rd, 2017 March 4-17, 2017

SAT May 6th, 2017 April 7th, 2017 April 18-25, 2017

SAT June 3rd, 2017 May 9th, 2017 May 16-24th, 2017

ACT June 10th, 2017 May 5th, 2017 May 6-19, 2017

5

Page 5

Social Media is one of the greatest communication tools of this generation. Not only does it help keep us informed of important events in our friends and families lives, but it has been credited with solving crimes, finding missing children and reconnecting long lost family members. Social media also has a dark side, especially when it comes to teenagers. Cyberbullying, sharing inappropriate material and social iso-

lation are just a few that come to mind. If used properly, social media can be a great re-source for teenagers, but it is important that parents follow a few rules when monitoring their teen’s online activity.

Make sure they are the right age. Most social media platforms have an age require-ment. For example, Facebook requires that all users be 13 or older to participate. It is important that your child is developmentally ready to tackle the online world. If you aren’t sure of the age requirements, check out their websites to find out.

Talk to your teen about the dangers that can await them in the social media environ-

ment. Make sure they have their privacy settings set that the appropriate level, talk to them about information they should not share online (personal, identifying mate-rial), and what they should do if they feel uncomfortable with something that is be-ing said or shown online.

Set your expectations. Tell your teen what you expect of them online. A good rule of

thumb is to never post anything that you wouldn’t want mom, grandma and your 1st

grade teacher to read. Once you have set the expectations, follow through. Monitor what they are doing online, ask questions and keep your-self informed.

Social media can be a great tool for all of us, if we use it appropriately. Check out these resources to learn more about keeping yourself and your child safe online: http://www.ncpc.org/topics/internet-safety/social-networking-websites https://www.onguardonline.gov/articles/0012-kids-and-socializing-online

6

Below is an article that was published in Next Step Magazine. The magazine is written by college students at William Smith College. The article focusses on the importance of joining extracurricular activities which will help you im-prove your college application, make new friends, and build leadership skills and your network.

Why should I join a club?

“Many colleges look to see that students are involved outside the classroom, which shows they are well-rounded,” says Shelby Wallace, director of admissions at Norwich University in Vermont (norwich.edu).

Lindsay Moore, a senior from Williams College (williams.edu), adds, “Joining clubs and participating in community service in high school provided me an opportunity to meet people with similar interests and passions, to expand my leadership skills, and to spend time participating in activities that I enjoyed.”

What club should I join?

There are so many clubs and organizations to choose from in high school, from academic to athletic to community service. Join a club that you truly feel passionate about.

If your school does not offer a club you are interested in, start your own! All you need is a group of students who will support your idea and the persistence to make your club successful. Your school will support your efforts if you can show that you are serious.

What leadership roles impress colleges?

Colleges do not prefer one club or organization over the other. “Colleges look for students to be diverse in their aca-demic background and their extracurricular background,” says Wallace. “Students should pick clubs based on what they are most interested in, and colleges will see the commitment and leadership that students have contributed to those organizations.”

It will mean more to a college if you are able to list contributions and achievements you have made for one club ra-ther than list a million clubs you did not care about.

“All members of a club are necessary and valued,” Moore says. “Event planning and club operations do not just hap-pen automatically, and successful clubs require the involvement of many different kinds of members with different skills and levels of involvement.”

What if I’m too busy to join a club?

Relax. Outside-of-school responsibilities, like jobs, are just as important to colleges as in-school activities. Colleges respect any proof of your work ethic.

“It is important for students to showcase these, as they show leadership and responsibility,” says Wallace. If you have an after-school job, babysit or attend a youth group every week, put it on your résumé!

Clubs after high school

“Students should take advantage of what college has to offer, both in the classroom and outside the classroom. Their college experience will be that much richer for having been involved,” says Wallace.

Many clubs invite well-known speakers to campus, and members are able to meet guests personally. It’s also a great way to make friends during your first semester.

“Several of my friends thought that getting into college marked the end of their days of community service and club participation from high school,” Moore says. “But they realized that involvement in clubs and organizations on any college campus provides instant access to new social networks, job opportunities, and yet another outlet for pursu-ing one’s interests beyond the classroom.”

Article written by Cassie Cloutier who is a junior at William Smith College (hws.edu) and interned at Next Step Magazine. http://

www.nextstepu.com/should-you-join-a-club-in-high-school.art#.WD2Go7IrJhE

7

From the words of Keystone Student Success Advisor, Dan Puentes: The question I get all the time is: how do you keep your homeschool kids social? Well, as a parent of students that also attend a non-traditional home school, I can tell you it is some-thing we take very seriously. My kids are involved in their local church group, practice mar-tial arts, and play soccer. How did I get them involved in so many social activities? Where did we look? The best advice I can give you if you are trying to keep your homeschooled students social is this: Wait for it. We looked through our local newspaper, went to our public library for information, and eventually found a Martial Arts Dojo advertisement listed at our local Chinese Restaurant. It is very important to keep your homeschool stu-dent social and active because it helps them physically and mentally. It helps keep them from burning out and it also motivates them to complete the work at hand. Not every town is going to have the same resources but, I am sure if you check your local library, newspapers, or even your local school district, you will find ways to keep your student so-cial and active. Here at Keystone we also recommend looking into community efforts like Boys and Girls clubs, Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts of America, Local YMCA programs, and keeping in touch with the families that you may have met while your students attended their previous edu-cation program. It take a village to raise a child, and keeping them in touch with peers to share ideas and experiences is just as important as the information they learn from their school work.

I am Corinne Korbitz. I am 15 years old and love to sing popular songs and draw

realistic pictures of my family and friends. I have had two poems published in two

different contests, Creative Communications and Poem Collections. I enjoy mathe-

matics and learning new things, such as new languages and new hobbies to pick

up along the way. I attend Civil Air Patrol, an Air Force Auxiliary Program where I

learn to lead and become an active airman of the United States Air Force. School

is very important to me as I am working towards a scholarship, gained by CAP to

be accepted into my dream college, The Air Force Academy of Colorado. I have A’s

and B’s in all classes through the 9th and 10th grades.

Congratulations to Corinne Korbitz!

8

Connect with other families through Facebook! Keystone has created regional Facebook groups to help

you reach out to people who are within your region. These are YOUR groups! Keystone staff will be

available to answer questions, but this is something we have developed at the request of our families.

We hope you enjoy this opportunity!

Midwest Region: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1712204375691181/

Northeast Region: https://www.facebook.com/groups/430927457111137/

Southern Region: https://www.facebook.com/groups/831284283666164/

Western Region: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1530683317229360/

International: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1528539600810023/

Congratulations to Keystone’s 22 November

Graduates from 11 US states and 6 different

countries! Best wishes on your future success!!

Here at Keystone we value organization. An organized student is a successful student. It is much easier

for organized students to stay on track and stay updated on changing policies and new events. That is

why we want to take this opportunity to inform you about some emails coming your way. Keep an eye

out for these messages in your inbox this month!

What When

Progress Reports *Sent every other Monday evening to the parent email address we have on file

Monday, December 12th

Monday, December 26th

Monday Morning Message *only sent to full-time online STUDENTS

Every this month! (12/5, 12/12, 12/19, 12/26)

Can also be found on Keystone’s Face-book page: https://www.facebook.com/

keystoneschool/

New Parent Orientation and Getting Started Webinar

*Please refer to the Webinar Schedule found on page 9

9

Page 9 Check out the December Webinar Schedule Getting Started webinars are designed for new students and parents, but any Keystone stu-

dent or parent is welcome to sign up and attend! You can click on the event to sign up or

use the links provided below.

New Parent Orientation Webinar

Join us on Tuesday December 20th at 7:00 PM ET

for a New Parent Orientation webinar designed

to help answer all of your “getting started” ques-

tions. 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 suc-

ceed!

Click here to sign up to attend the webinar:

http://www.signupgenius.com/go/30e0f4bafaf29a6fc1-

newparent

New Parent Tool Kit

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 access the Parent Tool Kit:

https://fw.unitymg.com/rdr/D:2797

Event Date Time Presenter Audience

Getting Started The Right Way With Keystone December 14th 7:00 PM

Est

Dan Puentes New Students and Parents

Getting Started The Right Way With Keystone December 20th 12:00 PM

Est

Dan Puentes New Students and Parents

New Parent Orientation December 20th 7:00 PM

Est

Ryan Lombardo New Parents

Getting Started The Right Way With Keystone December 28 7:00 PM

Est

Dan Puentes New Students and Parents

Getting Started Webinars: http://www.signupgenius.com/go/30e0f4bafaf29a6fc1-getting

Crash Course Webinar: http://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0f4ca8a62ea4fe3-crash

New Parent Orientation : http://www.signupgenius.com/go/30e0f4bafaf29a6fc1-newparent

10

How to Use the Keystone Technical Support Handbook

I am very excited to announce that we at Keystone have integrated a new Technical Support Handbook into our Key-

stone Support Tab!

This handbook was designed to help you, the student or parent, easily diagnose and remedy some of the most com-

mon technical issues encountered while using our program. While technical support is still available Monday through

Friday, from 8 AM to 8 PM Eastern at 1-800-255-4937, option 3, we hope that this option will supply you with the on-

demand support needed to help troubleshoot technical issues in a quicker, more efficient way.

Below, you will find instructions explaining how to find and use this new resource. Please note, this handbook is availa-

ble in both student and parent observer accounts.

Click on the Keystone Support Tab located at the top right-hand corner of your Blackboard account.

When the next page loads, you will see a module that contains the Keystone Technical Support Handbook. To

access the handbook in Blackboard, simply click on the picture.

A new tab should open in your internet browser, and you will be able to access the content of the handbook. To

navigate, go to the Table of Contents and click on the appropriate selection.

Keystone’s Mission

The Keystone School provides high quality, individualized educational experiences in a safe, technology enabled learning environ-

ment 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.

Page 10