How we see Keystone School
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How Keystone School sees itself
"Keystone fosters a project-based, experiential learning environment in which students gain knowledge and skills to become responsible, socially conscious, and independent world citizens. With our enhanced program and holistic approach to education, students acquire the qualities and abilities needed for a successful life full of purpose and joy. Our aim is to ignite a passion for life-long learning in our students, while simultaneously inspiring responsibility for the self, the community, and the world."
"Our small classes with an average size of 14 students per class provide an individualized Academic Program which ensures that each student is seen, valued, and challenged.
Our project-based learning programs cater to the varied interests and skills of our students where they discover new capacities for critical thinking and forming independent judgments."
"Keystone offers students a home-like environment where each student can express his/her feelings and ideas freely. A balanced distribution of domestic and international students ensures that students become open-minded, respectful and authentic adults."
"We are a family-oriented school that fosters interaction between students and teachers. We encourage students to feel that we are all a family, and that they are not simply at Keystone to get their education and go home again. Once a part of the Keystone family, you are part of it for life."
"We have worked to establish a very close network of communication at Keystone that we feel is unique to our school. From our founder, to our principal, to our administrator, to our teachers, everyone is present at the school each day to build and strengthen bonds and connections with the students. If a student is ever in need of guidance from any member of our academic team, we are always there to provide hands-on, individualized support."
"Countries Represented: 35+
Student-Teacher Ratio: 7:1
University Acceptance Rate: 100%
Average Class Size: 8-12 students
Average Volunteer Hours at Graduation: 100"
Learning how to use Muse
How people from the school’s community see Keystone School
Top-down influence on the school’s direction and tone
Doa Demirsu-Doran, Principal
B.Sc., MBA
Welcome to Keystone International School, a dynamic, boutique school, in the heart of Toronto.
We strive to involve students in their own learning experience. Teachers are not lecturers but are facilitators in the classrooms. Our inquiry-based, holistic approach to education encourage students to take action and become life-long learners. We always remind students that every subject has a relation to the real world. Whenever we can get away from the classroom, we make sure to do that; it’s far more interesting to go check out some super structures to think the physics behind it, see live art pieces and discuss them at the museum, or play logic games to calculate probability for math class. In Economics or Business, we observe a product over time to understand the effects of demand and supply. All these experiments keep students interested and makes learning easier, fun and most importantly permanent.
At Keystone, we nurture our students to be well-rounded and intuitive individuals while challenging them to excel academically. Our culturally diverse environment prepares our students for the future when they will be collaborating with others at a global level.
Most big schools provide your extroverted child with plenty of social opportunities and the ability to interact with different peer groups with a wide range of personalities, interests, values, etc. A larger student population and more extracurriculars—including activities like team sports, arts programs, and debate—will give them a broader scope of opportunities to participate in events that scratch their interpersonal itch. “This may also give them the opportunity to hone certain skills,” say Ann and Karen Wolff of Wolff Educational Services. “For instance, they might run for student council to develop leadership and public speaking skills and learn to be a voice for other students.”
If you’re considering a language immersion school for your extroverted child, make sure it offers a wide range of social opportunities, including the ability to interact with kids outside of class. Since most of your child’s learning won’t be in their mother tongue, they may find it challenging at times to negotiate the complexities of social interaction in the classroom. This makes it especially important to ensure the school offers extensive extracurriculars—such as volunteering, sports teams, and arts programs—which will help your child satisfy their need to interact and make friends.
Make sure any prospective school, no matter what size, provides the right social environment to help your child feel at home, make friends, and develop confidence. This is especially important at big schools, which are sometimes more socially overwhelming and challenging for an introvert to find their bearings in. Of course, “Because larger schools usually have a more diverse student population, introverted kids are more likely to find a small group of people like them, a peer group they can relate to and find acceptance from,” says Dona Matthews, Toronto-based education consultant and co-author (with Joanne Foster) of Beyond Intelligence.
Bigger schools often have a broader scope of extracurricular activities, which is another way to help your child meet the right group of friends. “This may also give them the opportunity to develop certain skills,” say Ann and Karen Wolff of Wolff Educational Services. “For instance, they might run for student council to develop leadership and public speaking skills and learn to be a voice for other students. Remember, though, each child is different—so what works for one may not work for another.”
If you’re considering a language immersion school for your introverted child, make sure it offers plenty of social opportunities, including the ability to interact with different peer groups outside of class. Since most of your child’s learning won’t be in their mother tongue, they may find it challenging at times to negotiate the complexities of social interaction in the classroom. This makes it especially important to ensure the school offers extensive extracurriculars—such as student council, volunteering, and team sports—which can enable your child to connect with peers, make new friends outside of class, overcome their shyness, and develop critical social skills.
THE OUR KIDS REPORT: Keystone School
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