| The Key School | |
|---|---|
| Established | 1958 |
| Type | Private coeducational primary & secondary school |
| Head of School | Marcella M. Yedid |
| Students | 715 |
| Grades | pre k–12 |
| Location | Annapolis, Maryland, USA |
| Campus | Suburban |
| Mascot | Obezag |
| Website | www.keyschool.org |
The Key School is an independent coeducational school, located in the neighborhood of Hillsmere Shores in Annapolis, Maryland. Known simply as "Key" by members of the community, it is one of several independent private schools in the Annapolis area. The school is attended by all age groups, with about 750 students in the whole school. Key is a member of the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS).
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The Key School is founded upon the conviction that children are innately curious about themselves and the world; they want to learn, they want to discover, and they want to create. The school’s role is to nourish and guide this natural exuberance, energy, and delight in the search for meaning, so that each student may develop into an informed, thoughtful and constructive member of society, with a lifelong commitment to learning.
Key School's program includes classes for 3-year olds, 4-year olds and kindergarteners. Key preschool teachers focus on building self-confidence while developing the whole child. An integrated curriculum provides an introduction to a host of intellectual experiences that enhance each child’s understanding of, and appreciation for, the world.
The Lower School consists of grades 1-4. Lower School students learn basic skills in reading, writing, science, music, and mathematics and form the intellectual habits that provide the foundation for all future academic work. To promote positive attitudes toward school and lifelong learning, the program is carefully crafted to encourage an interest in, and a confidence for, independent work. Lower School children experience the joy of learning inside and outside the classroom.
Key School's Middle School consists of grades 5-8. In Middle School, Key students assume more responsibility and teachers promote individual development while recognizing the importance of cooperative learning and group membership. Although there are no electives until students enter the upper school, a range of extracurricular activities are available to all Middle School students. The Middle School continues the required music and language curriculum from the Lower School, as well as Key's outdoor education program.
Key's Middle School is based in the Barn, one of the original buildings on campus. A renovation of the Barn was completed in 2009, setting a new precedent for environmentally friendly construction at the school.
The Upper School is largely based in the Science and Library building, completed prior to the 2000 academic year. This building houses the Upper School library & computer lab, science labs, classrooms, and the 9-12 grade lockers. The Middle School also makes use of the building.
Academically, Key's fundamental approach is a humanities-intensive core curriculum, which reflects its connection with nearby St. John's College. Instead of traditional English and history, students take Civilizations (or "Civ") courses during the first three years of Upper School:
9th Grade: Ancient Civilizations
10th Grade: European Civilizations
11th Grade: American Civilization
These are team-taught, double-credit courses that combine the study of literature and history into one courseload.
The required natural sciences also follow a core structure:
9th Grade: Conceptual Physics
10th Grade: Chemistry
11th Grade: Biology
This is the reverse of the normal high school science progression. This is due to the Key philosophy that physics underpins chemistry, which underpins biology; they are thus taught in that order and each class builds on the previous year's work.
Math is required for three years, and goes as high as AP Calculus BC.
In addition, Key also offers many electives, including Advanced Placement courses, fine and performing arts, and foreign languages (including a Latin program).
Key School's music program in Preschool, Lower and Middle School follows the Orff Schulwerk approach, developed by composer Carl Orff. The program was developed at Key School by one of his protégés in 1970, and takes a unique approach to music education that involves all students in a daily study of speech, rhythm, instruments, singing, creative movement and dance, drama, and improvisation.
Visual arts classes through 8th grade include work in drawing, painting, collage, printmaking, sculpture, masks, and ceramics. In the upper school, all students take a year-long course combining studio art and art history, and can choose from various art electives.
The Key School was founded in 1958 by tutors at St. John's College in Annapolis, MD. The school is named after Francis Scott Key, a graduate of St. John's College. Key's history is often contrasted with that of Severn, Key's primary regional rival, which was founded as a prep school for the United States Naval Academy. Both schools have become considerably more mainstream since their formative years. From the outset, Key School worked to forge an identity that coupled experiential and innovative learning with a rigorous and essentially classical curriculum. The School further differentiated itself in terms of its belief in the individual and its emphasis on respect for human differences.
The first site for The Key School was a rented house on Chesapeake Avenue in Eastport that housed two faculty members and a student body of eighteen in grades one through three. One grade was added each year, and in 1961 the school outgrew the original location and moved to the present, 15-acre (61,000 m2) campus on the site of the old Smith mansion in Hillsmere Shores. The founders bought the school property, then a farm with a barn and an old mansion, and transformed it into a suitable campus for students.
By the 1970s, the school's enrollment had grown to include 360 students in grades pre-Kindergarten through twelve, with virtually all graduates going on to higher education. Ongoing renovations and new construction throughout the 1980s and 1990s allowed the campus to meet the demands of a growing student population and an expanding educational program.
Key School's athletic program evolves from intramurals and game days for fifth graders to interscholastic competition for Middle School, and junior varsity and varsity teams. The school offers a broad range of activities, sports, and competitive levels. Key students value intense competition and at the same time honor good sportsmanship. The program seeks a level of competition that allows inclusivity while promoting students' commitment to mastering skills, understanding tactics, fostering teamwork, and developing character. More than 30 interscholastic sports teams compete at Varsity, JV, and Middle School levels.
Opportunities for outdoor education are integral to the Key School experience from Pre-Kindergarten through grade twelve. Beginning in Middle School, all students participate in overnight trips that range from two to six days and include camping, backpacking, canoeing, kayaking, sailing, rock climbing, whitewater rafting, and environmental exploration. About fifteen percent of upper school students are also trained as Outdoor Peer Leaders and help co-lead middle school backpacking trips.
Middle School highlights include a 6th grade camping at Echo Hill on Maryland's Eastern Shore; a 7th grade backpacking trip to Catoctin Mountain Park in central Maryland and a four-day camping experience at Point Lookout State Park; an 8th grade backpacking trip in the Shenandoah National Park and a six-day sailing, canoeing and camping trip to Wye Island. Upper school highlights include a 9th grade three-day Island Odyssey trip on Tangier, Smith and Fox Islands; a 10th grade rock climbing trip to Carderock near Great Falls, Maryland, and a four-day canoeing and camping excursion; an 11th grade five-day trip to Assateague Island; and a 12th grade whitewater rafting experience on the Youghiogheny River in Pennsylvania.