The Upper School Program
A balanced, healthy approach to high achievement for your 9th through 12th grade student in San Antonio, Texas.
The Upper School Program
The Middle School helps fifth through eighth grade students develop their intellectual abilities and nurtures their emotional and social development too.
Advanced Academics and Opportunities to Explore, Engage, and Excel
Led by excellent teachers, students hone strong writing and critical thinking skills throughout the Upper School academic program. Through Advanced Placement achievement, graduating seniors earn between 12-30 hours of college credit.
Keystone's Upper School Core Curriculum
The high school core curriculum, partnered with student opportunities to increasingly specialize their interests through extensive electives and extracurriculars, comprise a program where students can explore, engage and excel.
- 9th grade course offerings:
English 9
World History 9
Algebra 2
Biology 9
World Language (Spanish 2 or French 2)
Wellness Course
- 10th grade course offerings:
English 10
AP World History from 1300
AP Statistics
Chemistry 10
World Language (Spanish 3 or French 3)
Arts Elective
- 11th grade course offerings:
English Language AP
AP US History
Elective 1 (Precalculus standard)
Elective 2
Elective 3
Elective 4 w/ permission
- 12th grade course offerings:
AP English Literature
Political Science & Civics
Elective 1
Elective 2
Elective 3
Elective 4 w/ permission
- Elective AP course offerings:
- AP Biology
- AP Calculus AB
- AP Calculus BC
- AP Chemistry
- AP Computer Science
- AP Environmental Science
- AP French Language & Culture
- AP Physics C: Classical Mechanics
- AP Physics C: Electromagnetism
- AP Spanish 4 and 5
- AP Art
- AP French Language IV
- AP Spanish Language IV
- AP Spanish Literature V
- AP Physics Mechanics w/ Engineering
- AP Physics Electricity & Magnetism w/ Engineering
- AP Psychology
- AP Biology
- 10 Grade electives include:
Creative Writing
Musical Theater
Cinematography
2D Design
3D Design
Modern Acting for the Camera
Musical Theater: From Classics to Contemporary
Rock Band
Theatre Appreciation – Classical to Renaissance
Theatre Appreciation – Modern to Contemporary
Film & Animation
Chorale
Experimental Animation
Film Studies: Origins to 1960s
Film Studies: 1960s to the present
11th and 12th Grade electives include:
Intro to Economics
Interdisciplinary Spanish Studies
French V
African American History through Film
Human Physiology A & B
International Relations
Modern Global Issues: Europe
Modern Global Issues: Latin America
Modern Global Issues: The Past and Present of Food
Creative Writing
Musical Theater
Cinematography
2D Design
3D Design
Modern Acting for the Camera
Musical Theater: From Classics to Contemporary
Rock Band
Theatre Appreciation – Classical to Renaissance
Theatre Appreciation – Modern to Contemporary
Film & Animation
Chorale
Experimental Animation
Film Studies: Origins to 1960s
Film Studies: 1960s to the present
Exploring Creativity and Building Connections
While Keystone is rightfully known for its academic excellence, our students also shine outside of the classroom, in the arts and on the court, field or gym. Our students can explore visual and theatrical arts as classes and as extracurricular activities.
Arts
Upper School students can select arts electives in visual, performing, and digital arts that broaden their creative horizons.
- Arts activities available outside of class for high schoolers include:
- Theatre: Upper School stages fall and spring productions.
- Litmag: Keystone’s literary magazine regularly wins regional and national awards.
- Stone Soul: Quarterly open mic nights provide opportunities for students to perform their own poetry, music and spoken word in a supportive and non-competitive environment.
- Theatre: Upper School stages fall and spring productions.
Athletics
- All students must earn physical education sports credit by participating in a competitive school sport or managing a sports team.
- Our athletic programs focus on the development of fundamental skills and excellence in execution.
- Players are put in positions to make the most of their athletic talent, cultivate their leadership skills and understand their “team-first” responsibility.
- At the junior varsity level, our goal is to have all players play each game.
- Competitively, Keystone School is a member of the Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools and its teams are classified as TAPPS 3A. Like they excel in the classroom, Keystone students often triumph in athletic pursuits.
- Keystone Cobras field high school teams in these sports:
- Varsity and junior varsity volleyball
- Varsity and junior varsity boys basketball
- Varsity girls basketball
- Soccer
- Softball
- Boys and girls tennis
- Boys and girls cross country
- Track
Clubs
- Keystone offers an array of clubs for students to explore their interests, demonstrate their leadership abilities, and compete for achievements outside the classroom.
- Keystone has historically been the top performing school in local and statewide Science Fair competitions, often sending students to national and international competitions.
- Our Academic World Quest team has qualified for their national competition for every year since 2012 and was best in the nation in 2022 and 2016
- Our Model UN students regularly win local conference awards and our Upper School Robotics program quickly won recognition at the state level
- Student organizations, competitions and enrichment programs:
- Academic WorldQuest Competition
- Debate Club
- World Language Club
- The Keynote Student Newspaper – link to online newsletter.
- LitMag (Literary Magazine)
- Model United Nations
- National Honor Society
- Quiz Bowl
- Camber Robotics FTC 9658
- Science Fair
- Stone Soul
- Student Council
- Yearbook
- Students can choose to organize and participate in special events throughout the school year:
- Dances & Prom
- Halloween
- Valentine’s Day
- International Day
- Service Day
- Field Day
- Speaker Series
Outdoor Education
Outdoor Education introduces students to incredible natural beauty and lessons found in the environment. All-class annual trips give students an opportunity to know each other better outside of the classroom. The student-teacher relationships that develop facilitate open communication when students have academic questions and challenges later.
Sharing a sunset along a long trail, or conversation around a campfire have been meaningful experiences and formed healthy social bonds. Because the outdoors has a positive effect on students’ mental health, Outdoor Education is integral to the wellness program at Keystone School.
Upper School Schedule
- Ninth grade travels to the Olympic Park Institute (“OPI”) at the northern edge of the Olympic National Park in mid-September. Olympic National Park contains both mountain terrain and a rainforest. OPI offers a varied programs for study:
- Forest Ecology
- Watershed Science
- Earth Sciences
- Elwha River Project
- The class is divided into three groups for daily instruction and hands-on experience in an outdoor setting by OPI professional staff. Lodging and food are provided by OPI. The cabins are comfortable and heated. Click here for more information about Olympic Park Institute.
- 10th grade goes to the Tampa, Florida area for wetlands research, marine biology instruction, and other learning about a complex North American subtropical ecosystem. Side trips include canoeing, hiking in Lake Myakka State Park, a visit to Siesta Key and swimming with manatees at Crystal River.
- 11th grade visits Civil War battle sites, hikes in the Shenandoah National Park and spends two days exploring Washington, DC museums and the National Mall. Among their excursions, students visit the National Museum of African American History and Culture and the National Gallery of Art. These visits supplement their studies in American history and American literature. Students lodge in cabins in a camp in Prince William Forest, southeast of the DC area.
- 12th grade travels to Yosemite National Institute (“YNI”) in Yosemite National Park in mid-November. YNI offers a strong educational program based upon the resources of this unique national park. Activities include studying the sequoias, orienteering, navigating in the total darkness of an underground cave, and hiking to the top of Yosemite Falls. Students enjoy a break from the intensive college application process and a chance to celebrate the senior year with friends. Lodging and food are provided by YNI. The cabins are comfortable and heated. The trip also includes one challenge hike. Click here more information about Yosemite National Institute.
Wellness Initiatives
Wellness initiatives nurture our students’ inherent potential and provide mental health support throughout their high school experience. These initiatives provide instruction related to student safety, healthy choices and stress-reduction techniques.
Initiatives
- Our extensive advisory and counseling program gives students the information and life skills needed to make wise decisions for personal health and wellness. Topics include human sexuality, online media and harmful substances.
- Ninth grade students attend a Self & Community class taught by two counselors. The class is designed to help students develop skills to enhance well-being, and make responsible choices when faced with the pressures and challenges of life. Topics include stress-relief and relaxation skills, communication, strategies for negotiating and refusing peer pressure, and information about alcohol, tobacco and drugs.
- Our Upper School counselor and principal sponsor the Wellness Council.
- Counselors provide support for students and their families, responsive to the emotional needs that arise due to life circumstances or issues that come up at school. The goal is to help children develop a toolbox of skills to use to manage their emotions, friendships, and relationships.
- Counselors work with school leadership on classroom issues, to ensure behavioral changes and emotional needs are addressed.
- Counselors meet individually with students to check in and offer a listening ear and caring counsel.
Admissions and Tuition Information
Affording Keystone
Keystone School makes exceptional private education more accessible to bright and motivated students in San Antonio. Our overhead costs are 40% lower than the average independent school in our region, keeping tuition affordable for our families.
