The Keystone program at Scarsdale Middle School seeks to support the wellness of the whole student by creating a small group environment that nurtures social, emotional, and academic development. This positive community fosters connections, enhances academics, builds resilience, develops empathy, and helps students forge a strong sense of self. These are the Keystones of the middle school experience.
The Keystone program pairs a teacher-leader with a small group of students who meet on a regular basis. Creating purposeful connections with a "charismatic adult" helps build resilience in our students and encourages social, emotional, and academic growth. Keystone establishes trust, incorporates fun, and provides time to engage in meaningful wellness activities.
Keystone works to ensure that every student feels safe, connected to, and supported by, a faculty member and a small group of peers throughout their 3 years at SMS.
The Keystone program incorporates many guiding principles from Character Strong, which focuses on the "importance of strengthening one's own character in order to improve relationships, increase academic achievement and overall improve the climate and culture of (the) school."