the greatest privileges – to (re)establish traditions, initiate changes, shape attitudes, beliefs and values, introduce
new methods and pedagogies, and recruit passionate teachers and talented students. Though this may seem
ambitious, the goal is simple – to prepare our children better for the future. As Whitaker said, I strongly believe
that great leadership is the key to any successful school, but what does great leadership look like? And in our case,
what motivated the Keystone leaders to come here and build a new school? Why does each and every one of them
hold such a strong belief in the mission of the school? Where do they focus their attention? How do they spend
their time and energy? What guides their decisions? What challenges and setbacks have they faced? And most of
all, what qualities make them truly remarkable educators? This founding issue of The Keystone Magazine finds
answers to these questions and more in conversations with the leadership team – the team that inspired Keystone
Academy and have worked – continue to work – to make it a reality.
Each conversation is a heart-to-heart talk filled with ideas, deep thoughts and reflections, personal stories and
insights, joys, hopes, tears and laughter. This founding issue captures all of these emotions that builds, frames
and lays out the landscape of a world school from the perspective of great educators. We invite you, through each
in-depth discussions, to become intimate with the hearts and minds of Keystone leaders. You will discover, as we
have discovered, that these remarkable people represent a wide range of personalities, and exhibit a solid core of
leadership qualities and characteristics that have coalesced to create startling success in their respective careers.
You will see through the eyes of these leaders and you will experience, through their words and thoughts, what it
takes to produce a truly great school. You will begin to see that a brilliant school is never just about programs and
will never be just about programs. It will always be about people. And the Keystone team is a group of people who
could make any school a legend.
If there is one thing that truly differentiates the Keystone leadership team from others, it is their unwavering
commitment to excellence. This is their motto, their mission statement and their core value, which they live by, eat
and breathe every single day. It’s ingrained in the Keystone culture and in turn has created its own momentum. I
have to admit, watching a great educator at the top of his or her form is like watching a great surgical, artistic or
athletic performance. This reminds me of what our Head of School Mr. McKenzie said during one of his media
interviews, “If you have once played in the big league, you will know what it feels like to be a top player.” I hope this
publication provides a starting place to test his