Keys School : A Neighborhood School in Palo Alto
“Keys was always about heart, and everything for the children. . . . We knew that if you put a kid in P.E. or music or on the stage, they would just soar . . . and that those memories would stay with kids their whole lives.” Founding educator, Betsy Danon
The roots of this little school in the heart of Palo Alto run deep – back to the committed and caring hearts of the founding educators who had a vision of a home-like place where students could form bonds with one another and their teachers and become effective and independent learners. We've always hoped that each child leaves our little campus confident and willing to make a difference in the larger world. And today, after thirty years, we still see the promise of a bright future in the eyes of our graduates.
The Seventies:
In Palo Alto founders-to-be Betsy Danon and Inge Zumwalt teach at Miss Harker's Day School, a progressive elementary school founded in the 1930's. When Harker's merges with a military school and moves to San Jose , Keys School opens in space rented from the First Christian Church with seventeen students, three teachers, and a Volkswagon bus. The year is 1973. The program includes camping trips to the desert and Yosemite . Now at 50 students in grades kindergarten through six, Keys offers the first after-care program in Palo Alto . We start a tradition of ice-skating with every class.
The Eighties:
Keys adds Redwood Hall (now lower school science and art rooms). On staff are a counselor and after-school director, science and Spanish specialists, art teacher, and gardening teacher. The calendar features musical plays in which every child has a part. And lunch features greens from the school garden! Keys actively fosters outdoor education, drama and hands-on learning. The school expands with the addition of the middle school. Keys middle school staff, building on the original mission of the school, develop a philosophy for nurturing and challenging pre-adolescents. New classrooms and decks added.
The Nineties:
Keys re-organizes its finances, and reviews the program, adding self-science to the curriculum and a reading specialist to the staff. Facilities expand to include a computer lab and new library.
The New Century:
With the arrival of Keys' fifth and current head, Jon Ninnemann, the school begins a process of self-examination, further developing and clarifying its mission to reach all types of learners. The new strategic plan pinpoints teacher and community education as an area for growth, reaffirming our mission to foster a community of learners, both adults and children. Keys School is commended by the CAIS Accreditation Team for “providing a strong academic program supported by a warm and welcoming classroom atmosphere.”
