Finding Warmth and Light Together at Keys

Dear Keys Families,

Over the past two weeks, we gathered for one of the year’s brightest traditions: the Winter Concerts. Under the steady, joyful guidance of Ms. Hodgett and Mr. G., our students stepped onto the stage and reminded us, again, that childhood is magic–and wow, can our students put on a show!

Our youngest performers brought that wonderful combination of courage and abandon: earnest faces, big voices, and full-body dancing that turns simple melodies into sweetness and spunk. Whether it’s a disco rendition of Earth, Wind, and Fire’s September or an Orff instrument performance of Vivaldi’s L’autunno and L’inverno, their focus and enthusiasm shine through.  And our Middle School musicians—our Keys Music Collective, Big Orchestras, Choir, and grade-level ensembles—picked up right where the Lower School left off. They tackled sophisticated, ambitious vocal and instrumental pieces, incorporating samba, jazz, blues, and much more. Our students were passionately “dialed in,” delivering an inspirational night for us to enjoy.

There is a reason we love these concerts so much. In a season when the days are shorter, and the world outside feels colder and darker, we go looking for warmth and light—and our children, again and again, provide it. Once the first notes begin, we all lean in: the kind of collective attention that only happens when we’re gathered together around something genuine, and alive. When I take my seat, I always find myself looking for new families at Keys. I love watching them experience their child’s first concert —eyes locked on their musician, phone quietly filming, grinning ear to ear. A few rows away, my eyes will find the family attending their last Winter Concert, soaking up every note because time is moving quickly and their 8th grader is nearing graduation. I’ve learned to bring a tissue because there’s rarely a dry eye in the house when our 8th graders are honored with a handmade scarf, crafted by someone in our community who took the time to weave love, attention, and care into something tangible to wrap them with. It’s a small gesture with a big message for all in the room: You matter here. We’ve been holding you all along.

We are fortunate to have these moments to gather in celebration and uplift—while also knowing that, even in the past week, horrible events have taken place close to home and around the world. What our world, our nation, and our state are living through is felt at Keys. Our hearts ache for Jewish families impacted by violence and antisemitism, including the recent terrorist attack on the first night of a Chanukah gathering at Bondi Beach in Australia, as well as an extreme increase in acts of antisemitism globally. The shooting at Brown University resonates here; it’s a school, a place of learning, where students, faculty, and Keys alumni learn and gather. It feels close to home. The events of the world reverberate at Keys and there are too many to capture. The ache of the world humbles us, and we stand against hate here.

When our voices rise in unison for “Here in My House” to conclude each concert, I’m reminded of the line, “Under one roof, a family for me being far from home, in community.” It’s a simple line, and it holds something we work hard to make true—especially when the world feels unsteady. It is here, under this roof, that we recommit ourselves to how we live together, in community.

So, in a world that can feel dark and uncertain, I am profoundly grateful for the hope I find in the light of Keys. Ours is a community built on a daily practice: Know and be Known. Listen and be Heard. Dive In. We do not always get it perfect, but we are committed to growing — together — into the kind of community where every person can belong as their full self. Regardless of where you come from, your identity matters, and you belong here.

As Winter Break begins, I hope you find unhurried mornings, time for books and games, long walks and cozy evenings, gatherings that fill you up (or quiet that helps you exhale). Whatever you celebrate in this season—Chanukah, Christmas, Kwanza, Solstice, New Year’s, other winter holidays, or simply a chance to pause—I hope you feel surrounded by love and held by community.

Thank you for all the ways you show up for Keys, for one another, and for our children. Here’s to the light in Keys School!

With deep appreciation and warmth,

Heather