Headmaster's Update - The Kiski School

HEADMASTER’S UPDATE 

Spring 2007

HEADMASTER’S UPDATE 

Spring 2007 

I’m very pleased to 

share with you this 

exciting and 

comprehensive 

update, detailing so 

many good things that 

are happening on 

Kiski’s campus. 

Good News. 

Without question, we have enjoyed a positive and productive 

school year. We exceeded our enrollment goal; the freshman dorm 

is filled with bright, capable young men. A variety of building 

projects have been completed – and others are underway. And, 

most importantly, the boys in our care are the beneficiaries of a 

remarkable educational experience thanks to the talents of the 

dedicated group of professionals we have assembled on campus. 

All in all, there are many good reasons to be pleased with our 

progress and proud of our School. 

Remarkable Changes. 

I received an e-mail from an alumnus who visited campus for the 

first time in more than four decades. He said, “It was wonderful to 

be back at Kiski. There has been a remarkable change since my last 

visit forty-five years ago. The most notable change is the caring, 

nurturing, safe and comfortable atmosphere permeating the School. 

I watched students relate to adults on campus in a positive and 

friendly manner and it made me very proud.” This theme has been 

echoed in conversations I have had this year with students, 

teachers, parents and alumni: the tone at Kiski has changed in a 

constructive and palpable way. The hard work and long hours 

invested and volunteered by so many good people are significantly 

impacting our School. We are behaving like a stronger, better 

school because, simply put, we are a stronger, better school. 

Outreach to Alumni and Friends. 

Our Institutional Advancement staff continues to make dramatic 

progress in outreach and inclusion efforts. The goal for the first 

phase of our capital campaign has been met and exceeded through 

the generous gifts and pledges of our alumni and friends. We have 

enjoyed impressive gains in support of the Annual Fund, measured 

both by the number of donors and the total dollars raised. 

Likewise, alumni have shown their support by returning to Kiski in 

record numbers for Homecoming and Reunion celebrations. We 

have hosted a variety of special events in recent years, including 

receptions in Chicago, Boston, Denver, New Orleans, Fort Myers, 

Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York City and Washington, DC. 

2 Kiski School

Promoting Kiski. 

A variety of new marketing and outreach efforts – including a vastly improved website, new 

“viewbook” and print materials and the recruitment work of the Kiski Ambassadors group – are most 

certainly taking hold. A copy of our new promotional DVD has been included as part of this mailing. 

We hope you enjoy viewing the DVD and, afterwards, that you will share it with the families of 

prospective students in your area. Altogether, these new pieces have been extraordinarily well-received 

and promise to be effective tools as we recruit new students in our next enrollment cycle. 

Strategic Planning. 

We are currently in the process of preparing the final version of Kiski’s new Strategic Plan, scheduled 

to be mailed to all of our constituents in early May. I am pleased to report that nearly all of the goals 

and associated strategies set forth in our current plan, published in November 2003, have been 

effectively met and, in most cases, exceeded. With the help and voices of many members of our School 

community, our new plan will describe a vision for Kiski that will guide us for the next several years. 

I am encouraged by our recent progress and enthusiastic about the good 

and challenging work that will be required to sustain and grow our 

School in the future. The next few years hold tremendous 

opportunities and boundless promise for Kiski. I look forward to 

your ongoing support as we partner to make Kiski an even 

greater school. 

With all good wishes to you and my hope that your travels 

will bring you to campus sometime very soon, I am 

Sincerely yours, 

Christopher A. Brueningsen 

Headmaster 

Headmaster’s Update 3

RESEARCH ON BOYS’ EDUCA 

As active charter 

members of the 

International Boys Schools 

Coalition (IBSC), Kiski 

faculty have for years 

attended annual 

conferences and 

workshops designed to 

highlight effective 

practices in meeting boys’ 

needs in school. In this 

spirit, Kiski invited two 

specialists in boys’ 

development, Drs. Richard 

Hawley and Michael 

Reichert, to conduct a pilot 

version of their major 

research project on the 

subject of boys’ 

developmental and 

educational needs. 

The Study. 

The research consisted of personal discussions with students and 

staff about scholastic and extracurricular aspects of Kiski life, as 

well as a great deal of survey data, standardized test scores, 

admissions patterns, and college placement results. In addition, 

the researchers asked the Kiski faculty to identify best teaching, 

advising and coaching practices. In the course of several campus 

visits, the researchers met with focus groups of students 

representing all classes and a wide range of interest and 

achievement levels, as well as representative faculty groups. 

Observations drawn from the interviews, surveys, school 

documents and classroom visits were combined in a summary 

report and submitted to the School. 

Reflecting On What We Do Well. 

The main purpose of the research was to identify the practices 

that are effective in the Kiski faculty’s work with boys so that 

those practices can be maintained and, where possible, 

strengthened and improved. Often, and perhaps typically, faculty 

are so immersed in their responsibilities, they have little 

opportunity to reflect upon or even to name the specific things 

they do that work. In effect, the research aims to raise to a 

conscious level those scholastic and extracurricular practices the 

School will want to stand by in the future. 

Best Practices. 

The research identified a variety of “best practices” at Kiski. The 

School’s advisory system was found to be especially effective and 

widely appreciated by boys and faculty. The School’s clear 

procedures for making each boy accountable for his daily work 

were also seen to produce positive and impressive outcomes. The 

research revealed an encouraging pattern of innovative and 

effective classroom practices in all subject areas. These included 

imaginative applications of active learning, activities that appear 

to be especially appealing to and effective with boys. There were 

also a number of learning activities that skillfully combined 

cooperative and competitive elements. Many successful lessons 

involved making boys responsible not only for mastering material, 

but for presenting it to classmates in a way that was consequential 

for the whole class’s learning. 


TION 

Transformation. 

The most general finding of the research may be the most telling: boys representing a wide range of 

tested scholastic ability, prior success in school, and personal confidence are actually transformed 

positively by their experiences at Kiski. Moreover, the researchers noted that the awareness and 

appreciation of this transformation increased as boys progressed from entry through graduation. In 

sum, the researchers found Kiski to be a school with a highly distinctive mission and an unusually 

strong consensus among students and faculty that its mission is being realized. 

The findings of this research may sound familiar to those involved with Kiski, but they are garnering 

much attention within the world of education. Educators from around the globe are watching Kiski, 

affirming our growing status as authentic experts in educating and transforming boys into good 

students, citizens and leaders. With the School’s prominent involvement in the National Association of 

Independent Schools, the Center for the Study of Boys Lives and The Association of Boarding Schools, 

we remain truly dedicated to implementing and sharing all best practices for educating boys. ■ 


ACADEMICS 

As stated in the draft 

version of Kiski’s new 

Strategic Plan, “Through 

curricular and other 

programmatic offerings, we 

will inspire our students, 

instill in them a love of 

learning and thoroughly 

prepare them for a rigorous 

college experience.” 

Faithful to that goal, we 

have added certain 

elements to our academic 

program this year. 

Chinese Language. 

In January, we launched a new course of study in Chinese Language 

and Culture. Through a program jointly sponsored by the National 

Association of Independent Schools and the College Board, Kiski 

engaged a visiting fellow from Beijing, Mr. Likui Meng, who will be 

on campus for the next eighteen months. Likui is offering an 

introductory course in Chinese during the second semester of this 

school year – and the course is receiving wonderful reviews from the 

students and faculty members who have elected to take it. We look 

forward to growing this program in the years to come. 

The Arts. 

We continue to promote the Fine Arts within our core curriculum. 

With the help of Arts Department Chairman, Andy Scott ’85, we 

have added two new electives in the visual arts and have enhanced 

our offerings in the performing arts as well. Students can now take 

private instrumental lessons on campus and a new Jazz Ensemble 

was created in the fall. The jazz group has already performed twice 

for the School community. Without question, the Arts are alive and 

well at Kiski. 

Australian Exchange Program. 

For well over a decade, Kiski has enjoyed a strong relationship 

with a brother school, Trinity Grammar, in Australia. Recently, we 

resumed a student exchange program with Trinity: two boys from 

Kiski traveled to Sydney last 

summer for a five-week 

session and two students from 

Trinity joined our student 

body for five weeks in the 

fall. Additionally, the Deputy 

Headmaster from Trinity 

visited our campus in 

September. Both schools value 

our growing partnership and 

look forward to the benefits 

this relationship will bring in 

the future. Plans are already 

in progress for next year’s 

exchange. 


College Counseling. 

Under the sure and steady leadership of Jaye Beebe, Director of College Guidance, and Darci Spahn, 

Assistant Director of College Guidance, the College Counseling Office has made great strides in 

placing our boys at appropriately competitive colleges and universities. Jaye brings nearly thirty years 

of experience to the office; he’s undertaken an aggressive travel schedule in the past two years, 

spreading good news about Kiski to college admissions offices around the country. The efforts of the 

college staff make the search for, application to, and selection of the right college a cooperative and 

rewarding process for each student and his family. We are pleased to report that, during last year’s 

cycle, 76 percent of Kiski seniors were admitted to a “Top 100 College or University” as identified by 

U.S. News and World Report. 

Faculty Development. 

Supporting our faculty and staff as they look for ways to advance themselves professionally continues 

to be a priority at Kiski. Our teachers and administrators actively pursue a variety of development 

activities in order to stay current in their fields and to best serve the students in their care. The 

William E. Turley Faculty Development Fund provides crucial funding to support this type of ongoing 

training. In the past year, six faculty 

members continued coursework 

towards advanced degrees and an 

additional twenty faculty members 

participated in seminars and 

conferences all over the country. 

These professional development 

activities focused primarily on 

educating boys, using technology in 

the classroom, and teaching 

Advanced Placement courses. Five 

faculty and staff members represented 

Kiski by making presentations at 

conferences during the past several 

months. With the ongoing financial 

support of our constituents, these 

important opportunities will continue 

to help our teachers grow as 

professionals. 

There are many exciting things on the horizon for Kiski’s academic and co-curricular programs. At 

the heart of every new initiative that positively impacts our educational offerings is a steadfast 

faithfulness to providing the boys who live and learn here with an unmatched college preparatory 

experience. ■ 


ATHLETICS 

In 1897, based on a rule 

established by a coalition 

of eastern prep schools, 

Kiski discontinued the 

practice of allowing 

faculty members to play 

on the School’s football 

and baseball teams. 

Since those early days, 

Kiski’s athletic program 

has seen dramatic 

growth and change; yet 

we remain committed to 

the belief that athletics 

are an essential 

component of a 

comprehensive 

educational program. 

This year is no 

exception. 

Fall Sports. 

The Varsity Football and Soccer teams enjoyed winning seasons 

this fall. The highlight of the football season was the team’s solid 

win over league-rival Western Reserve Academy. The Varsity Soccer 

team had four members selected to the all-league team. One 

memorable moment of the soccer season was the “golden goal” 

victory in overtime at home over Mercersburg Academy. The 

Varsity Golf team also had a great season, with many individual 

successes. Captain Kyle Davis ’08 was named I.P.S.L. Champion, 

earning an all-league award. Kyle also finished second in the 

county match. 

Winter Sports. 

The Varsity Wrestling team continued its trend of triumph with a 

number of excellent team and individual performances this season. 

Brock LiVorio ’08 won the National Prep School Championship at 

119 lbs; Captain John Regan ’08 won his 100 th match in January 

and took third place at Nationals at 140 lbs. Matt Riddle ’07 also 

took third place at Nationals at 215 lbs. In addition, the wrestlers 

won six individual titles at the prestigious Valley Forge Invitational. 

In February, six wrestlers competed in the Pennsylvania 

Independent School State Wrestling Championships. They won all 

twelve matches in the first two rounds, with Brock and John 

earning first place finishes. Our success in winter sports was not 

limited to the wrestling mat. Swimmer Ben Tower ’07 won the 

I.P.S.L. Championship in the 100-yard butterfly and the 50-yard 

freestyle. Kiski’s 

hockey team had 

favorable showings at 

a number of 

tournaments this 

winter, including the 

Christmas Tournament 

at the Harvey School in 

New York State. The 

team finished its third 

season with a winning 

record and has high 

hopes for continued 

success next year. 


Recruitment. 

Our coaches are working hard to attract quality student-athletes from around the country and abroad. 

Kiski’s sports teams will continue to travel to find the best competition and to promote the School’s 

great athletic tradition. The Lacrosse team will make its third trip to Hilton Head, South Carolina 

during spring break; they will also compete in a tournament at Cape Fear Academy while on that trip. 

These travel opportunities are great experiences for our athletes and they help introduce prospective 

students and their families to Kiski. 

Chris Spahn, our new Director of Athletics, and Mary Grace Muster, Assistant Athletic Director, 

have worked diligently to maintain excellent facilities and playing fields. Team pictures line the walls 

of J. L. Marks Field House and memorabilia fill the shelves of several display cases, presenting to 

students and visitors alike the School’s storied athletic history. 

We encourage our alumni, families and friends to visit the Athletics section of our website and to 

make a trip to campus for a Cougar athletic event. We are confident you will be proud of what 

you see. ■ 


TECHNOLOGY 

Kiski’s definition of 

technology has expanded 

well beyond providing 

laptops for all students 

and teachers, or even full 

wireless access to the 

Internet. We now have an 

advanced, campus-wide 

technology infrastructure 

that is attracting 

attention worldwide. 

Tablet Laptops. 

The teaching faculty now use tablet laptop computers. They enjoy 

the capability of using their computers as interactive white boards. 

Classrooms are equipped with wireless projection systems. Teachers 

use digital ink to write, draw and annotate on their presentations. 

All of the in-class work can be saved and provided to students 

electronically for review and study after class. 

New Partnership. 

After thoughtful investigation, Kiski entered into a partnership with 

IBM and Lenovo, becoming a flagship for the IBM ThinkPad 

Academy. The ThinkPad Academy promotes and fosters the one-toone 

computing initiative to which Kiski has been committed for 

almost a decade. Kiski’s laptop program was recently featured in an 

IBM promotional DVD. The DVD is set to be released this spring 

and will be viewed by schools around the nation and the world. 

You’ll find a link to this video on Kiski’s website: www.kiski.org. 


Website Upgrades. 

Kiski’s website continues to be the focal point of all campus technology. While the front end of our 

website continues to attract prospective families to the School, the real success lies on the back end 

where each teacher and every class have their own webpage. Daily notes and classroom discussions, 

along with homework and supporting files, are maintained online by all faculty members. Detailed 

sports reporting and dynamic team pages are featured on our website. Kiski’s portal based website 

offers something for everyone — current students, parents, faculty, alumni and prospective families. 

Wireless Environment. 

Most of Kiski’s 350-acre campus is now wirelessly accessible to students and faculty. Encompassing 

the athletic fields, the new dormitory additions, and all the academic areas of the campus, our 

network continues to grow to meet the needs and expectations of our community. 

We have learned that technology offers educational opportunities that improve teaching and 

learning. We are meeting the challenge of integrating traditional educational practices with cuttingedge 

technology as we continue to fulfill our mission to prepare our students to succeed in college 

and beyond. ■ 


DEVELOPMENT AND ALUMNI 

The Development and 

Alumni Relations Office 

has carefully managed 

the recent and promising 

growth of Kiski’s financial 

and capital position. The 

entire Kiski community 

recognizes the 

outstanding commitment 

and remarkable support 

of our alumni, current and 

past parents, foundations 

and friends. We are also 

excited about the many 

upcoming alumni 

outreach and giving 

opportunities scheduled 

for the next two years. 

Kiski’s Campaign. 

Kiski has met critical institutional needs through donations received 

to support our current capital campaign: Building our Future: A 

Campaign for Kiski. The first phase of the campaign generated 

over $5.5 million in less than two years to cover the costs of capital 

renovations and additions on campus. We are now embarking on 

the second phase of the campaign, designed to support annual, 

capital, and endowment needs. The centerpiece of this phase will be 

a $2.5 million fundraising effort for the construction of a Student 

Center. This new building will house our college counseling, 

bookstore, snack bar and a variety of other services to enhance 

student life on campus. With the help of alumni, parents, friends 

and foundations, we know the second phase of the capital 

campaign will allow Kiski to continue to meet the needs of students 

now and well into the future. 

Special Events. 

During the past five years, we have witnessed a substantial increase 

in alumni involvement, both on campus and off. Traditional 

gatherings such as Homecoming and Alumni Reunion Weekend 

continue to grow and attract large groups of alumni, providing a 

welcoming venue to renew friendships and to become reacquainted 

with Kiski. We have embraced an aggressive travel schedule and 

undertaken numerous alumni and advancement receptions in key 

cities across the country. These special opportunities to reconnect 

with the School have been held in Washington, D.C., New York, 

Chicago, Los Angeles and San Francisco. The coming year will see 

more receptions in Colorado, Arizona, Florida and Michigan. 

Additionally, on-campus events such as Career Day allow alumni to 

“give back” and positively influence and inspire a new generation of 

Kiski Boys. Our primary mission is to provide all our alumni with 

the chance to rekindle their Kiski fire, whether it is here in Saltsburg 

or closer to their homes. 

Partnerships. 

Our alumni outreach efforts have resulted in many successful 

partnerships for student recruiting and fundraising. With many new 

legacy students attending Kiski this year and more applying for next, 

Kiski is benefiting from the enthusiasm, trust and loyalty of our 

alumni. Collaboration between the Development and Alumni Office 


RELATIONS 

and the Admissions Office has led to successful programs. Kiski has implemented a comprehensive 

institutional advancement program to further our friend-raising and fundraising goals and put into action 

an enrollment management program to support our growing student population. Our alumni and 

parents help to increase enrollment and they are directly responsible for the recent substantial increase in 

financial support. This support has allowed Kiski to implement many new projects on campus while 

continuing to proactively plan and properly steward the School’s long-term success. 

Annual Support. 

Increased financial support of Kiski’s Annual Fund over the last few years has given the School the 

flexibility it requires to meet operating and programmatic needs. With help from loyal members of the 

Kiski family, we will achieve this year’s goal of raising $550,000 for the Annual Fund. An additional 

source of essential funding for the School has come through the Pennsylvania Educational 

Improvement Tax Credit program, through which local businesses provide financial aid dollars to 

Kiski in return for state tax credits. Without these critical annual donations, Kiski could not offer such 

a robust scholarship and financial aid program. 

Planned Giving. 

We are also actively promoting our Planned Giving Program as a mechanism for sustaining our School 

by growing the endowment fund. The Tower Society recognizes those who have included Kiski in their 

estate plans and encourages other dedicated supporters to follow suit. Members of the Kiski family 

can contribute to the School through planned giving vehicles such as bequests, charitable gift annuities, 

charitable remainder trusts, charitable lead trusts and insurance policies. These planned gifts provide 

benefits for both the donor and the School, ensuring a positive influence on the lives of Kiski students 

for many years to come. 

We express our sincere appreciation to all who have so generously supported Kiski in the past. As 

we move forward, we extend an invitation to you to renew your relationship with our School and to 

share the excitement of our progress. ■ 


ADMISSIONS 

The Admissions office 

reports that applications 

are coming in and 

acceptance notices are 

going out to a pool of 

excellent candidates. As 

we continue to build on 

the successes of the past 

year, the outlook is good 

for an outstanding 

student body for our next 

school year. 

Merit Scholarship Program. 

The Merit Scholarship program is an academic-based (rather than 

needs-based) scholarship – the first in Kiski’s history. Last year, four 

half-tuition scholarships were offered to two boarding students and 

two day students. The positive response to these scholarships 

helped create the most academically-promising freshman class in 

years. With our standardized application process, we are able to 

effectively evaluate each prospective boy and select those who will 

not only benefit from the Kiski tradition of excellence, but who will 

also contribute to the school community in multiple ways. Our 

reputation for academic quality and strong athletics continues to 

lead great students to Kiski’s doors. 

Legacy Students. 

In addition to strong applicants, the School is enjoying a surge of 

legacy students. Legacies are those students whose fathers, 

grandfathers, brothers or other family members have attended Kiski 

in the past. This year, thirty-seven boys (or nearly twenty percent of 

the student body) are legacies, with several pairs of brothers 

attending together as well. We acknowledge and appreciate the 

confidence of these wonderful legacy families who are entrusting 

this new generation of boys to our care. 

Recruitment. 

Kiski’s student recruitment process has begun to incorporate 

strategic partnerships with internal and external sources to bring 

high-caliber boys to campus. Our athletic coaches work closely with the Admissions Office to recruit 

excellent student-athletes and to follow-up with applicants who express interest in specific sports. 

Additionally, our revamped quarterly Open Houses have attracted both local and distant families, 

resulting in an influx of applications. Much credit is due to an active group of mothers of past and 

present Kiski students and to the K-Club members who have served as guides during these Open 

Houses. Their effectiveness in sharing the benefits of Kiski on a personal level is invaluable. Parallel to 

these efforts are those of the Kiski Ambassadors Group – a collection of local alumni and parents 

dedicated to spreading the good news of Kiski in their communities and inviting their friends and 

neighbors to learn more. The School is currently exploring ways to expand the Ambassadors Group 

on a national level, utilizing our connected alumni to find prospective students in all parts of the 

country. The Admissions staff continues to look for new partnerships with alumni and parents in 

Western Pennsylvania and around the world in order to invite quality students to be a part of the 

Kiski family. 


it. 

New Marketing Materials. 

To enhance Kiski’s recruitment capability, we recently produced a collection of new marketing 

materials. The resulting series of publications now allows the Admissions staff to send targeted 

information to boys who express specific interest in different aspects of the School. The crowning 

piece in our marketing toolbox is an innovative DVD that allows prospective students and their 

parents to explore Kiski in a variety of ways. We are including this DVD for you to examine and 

enjoy. We ask you to share the DVD with a prospective Kiski family and to let us know how we can 

follow up by contacting us at: admissions@kiski.org. 

By implementing the methods described above and, most importantly, by partnering with alumni and 

parents to identify promising prospective students, Kiski will most certainly grow in many positive 

ways in the coming years. ■ 

Share 

it. 

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The Kiski School • 1888 Brett Lane • Saltsburg, PA 15681 

724-639-3586 • www.kiski.org

Headmaster's Update - The Kiski School

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