Keystone Elementary

In many first grade classrooms, writing can become a task focused on handwriting, spelling, and punctuation. While these foundational skills matter, they are only a part of the bi...

In many first grade classrooms, writing can become a task focused on handwriting, spelling, and punctuation. While these foundational skills matter, they are only a part of the big...

On April 17th, Keystone 2nd graders had the opportunity to bring their Junior Achievement learning to life by visiting Cranky Hank’s Pizza Bank. Over the past few weeks, students h...

School libraries have long stood as the heart of education—once quiet spaces filled with books where students used card catalogs and encyclopedias chasing knowledge. Over the years...

Keystone kindergarteners have been visiting the care center monthly, where they spend meaningful time with the residents. With bright smiles and eager energy, the children share st...

“Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.” This quote from Arthur Ashe is a powerful reminder that progress doesn’t require perfect conditions. It guides us to star...

You might be wondering who I am, and that’s okay. My name is Chloe Smith and I have been teaching elementary music for over 7 years now. This is my first year at Benton Community a...

Each day, I get to meet with students during lunch in small groups. It has been a great way to build relationships with all students, and have some extra time to focus on different...

First graders recently completed a Valentine’s-themed heart giraffe project! We did a step-by-step guided drawing together, and then students chose their own colors for their giraf...

Each month at Keystone Elementary, our two kindergarten classes come together for Kinderbration, a one-hour celebration filled with planned activities. These activities have been c...

Every year after the holiday break, our staff and students take time to review common area expectations in shared spaces such as the hallways, bathrooms, lunchroom, and at recess. ...

As an educator, one of my favorite ways to get students excited about what they’re learning is to find ways to involve community partners. Real-life experiences with familiar faces...

For PBIS in the month of December, students in all elementary grade levels have been learning about empathy. In first grade specifically, we have been learning what it means and ho...

Schools play an important role in supporting students’ academic success as well as their social and emotional well-being. Through school-based therapy, students have access to ment...

One of my favorite parts of preschool is watching those little “I can do it!” moments. When children open their own snack using “pinch, pinch, pull”, put on their jacket, zipping, ...

Five students came together for lunch and laughter on a recent day at Keystone Elementary. The kindergarten and first-grade students used a variety of communication styles (includi...

What are Secret Stories? Secret Stories® is a supplemental phonics program designed to fast-track phonics mastery by aligning instruction with how the brain naturally learns. Unli...

Although it may seem deceiving, what looks like kids “just playing” in this photo is actually a prime example of our philosophy in early childhood education: self-selected explorat...

Since 2015, the state of Iowa has required children entering kindergarten and third grade to have a vision screening completed. Benton Community School District is fortunate to hav...

A long standing tradition for Keystone 3rd graders is our monthly trips to the Keystone Nursing and Care Center, where students show off their reading skills to the residents. This...