Make Keppel Special

08/28/2025

🎨 Help Make Keppel Special! 🎭🎶

At Mark Keppel Elementary, the arts aren’t just “extra” — they’re at the heart of our school. Thanks to MKS (Make Keppel Special), our students enjoy weekly classes in dance, music, drama, and visual arts, taught by experienced resident artists who bring creativity to life.

From ceramics with Ms. Quigley, to Art Day with working artists from our community, to the Keppel Rocks the Arts concert where students perform in real bands — MKS makes it all possible. They also sponsor Black Box Theatre, Show Choir, Korean Drum & Dance, the 4th Grade Film Festival, the Spring Musical Masterclass, and more.

But here’s the truth: Government funding covers only a fraction of these programs. The rest? It comes from families like yours.

💡 This year’s goal: $250,000
💡 Suggested contribution: $225 per student
💡 Bonus: A portion of every donation also goes to the PTA for field trip buses — no separate bus fundraiser needed!

Every dollar keeps the arts alive at Keppel — enriching our kids’ education and sparking creativity that lasts a lifetime.

📅 Give today — via check, cash, or PayPal. Payment plans are available.
🌐 Learn more or donate here: makekeppelspecial.org

❤️ Our students are thankful they’re learning, growing, and creating — thanks to you. Let’s keep Keppel special together.

08/27/2024

JOIN US!!!! Our first MKS meeting is tomorrow after drop off!!! Come see what we have prepared for the year and sign up to volunteer for our amazing programs and events. It will start at 8:10am and will be in the outside teacher lounge on the third floor of the main building. Please ask the office for directions if you don’t know where that is!! There will also be ☕️ & 🍩!!! See you there!!!

08/23/2024

Dr. Watson paid a visit to our cougars today! ❤️

08/22/2024

05/19/2024

Another MasterClass year has come and gone… This year’s cast did AMAZING with the production of “Matilda Jr.”
With everything that goes into a production like this, we have to recognize, commend and applaud our resident artists, Mrs.Neel, Mrs.Gilbert, and Mrs.Acitelli for the tireless work they put in to organizing, rehearsing and working with the students. Without their leadership, we would not have a great Master Class program like we do.
And of course we have to recognize all the students who have put in the time, effort, and hard work… We know it wasn’t easy, but the sacrifice and dedication paid off! Our Keppel families and community enjoyed your production so much!!! (Also thank you to all the parents that have put in work from drop-off/pick-ups, volunteering and helping out wherever needed, we definitely couldn’t have done this without your extra help)
And all of these productions do not happen without the help of all the “behind the scenes” crew, everyone from stage hands to tech crew to costumes!!!… Thank you to Mr.DeLaGarza for pulling your group together and making this production wonderful!! It looked and sounded great!!! And a special thanks to Toll’s very own Nicole Browne and Keppel’s Ms.Regina Kahanowicz and their crew for the costumes and making sure all the kids were fit right, the costumes were top notch for this production and the look was amazing!!! And of course thank you to Toll Middle School for accommodating all of our productions!
And THANK YOU to our Keppel Community for all the support and coming to see the show, whether it was one night or all of the nights! Every night was a phenomenal show… We appreciate our community so much!!!
As some of the students move on to bigger and better things in middle school, we wish them luck in all of their future endeavors… And we also look forward to seeing all of our 4th graders back next year as 5th graders, and seeing what’s in store for next year’s production!!!
Great job everyone!!! 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽❤️

04/02/2024

JOIN US!!! Tomorrow, April 2nd after drop off in the upstairs teacher lounge to hear a wrap up about Keppel Rocks the Arts and the start of Art Day planning. All Keppel families are welcome!

02/28/2024

Less than 2 weeks away!!!!

Come join us on March 9th for a day full of fun, food and MUSIC!!! The kids have all been working very hard on their songs and are ready to perform for you!! We have a line up of 19 kid bands with lots of kindergarteners that have joined this year!!!(a day full of cuteness!) and also performing will be the Teacher band and the Parent band!!! There will be food trucks, merchandise and crafts, AND a raffle!!!

The best part is, the event is FREE!!!! So bring your family, friends, grandparents, neighbors, coworkers!!! Invite anyone that loves music and loves to dance!!!

See you there!!! ⚡️🤘🏽

Mark Keppel Visual and Performing Arts Magnet School Make Keppel Special

01/29/2024

Ready for the week?!?!! Join MKS Tuesday morning at 8:15am in the teacher’s lounge on the 3rd floor of the main building! We have lots to talk about including Keppel Rocks, the Korean Drum and Dance program, Art Day and our newest MKS Presents program!! Come hang out, enjoy some coffee and treats, ask some questions, get some answers and sign up to volunteer for something!!! See you there!!!
Mark Keppel Visual and Performing Arts Magnet School Make Keppel Special

12/12/2023

🚨🚨🚨Attention Attention!!!🚨🚨🚨
**** DATE CHANGE ****

KEPPEL Families… due to the recent cybersecurity activity GUSD is dealing with, we have postponed the KEPPEL ROCKS! info night. New date is MONDAY, DECEMBER 18 at 7:00PM and will still be on ZOOM. Please spread the word, as many families get their information and dates from the parent square announcements and we unfortunately have not been able to send anything out.
Thank you for your understanding. 🤘🏽⚡️

Mark Keppel Visual and Performing Arts Magnet School

12/09/2023

If you missed our MKS meeting this past week, we announced our plans for Keppel Rocks the Arts 2024!!! Join us on ZOOM next week on Wednesday to get more information and to ask any questions you may have about the program and event… EVERYONE IS WELCOMED!!! We encourage our kindergarteners to get involved also!!! So come get some info, ask your questions and also find out how you can get involved and volunteer! We will see you online on Wednesday, December 13 at 7:00pm! Mark Keppel Visual and Performing Arts Magnet School