It’s not enough to give Keith Schwartz the title of “choral director” or “class sponsor.” Schwartz is a one-man powerhouse, juggling a schedule that kicks off with child development and guitar class in the early morning, rolls into senior planning by midday and crescendos with the school’s choral courses into the afternoon. With winter break just around the corner, most classrooms were winding down, but Schwartz’s didn’t. He found ways to keep spirits high and the momentum going. For him, there’s no slowing down: peek inside one week in the life of Schwartz to see how he does it.
Monday, Dec. 16
After a jam-packed weekend with the Celebrate the Arts Assembly and the Winter Choral Concert on Friday, Dec. 13, along with some festive caroling around downtown Silver Spring and choral classes at the RIO Washingtonian Center on Dec. 14, Schwartz’s final Monday before winter break might have seemed uneventful at first glance.
Sure, he played white elephant with fellow staff members at lunch and attended a required meeting like every other teacher after school. But if you’ve ever met Schwartz, you know “uneventful” doesn’t have a place in his schedule. While his schedule may have followed the same rhythm as always, it left more room for what he does best: connecting with the student body. One conversation with Schwartz is enough to see that for him, every school day is an opportunity to leave an impression. “I try to be approachable. I’m OK with finding things out about students beyond just what they do in my class; if I know someone’s on a sports team I’ll ask them how the game went, or if they’re studying for a different class I’ll ask them about that class and their interests outside of being a student,” Schwartz said.
Connecting with the student body can feel like yelling into a void – especially if you’re not in the loop with the people who are supposed to speak for them: the class officers. The president, vice president, secretary and treasurer of each grade don’t just hold titles – they hold the mic. Meeting with Schwartz every Monday at the start of advisory, these 16 officers are less of a clique and more of a sound board, bridging gaps between students and staff while setting the tone for the year. Whether you’re looking to push for change or just figure out why the Homecoming theme feels like deja vu, this is where the conversation starts – and where the decisions get made.
Tuesday, Dec. 17
Schwartz’s Tuesday began at 7:45 a.m. sharp. He rounded up the Acatonics – the schools award winning premier a cappella group – and led them to a group breakfast at Panera. Following the breakfast, the group hit the road, making stops at feeder schools Cabin John Middle, Travilah Elementary, Stone Mill Elementary and Robert Frost Middle. At each location, the group shared songs they’d been learning over the last four months, bringing the music to younger students and showing them what they could aspire to. “Schwartz has been my teacher since seventh grade, I had him for seventh and eighth grade chorus, which is when he asked me to audition for a cappella. My sister also did a cappella back when Schwartz was just interning at Wootton. He’s always been like a visionary, it was his idea to make the separated gender groups into a co-ed group. He has had a lot of ambition for the group itself. It was really cool [to see the eighth graders,] it really brought me back to when I was in their shoes,” junior Victoria Olanrewaju said.
If Schwartz is good at anything, it’s helping build community. The Acatonics is the clearest example of this. “I feel so comfortable when I’m around our group. It took a little getting used to but I love everyone so much, I feel like we are a family,” junior Acatonic Ryan Shin said.
Schwartz ended the day by travelling up the Frost hill to audition the middle schoolers for their spring musical, “Beauty and the Beast.”
Wednesday, Dec. 18
Schwartz’s senior planning class, co-taught with health teacher Victoria McCarthy, is a group of 20 select seniors responsible for organizing events, like prom and the annual talent show. But it’s not all business – this tight-knit group takes time to celebrate its own. Once a month, they gather to honor class birthdays, turning what could be a regular day into something memorable. On Wednesday, Schwartz helped the students celebrate senior Elizabeth Griffin and McCarthy, both of whom were born in December, complete with a Secret Santa gift exchange. Senior Stuti Patil, a member of senior planning and the Acatonics said, “He knows when to step back at the best times to allow us to do our own thing, It’s nice seeing his face [twice a day.] This is my second year in a cappella and he has given me the space to grow as a person and do what I love.”
For the Acatonics though, it’s strictly still business. The group started in the dance studio during their eighth period class, perfecting choreography for the upcoming competition season. This pushed into an after-school session that stretched until five p.m.. Schwartz’s goal? Lock down every move before winter break hit. “Schwartz has a very ambitious mindset. He really puts into perspective how serious these competitions can be, which allows us to focus and try as hard as we can,” Shin said.
Thursday, Dec. 19
With the final week of the year coming to a close, Schwartz kept the momentum alive. The freshman chorus class turned their usual rehearsal day into a festive potluck. The freshman chorus class is separate from the other chorus classes; it’s a class Schwartz teaches with assistance from senior Ruthiga Veerasingham. Separating the freshman into their own chorus class was a choice important to Schwartz, “because the transition to high school is sometimes a lot, so it is a nice way to have a class they’re all together in so we can make sure that, level wise, they’re all set up to be in the same place for next year. It’s like Theatre 1, it’s a way for them to get more personalized attention,” Schwartz said.
The a capella class cemented their choreography for the final song in their competition set, “It’s Gonna Be Me” by NSYNC, with precision and purpose. Over in Senior Planning, the students worked tirelessly on the school’s beloved annual February talent show, which was changed from “Thursday Night Live” to “Wootton’s Got Talent,” one of the brainstorms to make it bigger and better.
But Schwartz wasn’t done yet. Ending the day on a high note, he trekked up the Frost Hill to assist with the final day of auditions for “Beauty and the Beast.” With buzzing excitement from the middle school students in the air, it was a perfect way to wrap up a busy Thursday.
Friday, Dec. 20
The final day before winter break was anything but a slow fade for Schwartz. He rallied the 16 officers during the end of second period bleeding into advisory in order to get them situated for a meeting with new Acting Principal Joseph Bostic Jr. alongside leaders of the Black Student Union, Muslim Student Association and other minority groups. This meeting was scheduled for seventh and eighth period in hopes of making the school a better and more inclusive place, according to sophomore Vice President Benedict Santos.
However for Schwartz, with eighth period comes a cappella, and even with several members absent due to the upcoming break and the meeting with student leaders, Schwartz pressed on. Competition season was just a month away, and every detail mattered. Tweaking choreography was the priority, ensuring the team was ready to bring their best to the stage. “I would think [the stakes] are higher this year. Since we got to the semifinals last year, I think the expectations put on us are also just a little bit higher now,” Patil said.
For Schwartz, the hustle never stops – even on the last day before a much-needed break. While most teachers are winding down and students are counting the minutes, he’s already looking ahead. Whether he’s guiding student leaders or touching up choreography, Schwartz is a constant force of energy. As he returned the microphones and speakers to his car and hung up the keys to Room 123, he was already envisioning a new year – louder, bolder and more electrifying than ever.
