News Around Crystal News Archive
Where Gryphons Roar the Loudest
Get a broad look at school happenings, student achievements, official events, extracurricular activities, community outreach, and our diverse student perspectives.
2025
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8th Graders Embrace Engineering in Annual Egg Drop Lander Challenge
Our 8th grade scientists in Rob Kashima's class put their engineering skills to the ultimate test with the Egg Drop Lander Challenge! This engaging assignment tasked students with a critical mission: to design, build, and test a prototype "lander" capable of safely delivering a precious, fragile cargo–a large chicken egg–without a single crack.Read More -
Relive the Magic: Fine Arts Festival Highlights Reel!
If you missed the dazzling array of talent at our annual Fine Arts Festival earlier this month, or simply want to relive the magic, you're in for a treat! Our US campus was alive with incredible music, captivating dance, powerful acting performances, and inspiring visual art displays throughout the weekend.Read More -
MS and US Boys Volleyball
Crystal Middle School proudly launched the first-ever Boys Volleyball team this season, made up of a determined group of 6th through 8th graders. Upper School Boys Volleyball’s relaunched as a pilot program and proved to be a resounding success, with the team finishing 11–2 playing an independent schedule.Read More -
US Math Team Places First in Purple Comet
Crystal’s US Math team recently came in 1st Place in California, the United States, and the world (!) in the Purple Comet Math Meet, scoring a perfect 30 out of 30! This marks the second year in a row that Crystal’s Math team placed first in the prestigious Purple Comet Math competition.Read More -
Announcing the Newest Members of the Crystal Flock!
A huge thank you to our entire Crystal community for clucking up so much excitement about our new chickens! We are thrilled to announce the names for the six newest members of our Crystal flock, chosen through a fun and collaborative process under the guidance of Tiffany Crist-Studley, MS Science Teacher.Read More -
Gryphons Go Green - Crystal Wins 2025 Sustainable and Climate-Ready Challenge!
Read MoreCrystal is a Standout Winner (two times over!) of the San Mateo County Office of Education’s Sustainable and Climate-Ready Schools (SCRS) Award, part of their Environmental Literacy and Sustainability Initiative. This award honors those who are driving meaningful and lasting change in support of environmentally sustainable practices across their school community. -
Happy: One Shot Dance Film
Read our recent interview with US Dance Teacher, Sophia Stoller, about Happy: The Dance Film That Redefined Creativity in One Take. Watch Happy: The Dance Film online.Read More -
US Students Share Insights from the Shanti Alliance in Hawai?i
This past year, a dedicated cohort of Crystal students embarked on a transformative journey, participating in The Shanti Alliance and attending an annual Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) conference held in Hawaiʻi. The Shanti Alliance's mission is to empower school communities to cultivate inclusivity and belonging by drawing on the rich wisdom and practices of Hawaiʻi's diverse community.Read More -
Student Shout Outs
We're excited to share some recent Gryphon news. Congratulations to Conrad C ‘27, who earned an Honorable Mention at the prestigious AMOCA (American Museum of Ceramic Art) 2005 National High School Ceramic Exhibition! Way to go and good luck to Bosman B ‘26 who qualified for both the USA Math Olympiad and the USA Physics Olympiad!Read More -
Alexa Z ‘26 Earns Prestigious Scholastic Art & Writing National Silver Medal for Photography
Read the interview with Crystal's Alexa Z ‘26 to learn more about her process and where she finds inspiration.Read More -
Kick Back Event
Kick Back, a Crystal first, brought together Black and Latine students from neighboring independent schools for a joyful and affirming celebration on April 22.Read More -
8th Grade Globetrotters: A Week of Immersion and Discovery!
Read MoreOur 8th grade students embarked on incredible global adventures, putting their language skills to the test and experiencing diverse cultures firsthand! French students journeyed to Quebec City, Mandarin students visited Toronto, and Spanish students went to Puerto Rico. -
Crystal's Past Unraveled: Mansion Murder Mystery
Read MoreCrystal's creative and talented Librarian, Amy Geriak, has spent the past several months crafting a thrilling Murder Mystery Whodunnit. And the plot twist? It’s based right here on our very own Crystal Mansion!Imagine the Mansion alive with the echoes of its past, populated by the original owners, their families, and the vibrant circle of friends who once graced its halls. -
Middle School Students Shine Bright in "Oliver! Jr."
The Upper School Eric Bovet Theater was alive with energy and talent as the Middle School students presented Oliver! Jr. Audiences were captivated by the heartwarming story, memorable songs, and impressive performances of our young actors.Read More -
Stepping Out and Giving Back: A Look at Middle School Community Engagement Days
This year, our Middle School embarked on a powerful journey beyond the classroom with our dedicated Community Engagement (CE) Days. These four special days throughout the academic year intentionally pause our regular program, offering our students invaluable opportunities to connect with the wider world, engage in meaningful service learning, and explore pressing issues affecting our local communities.Read More -
Third Annual CommUNITY Conference Fosters Dialogue and Understanding
The Upper School buzzed with insightful conversations and collaborative energy on April 1 and April 3 as we hosted our third annual Building CommUNITY Conference. This vital event provided a dedicated platform for students and PAC to share their thoughtful work and initiatives surrounding diversity, equity, and inclusion with the wider Upper School community.Read More -
Upper School Community Engagement Day of Service: Finding Fulfillment through Community Service!
Read MoreCrystal Upper School students and PAC engaged in a variety of on-campus community service activities during the Community Engagement Day of Service in March. -
US Presidents Day Trips
During the Presidents Day break, US students headed north to Fairbanks, Alaska, and south to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico for some inspiring experiences. Select "Read More" to see snapshots of their trips, and see if you can tell which trip is which!Read More -
"The Prom" was a Night to Remember at the US Theater!
The US Theater transformed into a dazzling Broadway stage as our US students filled the air with laughter, tears, and a powerful message of acceptance and love. The cast delivered unforgettable performances and the incredible talents of our backstage crü were on full display. We are beyond proud of every student who contributed to this remarkable production.Read More -
Center for Transformative Teaching Inaugural Conference
Congratulations to the Crystal PAC who made the inaugural Transformative Teaching Conference a raving success! There were 40 presentations from 20+ schools and over 100 attendees from all over California and beyond. Special shout out to conference masterminds MS and US Directors of Teaching and Learning Meena Tahiliani and Julia Rubin, and Chief Executive Assistant Adore Alexander.Read More -
Helpful Hands Fix Furniture: Upcycled Stools Bring Joy to the Middle School Campus
Meredith Muller, our MS Maker Space Manager, and the Helpful Hands Co-Curricular in the MS Library Maker Space are repairing broken stools… and making them fun! Ms. Muller is showing us how fixing something broken can be the perfect canvas for creativity.Read More -
Middle School Explores New Horizons During PoP Week!
During PoP Week, textbooks took a backseat, and students dove headfirst into a diverse range of interests, all curated by our amazing teachers. PoP Week is all about fostering curiosity and allowing students to explore passions they might not otherwise encounter in the traditional classroom.Read More -
Lifelong Learning Event “Power of Memory” with Kent Holubar
We were thrilled to welcome back beloved former history teacher, Kent Holubar, for a thought-provoking session on The Power of Memory. In a room filled with alumni and PAC, Kent guided us through an engaging discussion on how memorials and museums shape our understanding of history, identity, and connection.Read More -
MATHCOUNTS
Middle School students participated in the San Mateo Chapter MATHCOUNTS competition on February 8. The group had fun solving problems and working in teams!Read More -
BUILDing Community at the Middle School
In true Crystal “Try it!” fashion, the Little Free Family Build Event brought together PAC, parents/guardians, and students for a hands-on learning experience at the MS. On February 1, nine parent-child pairs joined Ms. Muller and Ms. Dang to build their own Little Free structure.Read More -
Leading the Way to Unlock Learning: The Center for Transformative Teaching (CTT)
Neuroscience and educational research have revealed powerful insights into effective learning strategies, and at Crystal, we're embracing these discoveries by putting them into practice through our Center for Transformative Teaching (CTT).Read More -
Stargazing
Madame Petit and Mr. Martinez’s Physics classes conducted a nighttime stargazing night lab recently. About 40 students observed Saturn, Jupiter, Venus, Mars, and the moon. They used the telescopes from Mr. Patterson's former astronomy class, which ran until he retired in SY 2014-2015.Read More -
Student Designers Create 8th Grade Trip Swag
Eighth graders prepare to represent their trip in style! Under the direction of Meredith Muller, our Middle School Makerspace Manager, who runs a Co-Curricular, Helpful Hands devoted to making durable solutions for our community with the tools that we have, our students designed swag to represent each of our 8th grad trips! This year, the three designers were Adriana R ‘29 for Toronto, Adele T ‘29 for Quebec, and Amber W ‘29 for Puerto Rico.Read More -
Gryphons Rock the Stage at Epic Lip Sync Battle
The air crackled with excitement on Friday, January 24, as students, teachers, and even the Head of School, Kelly Sortino, took to the stage at our All-School Lip Sync Battle! From dazzling dance moves to spot-on impersonations, the US Gym was transformed into a whirlwind of music, laughter, and pure entertainment. Check out the recordings of each class performance!Read More -
Mock Trial Team Takes on Kidnapping Case: Courtroom Drama Heats Up
Hold onto your gavels, folks! Crystal’s Mock Trial team is making headlines (and objections!) as they dominate the county division’s annual competition. This year's case? A gripping kidnapping drama that's got our students immersed in the high-stakes world of criminal law.Read More
Contact
General: 650-342-4175 | info@crystal.org
Admission Questions: admission@crystal.org
Middle School
10 Davis Drive, Belmont, CA 94002
650-645-1000
650-645-1000
Upper School
400 Uplands Drive, Hillsborough, CA 94010
650-342-4175
650-342-4175
Nondiscriminatory Policy: Crystal Springs Uplands School admits students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national and ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic and other school-administered programs.
Website Accessibility Statement: Crystal Springs Uplands School is committed to making this website accessible to visitors with disabilities and is continually working to increase its accessibility and usability. We are on a regular basis seeking opportunities to bring all areas of the site up to the same level of overall web accessibility. If for any reason, you cannot access any of the material on our website, please email webadmin@crystal.org and we will work to resolve the problem as soon as possible.
Website Accessibility Statement: Crystal Springs Uplands School is committed to making this website accessible to visitors with disabilities and is continually working to increase its accessibility and usability. We are on a regular basis seeking opportunities to bring all areas of the site up to the same level of overall web accessibility. If for any reason, you cannot access any of the material on our website, please email webadmin@crystal.org and we will work to resolve the problem as soon as possible.