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—A Massachusetts Parent
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Building our Future: see attached bulletin about our ground breaking ceremony: View Spring 2007 Big Dreams for a Little School: view picture The future of Little Keswick School has never been more evident than at the construction site for the new classroom/ dormitory building. Bob and Libby Wilson’s commitment to the school and its mission was marked by the groundbreaking ceremony held on May 9th and if all goes according to plan students and teachers will be in the new facilities by the spring of 2008. In the early years of Little Keswick School, farm cottages and even an old stone barn were adapted for use as living quarters, classrooms and recreational, art and woodworking areas. In the late 1980’s an addition to the Cottage Dorm centralized the school rooms and added a large activity room. In 1984, Bob’s dream of a gymnasium was realized. From his years of experience as a physical education teacher, guidance counselor, and school administrator, Bob knew the importance of an indoor PE classroom and recreational space for active, adolescent boys. When rain or snow, prevent being outside, the gym ensures that the boys still have an open space to learn new skills, practice and build confidence in their athletic abilities, and even compete with other small, local private schools in a basketball league. In 1996, when the East Rivanna Fire Department moved to their new home off Rt. 250 at Glenmore, the historic Keswick Train Depot building became available, and the Wilson’s again expanded the school facilities. This time, one of Libby’s dreams, moving the school’s kitchen and dining rooms out of their home, was realized. Instead of eating in shifts in the Main House kitchen, students and staff could now eat all together in the new multi-purpose Depot dining room. Mindful of the historic significance of the building, the restored Depot still has the original exposed beamed ceiling, windows, and lighting fixtures, while functioning as a dining, meeting and recreational space for the school. And now another dream is on its way to completion. This new, next step into the school’s future will provide residential space for sixteen boys (replacing the current Barn Dorm) and provide five academic classrooms, a science lab and a speech therapy classroom. This latest dream, like those of the past, focuses on quality not quantity, on providing enhanced quality of care, not increased number of students the residential space had been designed to allow for group sizes calibrated for therapeutic interactions. Space has been dedicated for students and their families to be able to spend time together. Throughout the building, interior spaces have been designed to better control visual and auditory stimulation. Modern technologies so central in a 21st century education have been incorporated into the building’s design Like the adage, the more things change, the more they stay the same, Little Keswick School has seen many changes since its beginning in 1963. New buildings and facilities have been added, new technologies and teaching methods incorporated into the curriculum, yet the school’s philosophy and mission to provide a safe and nurturing environment where the whole child can learn and grow in a small, home-like setting has remained the same. It is a good thing for the hundreds of students and their families that the school has served in its first 43 years and for the hundreds more that it will serve in the years to come that Bob and Libby have dreamed so big and worked so hard to make their dreams come true.
Our Newsletter: Pine Cone Press
Our newsletters are downloadable in PDF format.**
“From his experiences at Little Keswick, our son realized he could succeed. At LKS he emerged as a leader and a role model among the boys in his age group,
and became comfortable in that place. He tried and succeeded in efforts he would
never have done before, such as playing the guitar, cooking, and organizing his belongings.
This was very gratifying to him and us.”
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