It’s Giving Tuesday!
Tuesday, 27 November 2018
Join us today in giving to our Annual Fund… Our Annual Fund is the School’s most important philanthropic priority. Annual Fund gifts are used, not for operating costs, but to enhance our programs and to help make TKS more accessible to families in need. Donations are unrestricted so that they can be applied to areas
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It’s Almost Giving Tuesday
Monday, 26 November 2018
Join us today in giving to our Annual Fund… Our Annual Fund is the School’s most important philanthropic priority. Annual Fund gifts are used, not for operating costs, but to enhance our programs and to help make TKS more accessible to families in need. Donations are unrestricted so that they can be applied to areas
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Halloween 2018
Thursday, 01 November 2018
It was a perfect fall day on Halloween this year. The boys went trick or treating around campus, went to a carnival put together by the Yellow House students, went on a hayride, did science experiments and more! We are so grateful to the parents who supported the community by sending candy, costumes and treats.
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Summer Fun During the Bridge Programs
Thursday, 07 September 2017
During the summer we have two bridge programs that run for the months of June and August. The bridge programs are packed with experiential activities that keep the boys active and engaged. The boys work collaboratively on engineering projects, design experiments and playing games. The bridge emphasizes time spent outdoors enjoying the sunny weather and
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2017 TKS Transition Ceremony
Thursday, 06 July 2017
In the beginning of June we celebrated seven transitioning students and families as they finished their time at TKS. We had a beautiful ceremony on the front lawn honoring many school award recipients, hearing a former student speak, and congratulating the transitioning class of 2017. We are very proud of all of the boys’ accomplishments,
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Keswick School Announces Transformation to Non-Profit Status
Monday, 03 October 2016
It is with great pleasure that I am writing to you today to inform you of an important transformation in the life of Keswick School (TKS). Over the last several years, senior TKS staff and leadership have worked with expert independent educational and financial advisors to review the School’s status and to think strategically about
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Trip to the Transportation Museum
Wednesday, 17 August 2016
Planes, Trains, and Automobiles Keswick School Visits the Virginia Museum of Transportation August 16, 2016 Five students participating in the TKS Bridge Program visited the Virginia Museum of Transportation in Roanoke, Virginia. There they experienced what it was like to ride aboard a private jet, sit in the engineer’s chair of a diesel train
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Check Out our Transition Photos
Friday, 01 July 2016
Please take a minute to look at some of the photos from our Transition Ceremony and Horse Show at the end of the year! We had so much fun celebrating with the parents.
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Transition 2016!
Tuesday, 14 June 2016
We had a wonderful time June 2nd and 3rd with our families for our End of Year events. Stay tuned for a new photo album with highlights of the events held on campus. At our Transition Ceremony we recognized the achievements of the boys who transitioned from TKS and will be attending the following schools
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TKS Interns are Amazing!
Wednesday, 30 March 2016
It’s that time of the school year when we get ready to say good-bye to our current interns and interview new ones for the summer and upcoming school year. It’s bitter sweet; we wish they would stay forever, but we are also excited about where they are headed next. Laura Boothe, Julie Forino, and Sydney
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Boy Scout Enthusiasm at Monticello
Monday, 21 March 2016
Some of our Boy Scouts enjoyed Scouting Day 2016 up at Monticello. The boys took a journey to Thomas Jefferson’s iconic mountaintop home to earn a Monticello patch and enjoy special tours and activity stations! Scouts took a private house tour and explored Monticello’s Griffin Discovery Room and exhibits including Crossroads, Making Monticello and To Try All
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Community Meeting – by a Seasoned Observer
Tuesday, 15 March 2016
I count myself lucky to have witnessed your school in action. When I was invited into Brenden’s Thursday afternoon Community Meeting, I had an expectation – yet, I couldn’t have been more surprised! Simply put, I was blown away. You’ve got a special place in Keswick School … truly unique. Having spent the balance of
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Student Council Experiences Virginia State Government
Monday, 25 January 2016
Student Council Experiences Virginia State Government As part of their role as the student council, council members took a trip to Richmond, where they met with Delegate Rob Bell and viewed a session of the Virginia General Assembly. Last week, eight members of the Keswick Student Council braved freezing temperatures to participate in the oldest
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2015-2016 Residential Appreciation
Tuesday, 10 November 2015
We want to thank our staff for the incredible work they do here with our students. We appreciate your effort, hard work, positive attitude and passion for helping others. Please watch our 2015-2016 Residential Appreciation Video.
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Temple Grandin Speaks in Charlottesville
Wednesday, 04 November 2015
We would like to appreciate Elk Hill School for providing our community with this enriching opportunity. We joined over 1,000 families, educators, specialists, and community members to listen to Temple Grandin share her story, information and insight for children with ASD.
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Halloween 2015
Sunday, 01 November 2015
The boys had a great time dressing up for Halloween this year. They were able to go trick or treating, take a loop around campus on a hayride, carve pumpkins, spend time in the gymnasium turned haunted house and more!
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Michelle Garcia Winner speaks to TKS Parents
Tuesday, 13 October 2015
We were fortunate to have Michelle Garcia Winner speak to our parents during our Parent’s Weekend October 9-11th. The world renowned speaker helped break down her approach toward social learning through her Social Thinking program. Michelle explained Social Communication Profiles and how to treat students who fall into different categories of social communicators. Many of our
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TKS Adds Another Furry Friend
Sunday, 13 September 2015
We are excited to announce the arrival of “Little One” our newest furry friend on staff. She had adopted us as her new home and has been given her official stamp of approval from the local veterinarian at Georgetown Veterinary Hospital. The boys have setup a home for her outside the Support Center.
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Markevus Collins
Friday, 11 September 2015
Prior to joining the TKS team, Markevus worked as a Qualified Mental Health Professional providing therapeutic day treatment in alternative behavioral settings. He also served as a long-term substitute in the public school sector. “I chose to work at TKS in order to positively promote the lives of young boys as they navigate their way
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Dr. Marty Thomson, Ph.D.
Friday, 11 September 2015
Dr. Thomson brought his engaging and developmentally grounded therapy style to Keswick School more than ten years ago. He has held the position of full-time clinical director for nine years. Prior to coming to Keswick School, Dr. Thomson provided clinical oversight for a school system serving over 50,000 students in the Midwest. Earlier in his career,
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Janey Davis
Friday, 11 September 2015
Before coming to Keswick School Janey worked 9 years at KinderCare Learning Center. She held many roles during this time. She worked with children of diverse ages (newborn to 12 year olds). Her positions included Preschool Teacher, Hooked on Phonics tutor, Summer Program Developer, and Activities Developer. These positions provided Janey an opportunity to grow
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Karie Williams
Friday, 11 September 2015
Although a Charlottesville native, Karie spent most of her adult life in the Northeast. She holds a M.Ed. in Special Education from Lesley University in Cambridge, MA with endorsements in Intellectual Impairments, Adaptive Curriculum, and most recently Trauma. She is currently pursuing her Ph.D in Educational Leadership. She is a registered certified professional practitioner with
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Mark Mellusi
Friday, 11 September 2015
Mark attended Georgetown University where he studied Physics and English, and Virginia Tech where he earned a masters degree in education. Because he loved the outdoors and the possibility of helping young people make positive changes in their lives, he began his career at New Dominion School as a residential group leader, supervisor and as
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Noah Green
Friday, 11 September 2015
Noah worked as an academic intern, residential counselor, and summer stem teacher at Keswick School while finishing his degree program at UVA. He then worked as a special education teacher at Goochland High School for four years. Noah served as a collaborative teacher in Algebra, Geometry, Algebra II, and Advanced Algebra/Trigonometry classes, and then as
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Dr. Scott Huff
Thursday, 10 September 2015
Clinical Therapist Dr. Huff earned his Bachelor of Science in Marriage, Family, and Human Development at Brigham Young University. He then earned his Masters of Arts and Ph.D. in Human Development and Family Studies, specializing in Marriage and Family Therapy from the University of Connecticut. Previous to Keswick School, Dr. Huff worked at Discovery Ranch
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Caleb Harrington, CCC-SLP
Thursday, 10 September 2015
Caleb graduated from James Madison University in 2015 and received his Master’s in Speech-Language Pathology from the University of Louisville in 2018. He has an extensive background as a counselor and behavior specialist with a network of non-profit camps founded to serve children with life-altering medical conditions and special needs. After graduating, he moved to
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Dr. David Byrnes, M.D.
Thursday, 10 September 2015
Dr. Byrnes completed his undergraduate work at Duke University and attended Medical School at the University of South Carolina. After receiving a Medical Degree and deciding to pursue further specialization in Psychiatry, he was accepted into the University of Virginia General Psychiatry Residency. During Residency training Dr. Byrnes experienced working in multiple clinical areas including
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Jimmy Green
Thursday, 10 September 2015
Jimmy studied evolutionary biology with a passion at the University of Virginia. After graduating, he worked on projects at UVA related to community ecology and biodiversity until enrolling in the Curry School of Education. After earning his Master’s in Teaching, he worked in Albemarle County Public Schools as a science teacher from 2007-2014, along with
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Gabriel Loader
Thursday, 10 September 2015
Gabriel went to Southern Oregon University where he obtained his Bachelor of Science in History, while also running Cross Country and Track. Gabriel worked at an elementary school for two years as an educational assistant and a substitute teacher. He then went on to work at Ontrack Rehabilitation center as the Childcare Director. “I chose
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Kyle Wolfe
Thursday, 10 September 2015
After completing his degree, Kyle moved to Charlottesville to begin his career at TKS as a Residential Aide. After six months, Kyle moved into the Lead Counselor position for the Madison Dorm. Following a year stint in that position, Kyle transitioned into the Residential Support Counselor Role. After completing one year, Kyle moved to the
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Jennifer Bailey, LCSW
Tuesday, 08 September 2015
Jennifer receive her undergraduate degree at The Ohio State University earning her degree in Psychology and minor in Theater. In her junior year she worked at Wediko a summer camp for kids with emotional and behavioral challenges. Jennifer then attended The University of Chicago where she got her Masters in Social Work. As a second
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Tricia Neumann
Saturday, 05 September 2015
Tricia has instructed hundreds of TKS students in horseback riding. Her commitment to our riding program goes beyond riding instruction to include caring for our horses and teaching our students horse care. Beyond TKS, Tricia also provides riding instruction throughout the Charlottesville area to help local riders prepare for competition. “Witnessing the transformation of each
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TKS Welcomes Jennifer Bailey
Friday, 14 August 2015
We are excited to announce that Jennifer Bailey, L.C.S.W. has joined the TKS Clinical Team! Jennifer is joining the TKS community having served in a similar role at the Sonia Shankman Orthogenic School in Chicago, Illinois. Jennifer completed her Masters in Clinical Social Work from the University of Chicago and obtained a B.A. in Psychology
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Patricia Moore, ATR
Monday, 10 August 2015
Patricia has experience in practicum work in a psychiatric hospital setting with children, adolescents, and adults, also with the geratric population in a nursing home, as well as a home setting for at risk adolescent girls. She also has previous work experience with people with intellectual and physical disabilities and the Alzheimers’s Association; and currently
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Sandra Deavers
Saturday, 11 July 2015
Sandra has worked in the customer service industry for over 25 years, both internally and externally. She enjoys working with people and developing relationships in all areas. “After learning about Keswick School and witnessing the passion for the students and the mission here, I was blessed with the opportunity to transition from my previous employer
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Jennifer Payne, MT
Friday, 10 July 2015
Jennifer went to the University of Virginia where she earned both her undergraduate and graduate degrees. She taught students with emotional disabilities in Fairfax County, VA, where she taught seventh grade at Burke Center, a public day school in Burke, VA., and launched a satellite program for students with emotional disabilities at Oak Hill Elementary
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John Outland
Thursday, 09 July 2015
John started work at New Dominion School in 1994 after graduating from Wake Forest University. He worked there for four and a half years before leaving to help found The Discovery School. He worked at The Discovery School for twenty-two years as a Program Director and Director. He took on more of an ownership role
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Melissa Dagitz, Ed.M.
Wednesday, 08 July 2015
Melissa started working at TKS after graduating from college. She had previously worked doing psychological research contributing to longitudinal studies focused on early-detection for Autism Spectrum Disorders at Virginia Tech and UVA and running summer camps for a local country club. Melissa started at TKS as a Teacher’s Aide and then was a Dorm Counselor
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Adam Cieszkiewicz
Tuesday, 07 July 2015
Adam worked with students for several years as a private tutor, then as a tutor for students with learning differences at the Hill Center in Chapel Hill, NC, before coming to TKS. “I work at TKS because I get to see and help our students deepen their connections to themselves and their passions, their friends,
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Isaac Morales
Tuesday, 07 July 2015
Isaac has worked with youth since 2012 as a gymnastics and wrestling coach, summer camp counselor, Residential and community support for at-risk youth, and an outdoor expeditions leader in the four corners area. In 2018 Isaac graduated with an Associate of Arts in Liberal Studies from the Community College of Vermont. In 2021, Isaac Graduated
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Jordan Stout
Saturday, 04 July 2015
Prior to joining TKS Jordan worked for several years at a correctional facility. Jordan is very outdoorsy and enjoys hiking. She enjoys traveling and has gone hiking in the Grand Canyon and horseback riding around Lake Tahoe. Jordan plays ukulele and the piano. She is passionate about supporting people with hearing-impairment and her long-term goal
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Maury Hancock
Sunday, 21 June 2015
Maury holds a degree in theater from the University of Richmond. He began teaching theatre during his last year of college, intending to go on to graduate school and a profession in theatre. After a couple of years, Maury realized that he had found both his gifts and his joy in his work with high
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TKS Transitioning Class of 2015
Wednesday, 10 June 2015
We are proud to recognize our Transitioning Class of 2015. Each year it is bittersweet to say goodbye to the transitioning class in June. About one third of our boys will move on to their next schools. This year 10 boys have completed their time at TKS. We are so proud of these guys and
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TKS Alumni speaks at Transitioning Ceremony
Monday, 08 June 2015
Each year in June we welcome back a former student to speak at our Transition Ceremony. This year we were touched by the speech David Unfried gave to the students, staff and parents of TKS on June 5, 2015. {Speech below} {Video} Good afternoon and congratulations to all the students that are graduating from this
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A look back…
Wednesday, 20 May 2015
As we prepare for our 2015 Transition Ceremony we have spent some time looking back at the speakers we had in previous years. In 2012, we had a unique opportunity to have one of our current students, Ed Dixon, be our speaker. Check out the video of his speech: Ed Dixon Speech
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Jacob Biggs, MSW
Monday, 15 September 2014
Jacob has been a valued member of the Keswick School community in a variety of roles. After college, Jacob worked at the Oakland School, affirming his interest in working with children. He began working at Keswick School in 2014 as a residential instructor and moved into the role of shift supervisor in 2016. Jacob helped
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August Bridge
Thursday, 14 August 2014
We are looking forward to the August Bridge! Some of our boys have difficulty maintaining their gains across the three-week summer breaks occurring after the 5 week Summer Session and for this reason TKS offers an extended Bridge program to help students and their families build success between sessions. Students will accelerate their work on
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