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 of greatest need.

You can now give online with the launch of our giving page!

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 of greatest need.

You can now give online with the launch of our giving page!

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.

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 cooling off in the pool. The boys continue to benefit from a structured day and consistent staffing. They also continue to do wood shop, art class, and horseback riding throughout each bridge program. Check out some of the photos to see their creations and activities!

Bridge Program

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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, maturity and growth during their time at TKS. They have inspired others and have contributed so much to the entire community of Keswick School. They will all be missed!

The Transitioning students will be attending:

Beach Cities Learning Center, CA

Lawrence Academy, MA

Winchester Public Schools, VA

Wolfeboro Camp School, NH/Kimball Union Academy, NH

Woodhall School, CT (2)

Click here to download the pdf version of this article

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 the future of the School.

Careful consideration and study have made clear that Keswick School should become a non-profit organization, with an independent governing structure and robust fundraising capacities, in order to continue to be a leader in therapeutic education. In support of this initiative, Keswick Education Corporation (KEC) was formed as a 501 (C) (3) organization and has purchased the School.

This new chapter in the history of the School will ensure that the dream and legacy of Bob and Libby Wilson will continue.  The mission, programs, approach, and methods of the School will remain the same. The administrative leadership team of Marc Columbus, Terry Columbus, Dr. Thomson, Jody Berkey and Gene Lemarr will continue in their current capacities. Keswick School will remain the very special place that you know and love.  The important clinical and academic work that truly transforms the lives of students and families will continue.

As a non-profit organization, Keswick School will be able to raise funds more effectively than it could as a private, for-profit school. Keswick School will now be able to establish an annual fund and build a permanent endowment to support the future of the School for generations to come. The ability to raise funds and to create an endowment is crucial to keeping costs down and to making the School more accessible to families around the world that will benefit from our excellent programs.

Our team enthusiastically supports this transition. We look forward to sharing our vision for the future with you and we welcome your thoughts as we celebrate this important and exciting time in the life of Keswick School.

Sincerely,

Marc J. Columbus

Headmaster

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 engine, and work in a mail car from the turn of the century. They also learned about the rich history of transportation in Virginia, with a focus on rail transport. Students were able to view many historic engines and automobiles, and learn about the role of aviation in transportation in Virginia.

Over the August Bridge Program students have been engaging in activities and learning experiences centering on ancient culture and technology. They have learned about Archimedes and his many inventions and the Roman invention of concrete and their creation of a massive road system. They have tried their hand at building Roman arches and aqueducts and at creating their own Greek pottery.

While at the museum of transportation, students were asked to look for connections between ancient technologies and those that fueled transportation in Virginia. They considered pistons and cogs and even looked at the lead up to modern aviation from the time of Leonardo Da Vinci’s conception of flight. They considered the relationship between railways and the roman road network. Experiences like this help our students have a connected and vibrant understanding of the world that brings learning into their daily living. Rather than simply reading a book or watching a video, we encourage our students to understand the world around them and its history through experiences that bridges their own story with their learning.

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.

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 this fall:

Corning Public Schools (NY)
Franklin Academy (CT)
Guatemala City Private Day School
North Salem Public Schools (NY)
The Gow School (NY)
The Rectory School (CT)
St. Johnsbury Academy (VT)
Wolfeboro Camp School (NH)

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 Things. Scouts tested their skills at special activity stations designed to support learning about Jefferson and Science, Citizenship, and more.

Community Meeting

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 my life with education, in teaching, and in the visceral-reality of how to elevate those who may be less-than-interested (said with a wink and chortle), in spite of my experience, I was mesmerized by the warm, welcoming, and controlled temperament of the meeting of these young men.

Clearly, the meeting I witnessed is the culmination of multiple TKS objectives.  What I saw seemed to be the effect of a well thought out, well-executed, and spine-straightening agenda/program. These clear-eyed young men appear fortified in an exercise that will serve them throughout their lives, regardless of their path. It’s very evident that you are not only educating your students, you are teaching these young men how to live.  ‘How to thrive within the relationships they esteem’ –and what could be more important for any of us to learn?

I appreciate our association and look forward to our next handshake.

With gratitude,

-Alex Patterson

www.alexpatterson.com

Student Council with Delegate Rob Bell

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 representative government in the United States. After arriving in Richmond, the students met with Rob Bell, the representative of the 58th district of Virginia, which includes Keswick. The students spent time asking Del. Bell about what duties he performs as part of his job and which issues were most important to him. Del. Bell then asked the students about the TKS community and student council. The students were excited to describe our culture and their role as representatives of the student body. Finally, Del. Bell explained to the students how the Virginia State Legislature is the oldest in the U.S., having started in 1619.

After meeting with Delegate Bell, the students visited the Virginia State Capital Building, which was designed by Thomas Jefferson. The council members had the opportunity to sit in the gallery of the House of Representatives and view the opening proceedings, including a tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King. They also learned about the building’s role as the capital of the Confederate States during the Civil War.

Each student expressed enjoyment and interest in the opportunity to experience the Virginia State Legislature and understand how their roles as student council members involve some of the same responsibility and importance as that of Del. Rob Bell. As the group left Del. Bell’s office, each council member shook his hand, smiled, and thanked him for his time. This moment summarizes how our student council members not only represent the voice of our student body, but also the core Keswick School values of respect and authenticity.

Happy Holidays from Barter, Bella, Bonnie and the Staff at Keswick School!

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.

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.

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!

Michelle Garcia Winner speaks to TKS Parents in the Depot.

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 boys fall into the Nuance Challenged Social Communicator – experiencing subtle but significant social issues. Parents were able to ask questions and seek advice and strategies from Michelle in working with their sons.

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.

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 from The Ohio State University. While there she also minored in Theater, graduating with distinction in Theater. Jennifer worked at the Sonia Shankman Orthogenic School, a nationally recognized residential school and treatment program at the University of Chicago for the past six years. During her time at the Orthogenic School she provided students and their families with individual, group, and family therapy. Jennifer implemented several new programs while at the school, forming a creative writing group and leading exercise and personal health seminars.  Jennifer was responsible for supervising interns, dormitory counselors and providing weekly supervision of the clinical team.

Transitioning Class of 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 wish them best as they start new chapters in their lives.

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 amazing institution today. If my past is any indicator for the present I know that all of the students, staff, and parents have been working tirelessly throughout this past year so I extend my congratulations not only to the students graduating this evening but to everybody else in this room. To be honest I don’t remember much of this day because I was much more focused on what was for lunch. It appears some things do not change. In my time here nearly a decade ago I can’t really recall what the speaker said, but it is my belief that he echoed a lot of the similar aspects that I will be talking about today. Although I know I’m setting my expectation incredibly high, I hope that when you leave here today you will remember something other than food.

I want to give a short back story about what led me to come to TKS and my experience while I was here. Before attending TKS in 2004 my life was an unbelievable struggle for myself and for those that I love. Around the age of seven or eight I was officially diagnosed with general anxiety disorder and Asperger’s syndrome. I used to throw fits when I didn’t get what I wanted, and behave in unimaginable ways from who I am today. As a result of this my parents made the brave decision to send me here to the Keswick School.

I spent two years here at TKS. Mind you that the campus was quite different when I was here, although many things have changed on the exterior the program has really remained similar to when I left. I spent time in all three dormitories completing my second and final year at the yellow house. I don’t want to go into too much specifics about my time at TKS because that’s what’s happening right now with all of you, what I want to discuss more is how that affected me in the creation of who I am today. This institution is not a cure-all, it does not provide solutions to fixing a problem overnight, but instead it is an investment in something that provides a strong foundation to work off of as you grow older. One of the phrases that I’m sure you’re familiar with, as it is something that is chanted from the rooftops here, is the idea of the tool box or tools that TKS provides you. I can promise every one of you that I would not be who I am today without the tools that I was provided.

In my time here I gained the experience to think before I act, to comprehend and express my feelings in a positive manner, and to understand and cooperate with those around me. These are some of the tools that I received, but I do not want to give the impression that your tool box is full. For now you have the materials and tools, next you must build the structure, build your lives, and build your future. For me personally this is how I was successful and how I imagine many of you will be as well.

After graduating my family moved across Texas to enroll me in a high school that focused on students with learning disabilities. At this high school I had the resources to continue the construction of who I am. During high school, I was incredibly fortunate to have the most amazing educator that I’ve ever met in my entire life. This man pushed me to develop a love of learning, a passion for science, a desire to improve, and perhaps most of all, an understanding that all people throughout all walks of life are capable of great and unimaginable feats. Upon the completion of my high school I was accepted to, and attended Westminster College in Fulton Missouri.

My struggles were not over, I spent my first year masking my anxiety and depression in the social scene of college, I saw that I was having a problem and asked my family to allow me to come home and get help. After working an assembly line, and nearly being seriously injured from a falling part I knew that education was my best chance to succeed. I reenrolled in Westminster College the next day. I realized that if I wanted to succeed I needed to be willing to work for it. I joined a fraternity, developed an interest in physical fitness, declared majors in psychology, and health & wellness, and set my goals high. I was elected vice president, community service chair, and social chair of my fraternity, and I became more active on campus.

Westminster College has a unique program for assisting those of learning disabilities, and specifically those with a disorder on the autism spectrum. Because of the great impact physical fitness has had on my life I saw that others might benefit from it as well. As a result I created and taught a new, for credit physical education class that focused on those with an autistic diagnoses, that would not only be effective in facilitating the primary goal of increasing physical fitness, but also reducing the typical symptomology of anxiety and depression that is associated with those on the autism spectrum. As a result of this effort I received government funding as well as the highest honor that can be awarded at this institution to a student of psychology. I’m proud to say that this program still continues at the institution and will for the foreseeable future.

Academically after four consecutive semesters on the Dean’s list I graduated with my degrees in psychology and health & wellness. After seeing that I have skill in program planning and organization I sought to incorporate this with my passion for helping others and applied to, and am now attending Texas State’s graduate program for social work. My current goal is to continue in my education, receive my Master’s degree, and become a licensed clinical social worker. My career goal is to hopefully start a business that is oriented around treating those diagnosed with autism through a holistic therapeutic approach. Today I know who I am, I know I am successful, and I’m confident for my future. These things did not come out of thin air, they are a direct result of the education and learning that I received here at TKS. There is a long road ahead for you all, I don’t want you to mistake that, but I can guarantee that now it will be a lot easier.

Now to the parents. As a child that attended TKS I did not realize the level of sacrifice both financially, and emotionally and that you are all making for children. I am forever grateful for my parents for what they were willing to give up to see me succeed. The strongest memory that I have in my life was seeing my father breakdown with me when he was leaving me to return home. Whenever I think about the sheer sacrifice that he, my mom, and my brothers were all taking to see me succeed it is forever humbling to me. Although my parents are not here with us today, I would like to say to them thank you. Thank you for your love, thank you for your resources, and thank you for you never ending dedication to me. I am here today because of you.

I want you to know that your efforts are not in vain, as I have seen many others that graduated with me attend college and be successful. Now as I contemplate my future with my girlfriend of three years, and planning my own family I truly see the level of dedication and commitment that you have for your children. I would like to extend my sincerest regards to you, the families and to the staff here that have worked tirelessly to provide the best possible opportunities to the students. On a final note: life beyond here will be easier because of these experiences. The resources both you and I have available made me the greatest version of myself and I think all of you seated in front of me have the capacity to not only be as successful as I, but far greater than myself.

Thank you very much for you time, Congratulations, and best of luck to you all.

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