While winter slowly but surely makes its way out, our students are eagerly awaiting the return of gardening time at the Villa.  Now they have one more reason to look forward to a sunny spring full of planting, harvesting and outdoor learning: the addition of a brand new greenhouse in our Learning & Therapy Garden. Generously donated by The Good Shepherd Fund, the greenhouse will provide a new way for our students ...Read More

The following post was written by Jenny Friar, Director of Development for St. Joseph's Villa: The natural environment constitutes one of the most basically important ingredients of human psychological existence.  It is an essential, critical, and irreplaceable part of healthy maturation and development.                                               -- Dr. Stephen R. Kellert, Yale University If you spent time out of doors as a child, then you will already know intuitively much of what ...Read More

Post written by Jenny Friar, Director of Development for St. Joseph's Villa While I am not a teacher, I have the honor of working alongside them every day in my role as Director of Development at St. Joseph’s Villa.  I have seen first-hand the magical partnerships that can develop between children and the adults who are professionally charged with helping, healing, and educating them.  As the parent of a toddler, ...Read More

“It takes a village to raise a child.” I have come to recognize the truth in this statement through my position of Mentor Program Coordinator at St. Joseph’s Villa. Growing up I was fortunate enough to be surrounded by individuals who contributed to my successes and stood by me through my struggles. It was thanks to them that I decided to mentor a child throughout my college career. Little did ...Read More

Three students from Brook Road Academy got a HUGE thrill recently: they met President Obama on the president's recent trip to speak at the Rolls-Royce plant in Prince George County. One of the president's Secret Service agents is a personal friend of Brook Road Academy teacher Ben Walters and his wife.  So when the president announced his trip, the agent asked Ben if he would like to bring some students to ...Read More