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Interview with Patrick Keenan of The Academies at Rowland Ballard – Kingwood/Atascocita - Atascocita

Interview with Patrick Keenan of The Academies at Rowland Ballard – Kingwood/Atascocita - Atascocita

Published: Aug 24, 2017, 3:00pm

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As part of our ongoing "Getting to Know Your Local Businesses" series, this week we sat down with Patrick Keenan, Managing Director of The Academies at Rowland Ballard.

Tell us a bit about your business: What does your business offer, and how long have you been around?

Our first Academy program was started in October 2012 in Kingwood and then our Atascocita Academy program was launched in November 2015. Our two small, private family-oriented and family-run locations offer pre-kindergarten academic, social, emotional and physical education.  Our parent company, The Rowland/Ballard School, has been offering gymnastics, dance, and cheer for the past 40 years.

How did you decide to get involved in this line of work? How did the business get started?

My child was enrolled in Rowland Ballard's previous preschool during the summer of 2010. Before being a stay-at-home Dad, I was in finance and was the Director of Operations for a local restaurant group. Feeling like I was at the right place at the right time, I was honored to be asked to help start the Academy preschool program in our Kingwood location.

Tell us a couple things you are proud of about your business. What are you known for? What separates you from the competition?
We are most proud of how ready our children are for kindergarten, seeing them be socially prepared to meet new classmates and to not be afraid of academics. We promote physical activities in large open areas and offer a wide variety of extra curriculars such as ballet, gymnastics, and music. This approach enables our team to promote each and every child's development individually using an appropriate mix of academic and recreational activities.

What is your favorite part of running this business?
I most enjoy working with our incredible directors, principal instructors, and staff.  Some of our wonderful staff include Kristen West Director of our Kingwood Academy, and Afton Ryals Director of our Atascocita Academy. Kristin West has a Masters of Science in Early Childhood Education from the University of Houston and is the chief architect of our academic curriculum. This curriculum comes from Handwriting Without Tears, Scholastic, and other outside sources. Mrs. Ryals' Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood Education will come from SHSU, which will be in addition to her previous studies in Criminology.

I also enjoy getting to know and build friendships with our parents, visiting with them every morning before school, as well as interacting with them in the community, at church or on the golf course. It's amazing to get to know our parents and watch their children grow over the next 14-15 years into young adults.

Who is your ideal customer/client? Who do you serve best?

Our ideal customers/clients are families who want their children in a safe, small environment that prepares their children for the rigors of academic life with a "WHOLE BODY" approach. They want their children to be stimulated educationally, physically and socially.

Are there any special promotions, annual sales, or special events that you'd like to mention?
Our Academies participate in local festivals, including the Kingwood Kids Festival, This is Kingwood Festival, on-site Halloween festivities, school open houses and many more local events.

We do have a few spaces available at both Academy locations and are offering $75 off your registration fee with a print-out of this interview.

Is there any other information you'd like your potential customers/clients to know about your business?
Our team members are the real heroes of our school. They deliver hugs, academic excellence and address each child's welfare on a daily basis. They work countless hours with our students to grow them as individuals.

How do you see your business growing and improving over the next couple of years?
We will continue to expand our facilities, just as we have with our new facilities in Atascocita, and may consider building another facility in the next few years. In mid-2017, we also plan to offer tutoring for elementary to high school students and have hired a new director of tutoring to assist with this program’s development for college preparation and general academic improvement.

For more information about The Academies at Rowland Ballard, visit www.RowlandBAcademy.com.



Related News Stories:
Interview with Cheryl Austin, Manager of Kingwood Farmers Market at Town Center Park Interview with Matt Bertram, CEO of EWR Digital Interview with Jospeh Breda, Owner of Old Humble Distilling Company Interview With The Quinnett Family, Owners of Kopy Depot



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