Knapp School & Yeshiva

Knapp School & Yeshiva serves students from kindergarten through grade 12+, and its safe, supportive learning environment and small class sizes are geared toward students who have not succeeded in other educational settings.

To promote the development of employment skills in a supportive environment, the Student Work Program at Knapp School & Yeshiva provides students in grades 6-12 with supervised work experiences in the school and at community work sites.

The Response for Teens outreach team took their talents to the Knapp School and Yeshiva recently to lead several workshops on Sexuality Education.

Carrie Patterson, Work Development and Transition Specialist at Knapp School, oversees job programming and skill development among students. To begin training students in practical employment skills in an easy and useful way, Carrie created School Grounds, a makeshift coffee shop within the school where students serve as volunteer baristas.  

When Elle came to Knapp School & Yeshiva, her teachers described her as shy and withdrawn. She would often arrive late to school and would sleep in class. As a team, the Knapp staff came up with a plan to support Elle to be successful and reach her goals.

“Our students have been remarkably resilient in the face of all this change and I believe their resilience is in part due to the relationships they have with teachers, teaching aides, clinicians, and support staff in the building,” said Maureen Gilligan, the director of instruction & assessment at Knapp School & Yeshiva. 

“In the last month, Knapp School & Yeshiva staff and leadership have put forth immense amounts of time, energy, and thoughtfulness to make the transition from working in-person with our students, to keeping students engaged and supported remotely,” says Sandra Spicher, Knapp School’s principal. “Their outstanding efforts have been appreciated by our students and their families.”

Bulldog Bulletin, March 2020

Bulldog Bulletin, June 2019

Students at Knapp School and Yeshiva experience skill building in many ways! One area of focus, especially for our middle and upper school students, is employment.  We believe planning and early preparation for successful entry into the job market is crucial.