Babylon Elementary School Welcomes New Principal

The Babylon Union Free School District has hired Thomas Keogh to be principal of Babylon Elementary School. Mr. Keogh previously served as assistant principal at Birchwood Intermediate School in the South Huntington Union Free School District.

Mr. Keogh said he approaches his role by making school a place where children are excited to go, similar to a place like Disney World. “When the children come to school, I want them to feel that same excitement,” he said. “I want to make it an environment where staff, students and parents work as a team and where everyone is excited about education and lifelong learning.”

Mr. Keogh received his master’s in elementary education from Adelphi University and advanced graduate certificates in educational technology and educational leadership from Stony Brook University. Mr. Keogh initially worked in human resources before moving to education as a 3rd and 4th grade teacher in 1997 at Maplewood Intermediate School, where he spent the bulk of his career. “I had always wanted to be a teacher, and I realized I had to do what made me happy,” he said. “So, I made the switch, and I have not looked back since.”

While at Maplewood, Mr. Keogh said he sought to learn more about the education field and was increasingly finding himself instructing other teachers in various capacities, whether it was through giving presentations at superintendent’s conference day or helping at the South Huntington teacher center. While earning his certificate in educational technology at Stony Brook, the college brought him on as an adjunct professor in the field.

Moving into more of a leadership role suited him. “When you’re in a leadership position, you get to really form your own bonds with other teachers and share your ideas and expertise,” Mr. Keogh said. “I started to realize the impact I could have as a building principal.”

In 2018, Mr. Keogh was made assistant principal at Birchwood before coming to the Babylon UFSD, where he said he has already received a warm welcome. “This is such a wonderful district to raise your children,” he said. “It has that small town feel to it, and staff here is always telling me how wonderful a place it is.”

For more information about the Babylon Union Free School District, please visit the district’s website at www.babylon.k12.ny.us. Exciting activities happening throughout the district and programs celebrating student achievement can also be found on the district’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/babylonschooldistrict/.