Parent's Weekend is here!

This weekend, Brehm faculty and staff will be welcoming parents and families from across the nation. Parents will have the opportunity to attend one-on-one conferences with teachers, dorm parents, counselors and other Brehm staff.

To make the most of this weekend, various events have been scheduled. Friday night and Saturday morning, Brehm will host a college fair geared towards students with learning disabilities. Parents will also be able to attend presentations on various topics such as: robotics, paintball and transitioning to college.

The highlight of the weekend will be a Fall Harvest Carnival on Saturday night. All parents, students, faculty and staff are invited to enjoy games, activities, contests, treats, food and FUN!

Giving Education and Hope to youth is a GREAT mission, says Grandparent

“Our grandson would not have graduated from his university with a 3.17 GPA and good grades in his major (Psych), if it had not been for Brehm. The coping skills which he learned at Brehm made it possible for him to handle life’s difficulties. And the excellent academic foundation which the faculty laid – by faithful and dedicated devotion to providing the very best academic training – helped to guide and develop our grandson’s God-given talents.

He is now working on his MBA.

He is doing well and continuing to use the good foundation laid at Brehm to prepare himself to be a productive and good citizen. He has kept in touch with a few of his friends from Brehm – even flying to visit them. They, too, are succeeding in business and life.”

— A Grandfather from Missouri

College Fair for Students with Learning Disabilities Set to Take Place at Brehm

For the first time, Brehm will be hosting a college fair during the Spring Parent’s Weekend. The college fair is set to take place for members of the community on Friday, October 30th from 5-7 p.m. and for Brehm students and families on Saturday, October 31st from 9 a.m. until noon in the Student Activities Center.

This event will give our students the chance to explore a variety of post-high school programs to fit their needs. This college fair has been specially tailored towards students with learning disabilities and attention deficits. Exhibitors will include: OPTIONS Program at Brehm, junior colleges, universities and transition programs. Parents will have the opportunity to make an appointment to attend the college fair when scheduling other Parent’s Weekend activities.

For specific information, contact Coordinator of Communications, Brittany Morlan at 618.457.0371 or bmorlan@brehm.org.

How Experiential Learning Benefits Students at Brehm

(Brehm students update their nature journals as

they investigate changes within their Biomes)

The Environmental Science class at Brehm school is designed to continue students' growth in grasping earth science cycles and systems — while providing hands on opportunities for enrichment and experiential learning. Environmental Science is also a good example of how classes at Brehm include different important teaching components:

• Traditional direct instruction of information via text, notes, and lecture with visuals.
• Connections through current event, non-fiction, and fiction materials both written and in video/speaker format.
• Investigation through journaling, sketching and research.
• Experiential learning through models, demonstrations, and experiments.

Experiential learning is the process of making meaning from direct experience.

Each student in the Environmental Science class is assigned their own Biome, a 4 by 4 foot area of outdoor space on Brehm's 80 acre campus. Along with the the instruction presented by the teacher, students research, create a nature journal, organize materials, write an informative paper, and present a lesson plan of their own design to their classmates about the Biome.

The nature journal is an on-going project that requires the student to follow the cycle of life that occurs within their Biome. Students are given writing prompts and/or sketching prompts and are set free to record what they see. Changes are particularly noted, art is made from the experience, while vocabulary from class is required to be inserted within the students written presentation. This allows for a greater understanding of the concepts in class.

Another example of experiential learning within the class would be the mock mining site set up. A very large plastic bowl with peanuts and other material is used to represent the land. The objective is to mine as many peanuts as possible while trying to do the least amount of damage to the environment around the peanuts. Discussion and viewing of actual mining sites on-line help them put the in class experience in context.

Lastly, students are given opportunities to read, watch, and comment on articles, book excerpts, and videos that pertain to current issues that are facing us and our environment. Students are asked to brainstorm and address orally and through writing how their individual lives touch the environment in which we live.

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Brehm Boys & Girls Basketball Schedule Finalized

The schedule for the boys and girls 2009-10 basketball has been finalized.

All games are set to take place on Brehm campus in the Student Activities Center gym. Girls will play at 6pm and the boys will follow. Dates and times are subject to change.

GO TEAM BREHM!!

Success with Complex Learning Disabilities — Part 2 of 12

Brehm Academics

Our small class sizes allows for one-on-one attention

(only 1 to 8 students in each class). Together, we find the
study skills that work best for each student.

Brehm students receive their own individualized educational plan. We emphasize differentiated instruction and small class sizes. Instruction is delivered by highly trained, experienced faculty certified in learning disabilities, content instruction, and/or speech and language pathology.

Cross-curricular competencies and state standards are the focus of Brehm’s curriculum.

Our student’s mastery of these interdisciplinary competencies promotes successful performance in school, the workplace, and the community:

• Acquiring Information
• Communication
• Reasoning
• Self-management
• Technology Skill Sets

Learning how to learn is supported through the learning cognition classes for the duration of a student’s academic career at Brehm. Eighty-eight percent of Brehm graduates go on to a post-secondary experience.

The Brehm academic curriculum is accredited or approved by:

• Illinois State Board of Education
• North Central Association
• Independent Schools Association of the Central States.

Students set goals and objectives through a team process and are assessed across a multi-tier curricula. Standard courses meet college requirements. Modified courses teach at a student’s instructional level. Remedial classes target specific deficits. Student progress is measured by criterion referenced testing and yearly administration of standardized testing.

Also see:
Welcome to Brehm School
(part 1 of 12)

Brehm, a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit, is a unique family style boarding school that empowers students, grades 6 to 12, with complex learning disabilities to recognize and optimize their full potential. Brehm offers a unique holistic program that individually addresses each student’s academic, emotional, and social needs. Eighty-eight percent of Brehm graduates continue on to colleges, junior colleges, technical or vocational schools across the country.

Brehm has a rolling admission. Contact admissions today by calling (618) 457-0371 or email: admissionsinfo@brehm.org

We took pictures today!

Today, Brehm students got their 2009-2010 school photos taken by Lifetouch photographers.

Packages that were ordered and purchased ahead of time will be mailed directly to parents' homes. It will take at least one month for orders to be processed and mailed out.

If you did not purchase a package, you still have time! Call a representative from Lifetouch at 618.288.7896 to order a photo package.

If your child was absent today, a re-take day has been scheduled for Tuesday, December 1st.

For more information, contact Brittany Morlan, Coordinator of Communications at 618.457.0371 or bmorlan@brehm.org.

Brehm to Host the 2009 Harvard Medical School/Dyslexia Foundation Video-Conference

On October 16th, Brehm will be the host to the 2009 Harvard Medical School/Dyslexia Foundation conference via live feed.

The video-conference will take place from 7:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. in the Brehm Preparatory School Student Activities Center. It is geared towards teachers and parents who want to hear the latest information on practical application and scientific foundation on literacy, reading and development. This conference is eligible for AHSA and Illinois continuing education units. Forms will be available on-site.

The Dyslexia Foundation is sponsoring this yearly event. Topics covered will include: what's new on the horizon, early childhood development, reading development in school age children, reading comprehension, literacy development and learner assessment and program evaluation.

For more information or to attend this conference, contact Coordinator of Communications, Brittany Morlan at bmorlan@brehm.org.

OPTIONS Girls Sweep Martial Arts Competition

For the last two years, the young women of OPTIONS have participated in Self Defense classes at Black's Martial Arts, in Carbondale, Illinois.

Recently, Master Black encouraged four girls who earned their yellow belts to participate in a martial arts tournament. All accepted the invitation and travelled to Tamms, Illinois to participate in the 2009 Khourie's Black Belts of the Faith Martial Arts Tournament.

All girls excelled in the competition, placing 1st in forms and breaking boards.

Each young woman set a wonderful example for OPTIONS and Black's Martial Arts.

"It has been wonderful working with the girls. It has been amazing to see their self confidence soar. Most were shy initially, but then went on to compete in front of hundreds, which takes an incredible amount of courage," said Master Black, instructor. "They did excellent."

"We love having the opportunity to work with the OPTIONS girls," said Carol Black, Black's Martial Arts representative. "They are a very fine group of young women."

At this rate, the yellow belts will be promoted to green belts and the white belts will be promoted to yellow belts.

Another tournament will take place on December 5th and we anticipate that all OPTIONS girls who are taking martial arts classes will be able to participate.

Brehm Grads Sarah and Samantha

Brehm School's Commitment to International Students.

Brehm School has long valued the diversity that international students have brought to its campus. Since 1982, Brehm has welcomed international students from diverse areas of the world.

Brehm is approved by the International Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) and is a certified Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) school. Brehm’s Primary Designated School Official (PDSO) can issue an I-20 to those students wishing to enroll at Brehm.

Our international students have represented these home countries:

• Belgium
• Cameroon
• Canada
• France
• Germany
• India
• Ireland
• Ivory Coast
• Latvia
• Mexico
• Nigeria
• Pakistan
• Saudi Arabia
• South Africa
• Switzerland
• The United Emirates

Brehm is an accredited junior-senior high school for students, grades 6 through 12, as well as post-high school for students with complex learning disabilities.

Brehm uses the term “complex” learning disabilities in recognition that students experience difficulties in multiple areas of functioning. Brehm’s holistic program focuses on the combined academic, social and emotional effects of having a learning disability. Our students often have multiple diagnoses affecting their performance with the core issue of having a language-based etiology. We recognize the combined effects of LD/ADD, language based processing issues, executive function issues and the social and psychological implications of not being successful in an academic environment. Brehm offers direct interventions for students with dyslexia, dyscalculia, dysgraphia, NLD, aspergers, anxiety disorder, tourettes, auditory processing disorder, speed of processing disorders and interventions requiring behavioral and emotional support as it relates to academic issues.

Brehm admissions decisions are made on a rolling basis, so there is no deadline to apply. For more information please contact Admissions at 618-457-0371 or admissionsinfo@brehm.org.