Brehm Basketball is on a Winning Streak!

Daniel Daudu sinks one against Missouri Baptist University JV.

Players wait in anticipation.... It's good!!!

Both Brehm basketball teams have been on a roll this week, winning each game!

The Brehm Prep (Varsity) Basketball team, undefeated in 2010, has won five straight games so far. The most recent win was against Mid-Continent University, with Brehm holding them down at 81-67, preceded by a 98-70 win against Missouri Baptist University JV.

The Brehm Basketball team also overpowered Carbondale Trinity at 67-54 and Westwood Baptist Academy at 47-38.

"Both team's chemistry is very good right now," said Athletic Director Greg Douglas. "They are all supporting one another and playing very well."

Neither team will play again until mid-February. Brehm Prep (Varsity) will play Webster University JV in St. Louis on February 12th in St. Louis, with the Brehm Basketball team taking on Carbondale Trinity on February 11th at home.

Brehm Campus Unites to Help the People of Haiti

After Haiti suffered a devastating earthquake on January 12th, students in Lance Williams' government and U.S. history classes felt compelled to help... even though they were a world away.

After meeting to discuss how to help, class members and student council decided to collect relief donations in various ways, including "passing the hat". Over a two-week period, spare change will be collected from faculty, staff and students. Other fundraisers also include a 50/50 raffle, Haitian food sale and a donation from the Student Store on behalf of the student council.

"It is important for everyone to come together to help the people of Haiti in their time of need... And it is great seeing the school come together to meet this need, said Dan S., Student Council President.

Students also took charge of deciding which organization to send donations. After research and information gathering, students decided to send money to Yele Haiti, Wyclef Jean's non-profit organization.

"Students made an educated decision about how to most effectively use their money. Yele Haiti appealed to them the most because Wyclef Jean is a Haitian and the organization has lower administrative costs compared to other relief organizations," said Williams.

Brehm/OPTIONS Staff Develop New Skills for Funding

This week, more than 30 members of the Brehm faculty, staff and board began a four week course on grant proposal writing.

The class is led by Dr. John L.V. Bobell, who has 48 years of experience in education, including professor emeritus at Idaho State University and adjunct professor at Southern Illinois University-Carbondale.

Upon completion, participants will understand the basic process of grant writing and the importance of planning for grants & proposals, recognize the steps of project development and have the confidence & knowledge to write grant proposals.

"We hope the training will benefit faculty & staff and open up new streams of funding for Brehm and OPTIONS," said Coordinator of Development Russ Williams.

The St. Louis Post Dispatch Shines Some Light on Brehm Prep Basketball

In Sunday's edition of the St. Louis Post Dispatch, sports columnist Bryan Burwell covered the Brehm Prep basketball team & Coach Aaron Lee.

Burwell goes into great detail of the history & happenings of what he describes as the "Pied Piper of one of the more fascinating basketball teams in America."

"Aaron Lee knows what you are thinking. You have heard of the talent-rich, nationally recognized prep basketball program sprung up alomost overnight in the middle of a small college town in the heart of Southern Illinois...

You have heard that in less than two years of the basketball program's existence, a prep school previously known internationally only for its outstanding work with educating junior-high and senior high school students with complex learning disabilities has suddenly become a haven for some remarkable high school hoop talent and is luring college recruiters from a cross the country to this tiny gymnasium..."

Check out the full story here.

Brehm Prep Basketball Team Comes Out on Top of Last Night's Game

Last night, the Brehm Prep Basketball team faced off against Mid-Continent University JV. Despite having a different starting line-up and being down 4 top scorers, Brehm came out on top with a 107-81 final score.

Many Brehm supporters came out to support the Prep team at home.

"It was a great turnout," said Coach Aaron Lee. "It's amazing to see a packed house with standing room only."

UPDATE: Brehm Prep's final home game will take place on January 22nd at 7 p.m.

The Brehm Megahurts Kick-Off the 2010 Robotics Season!

Over the weekend, the Brehm Megahurts robotics team kicked off their 2010 season at the St. Louis Science Center.

Teams were able to pick a common "Kit of Parts" and receive information about this year's engineering challenge.

This year's "Breakaway" challenge asks teams to build a robot that simulates a high-tech version of a soccer game. Alliances of three teams must navigate their way through a field of various obstacles in order to score points. Obstacles include two bumps (which divide the field into thirds), towers and passages. Points can be scored by making goals, controlling a robot to hang or climb on a platform or by climbing a partner robot.

The Brehm Megahurts have six weeks to design, build and program their robot. The St. Louis regional FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Competition is set to take place March 18-20, 2010 at the Chaifetz Arena.

Success with Complex Learning Disabilities — Part 4 of 12

Campus Life at Brehm

Brehm’s 80-acre campus contains a student activities center, a health center,

five dormitories, three independent apartments, three classroom buildings,
a 5 acre recreational lake, a woodshop, a robotics studio, a recreation office,
a paintball course, a frisbee-golf course, and an administration building.

Dormitory life is an integral part of Brehm’s education. Brehm’s daily structure allows students to feel more confident and comfortable with how each day will unfold, which is the foundation of our decades of success. Students begin their “home away from home” daily routine with a family style breakfast, followed by school and recreational activities. Dinner time means a healthy dinner in the dining hall, then chores, free time, study hall, and one more period of free time followed by lights out.

Brehm’s family style living environment, with the oversight and direction of our highly experienced Brehm leadership, fosters countless, real-life, “teachable moments,” which in turn promote more responsibility and independent thinking. Students learn both the social skills for interacting with other people and the independent living skills needed to live as happy productive individuals.

The following practical life skills are taught by the residential staff (dorm parents, dorm parent assistants, and tutors):

• Laundry
• Personal hygiene
• Food prep
• Daily chores
• Diet and nutrition
• Room cleanliness
• Time management/creating schedules
• Utilization of strategies
• Money management
• Social skills/making friends

The skill sets are reinforced for each student with guided practice, supervision, and feedback.

The residential program conducts weekly social-skills training in the dorms, which focuses on skill acquisition and addresses real-life issues. Students gain skills in problem-solving, conflict resolution, expression of feelings, and coping strategies.

Study-hall activities are planned and organized using Brehm learning strategies to complete homework assignments. Specific group-study activities are arranged when appropriate.

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

Academics
(Part 2 of 12)

Speech and Language
(Part 3 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
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