OPTIONS Students Prepare for Spring Break Travel

This year, six students from the OPTIONS Program will be spending their spring break in Egypt for the 9th Annual International Trip.

Students have been meeting weekly to discuss and review the various sites and cities they will be visiting. Travels will begin in Cairo and include a cruise along the Nile River to visit the cities of Luxor, Aswan and Memphis. They will also have the opportunity to see the burial site of King Tutankhamen while exploring the Valley of the Kings.

Brehm Students Take Some Time Out for Skiing and Snowboarding

Recently, Brehm students had the opportunity to take a trip to Angel Fire, New Mexico for some skiing and snowboarding. This annual tradition is a student favorite and allows time mid-semester for kids and sponsors to cut loose.

For the first time, students and trip sponsors

travel to Angel Fire, New Mexico.

Andrew S. with the helmet-cam ready to get some on-film action.

The 2010 ski trip group ready to their first run!

Steven G. kicking up some snow!

Kristin, a sponsor, coasting down the mountain.

Travel opportunities have always been a Brehm favorite, providing students with the opportunity to not only learn & grow, but act as U.S. Ambassadors. The next travel opportunity will be in April, when students visit several places in Spain over 8 days.

Peer to Peer at Brehm School

Brad Sims, M.S.,CCC-SLP, Coordinator of Speech Pathology at Brehm recalls a touching "peer to peer" story here at the school.

Brehm Students Celebrate Valentine's Day with a Dance

Over the weekend, Brehm students were able to cut lose and celebrate Valentine's Day with a dance. The dance, held on campus, included food, beverages, a dance-off and Brehm's own student deejay, DJ Chris N-B.

Students put their best foot forward for the Dance-Off,

with Austen, Gannon and Anne taking the prize.

The night was full of fun and memories for new students and old.

Bradley takes a time out to pose with Student Council Sponsor Barb Drew,

one of the school's full-time Speech Language Pathologists.

The Valentine's Dance, with a twist of Mardi Gras, was organized by the Brehm Student Council. The students did a fabulous job planning, decorating, entertaining and cleaning up.

Drivers Ed Students Learn the Value of a Life Lesson

This week, students in Jim Wooldridge's Drivers Ed class have been putting a new law to test. As most know, in 2010, most states passed laws banning text messaging and driving.

Jim used this law as a teachable moment, using the driving simulator. First, students drove their usual track. The second time, students drove the same track and were instructed to use a calculator to solve a simple math problem, to simulate the texting process.

"So, far the results have been eye opening for the students," said Jim. Usually, without the distracting of "texting", students make about 5 driving errors in a two minute period. During that same timeframe, while "texting", students are making upwards of 20 errors.

One student commented, "Wow. I could have just died, like 5 times."

At Brehm, using teachable moments such as this, prepares students to succeed and make more responsible decisions.

Brehm Students Welcome a New Student Organization

This week, Brehm students were met with an opportunity to become involved in a new student organization. Led by faculty member, Mary Hart, Brehm opened its doors for a chapter of FBLA (Future Business Leaders of America).

The purpose of FBLA is to introduce students to the world of business and it's the premier organization for preparing them for careers in business. FBLA is the largest student business organization in the world, with more than 250,000 members.

Students in FBLA have the opportunity of getting "real world" professional experience, giving them a competitive edge for college and career success. Students compete in events testing their business knowledge and skills, held at the regional, state and national levels. Activities, guest speakers and field trips are also planned throughout the year, giving students a variety of skills and information.

There was an excellent turnout of Brehm students at the informational meeting, showing their interest in this new organization. Students were lucky enough to meet with some students in the Herrin chapter of FBLA, who gave an excellent presentation about how they operate.

Come SOAR at Brehm!

For the first time, SOAR Adventure Summer Camp will be offering a program on Brehm campus. SOAR (success oriented achievement realized) is a accredited American Camp Association dedicated to serving youth with learning disabilities or AD/HD.

This new 21-day program allows students to explore their own gifts and strengths and provides them with opportunities to develop social skills and have fun. Students will have the chance to participate in activities including woodworking, pottery, photography, arts & crafts, canoeing, paintball, fishing, sports and more.

On weekends, campers will take advantage of nearby cities such as St. Louis, Chicago and Louisville and exploring landmarks like Shedd's Aquarium, the Field Museum, the Arch, Science Center, zoo, Six Flags Theme & Water Park and more.

This new SOAR program was designed with the idea in mind that not all students enjoy sleeping outdoors. Program participants will be able to take full advantage of dorm life and the facilities at Brehm, while still being able to participate in a wide variety of activities.

SOAR is a nationally recognized program that has successfully enriched the lives of young people for more than 30 years by placing special emphasis on providing each youth with opportunities to discover and develop his or her own learning abilities.

For more information about SOAR, contact Kylie Cyr, SOAR Admissions Counselor (and Brehm alumna) at admissions@soarnc.org or 828.456.3435.

Brehm & OPTIONS Prepare for the Annual Strategic Planning Weekend

The time of year has come again for Brehm's Strategic Planning Weekend.

Each year, Brehm & OPTIONS faculty, staff, Board of Trustees and parents come together for a weekend of planning for the next three years. Strategic Planning is a process where Brehm stakeholders can envision the future and develop the necessary procedures and operation to influence and achieve that future. It is a unique opportunity for parents to join with faculty, staff and the Board to add input to Brehm's facilities planning. It is also a great chance for parents to meet with other parents and staff to share ideas on an informal basis.

We achieve our path of success through thorough visionary & operations audits, SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats) analyses and evolutionary goals, set on a three year path.

Contact Brehm at 618.457.0371 for more information on Strategic Planning Weekend.

Preparations for the 2010 Brehm Play are Underway!

It's official... the 2010 play season is underway! Auditions are complete for this year's play, titled "13 Ways to Screw Up Your College Interview", written by Ian McWethy.

This year, the play, compiled of 13 vignettes, gives student-actors the opportunity to experiment with more physical comedy, line delivery and blocking.

"Students brought a lot of enthusiasm, came well-prepared and are very motivated," said Jen Conwell, play sponsor.

The 2 1/2 - 3 month rehearsal time is one of the largest time commitments students are able to volunteer for on campus. Students also hone memorization & social skills and the ability to perform on-stage in front of a large crowd.

In addition to the actors, students also have the opportunity to work as a stage hand or construct a set, background, props etc. in Trades & Careers or Art class.

Mark your calendars because this comedic performance is set to take place on May 8th.