Paintball season underway

The Brehm School Paintball Team spent the weekend training for their upcoming season.

Students set up camp later afternoon on Friday on Brehm’s campus. After going over the training schedule that evening, the students enjoyed a movie and then went “lights out.”

On Saturday, students had breakfast, a warm up and pep talk and broke into stations, which included “hand signals,” “bounding overwatch,” “crawling positions” and “executive functioning and paintball.”

Following a half-hour break, students broke into four more stations: “preemptive thinking,” “radio communications,” “woods walk/observation” and “tactical.”

Paintball team members enjoyed MREs (meals ready to eat) for lunch and broke into the last three stations for the day: “target practice,” “snap shooting,” “hasty attack” and “sliding.”

After practicing for a couple of hours, the students ate dinner and sat by the campfire before lights-out.

On Sunday, team members ate breakfast, broke into four more stations (“hasty ambush,” “follow the leader,” “zig zag” and “fugitive”), had lunch and put their skills to use in a two-hour long skirmish.

Student Council holds primary elections

Campaign season for the Brehm School Student Council is in full swing.

The weather was warm and sunny as students gathered in the lawn of the amphitheater area behind the Student Activities Center for speeches given by the candidates for Vice President and President of the Student Council.

Following the speeches, primary elections were held to narrow down the field of candidates.

OPTIONS driver find success with music

James Anderson, a driver for the OPTIONS (Optimizing Potential Through Individualized, On-going, Nurtured Successes) Program at Brehm School, has shared his love of music with Brehm students for years, and now he is sharing it with the world.

James is a member of the Gospel group “Rapture 7,” which is receiving national attention after one of the songs - "Somebody's Knockin'" - off their new album “Security” was featured on the season 3 finale of True Blood – a series on HBO.

“We are blessed to have our music used on such a popular series,” James said.

James said he uses music to connect with the children he transports at OPTIONS – a comprehensive transitional program for students with learning disabilities who have graduated from high school, earned their GED or who have chosen to defer graduation in order to participate in a transitional program.

“The students all have a love for music, and I love all genres of music, so we use music as a way to bond,” James said. “Through our love of music, we all share in a moment of listening enjoyment during our driving times.”

Rapture 7 members include:

• James – keyboard, lead guitar, songwriter and recording engineer from Carbondale, IL
• Warren Grigsby Jr – lead vocals, songwriter, and business manager from Marion, IL
• Leo Wilson Jr. – bass player, songwriter, and recording engineer from Carbondale, IL
• Shamar Jordan – keyboard from Centralia, IL Ed “Bam Bam” Baker – drums from Chicago, IL
• Daryl Frazier – lead and background singer and songwriter from Carbondale, IL
• Bobby Simon – lead and background singer, songwriter and equipment technician from Carbondale, IL
• Darren Grigsby – background singer, back-up drummer and songwriter from Marion, IL
• Carl Hughlett – lead vocals, background singer and songwriter from Carbondale, IL.

Cooking up fun on Wednesday afternoon

Brehm School students cooked up a good time in Dorm 5 with some cooking lessons from Tamiko Foster, recreation staff worker.

Dorm 1 dresses in style

There's no doubt that the students in Brehm School's Dorm 1 have style, and they showed it on Wednesday for their "Dress Up Day."

Rec activities keep campus hopping

Students at Brehm School enjoyed the beautiful weather on Tuesday during their recreational activities.

Students could choose from flag football, walking, golf and swimming.

The recreation program is designed to encourage students to participate in structured activities that teach them new skills. Students have fun, develop balance in their social interactions, increase their self-esteem, gain new experiences, learn to plan and set goals, increase their awareness of leisure resources, and develop culturally and emotionally.

BPA Ambassador Program off to a great start

The Brehm Parents Association’s Ambassador Program is off to a great start this school year. The program pairs family members of returning students with new student families. The “Ambassadors” answer questions about the Brehm experience and other questions that arise regarding Brehm and the Carbondale area.

“Parents who have had their children enrolled at Brehm volunteer to speak with new families about what to expect at Brehm and to address any concerns that new parents may have,” said Diane Field, BPA member. “We all understand how difficult of a decision it is to send our children away when they are still so young. By speaking with someone who has already done it, it is hoped that new parents will feel less anxious about their decision.

“It is also a chance for new parents to ask questions that they might not want to ask the administration,” Diane continued. “For example, new parents may want to know how van runs work and what types of activities our children participated in during that time. Or they may want to ask, ‘What type of clothes should a new student bring with them?’ ‘How is the food?’ Anything that new parents want to know about, our Ambassadors are happy to discuss.”

Diane said she remembers how the Ambassador Program helped her when she was a new Brehm parent.

“Hearing a friendly voice reassuring me that things were going to be fine, really helped me get over my fears of sending my son away to Brehm,” Diane said. “Plus, I learned some valuable information about how most of the students from Chicago take the Amtrak together from Carbondale to Chicago over Thanksgiving - how they stick together during the trip, with the older ones looking after the younger ones. I would never have considered letting my son take the Amtrak when he was a freshman until I heard that from my Ambassador. It’s been a great experience for Andrew and hearing this from another parent gave me the courage to let him take this big step toward independence. This type of information you only learn from other parents.”

Maureen Wielansky, BPA President, remembers her Ambassadors.

“We had the sweetest and most patient family,” Maureen said. “We sat on the phone for an hour asking questions and they answered every one of them. We also talked at Move-in Weekend and they checked-in with us throughout the year.”

Diane said that the BPA’s Ambassador Program serves “as the parent-to-parent welcome wagon.”

“It is hoped that the Ambassador Program provides the reassurance to parents who are sending their children away to a boarding school for the first time, that their children will be safe, well cared for by a remarkably devoted staff and that their children will be challenged academically, socially and emotionally,” Diane said.

Diane’s advice to new parents: “Know that there will always be someone at Brehm, including Ambassadors, who will be available to help you. And, try not to dwell too much on how much you will miss your child!”

Maureen’s advice: “Talk to your dorm parents. Keep in contact with your Ambassador. Contact the BPA if you need any help. And, remember that the Brehm staff is top-notch, so the kids are safe and will be fine.”

Rep. Shimkus tours Brehm School

Congressman John Shimkus, R-Collinsville, toured the Brehm School campus on Wednesday, September 8.

Rep. Shimkus met with Dr. Richard Collins, Executive Director of Brehm; Stacy Tate, Chair of the Brehm Board of Trustees; Russell Williams, Coordinator of Development at Brehm; Walt Tomczak, Chief Administrative Officer at Brehm; and Dalus Kulich, Coordinator of Communications at Brehm.

Following a tour of the campus, Rep. Shimkus spoke to faculty and staff in the Student Activities Center.

Chores without tears: Working SMART

By Brad Sims, M.S., CCC-SLP, is the Coordinator of Speech-Language Pathology, Brehm School

Under optimal conditions, getting an adolescent to do household chores can be . . . well, a chore. It may even be a responsibility many of us have come to avoid as much as our little darlings would like to avoid whatever job we assign to them. We know that having our children share in household tasks is a good idea, but does the game plan need to change if your child struggles with learning, psychological, or attentional challenges? If you are questioning whether the benefit is worth the effort, read on. While the suggestions that follow may be applied by anyone teaching any adolescent to do household tasks, they are particularly important for helping adolescents struggling with more complex issues. Let’s work SMART!

Show and tell the process. A direction to “sweep the garage” or “clean your room” is never enough. Teach each task step-by-step. Think out loud as you demonstrate so the process is clear. Explain what you are doing and why you are doing it while you are doing it; do not assume your child already has that knowledge. Consider printing step instructions; make a mnemonic (like SMART) even supplement with “before and after” photos for comparison if that is helpful. The best way to teach the task depends upon the specific learning needs of the individual. While one may learn best by seeing the task modeled, another may benefit much more from verbal rehearsal of the steps involved.

Motivate for success. Motivation can be suppressed by a sense of impending failure: “I can’t do this.” “I don’t know how.” “It’s going to take me all day.” It is important to know your child’s abilities and make sure the task is appropriate. As you reinforce the value of the work to the family, guarantee your guidance when needed to ensure success and efficiency. Recognize initial effort and successive approximations on the road to mastery.

Allocate time for work. Consider being flexible with task time to adapt to schedule changes or important events, but the general rule of “work before free time” should prevail. Recognize that just because your child can tell time does not mean he has a notion of how long a given period of time is. Build time awareness by making a game out of estimating the length of time for each task completed to expectations. (Each write down a time estimate; compare at task’s end to see who is closest to the actual estimate. See who can come closest to telling when one minute, three minutes, or five minutes has elapsed.)

Reward your worker. Keep the experience positive, not punitive. Award points toward a reward when tasks are completed willingly, promptly and correctly. Rewards should be tangible, e.g. extra computer time, allowance, etc. For adolescents who have problems with sustained attention, distractibility or impulse control consider chunking tasks and rewarding completion of each chunk to ensure successful completion. When consistently successful at that level, combine chunks into the complete task.

Teach new tasks. As a task is mastered, introduce a new one. Switching tasks helps fight the tedium of always doing the same job; it adds variety and teaches new skill sets. As new skills are acquired, more complex tasks are possible requiring more responsibility and bringing a greater sense of accomplishment and independence.

As a final note--start early! Very young children love to be helpers. The experience of doing chores helps to build skills of time management, organization, prioritization, and problem-solving. It provides a context for developing a work ethic, self-discipline, and a sense of community and shared responsibility--all components crucial to the development of independent living skills. Because we are talking about something that is not only a skill set, but a mind set, we must be clear to our children early on that we value their participation in the work of the home.

M. Brad Sims, M.S., CCC-SLP, is the Coordinator of Speech-Language Pathology at Brehm School. Brad Sims brings six years of experience as a teacher of students with special needs and another 21 years as a speech-language pathologist. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Education and a Master’s degree in Communication Disorders and Sciences. Brad’s breadth of experience includes teaching and curriculum design, consulting, and diagnostic and therapy services in public and private schools, hospitals, rehabilitation programs, and private practice settings.

Find all "Brehm School Experts" articles here.

Students visit Giant City State Park

Brehm Preparatory School students enjoyed the beautiful weather during a trip to Giant City State Park on Friday.

Surrounded by the park's spectacular natural splendor and infinite outdoor recreational opportunities, the students, faculty and staff wrapped up the first week of school with a great time in the great outdoors.

Faculty wrap up week-long teaching strategies program

Faculty at Brehm School are wrapping up a week-long program on practical classroom and direct teaching strategies by Education Consultation of the Midwest, Inc.

C. Wilson Anderson Jr., MAT, President of Education Consultants of the Midwest, Inc., taught the program using the Orton-Gillingham Approach.

According to Wilson, the Orton Gillingham approach “grew out of the work of Dr. Samuel T. Orton and Anna Gillingham. Dr. Orton, a professor of neuropsychiatry and neuropathology at the Neurological Institute of Columbia University, was a pioneer in focusing attention on language differences by bringing together neuropsychiatric information and principals of remediation.

“The structure of the approach often helps to organize the student's general ways of learning and working ... This approach can be valuable to any child. To the dyslexic child it is often essential.”

The faculty participated in three separate programs this week:

• Introduction to Basic Multi-Sensory Synthetic Phonics for Struggling Students
• Introduction to Upper Level or Intermediate Level Multi-Sensory Synthetic Phonics for Students who have not Learned by Traditional Methods
• Multi-Sensory Strategies Across the Curriculum in Reading, Spelling, Arithmetic, Vocabulary and Thinking

Students participate in team building activities

Orientation Week activities

The Student Activities Center at Brehm was alive with activity today. Students participated numerous exciting activities designed to encourage a sense of community among all of the students during Orientation Week.

Faculty and staff also participated by supervising, motivating, and assigning tasks, however students were asked to do the work in each activity.

The activities included:

• Calculating the wing span of students combined
• Perform forearm planks for 30 seconds
• Bus push

Brehm Food Service staff focus on students' wellbeing

To Claudia Glasnovich, the Aramark Food Service Director at Brehm, and the other Food Service staff members, Brehm students are their main focus.

“At the center of everyday responsibilities and fiscal realities, there is one focus that drives you – the wellbeing of your children. That focus drives us, too,” Claudia said. “We focus on nurturing the overall wellbeing and growth of Brehm’s students.”

Food service staff members include Angela Childer, lead cook; Katie Tomczak, salad prep; Tyler Palmer, cook; Jeff Fairbanks, cook; Elzie Hudspeth, cook; and Savannah Gallon, salad prep.

“We understand that good nutrition is essential for sound academic achievement and the long-term health of our nation’s students,” Claudia said. “At Brehm, we are constantly promoting healthy eating, physical activity and healthy choices to our students.”

Food Service staff also focus on Brehm employees and the larger Brehm community. Claudia said that she and her staff have provided services during countless activities at Brehm, including teacher workshops, Move-in Weekend, Parents Weekend, conferences, meetings, and more.

“We work to strengthen the bond between Brehm School and its far-reaching community,” Claudia said.

Brehm’s Food Service department’s Top Ten Nutrition Commitments:

• Serve nutritious menus that exceed current USDA requirements for all students (including those with special dietary needs)
• Offer foods that are rich in key nutrients: whole grains, fresh fruits and vegetables and low or non fat dairy products
• Serve high-quality, safe foods that have no added trans fats and are low in total fat, salt and sugar
• Promote breakfast participation and expand availability
• Offer healthy, nutrient dense snacks
• Source high-quality, environmentally responsible, local produce and products
• Enable healthy lifestyles through nutrition awareness and education
• Create a healthy school environment -- composting, recycling, green cleaning
• Advance employee knowledge and sensitivity to health and wellness education
• Provide legislative advocacy on behalf of students

Brehm junior recognized for volunteering

Matt (center) is seated with his parents, David and Melissa.

Matt, a junior at Brehm School, spent time this summer volunteering in the Fairfax County Virginia Therapeutic Recreation Services summer camps.

These camps offer children with disabilities a fun summer experience in a safe environment. The program included field trips, games, crafts, special events and the opportunity to build lasting friendships.

Matt supported both the counselors and the campers and did such a great job that he was given the “Volunteer of the Summer Award” in appreciation for “dedicated services and commitment rendered to improve the quality of life for individuals and disabilities.”

Congratulations, Matt!