Brehm FBLA update

"This past Wednesday evening, Suzy Ventura and I took a group of students to the Career Fair held at Carbondale Community High School. There were more than 50 booths set up representing different careers. The students were able to walk from booth to booth and ask questions as well as collect information being handed out. We took nine students, and they all seemed to get something from the Career Fair. Most of them came away with a better understanding of what job skills would be required as well as schooling that would be required.

"Suzy and I were both so pleased with the way our students conducted themselves when asking questions and walking around from booth to booth. We even received comments from the different vendors about how our students from Brehm were so much more mature in their actions and how good they were at asking questions compared to the other high school students who attended. We are very proud of our students."

Brehm FBLA advisor and faculty member Mary Hart

Brehm students tour SIUC museum

Brehm Preparatory School students toured The University Museum at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, Ill.

Among the many exhibits they saw were:

• Frederick Hart's sculptures: American sculptor, Frederick Hart (1943-1999) gained international stature for his "Creation Sculptures" for the Washington National Cathedral, for his "Three Soldiers" Vietnam Veterans Memorial, and for his pioneering use of clear acrylic resin and a process by which one image was embedded within another.
  
• Andy Warhol's "Little Presents:" These photographs (52 Silver Gelatin Prints and 104 Polaroids, taken by Andy Warhol between 1972 and 1985) were donated to the University Museum, SIUC, in 2007. They represent a relatively unknown body of Warhol's artwork, which were often the studies for portraits and other compositions. Former SIUC Photographic Historian, Dr. Jordy Jones interprets the images.
• Pop Art: A number of well-known and lesser-known Pop Artists are represented in the Museum's print collection. The Museum was able to frame these works for exhibition through a $10,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Arts. The grant will also help bring area high school students to SIUC to study and to create their own exhibit based on the Museum's works.

Brehm students hear from successful businessman who overcame dyslexia

Nathan Stooke, CEO of Wisper ISP, Inc., a wireless Internet company, in Belleville, IL, recently visited Brehm Preparatory School, where he spoke to students about his life, work and struggles with dyslexia.

Nathan was raised in O’Fallon, IL.

“Because of my dyslexia, I really struggled in school. I hated doing homework,” Nathan said. “In elementary school, I used to throw fits about doing my homework. It would take me four times longer to do my homework than it would most other

students because it was such a struggle. Then, I realized that whether I had a bad attitude with dyslexia or a good attitude with dyslexia, I still had dyslexia, so why not have a good attitude about it.

“Once I accepted my dyslexia, it still took me twice as long as others to do homework, but I had a better attitude about it, and attitude is everything.”

Nathan’s mother was key in helping him adjust his study habits to accommodate his dyslexia.

“In high school, my mom would record herself reading my books, so I could listen to them anytime, over and over again, especially driving to and from swim practice for two hours a day,” Nathan said. “In high school, I learned that dyslexia is a gift; it gave me the drive to prove myself.”

Nathan graduated high school with a 4.0 GPA, and came to Southern Illinois University, to study computer science and compete on the university’s swim team. Nathan was also a member of the U.S. Swim Team, ranked third in the world in 1997 for his 25km (15.5 miles) race abilities.

While attending SIU, Nathan joined SIU’s Achieve Program

– a comprehensive program of academic support for students with learning disabilities and/or attention deficits. Through that program, Nathan said he really honed his skills at turning his dyslexia into an advantage.

“Because of my dyslexia, I was able to take untimed tests. So, while other students were given an hour or two to take an exam, I could take as long as I needed to fully understand each question, because I read slower,” Nathan said. “I would take my time, and read each question repeatedly until I felt comfortable with answering the question. I once took 14 hours to complete a Calculus 2 exam, which I got one of the highest grades that anyone had ever received.”

Other ways Nathan has turned his dyslexia into an advantage are:

• He got to know his teachers better. “Since I told them toward the beginning of each class that I had dyslexia, and worked with them throughout the semester to help me understand the materials better, I became well acquainted with my teachers,” Nathan said. “And, those relationships have helped me along the way.”
• He built a large support system. “I had the support of my family, friends, teachers and more. They all knew how much I struggled, but they also saw how I worked really hard and never gave up,” Nathan said. “Without their support, I couldn’t be where I am today.”
• He learned determination and perseverance. “Nothing is as hard to deal with as my dyslexia,” he said. “So, I know I can overcome anything.”

After graduating with a 3.95 GPA in 1998 with a bachelor’s degree in computer science with a minor in mathematics, Nathan went on to pursue a master’s in business administration from SIU, where he graduated with a 4.0 in 2000.

“With my dyslexia, I discovered that while I struggled with reading, I excelled with technology. While working on my bachelor’s at SIU, I sold computers out of my dorm room, and I was successful at it, calling my company ‘Stookeware,’" he said. “Then, I ventured into database design and programming, and from that I developed recruiting software for the U.S. Coast Guard.”

In 2003, Nathan started Wisper ISP, Inc., in his garage. Wisper now employs 21, has more than 118 broadcast points and serves about 3,200 customers who live or work near the St. Louis and Illinois metro-east area. Wisper offers Internet services, network solutions, custom connections, Web services and more.

“I love what I do, and I wouldn’t be where I am without dyslexia. It drove me to succeed,” he said. “When people told me I wouldn’t get a 4.0 in high school, I did. When they said I wouldn’t graduate from graduate school with a master’s in business administration, I did, and with a 4.0 GPA. When they said my small startup business couldn’t compete with the ‘big guys,’ we did and continue to do so.”

Aisin Manufacturing donates to Brehm Robotics Team

Coordinator of Development Russell Williams accepts a

check from Glenn Edwards and Cheri Romonsky of Aisin

Manufacturing for their sponsorship of Brehm's Robotics Team.

For the past three years, Aisin Manufacturing has partnered with the Brehm Robotics Program.

Aisin Manufacturing Illinois, LLC (AMI) is one of three Aisin plants located in Marion, Illinois. AMI manufactures a wide range of products for some of the most demanding customers in the automotive industry including Toyota, General Motors, Lexus and Mitsubishi. These products include sunroofs, side and back door components, center pillar garnishes and door handles.

For information on how you can impact Robotics or other Brehm programs, contact Russell Williams, Coordinator of Development, at 618.457.0371 or rwilliams@brehm.org

Team Megahurts to configure Dune Buggy to drive autonomously

With the struggles of raising capital and support this year to support Brehm Preparatory School's FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Robotics Competition Team Megahurts, the team is focusing on some projects that have fallen by the wayside, which are less financially demanding.

The first is to bring the Dune Buggies back to operational status and configure one to drive autonomously! That's correct, Team Megahurts will be training a new class of high school students interested in robotics & STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) by designing, building and integrating an autonomous driver control system in one of the team's off road buggies.

The concept is simple, but the execution is a very complicated process, especially since safety is a major concern. In principle, the larger buggy will be manually driven, while the smaller buggy follows autonomously - that means no one will be driving it!

Some of the problems the students will have to solve are object avoidance, evaluation of risk/danger factors, fusion of sensor data, locating and tracking of the lead buggy, and gracefully and safely handling system failures.

This project provides a great outlet for our advanced students and all of our newcomers. The first couple of days the team met, they were introduced to basic mechanics and engine maintenance.

The students removed any visibly damaged parts, drained and changed all of the fluids, then reassembled the radiator hoses and any other damaged or worn parts. Still left for repair are the ignition system and right front control arm. We expect to have the engine running within the next week. The students seemed to enjoy themselves and are very anxious to take it for a spin.

Brehm students attend Valentine Dance

Brehm Preparatory School's Student Council hosted "Love's a Mystery," a dance for sweethearts for the Valentine's Day holiday. Doors opened at 7pm. The dance ended at 9pm for RTS1 students and 10pm for RTS2 students. Only Tier Level 2 and above could attend the event.

Chrissy Strusz with the PACT department and students set up a "Crazy Photo Booth" for students and staff to dress up for and use wacky props in their photos.

Student Council members purchased Venetian-style masks for students to wear at the dance. Attendees were encouraged to "wear old-fashioned clothing - think Phantom of the Opera."

Refreshments were provided during the event. Fun was had by all!

Strategic planning retreat held at Brehm

Brehm Preparatory School and OPTIONS staff and faculty, parents of past and present students, board of trustees members and others participated in a strategic planning retreat recently.

Brehm stakeholders, dedicated to realizing a desired future they designed together, worked together to reflect on the past, organize their thoughts, identify what's important at Brehm, and reach an agreement on the future they would like to live out at Brehm.

Brehm engages its stakeholders in strategic planning each year to improve focus among all participants; promote collaboration within Brehm and with partners outside of Brehm; define measurements of success; translate strategies into programs, projects, products and services; and foster accountability among participants.

The strategic plan is a critical step in establishing an effective vision that articulates the organization intent, a clarifying mission that articulates the organization purpose, and identifies strategic objectives/goals against which a measure of progress can be made. Using the strategic plan as its guide, Brehm stakeholders can undertake the identification of efforts that support the strategies and formulate tactical plans of action to implement the efforts.

Dennis Bellafiore, Ph.D., president of ISMS Limited, a Pennsylvania-based consulting company, served as the moderator of the strategic planning retreat.

Brehm basketball player nominated to McDonalds All American team

Brehm Preparatory School senior, Bruce Barron, was nominated for the 2011 McDonald’s All American Boys Basketball Team. A senior at Brehm, Bruce is a 6’4” point guard, who recently signed a letter of intent to play basketball at the University of Oregon.

Katie and Jason Short, representing the Short family’s nine area McDonald’s restaurants, presented Bruce with a certificate highlighting the honor recently at Brehm Preparatory School’s gymnasium.

“We are extremely proud to be able to honor Bruce with this nomination,” Katie said. “He is a tremendous basketball player, and we are excited and honored to be able to recognize not only his achievements, but also the achievements of Brehm Preparatory School.”

While Bruce was not chosen to be on the 2011 McDonald’s All American Boys Basketball Team, he was a finalist.

“It is a very prestigious honor to be nominated,” said Brehm prep basketball team head coach Aaron Lee. “We are so very proud of Bruce. Our entire school stands behind him and supports him.”

Keeping our students healthy this winter

Winter is making its presence known once again around Brehm's campus with glistening snow here and there, cold temperatures and, of course, the occasional cold or flu bug. Faculty and staff members are being diligent about trying to keep these bugs at bay, but we could always use the help of our students' parents and family members.

As our staff, faculty and students spend so much time together indoors, it is hard to make it through the winter without battling some type of illness. However, there are ways our students can combat cold and flu season without missing a beat this winter. Nursing Administrator at Brehm, Jeannine Banning, R.N., M.S.Ed., has provided some tips to encourage your children to follow:

• Wash your hands. While it might seem like a simple request, encouraging your child to wash his/her hands may prevent them from spreading germs.
• Cover your mouth. Encourage your child to cover his/her mouth when coughing or sneezing, and to wash their hands afterwards, if possible.
• Stay hydrated. If your child drinks eight 8-ounce glasses of water each day, they will be able to flush out their system, including the illnesses that might enter their body during this cold and flu season.
• Stay active. Brehm offers so many activities for your child to participate in. Encourage them to get out there and stay active!
• Don't eat or drink after others. There are so many ways for germs to be passed around while at school, and eating or drinking after others is the easiest way. Help us help them stop the spread of germs by encouraging them not to eat or drink after other people.

Brehm has a long-standing policy to isolate contagious illnesses as much as possible to reduce the likelihood of infecting other students. If your child has a potentially serious illness, such as Strep or Mono, you will be contacted to bring your child home for recuperation. This measure helps the student recuperate more fully and comfortably and diminishes the risk of spreading the illness to others.

Students create beautiful ceramic art

Brehm Preparatory School students created incredible ceramic pieces of art during visual arts classes. The students made ceramic sculpture figurines "loosely based on ancient artwork of different civilizations," said teacher Wade Brady.

The students began learning ceramic hand-building techniques about six weeks ago that culminated in this complex figurine sculpture project.

"The unit started out with learning how to build a coil coffee cup and a slab candle holder, and finally moved into design. It all came together for this fin

al project using all the techniques," Wade said. "It is one of the most successful projects that I have seen from my classes. I am very proud of the students and their work."

Brehm understands that a creative outlet is crucial for its students, so students are encouraged to explore the arts with our talented instructors. Brehm students produce high-quality artwork that often wins awards at local and regional art shows. Traditional art classes include:

• Painting
• Collage
• 3-D art
• Silk-screening
• and other creative techniques

Video released of paintball team in action

Brehm Preparatory School's paintball team created a video from the footage they captured while participating in "The Zombie Conflict" at Bailey's Battlefield in Niangua, Missouri in October.

The video shows the students not only having fun, but also working together as a team.

Students visit health career fair

Brehm Preparatory School students attended the 16th Annual Health Careers Showcase at John A. Logan College.

They attended sessions that introduced the specific health career, wages for those careers, and employment trends. Some of the sessions students were most impressed with were: Veterinarian Technology, Cardiac Medical Sonography, Dental Hygiene, Emergency Medical Services, Nursing and several other fields.

Students were able to listen and ask questions to professionals as well as students who are currently studying in these fields. They also were taken on tours of the nursing and dental departments located on JALC campus.

For more information about John A. Logan College in Carterville, Ill., visit www.jalc.edu.

How can the new dietary guidelines help Brehm students make healthier choices?

By Melissa Banz, MS, RD, LDN

Dietitian, Brehm Preparatory School

Lifestyles that are focused on consuming fewer calories, eating nutrient dense (healthy) foods and being active can help you attain and maintain a healthy weight, reduce your risk of chronic disease and promote overall health.

The new 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans reflect these strategies (for more information visit www.dietaryguidelines.gov). Below is a preview of some of the tips:

• Enjoy your food, but eat less.
• Consume more nutrient-dense foods
• Make half your plate fruits and vegetables
• Switch to fat-free or low-fat (1%) milk
• Include whole grain foods to most of your meals
• Eat more seafood (and other lean proteins)
• Compare foods with sodium, saturated and trans fat, added sugar and refined grains – choose foods with lower numbers
• Drink water instead of sugary drinks

How is Brehm promoting these messages with your children? Brehm hosts discussion groups where students can talk about these topics over lunch on Fridays.

In January, we discussed general recommendations for healthy eating for teens, where we discussed many topics, including:

• Why is healthy eating important?
• What foods they should eat more of.
• Strategies for a healthy weight.
• We’ve looked at how healthy eating translates to their “plate:" ½ the plate should be full of fruits and vegetables, a ¼ full of whole grains and the remaining ¼ with a lean protein.
• We’ve shared strategies for eating less. For example, drinking 1-2 glasses of water before a meal; eating a healthy breakfast; not skipping meals; and tracking what you eat and when you are active.

This month we will focus on identifying their individual calories needs, tracking what they are eating and comparing that to the new 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

Brehm also meets the Dietary Guidelines by offering a salad bar that provides a variety of green, red and orange vegetables and fruits. Students should be encouraged to fill half their plate full of fruits and vegetables before filling the remaining half with the lunch or dinner offered.

Brehm offers low fat milk and yogurt with every meal; teens should be encouraged to choose low fat dairy foods more often in order to meet their calcium needs. The kitchen staff is helping by including more whole grains and seafood to the menu and cooking with less fat and added sugar.

Melissa Banz has been a registered dietitian since May 2001, working in community nutrition. She graduated from the University of Nevada-Reno with a bachelor's of science in dietetics and then received a master's in science in community nutrition from Southern Illinois University-Carbondale. She currently works with the Department of Human Services as a nutrition consultant providing training, education, consultation, and technical assistance to the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) and other maternal and child health programs. Her experiences emphasize individualized, patient-centered counseling and training and the development of effective educational materials. For the last few years, she has been using her experience in community nutrition to consult with private businesses to help individuals and families live a healthier lifestyle.