Inaugural BPA 5K Walk/Run to be held November 7

Brehm Parents Association is planning a 5K Walk/Run for Sunday, November 7 to wrap up Fall Parent and Family Weekend. The race will begin at 9 a.m. in front of the Student Activities Center.

“We have more than 20 students who are running in the mornings before school, so, as a way to end a great weekend, we wanted to have the parents show our children support for taking action on their health,” said Maureen Wielansky, BPA President. “We hope it will give families time to bond with their children before they leave for home.”

Maureen said she hopes the 5K Walk/Run will be an annual event.

“I can see this as a great fundraiser for the school,” she said. “We could open it to the community, have sponsors and sell t-shirts.”

Maureen said she will participate in the 5K Walk/Run this year.

“I have participated in numerous 5Ks, and I love the length – not too long or too short,” she said. “Races are a great way to learn how to compete against yourself, so instead of the kids trying to beat someone else, they become more dedicated to self-improvement.”

All students, parents, family members, staff and faculty are invited to participate in the inaugural BPA 5K Walk/Run.

To sign-up, please e-mail Dalus Kulich, Coordinator of Communications at Brehm, at dkulich@brehm.org or call (618) 457-0371 ext. 1309.

There is no cost to participate in this year’s 5K event, however, to purchase a long-sleeve t-shirt commemorating the event, the cost is $8 to be paid prior to the race. Please make checks payable to Brehm Preparatory School.

Brehm students attend Halloween Dance

Brehm Student Council sponsored a Halloween Dance for all students on Wednesday evening.

The dance began at 7 p.m. in the Student Activities Center gymnasium.

Students, staff and faculty dance the night away in costume to music chosen by the Student Council.

The dance was the final event in the Student Council's "Horror Wednesdays" series. The first event was a showing of the classic "Psycho" on October 13. On October 20, the students watched "Poltergeist."

Students celebrate Halloween early

Students donned their costumes today during school in honor of the Costume Party and Dance they will have tonight, beginning at 7 p.m.

The Brehm Student Council is putting on the party and dance for their fellow students at the Student Activities Center.

Brehm participates in For Kids' Sake fundraiser

This fall, Brehm participated in the For Kids' Sake fundraiser.

For Kids' Sake is a comprehensive fundraising program that supports orphanages and schools in Bangladesh.

From October 6-15, Brehm students collected spare change for the fundraiser, which helps more than 3,000 school children and orphans Bangladesh.

Another way Brehm students are helping their peers in Bangladesh is by participating in the 11th annual For Kids' Sake Art Show and Silent Auction. Brehm has been participating in this event since 2000.

This heart-warming event auctions children's artwork from Southern Illinois and Bangladesh, and all of the proceeds go to support the Bangladeshi children.

This year, the Art Show will be on display from November 12 - December 10 at nine local businesses, including: Longbranch Coffeehouse, White and Borgognoni, Thai Taste, Global Gourmet, Arthur Agency, Town Square market, Hair Brains, Harbaughs' and Tres Hombres.

For more information, visit www.forkidssake.net.

Brehm soccer players face off against faculty

The Brehm soccer team ended their season with a match against faculty recently.

Staff and students filled the sidelines to cheer each side on during the afternoon match.

The faculty took the early lead with a 2-0 score, but the student soccer team quickly rallied back with two consecutive goals to tie it up, 2-2, by halftime.

Faculty scored two goals in the second half to clinch the 4-2 win.

Brehm students 'walk where Lincoln walked'

On October 16-17, Lance Williams' US History and Government classes traveled to Springfield, IL, on a two-day field trip to "Walk Where Lincoln Walked."

The field trip was part of the classes' "Lincoln Research Project," and helped students learn more about our nation's 16th president and do on-site research for their research project.

"This field trip is the beginning of what will become my classes' 'Lincoln Research Project,' which will continue throughout the year and culminate in a student-made documentary on our 16th President," Lance said. "The field trip allowed students a hands-on, on-site experience of the life of Abraham Lincoln. The students had a blast, and I believe we got some history buffs out of the trip."

The field trip consisted of a visit to:

• New Salem, IL
• the Lincoln Home
• the Old State Capitol
• the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum
• the Lincoln Tomb

"We were the last tour at the Lincoln Tomb, and being so, the students were asked if they wanted to help fold the flags in front of the tomb!" said Lance. "It was quite a cool experience for the students."

Students attend Civil War Days

Brad Siemer's U.S. History class at Brehm School attended the sixth annual Civil War Days at John A. Logan College recently.

The students listened to Barry Hancock, associate dean for community education at John A. Logan College and Michael Jones from the John A. Logan Museum, who spoke about John A. Logan and Southern Illinois during the Civil War.

Students also visited several "stations" at the event, including:

• Civil War Medical Doctor
• Life of a Civil War Soldier
• Firing of Cannon
• Robert E. Lee
• Southern Flags
• Civil War Re-enactors
• Members of the 31st Illinois Volunteer Infantry
• Lincoln Impersonator
• Women in the Civil War

The keynote speaker, Donald T. Phillips, also addressed the students. Phillips is the best-selling author of major works of nonfiction, including Lincoln on Leadership, The Founding Fathers On Leadership and Martin Luther King Jr. On Leadership.

"The students and I enjoy Civil War Days at John A. Logan College because we both can learn through the living history experience while in an exciting environment," said Brad.

The Civil War Days event was held from 9a.m.-2p.m.

Paintball team prepares for battle

The Brehm Paintball Team spent many hours this weekend preparing for an upcoming battle - "The Zombie Conflict."

"The Zombie Conflict" will take place October 23-24 at Bailey's Battlefield in Niangua, Missouri.

Also, a Paintball Team presentation will take place during Fall Parent and Family Weekend on Saturday, November 6 from 3:30 to 4:30pm at the Paintball Field at Brehm.

Place your orders now for BPA fundraiser

The Brehm Parents Association fundraiser is coming to a close in November, so orders need to be placed soon.

The BPA is utilizing Innisbrook to raise funds. Innisbrook offers:

• Designer gift wrap printed on recycled paper
• Gift wrapping accessories
• Chocolates
• Candy
• Candles
• Magazine subscriptions
• Soup mixes
• Kitchen utensils
• Gift items
• Makeup
• Much more

"I love the quality of the gift wrapping paper at Innisbrook," said Maureen Wielansky, BPA President. "It is durable, easy to maneuver and plentiful, plus they always have beautiful styles. Some papers are even reversible. It is the only paper I will use."

To support the BPA through their Innisbrook fundraiser, log onto www.innisbrook.com and enter Brehm's school code - 104400. Innisbrook will credit the school with a contribution of 40 percent of your total product cost. Products you order will ship directly to you (or wherever you'd like it to be sent).

The Innisbrook fundraiser will be available 24/7 until the middle of November.

For more information, please contact Dalus Kulich, Coordinator of Communications at Brehm, at dkulich@brehm.org or visit bpa.groupsite.com.

Brehm soccer team wraps up season

The Brehm soccer team wrapped up another spectacular season this week.

Highlights include winning the match with Westwood Baptist of Poplar Bluff, Mo. 4-0 on October 7 and having a terrific season that included hard work and practice, but also a lot of camaraderie and fun times.

BPA creates Groupsite page

The Brehm Parents Association would like to invite you to be a part of their online networking group - bpa.groupsite.com.

BPA President Maureen Wielansky started the site.

“We wanted to have a place where parents could connect, share resources and support each other,” Maureen said. “Groupsite is great for e-mailing everyone when you have a question as well as sharing a resource, such as a great Web site. It is also a place where the BPA can keep parents in the loop.”

There are currently 40 members of the BPA’s Groupsite.

“Right now, we are working on getting all the parents to sign into our Groupsite; we only have about 20 percent of our parents signed up, so our communication has been limited,” Maureen said. “We are starting our preparations for Parents’ Weekend, such as staff appreciation, social events and our upcoming race on the Sunday morning of Parents Weekend, so it is essential to have as many of our parents as possible participating in these conversations.”

Maureen said that overall BPA participation has been high, and she is hoping that the Groupsite will keep the momentum going.

“Many parents have signed up and are willing to help, we just want to make sure we are in communication so that is why the parents need to opt into our Groupsite,” she said.

The Groupsite contains a group calendar, discussion boards, profiles of members, file storage, photo galleries and more for members. If you are interested in joining, please visit bpa.groupsite.com or e-mail Dalus Kulich, Brehm Coordinator of Communications, at dkulich@brehm.org.

OPTIONS students celebrate diversity

OPTIONS students explore cultures through cuisine every Wednesday evening. This past Wednesday, students enjoyed "American BBQ."

Culinary Diversity Night is a themed dinner where each standard apartment prepares a complex dish from various cultures. Two of the apartments host the dinners. The recipes are predetermined by staff and given to students during meal preparation.

Culinary Diversity Night began this school year on September 1 with a "Hawaiian Luau" theme, followed by:

• "Into the Garden" on September 8
• "Greek Toga Party" on September 15
• Spanish Tapas on September 22
• Swiss Fondue on September 29

Students prep the food on Tuesday evening and cook on Wednesday.

The "American BBQ" menu included:

• Honey BBQ Chicken
• BBQ Short Ribs
• Marinated pork chops
• Fresh homemade pineapple salsa
• Mesquite BBQ Beans
• Sweet and Spicy Coleslaw
• Crusty Cornbread
• Fried Apple Pie a la mode
• Homemade Ice Tea

"It is necessary for us to have prep work on Tuesdays to allow our students to see the time and effort needed to make a meal of this size. This, in turn, allows them to have an appreciation for their specific menu item and enjoy the entire culinary experience," said Jeff Vincent, Independent Living Counselor at OPTIONS. "Culinary Diversity Nights are themed to allow students to explore, prep and cook specific ethnic/American cuisines. Every week students have a specific recipe that breaks down which apartment will have the main entree, side item, dessert and beverage.

"Our students have been amazing in their participation this year and will continue working each week on complex themes and recipes throughout the year."

OPTIONS (Optimizing Potential Through Individualized, On-going, Nurtured Successes) Program at Brehm is 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.

Brehm to host Harvard's 2010 Dyslexia Foundation Teleconference

On Friday, October 15, 2010, Brehm Preparatory School, one of the nation’s leading schools for children with learning disabilities, will host the 2010 Harvard Medical School 2010 Dyslexia Foundation Conference.

The videoconference 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 foundations on literacy, reading and dyslexia.

This conference is eligible for Continuing Education credits. Forms will be available on-site.

The Dyslexia Foundation is sponsoring this yearly event. The title of this year’s conference is “A Recipe for Successful Teaching & Learning: Literacy, Reading, Dyslexia from Research to Practice.”

Topics covered will include: historical perspective of Dyslexia research, helping struggling readers achieve the highest levels of literacy, phonological awareness, practicing what research has proven, MRI studies and executive function and implications for reading, learner assessment and program evaluation.

The conference will take place at the Joseph B. Martin Conference Center Harvard Medical School, however Brehm Preparatory School will be the only satellite location in the Midwest that will be hosting live feeds directly from this Harvard event.

The fee to attend the teleconference is $20 for those who wish to eat lunch provided by Brehm or $15 for those not eating lunch provided by Brehm. There is an additional fee of $25 for those who wish to receive ASHA Continuing Education credits.

The Dyslexia Foundation’s mission is to promote scientific breakthroughs in the early detection, prevention and remediation of dyslexia and related reading difficulties; to disseminate new findings and deploy new evidence based approaches; and to prevent the suffering caused by reading failure and unlock the full potential of children and adults with dyslexia so that they may personally succeed and contribute to society.

Brehm Preparatory School is a 501 (C) (3) located in Carbondale, Ill. with a mission to empower students with complex learning disabilities to recognize and achieve their full potential.

Conference schedule

• 8:30-8:45 - Introduction
• 8:45-9:45 - Welcome and Brief Historical Perspective of Dyslexia Research
• 9:45-10:45 - Reading Research and Reading the Research: Helping Struggling Readers Achieve The Highest Levels of Literacy
• 10:45-11:15 - Break
• 11:15-12:15 - An Update on Research and Practice: Phonological Awareness, Reading and Literacy: Reading Achievement in Preschool Through Elementary
• 12:15-12:45 - 2010 TDF Award
• 12:45-1:45 - Lunch
• 1:45-2:45 - Practicing What Research Has Proven; Teaching Reading To Middle and High School Students
• 2:45-3:45 - What Else Can the Brain Tell Us? MRI Studies and Executive Function - Implications for Reading
• 3:45-4:15 - Closing Remarks
• 4:15-4:30 - Learner Assessment and Program Evaluation.

For more information or to attend this conference, contact Dalus Kulich, Coordinator of Communications at Brehm, at 618.457.0371 ext. 1309 or dkulich@brehm.org. Log on to www.dyslexiafoundation.org for a full conference schedule and list of speakers.

What is your communication style?

Shown at the board is SLP Deb Browne.

Photo by Lara Mazzone.

Students in several social-pragmatic language groups brainstormed and identified their “communication styles” recently.

This activity helps students begin to see their behaviors from the outside, as others see them.

Each student either underlined or a drew a symbol by descriptors for the various ways they communicate and received careful feedback from Speech-Language Pathologists and other students.

Styles suggested ranged from more positive styles like open, honest, playful on the left, to the more negative styles of gruff, argumentative, and rigid on the right side. Guess which words represent your child’s style?

During group and individual sessions, we discussed what situations bring out the best and worst in us as well as what styles we like to be around. The activity lays a fun foundation for understanding the “impression making” concepts. Through impression-making work, students realize the “ongoing idea of them” in other people’s minds, and how the impressions get created by what they say, what they do, and how they look. This provides internal motivation for many behaviors we want to develop.

Goals related to impression making and perspective taking are part of the Brehm Speech-Language Department’s use of the “social thinking” curriculum developed by SLP Michelle Winner.

A typed list was provided as an accommodation for those with visual processing difficulties who might find the colorful writing too chaotic.