February Student Life Staff of The Month

by Jordan Vandeveer | Apr 8, 2023 | Staff of The Month, Student Life

February Student Life Staff of The Month

Our Student Life Staff of the month is Devin Snoddy!

Devin Snoddy is the Dorm Parent for our girls dorm, Grandin Hall. She has swiftly proven her background in childcare and understanding of neurodiversity makes her an indispensable addition to our team this year. She brings with her an upbeat attitude, therapeutic approach, and practice in gentle parenting. She actively works with students to create strategies to practice, which further develops their independence. Photography is another passion Devin shares with our students. She led a photography group during the fall semester and encouraged the students to push their creativity and comfort zone by being on both sides of the lens. We could not be more impressed with Devin’s rapport with students and staff as well as her dedication to the Brehm mission. Thank you, Devin, for inspiring our students and being a part of the Brehm family!

February Academic Staff of the Month

by Courtney Vincent | Apr 8, 2023 | Academic, Staff of The Month

Meghan Collins Morse is an exceptional Arrowsmith Instructor at Brehm Preparatory School, with over a decade of experience in supporting student growth both inside and outside the classroom. With her unwavering dedication and passion for helping students overcome learning challenges, Meghan has become a beloved figure at Brehm over her 10 years and 7 months of service.

As an Arrowsmith Instructor, Meghan brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to her role, using innovative techniques and strategies to help students with cognitive weaknesses improve their cognitive functions. Her patience, understanding, and compassionate approach create a nurturing environment where students feel supported and empowered to reach their full potential.

Beyond her expertise in the classroom, Meghan’s impact extends far beyond her academic achievements. She goes above and beyond to build meaningful relationships with her students, providing guidance and mentorship to help them navigate challenges and develop important life skills. Her genuine care for her students shines through in everything she does, creating a positive and inclusive atmosphere where students thrive.

Meghan Collins Morse is truly an invaluable asset to Brehm Preparatory School, and her unwavering commitment to student success is evident in the growth and achievements of her students. Her dedication, expertise, and compassion make her a truly exceptional instructor, and she is deeply appreciated by students, colleagues, and the entire Brehm community.

January Academic Staff of the Month

by Courtney Vincent | Feb 10, 2023 | Academic, Staff of The Month

January Academic Staff of the Month

Emerick Neitzer is our newest teacher at Brehm Preparatory School, shining a unique light on science concepts for our students.

A veteran teacher in the Carbondale community, Emerick stepped into the Brehm family to teach environmental science, chemistry, biology, and other concepts within the field of scientific inquiry. He is known by the students for his impressive implementation of technology in the classroom, a mix of hands-on activities and experiments, his laid-back approach to classroom discussion, and having the sweetest dog in the world, Dara whom he shares with his class several days a week. His ability to teach complex concepts in a sequential and robust manner while also breaking them down for differentiated instruction is tremendous and entirely in line with the academic tradition Brehm has fostered for 40 years.

In addition to all this, Emerick is masterful in his use of Google Classroom to deliver instruction in a multi-media format. Students interact within the classroom with the material and are able to revisit it when needed for review. He has also found other online tools that help students prepare for different types of testing situations in order to prepare the college-bound for higher stakes testing.

We are greatly blessed to have such a talented teacher with us at Brehm. Congratulations, Emerick on being our January Academic Staff of the Month!

Student Life Staff of the Month January

by Jordan Vandeveer | Feb 9, 2023 | Staff of The Month, Student Life

Student Life Staff of the Month January

Our Student Life Staff of the month is Nolen BecK!

Nolen Beck holds two roles within Student Life working actively with the recreation program and is an assistant dorm parent within Jenner Hall. Male role models who offer positive support for students greatly impact their confidence levels. Nolen engages the students and encourages them to try things that may be outside of their comfort zone. Empathy, patience, and attentiveness are only a few of the many qualities Nolen brings to his interactions with the students. Thank you, Nolen, for being an influential leader on our campus.

ELA Newsletter Week 14

by Courtney Vincent | Dec 16, 2022 | Academic, All Posts, Blog Post, English/Language Arts

ELA Newsletter Week 14

It’s beginning to look a lot like finals…

One of the most challenging parts of teaching English Language Arts and Literature classes at Brehm is the finals that encompass the end of the term before a long break (once in December before winter break and once in May before we depart for summer).

Over the years, I have done finals in many ways. Different students’ finals can look very different based on each students’ strengths and the focus areas we have for them. Some students need practice with traditional exams that cover the content from the entire semester with a focus on analysis of reading material and demonstration of various writing and reading strategies. Some have a skills-based final where I give various fluency, comprehension, and decoding exercises and I use these assessments to track their progress. Others are set up as a mix of stations where content and skills are tested. Needless to say, finals take quite a bit of thought and prep in this content area!

Since returning from Thanksgiving, students in language arts and literature have finished up their novel studies, have worked on their writing assignments and final projects related to those novels, and/or worked on specific reading strategies that they will employ on their final exam. In the upcoming week, I will be out on Monday but students will work on a reading, grammar, and writing exercise. The rest of the week will be spent in practice, content review, and reteaching before their finals the following week.

In creative writing, students have rethought the writing they were doing and decided whether they wanted to continued with the haunting story they had started using the Story Arc as their outline or if they wanted to morph their haunted stories in holiday tales. The goal is to finish these stories by December 15th. (Fingers crossed.)

Congratulations to the winner of the Thanksgiving Reading Challenge: Avery Davis!!!!

Week in Review: Nov. 28- Dec.2 —Use these to ask your kids what they are learning!
Junior High Language Arts-Word Play (lect, -logy, err-, fin-); Viewed The Legends of Ga’Hoole movie, created analysis chart comparing the book and the movie, discussion.

Language Arts-Word Play (lect, -logy, err-, fin-); Visualizing and Verbalizing image writing; V/V non-fiction Mark Twain biography page and comprehension questions; V/V non-fiction Montgomery Bus Boycott informational passage and comprehension questions

Literary Strategies- Word Play (lect, -logy, err-, fin-) Continued and finished working on five-paragraph essays comparing three main male adults in the book Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes. Editing and conferencing completed.

Creative Writing-Idiom Word Play (pay through the nose, bring down the house, talk through your hat, high on the hog); Choose your own adventure-decide if it is best to continue your current writing, morph the story into a new direction, or start fresh while still focusing on the Story Arc as the outline.

Modern Literature- Word Play (lect, -logy, err-, fin-); finished Pop Music vs. Classic Poetry mini-unit; Commonlit poetry practice with Tupac Shakur and We Wear the Mask.

Week in Review: Nov. 28- Dec.2 —Use these to ask your kids what they are learning!
Junior High Language Arts-Word Play (lect, -logy, err-, fin-); Viewed The Legends of Ga’Hoole movie, created analysis chart comparing the book and the movie, discussion.

Language Arts-Word Play (lect, -logy, err-, fin-); Visualizing and Verbalizing image writing; V/V non-fiction Mark Twain biography page and comprehension questions; V/V non-fiction Montgomery Bus Boycott informational passage and comprehension questions

Literary Strategies- Word Play (lect, -logy, err-, fin-) Continued and finished working on five-paragraph essays comparing three main male adults in the book Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes. Editing and conferencing completed.

Creative Writing-Idiom Word Play (pay through the nose, bring down the house, talk through your hat, high on the hog); Choose your own adventure-decide if it is best to continue your current writing, morph the story into a new direction, or start fresh while still focusing on the Story Arc as the outline.

Modern Literature- Word Play (lect, -logy, err-, fin-); finished Pop Music vs. Classic Poetry mini-unit; Commonlit poetry practice with Tupac Shakur and We Wear the Mask.

Finals Scheudle

ELA_Newsletter-Week_13

by Courtney Vincent | Dec 16, 2022 | Academic, Blog Post, English/Language Arts

ELA_Newsletter-Week_13

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Happy Thanksgiving

to all of you!

I am so thankful for all of my students, for my opportunity to work at such a wonderful school that truly tries to do what is best for each student. Thank you for letting me teach your child. I will see you all after the break! Then three weeks til winter break. The time moves too fast. Enjoy the week!

~ Courtney

WEEK IN REVIEW: NOV. 14-18—USE THESE TO ASK YOUR KIDS WHAT THEY ARE LEARNING!

Junior High Language Arts-Word Play (demi-, hyper-); almost finished Guardians of Ga’Hoole and discussion; Thanksgiving Would You Rather.

Language Arts-Word Play (demi-, hyper-); Image Analysis Pre-reading activity; Working through an excerpt from A Taste of Blackberries; Comprehension, Maze, and Vocabulary extension; Thanksgiving Would You Rather.

Literary Strategies- Word Play (demi-, hyper-); Differences Among Men Outline and Essay; Thanksgiving Would You Rather.

Creative Writing-Idiom Word Play (pie in the sky, lose your shirt, gone to the dogs); Inciting Incidents in Short Stories; Thanksgiving Would You Rather.

Modern Literature- Word Play (demi-, hyper-); How to Read a Poem; Poetry Lingo; Pop Music vs. Classic Poetry; Thanksgiving Would You Rather