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.

November Academic Staff of the Month

by Bradley Becque | Dec 3, 2022 | Academic, Staff of The Month

November Academic Staff of the Month

Barb Drew is the embodiment of the Brehm spirit and culture that reminds us that learning, though challenging, can be fun when you have someone who incorporates a strength-based caring approach that builds trust and rapport with students that allows her to tap into the untapped potential that otherwise would be neglected or missed altogether in a traditional classroom setting.

Barb Drew has been working tirelessly to restart Student Council on Brehm’s campus, ensuring that our students have a voice in the process and helping them organize themselves into committees designed to address the specific issues that mean most to each of them and their constituents.

In conjunction with her Student Council co-facilitator Jen Conwell, Barb has sacrificed countless lunch periods to meet with students to help them organize their thoughts into sensible policies that can be put forth to Brehm’s Administrative Team to better help address the issues that are most salient to the student body. If you’ve had the pleasure of working with Barb before, you’ll understand that this process is informative, fun, and engaging.

Barb has also spent her personal time reorganizing the Brehm Student Store. For those unfamiliar with the Brehm Student Store, it’s an opportunity to provide students with real-world job experience involving engaging with customers, processing orders, and providing correct change. This provides them with real-world employability skills that are transferable across a variety of industries. The Brehm Student Store also provides Student Council with a fundraising opportunity, with the proceeds largely going to fund Brehm’s Prom, which is tentatively scheduled for Friday, May 5th, 2023, provided that Student Council raises enough money to rent space off-campus.

Barb has worked to implement the Lexia Learning program Core5 Reading and PowerUp Literacy programs in her work with our students and has been instrumental in its implementation across the program. Barb has worked to understand the program so she can provide training to other faculty and staff and it has helped to better our on-campus literacy initiative as a result.

Barb and Jen worked with the student body, in conjunction with Jeremy Robbins, LaNeal Nance, Jordan Vandeveer, and Brehm’s newest employee, Licensed School Social Worker Cody Roberts, to string the lights on the Lights Fantastic Float, aka the maintenance truck, which we are thankful to Tom Coffel and Mike Hosman for letting us procure for a large part of the week. Barb and Jen worked to design the float and got vital help from Brad Siemer and Monte Hefner, who helped to get the bright “BREHM” lights strung on a sturdy sign that will go across the grill of the truck.

Student Life Staff of the Month: October

by Jordan Vandeveer | Nov 4, 2022 | Blog Post, Staff of The Month, Student Life

Student Life Staff of the Month: October

Our Student Life Staff of the month is Cassandra Hirsch.

Cassandra Hirsch is our Lead Assistant Dorm Parent in Grandin Hall. Cassandra is an inspiring mentor in the dorm where she empowers our students to be the best versions of themselves. She is excellent at supporting students through difficult tasks that challenge their comfort zones. She comes up with creative solutions, stays positive, and will go above and beyond to ensure the student needs are being met. Her compassion and trust allows her to create positive relationships with the students. Her discipline and leadership models to the students accountability and how to build a successful future. Thank you, Cassandra, for being a positive influence on our campus!