brehm and options impact summer 2014 newsletter

8
Making an on young lives. Impa t Class of 2014! Congratulations to OPTIONS students: (from left to right) Tyler Honeycutt received a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Communication Design from Southern Illinois University Carbondale in May 2014, Maddy Gifford received an Associates of Applied Arts in Office Supervision and Management from John A. Logan College in May, and Patty Noll earned her Certificate of Completion in Social Services from OPTIONS. Congrats OPTIONS students! Making an on young lives. The 2014 Brehm School Commencement Ceremony took place on Friday, May 30th, 2014. Congratulations to the 22 students who participated in the ceremony in front of an excited crowd full of families, teachers, and friends. During the ceremony, the brehm Parents Association presented two prestigious awards: the Inspiration Award and the Citizenship Award. Phillip Alexander Parker-Jones won the Inspiration Award, which is given to a graduate who displays persistence and courage in facing and pursuing personal, academic, and social challenges. won the Presidential Award for Academic Excellence. This Award is presented to the top academic student who receives a certificate, a pin, and a signed letter from President Barack Obama. won the Citizenship Award, which is given to a graduate who displays the qualities of a good citizen – cooperative, courteous, dependable, helpful, and thoughtful. Impa t Congrats OPTIONS students! Graduation Issue - Summer 2014

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Bi-annual publication of the Brehm School Foundation, a 501(c)(3) public charity, making an impact on students with complex learning disabilities. The Foundation supports Brehm School, OPTIONS Transitions to Independence, and the Brehm Institute for Curricular and Cognitive Research, all based in Carbondale, Illinois.

TRANSCRIPT

Page 1: Brehm and OPTIONS IMPACT Summer 2014 Newsletter

Mak

ing

an

on yo

ung

lives

.Im

pa

tClass of 2014!

Congratulations to OPTIONS students: (from left to right) Tyler Honeycutt received a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Communication Design from Southern Illinois UniversityCarbondale in May 2014, Maddy Gifford received an Associates of Applied Arts in Office Supervision and Management from John A. Logan College in May, and Patty Noll earned her Certificate of Completion in Social Services from OPTIONS.

Congrats OPTIONSstudents!

Mak

ing

an

on yo

ung

lives

.

The 2014 Brehm School Commencement Ceremony took place on Friday, May 30th, 2014. Congratulations to

the 22 students who participated in the ceremony in front of an excited crowd full of families, teachers, and friends.

During the ceremony, the brehm Parents Association presented two prestigious awards: the Inspiration Award

and the Citizenship Award.

Phillip

Alexander

Parker-Jones

won the

Inspiration

Award, which

is given to a

graduate who displays persistence

and courage in facing and pursuing

personal, academic, and

social challenges.

won the

Presidential

Award for

Academic

Excellence.

This Award is presented to the top

academic student who receives a

certificate, a pin, and a signed letter

from President Barack Obama.

won the

Citizenship

Award, which

is given to a

graduate who

displays the qualities of a good

citizen – cooperative, courteous,

dependable, helpful,

and thoughtful.

Im

pa

t

Congrats OPTIONSstudents!

Graduat

ion Iss

ue - Su

mmer

2014

Page 2: Brehm and OPTIONS IMPACT Summer 2014 Newsletter

What is the purpose of recruiting international students?

Brian Taylor: The main purpose is to help increase enrollment to our optimal capacity. Our goal is to be able to have between 15 and 20 percent of our total enrollment come frominternational recruiting. And, of course, a culturally diverse student body providesgreat opportunities for enriching social experiences and social skills developmentfor all our students.

What countries have you traveled to for Brehm?

Brian Taylor: I've traveled to Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Seoul, Tokyo,Bangkok, Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam, Singapore, Manila, Istanbul and Ankara in Turkey, Dubai, Brazil,

Columbia, Mexico, Panama and many of the different provinces of Canada.

What impact do international students haveon domestic Brehm students?

Brian Taylor: We currently have studentsfrom Africa, Southeast Asia, and SouthAmerica. Exposure to different cultures enhances our students’ experience and helpsthem think more globally. It teaches ourstudents how to interact with people whoare different from them. It helps them learnto be more understanding and appreciativeof those differences.

How does Admissions decide on the locations you travel to?

Brian Taylor: There are organizations suchas TABS (The Association of Boarding Schools)and Linden Boarding School Tours thathost boarding school expos all over theworld. They do all the "leg work" such asresearching the financial trends of cities,advertising and reaching out to contacts forthe events. We also use analytics from ourwebsite to identify countries and areas fromwhere our web traffic comes. On my visitto Mexico, I participated in a consortiumwith three of our competitors. We used theDepartment of Commerce – U.S. Commer-cial Services to market and promote theevent. They identified and contacted allthe people we wanted to connect with in Mexico such as child psychologists,

heads of schools, school counselors and interested families. There wereover 53 people in attendance, and the total cost was a fraction of the cost

of using the tour services.

What progress has been made for Brehm as aresult of your travels?

Brian Taylor: We will be entering yearthree of a five-year commitment, and wehave had three students enroll in either thesummer program or the regular junior/senior high school program. We recently had a family visit our campus from Panama,whom I met while I was there last spring. We are also getting many referrals from admissions directors of neuro-typicalschools that I have met during my travels.

Do you have aninteresting travel-related story toshare?

Brian Taylor: Yes! Dr. Collinsand I were at areception at the home of the U.S. Ambassador toTurkey inAnkara, Turkey.

We were in a conversation with the U.S.Ambassador, who was about to give aspeech with the Turkish Minister of Education. The Ambassador had neverheard of a boarding school that specifically educates students with learning disabilities.

He was impressed. As we were talking, the interpreter of the Turkish Minister ofEducation was telling him what we weresaying, and the Minister "lit up." This conversation caused them to change theirspeech to incorporate Brehm being there.

The next day, I flew to Istanbul, and Dr. Collins went on to Israel. I was notinvited to a large televised conference oneducation, but Dr. Collins told me to try to get in. I used my ID tag from the conference in Ankara to get into the televised conference. At the first intermission, I was drinking coffee, and awoman approached me and asked, "Aren'tyou from that special school in the US?", I answered "Yes, I am." She asked me,"Where is the Dr?" and I told her he had toleave. She then told me, "The minister ofEducation wants to know if you will speakat the conference," and I said “Sure.”

I then found myself giving an eight-minute televised speech from Istanbul(a bridge between two continents - Asia and Europe)on how Brehm School helps students with learning disabilities. <>Brian Taylor at the Great Wall of China October 2012.

Brehm attends Boarding School Fair at Al Nibras School in Kuwait City, Kuwait in October 2013.

(l-r) Brian Taylor, Jess L. Baily (Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Ankara, Turkey) Mrs. Baily, and

Dr. Richard Collins at the Bailys’ home.

Brian Taylor, M.Ed, began working at Brehm School as a Dorm Parent in 1995 and moved into the Supervisor of Boarding Services role in 2008 before becomingBrehm’s Associate Director of Admissions in 2012. We sat down with Brian to have him share how Brehm Admissions is gaining more students from around the world.

2 s u m m e r 2 0 1 4

Page 3: Brehm and OPTIONS IMPACT Summer 2014 Newsletter

Arrowsmith identifies, intervenes and strengthens weak cognitive capacities (underlying learning dysfunctions) through a program of specific cognitive exercises. To date, the Brehm School Foundation is proud to have granted $50,000 from unrestricted donations and pledges to launch and expand Arrowsmith at Brehm and OPTIONS.

By Jocelyn Turner and Shelby PalsBrehm Arrowsmith Faculty [email protected] [email protected]

We had 21 students for this first year of Arrowsmith at Brehm, rang-ing in age from 12-21, all coming from different paths and stages in their ed-ucation, navigating through feelings of defeat, and desiring more. Then, allat once, almost abruptly, we (teachers included) met each other along thisnewly marked trail and began blazing forward.

Five hours a day, five days a week, this brave bunch glared into the eyes of their most challenging areas and said, “I will try.” The Brehm Arrowsmith cognitive curriculum is more taxing than our students had beenused to, and we, their teachers, pushed them to do their best work andmaintained this expectation for each one. Assumptions about a student’s limitations were tossed into the figurative trashcan as soon as they walkedinto the door. Our mindset: let’s look with new eyes to see what’s possible.

And we did. The program model is empirically driven and detail-oriented.As each class period ended with individualized data collection that recorded the students’ engagement, progress, and goals, we were able to see evidence of gains being made. Later in the year, these gains were furtherconfirmed by our students’ Woodcock-Johnson and MAPS scores, social observations, and their end-of-the-year cognitive reassessments. Arrowsmithhad a positive effect on the learning capabilities of our students at Brehm.

Routine led to familiarity. Familiarity led to safety. Safety led to risk-taking.Risk-taking led to earned successes. Success led to increased confidence inself-worth and ability. Somewhere, in the middle of all of this work, our students shared an experience, activated brain areas, and built a community.The environment we witnessed for most was remarkable. Cognitive development supported social development and gave our students the gifts of conversation and laughter. Whether the students think of themselves thisway or not, they are all “mountain climbers” getting to share the view!

It is exciting to see these gains and then realize that most of our students arejust halfway through the program. In discovering the value of persistence,and in discarding a history of being misunderstood, the students are nowlearning that though the destination may not move closer, they can build abridge. When the students’ Brehm Arrowsmith time is complete, they willdepart well-equipped for their next stage in life, standing before a future ofincreased opportunity, knowing that no matter what challenges they face inlife, one thing can be certain - they will thrive!

The Brehm Institute of Cognitive and Curricular Research headed by Dr. Collins is collaborating with Southern Illinois University of Carbondale, University of British Colum-bia, and University of Washington in Seattle to produce fMRI (Functional magnetic reso-nance imaging or functional MRI) evaluations for eight Brehm Arrowsmith students. Brehmis the very first school to have incorporated fMRIs into the evaluation process of measuringneuro-plasticity changes in the brain. <>

OPTIONS Life Skills TherapistRodrigo Ramirez shares car careknowledge with his students in the

Automotive Ownership class. Students discover the satisfaction

of being informed automotive consumers who know preventativemaintenance measures. Small class

size provides each student withhands-on experience so that all aresure to comprehend the material.

After a long school day, twoBrehm students choose to enjoy

their free time on campus by practicing soccer in the warm spring weather.

After a long school day, twoBrehm students choose to enjoy

their free time on campus by practicing soccer in the warm spring weather.

3

z z z z z z z z z z z Brehm Blazing the Arrowsmith Trail

Page 4: Brehm and OPTIONS IMPACT Summer 2014 Newsletter

201

4 S

pri

ng

Pa

ren

t Family & Alumni WeThe 2014 Spring Parent, Family & Alumni Weekend kicked off with the Big Spring is Blooming Party, Friday, April 4th at the Carbondale Civic Center, which was hosted by the Brehm School Foundation. Brehm’s own Chef Ethan Light and staff preparedthe food, and the beverages were provided by Curbside Restaurant. Club VIP offered up some dance music.

Ticket sales, along with online and silent auctions, raised about $15,000, and those who attended had a great time. See for yourself in the “Album Glow Photos” below.

4 s u m m e r 2 0 1 4

Page 5: Brehm and OPTIONS IMPACT Summer 2014 Newsletter

5

eekend!

The Spring Parent, Family and Alumni Dinner took place on Saturday, April 5th in the Student Activity Center. Brehm’s Chef Ethan

Light and staff served the tasty dinner. Students, family members, alumni and staff enjoyed the student talent show,

which was, as always, a great treat.

Page 6: Brehm and OPTIONS IMPACT Summer 2014 Newsletter

s u m m e r 2 0 1 4

Make a safe and secure online donation 24/7 (one time or recurring)at Brehm.org/foundation or ExperienceOPTIONS.org/foundation.

Visa, MasterCard, Discover, and American Express accepted.Please visit us today!

Like us on Facebook Follow us on LinkedIn

The Gift of Education and IndependenceBrehm School Foundation | 950 Brehm LaneCarbondale, IL 62901 | 618.457.0371

6

P L A N N I N GBy Chuck JonesParent of 2014 Brehm Graduate Alex and an Investment Advisor Representativewith MetLife Center For Special Needs Planning. This is the first of a series of articles that will focus on financial planning for Brehm and OPTIONS families.

The most common characteristicBrehm/OPTIONS parents share is that we are fiercely determined that our kids willhave an education that will endure beyondtheir childhood. I am continually amazed at the unrelenting dedication observedin parents and caretakers (such as Brehm and OPTIONS staff) of children with specialneeds. We all have worked extremely hard

to do our best to ensure these young lives reach their full potential.

It’s very likely that I will always have a hand (to some degree) in my child’sday-to-day life. I try not to be a “helicopter dad”, but what really keepsme up some nights worrying that is when I pass on, my child will nothave the quality of life we have all worked so hard to provide forhim. My son is growing up and getting older, and so am I. And I knowthat the system of support that our family has built over the years willcontinue to change over time. What can I do today to ensure thateverything we have worked so hard to put into place will endure?

For me, that question is answered by having a special needs plan. Special needs planning is a process that guides families through securing the needs of individuals with disabilities beyond the reach ofone person. And because the process can be complex and each family’ssituation is unique, a specialized service industry of legal advisors, financial/tax advisors and special needs advocates is growing to assistfamilies in creating a plan. The Brehm School Foundation can also assistby working with your financial advisor or attorney to set up charitable vehicles that will have tax and security benefits for your child, yourfamily, and Brehm School or OPTIONS. My future articles will have more in-depth information, but for now, here are the main components of a special needs plan:

• Estate planning and legal considerations – This would include wills, powers of attorney, special needs trusts, health care directives, as well as considering guardianship/conservatorship.

• Government benefits – Identify and apply for appropriate benefits.

• Financial issues – This includes how day-do-day expenses are to be handled. Have mortgages properly titled, beneficiary designations on insurance policies, investments and savings properly worded so benefits aren’t jeopardized.

• Family and support – Make sure family values are well articulated and include siblings and extended family members in the plan if needed.

It’s important to understand that a plan is dynamic – situations willchange, and the plan will need to be continually updated. And since itmay take some significant time to get everything in place, don’t pressureyourself to get it all done at once. Start Special Needs Financial Plan-ning wherever you are now, and don’t hesitate to secure the services of a professional to help with the details. As the parent of a Brehm studentabout to graduate and go to college, trust me — you will sleep better. <>

SPECIAL NEEDS

Lisa Orlando-GavinBrehm 1994 to 1995

Lisa went on to receive a degree in Photography. She specializes in newborn photography, is married and a mother of two.

Lisa says, “I loved everything about Brehm!”

Sarah RenshawBrehm 1993 to 1999

Sarah went on to receive a degree in metalsmithing/jewelry as well as Art Education and now teaches at Paducah School of Art and Design. Sarah says, “I had felt solonely and isolated before comingto Brehm. Once I arrived, I feltlike I had come home.”

Rachel DavisonBrehm 1993 to 1998

Rachel received an Elementary Education degreewith an emphasis inEarly Childhood/Reading and is now working as a teacher. She is working towardgetting a Master’s degree while enjoying her family. Rachel credits Brehm for the tools and confidence she has today.

John KaralisBrehm 1998 to 2002

John received a Bachelor’s in Computer Science and a Master’s in Information Systems Management.He is working on entrepreneurialprojects and is thankful that Brehmhelped enable him to receive a Master’s degree.

Jennifer BodeBrehm 1994 to 1998

Jennifer went on to receive a veterinary technician degree and is an office manager/head veterinary technician at ananimal clinic.

Jennifer says Brehm helped herachieve her goals. “I'm very happywhere I am. I love what I do, andI'm a proud mother.”

W h e r e a r e B r e h m

A l u m n i N o w ?

Attention Brehm Alumni: Please stay in touch and let us know what you have been up to. Send an e-mail to [email protected] and let us know 1) your name, 2) year of graduation or last year attended, 3) your current address and 4) phone number. Thank you! <>

Page 7: Brehm and OPTIONS IMPACT Summer 2014 Newsletter

7

Name__________________________________________________________

Home Address ___________________________________________________

City ______________________________ State _______ Zip ____________

Preferred Phone __________________________________________________

Please circle one: Cell Home Business

Preferred E-mail _____________________________________________________

Affiliation (circle one): Alumna/Alumnus Parent Grandparent

Friend Business Staff

q I wish to DOUBLE MY GIFT (pledge or donation) by applying it to the SCHOLARSHIP & FINANCIAL AID MATCHING CHALLENGE:A generous anonymous donor has pledged $100,000 to the Foundation to provide tuition assistance to eligible Brehm and OPTIONS families. In an agreement with the donor, the Foundation is seeking to double the impact of this gift by raising $100,000 in matching funds.

q I am paying by check made payable to “Brehm School Foundation.”

q I am paying by credit card (Please circle one): Visa Mastercard

__________________________________________________________________Credit Card Number Expiration date

__________________________________________________________________Cardholder signature (required)

q Please accept my pledge of $______________________________.

I will fulfill my pledge by _____________________________ (date).

Please apply my gift to: q General Fund q Staff Developmentq Student Scholarships/Financial Aid Fund q Student Programs q Other (please specify) _____________________

Questions? Contact the Brehm School Foundation, at 618.457.0371 or [email protected]

The campaign/fiscal year begins July 1 and ends June 30. The Brehm School Foundation, a 501(c)(3) public charity, ensures the continuing advancement and missions of Brehm School, OPTIONS, and the Brehm Institute.

q YES, I want to provide the ongoing support that is critical to Brehm and OPTIONS

students through the Brehm School Foundation. Please accept my gift of $________.

B R E H M / O P T I O N S ANNUAL CAMPAIGN 2 0 1 3 - 2 0 1 4

CO

NT

AC

T

INF

OR

MA

TIO

N

IMPACT-S14

Did a Teacher or Staff MemberMake a Difference In Your Life?

If Brehm or OPTIONS was significant in making a difference in your life or in the life of your child or grandchild, please consider expressing yourgratitude with a gift. The Brehm Foundation’s Gratitude Program isan opportunity to honor the teacher or staff member who made a difference in the life of students at Brehm or OPTIONS.

The teacher or staff member you honor will receive a written acknowledgment to recognize their efforts. Your generous donation will go to help support classrooms, residential facilities, programs, and services at the campus of your choice — Brehm or OPTIONS. It's a great way to recognize someone while helping others at the same time.

Your contribution helps to enhance the outstanding level of care our students receive. The best way to say “thanks” is to help us continue to help other students during their important time at Brehm or OPTIONS.

Enclosed is a donation reply card, if you would like to send your gift bymail. You may also make a secure gift online at www.Brehm.org/Foundationor www.ExperienceOPTIONS.org/Foundation. To designate your gift, contact the Foundation office at 618.457.0371, [email protected]. <>

“I have ADHD and Asperger’s andhave trouble with being social andfitting in. Before I came here, I wasso depressed I couldn’t leave thehouse. This is my first year at Brehm.Brehm has been a great place for me.It has helped me evolve and prosper.I am so lucky that I got the chance to attend Brehm School, and I willcherish my time here.”

– Maggie c., recipient of the Carey Marie Walsh Memorial Scholarship.Read Maggie’s complete essay at www.blog.brehm.org.

!y I M PAC T I N G YO U N G L I V E Sz

A L E G A C Y G I F T

Read how Carey’s family established this Memorial Scholarship to honor her memory at www.blog.brehm.org. To learn how you can create a memorial scholarship

or make a memorial gift in the name of your loved one, contact The Brehm School Foundation at 618.457.0371 or [email protected]

2014 - 2015Carey Marie Walsh

Memorial Scholarship

By Fred and Kristina ChapekisParents of 2014 Brehm GraduateGabe (soon to be OPTIONS student) Northbrook, Illinois.

Like so many other parents,we learned when our son was just a young boy that he had significant learningdisabilities and social deficits. We so vividly recall the empathetic feelings of frustration and loneliness we had for him, concerned that our son would be rejected by other children at public school and misunderstood by his teachers. We wondered whether those within his school system would understand that within this precious child, who suffered from learning disabilities, dwelled a heart that was filled with loving kindness and a mind with untapped potential.

Education within the public sector could not give him allthe tools he needed to achieve his potential, nor could it help him to find acceptance within a social environment where theseparation between he and his peers began expanding increasingly ashe grew. We knew early on that our son could only receive the helphe needed through comprehensive private education which wouldnot only address his complex learning disabilities and speech disor-ders, but also his accompanying social skill deficits. Difficult as it wasto send our son away to school five years ago, it did not take long forBrehm to become his “home” away from home and for him to beginreaping educational and social benefits which have far surpassed what we could have ever hoped possible for our son.

The administration, educators, therapists, and staff atBrehm consist of extraordinarily talented and dedicated individuals who have committed their lives to helping hopes anddreams become a reality. The approach to educating students withlearning disabilities is individualized, innovative, and based on years of experiential knowledge. It is an UNCEASING QUEST FOR SCIENTIFICALLY BASED METHODS THAT INCREASE. In addition, personalized and advanced social tracking has been designed and unobtrusively utilized to gently enhance the social needs of the students and elevate their self-esteem.

Although we have been personally blessed by having a loving and wonderful family, among our most cherished “family members”are the individuals at Brehm who have given our son the de-sire to learn, the tools to succeed, hope for the future,and the unsurpassed gift of their unwavering love.

We shall be forever deeply grateful. <>

W h y We G

ive

Page 8: Brehm and OPTIONS IMPACT Summer 2014 Newsletter

Brehm Preparatory School Foundation950 Brehm LaneCarbondale, IL 62901

Please help us reach our Annual Giving goal of $550,000 by June 30th.

Dear B

rehm

and

OPT

IONS family

,

Tim

e ha

s passed so quick

ly in

my first yea

r as

Exec

utive

Direc

tor, and

it has been an

othe

r suc

cessful

scho

ol year filled

with

progress, grow

th, and

the

grad

uatio

n of th

e class o

f 201

4.

The

re have be

en m

any acco

mplish

men

ts across the

201

3-20

14 Sch

ool Y

ear tha

t we can celebrate. This s

choo

l year

saw th

e introd

uctio

n of m

any new

initiative

sde

signe

dto allo

w us to be

tter add

ress our stud

ents’ needs. W

e ha

vebe

gun using MAPS

(Measures o

f Acade

mic Progress)

testingthree tim

es a sc

hool year, which

allo

ws u

s to drill

down an

d be

tter und

erstan

d wha

t our stud

ents’ skill levels

are across su

bject a

reas. T

his a

pproach he

lps u

s to prov

ide

more direct in

struction in areas of n

eed an

d track stud

ent

prog

ress across tim

e.

This s

choo

l year a

lso w

as th

e first year for

Breh

m Arr

owsm

ith, an interven

tion that

reco

gnizes th

e ne

urop

lasticity

of o

ur brains

and ho

w th

roug

h intensive interven

tion across

time, one

has th

e ab

ility to

develop

new

neuro-pa

thway

s to allow th

e brain to w

ork

more effic

iently in

the learning

process. T

heearly

results fo

r stude

nts p

artic

ipating in

Breh

m Arrow

smith

have be

en very po

sitive,

and we will be expa

nding this fall for

OPT

IONS stud

ents.

This y

ear a

lso m

arke

d the be

ginn

ing of our Bre

hm

Institute

for Cognitive and Curr

icula

r Re

searc

h heade

d by

Dr. Rich

ard Collin

s. The

Institu

tewill provide

a platfo

rm fo

r us to reach ou

tside ou

r Brehm

Family

and

be ab

le to

edu

cate and

supp

ort o

ther stud

ents,

families, c

onsulta

nts, ed

ucators, an

d professio

nals across

the na

tion an

d even

the world. B

e on

the look

out for th

eInstitu

te’s fu

ture

Web

inar Se

ries

that w

ill in

volve

expe

rts from aroun

d the co

untry on

hot to

pical issue

s related to com

plex le

arning

disa

bilities. One

of the

Institu

te’s research

projects this y

ear h

as been using fM

RI’s

(Fun

ction

al m

agne

tic re

sona

nce i

magi

ng or

func

tiona

l MR

I), in

colla

boratio

n with

Sou

thern Illinois U

niversity

of

Carbo

ndale, U

niversity

of B

ritish

Colum

bia, and

Univer-

sity of W

ashing

ton in Seattle, to look

at c

hang

es th

at m

aybe

occurrin

g in stud

ents’ neu

ro-im

ages as a

result of th

eir

participation in Brehm

Arrow

smith

and

the Breh

m

prog

ram in

gen

eral. T

his e

xciting

research

will help us

to better u

nderstan

d ho

w th

e brain works and

ultimately

allow fo

r better interventions w

ith our stud

ents.

We also had

our first eve

r OPT

IONS Stra

tegic

Planningproc

ess h

eld in D

ecem

ber. This p

lann

ing

proc

ess a

ddressed

whe

re w

e ha

ve been historically and

whe

re w

e are go

ing in our fu

ture. T

he O

PTIO

NS

prog

ram has outgrow

n its classroom

facility, and

yet th

e de

man

d for the

program

remains high. The

strategic plan

proc

ess s

ough

t to ad

dress the

immed

iate needs of the

prog

ram and

how

to effe

ctively man

age successful

grow

th of the

program

across the

next five ye

ars.

The

future is brig

ht.

Fina

lly, this y

ear w

e received

an an

onym

ous

gift to our Brehm

Fou

ndation from

one

of o

urfamilies of $

100,00

0 toward Sc

holarship an

dFina

ncial A

id fo

r our stud

ents. T

he hop

e is

that w

e can match

that gift th

roug

h othe

rgiving

and

provide

add

ition

al su

pport to ou

rfamilies. W

hile w

e ha

ve m

ade great p

rogress

toward matching the $100,000, w

e are

not q

uite th

ere ye

t, an

d it is no

t too

late fo

ryo

u to have yo

ur gift au

tomat

ically

doubl

edto help us re

ach that goa

l!

I have learne

d so m

uch this first year a

s Execu

tive

Dire

ctor and

have muc

h more ye

t to learn. I ap

preciate

the on

going supp

ort I have received

from

our Trustees

and Fo

unda

tion Dire

ctors, Facu

lty and

Staff, and

our

Breh

m Fam

ilies. T

ogethe

r, there are great thing

s on

the Breh

m H

orizon

that w

e will accom

plish

. <>

Best Reg

ards,

Brian Brow

n, PhD

Executive Dire

ctor

The B

rehm

Scho

ol Fo

unda

tion,

a 5

01(c

)(3)

pub

lic ch

arity

, ens

ures

the c

ontin

uing

adv

ance

ment

and

miss

ions o

f Breh

m Sc

hool,

OPT

ION

S an

d Br

ehm

Insti

tute

for C

ogni

tive a

nd C

urric

ular

Rese

arch

. IM

PACT

is a

pub

licat

ion of

The

Breh

m Sc

hool

Foun

datio

n. B

rehm

and

OPT

ION

S ar

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GIVE. MAKE AN IMPACT. TRANSFORM LIVES.

Thank you to those who have given to the 2013-2014 Annual Campaign. You are making an extraordinary impact on the lives of our students.

The Annual Campaign ends Monday, June 30th, 2014. At the time of the printing ofthis newsletter we have raised $420,000. Pleasehelp us reach our goal of $550,000 to supportBrehm School and OPTIONS Transitions to Independence. Please give us a call today.

There are several easy ways to make a 100% TAX DEDUCTIBLE(designated or undesignated) contribution before the 2013-2014 campaign endson June 30, 2014:

1. Online via Credit Card, safe and secure at Brehm.org/Foundation or ExperienceOPTIONS.org/Foundation

2. Credit Card by phone by calling us at 618.457.0371

3. check VIA US MAIL to Brehm School Foundation, 950 Brehm Lane,Carbondale, IL 62901. Please use the Donation/Pledge Form that you can clip from page 7 of this newsletter.

PLEASE CONTACT Russell Williams or Erin Camfield in the Foundation Office at 618.457.0371 or [email protected] for guidance on any donation. Call today to find out how your gift can be doubled!

Thank you for supporting Brehm School and OPTIONS via the Brehm School Foundation, a 501(c)3 public charity <>.

B R E H M / O P T I O N S ANNUAL CAMPAIGN 2 0 1 3 - 2 0 1 4