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Recently, we sat down with alum SteveWeiskirch along withhis two sons, Jake (17 Years old) and Dylan (13 Yearsold). Carol, Steve's wife, didn't make the trip fromChicago to Brehm this time.

WHAT WAS YOURMINDSET BEFORE,DURING AND AFTER YOU ATTENDED BREHM?

Steve:When I went to public schoolmore than 30 years ago, they didn'tknow what to do with LD kids, sothey just pushed us through. They just put all of the kids with LDs inlarge rooms, and that made me evenmore frustrated. I ended up being adisruptive kid who went to the principal’s office often. When I cameto Brehm as an 11th grader, I was at a 3rd-grade reading level. Due to my experiences, difficulties and people bullying me, I was very skeptical that anyone could truly help me.

Today, having an LD is understood and accepted. My kids go to school with kids who have LDs, and nobody gives them a hard time.

It took me about six months to feel comfortable atBrehm and to actually trust that the people here couldhelp improve my life. The teachers here became myfriends. People like Char Reed and Coach Douglas andmany others really made me feel welcome to be part ofthe Brehm family. Over time, I had dinner at several ofmy teachers’ homes. Once I realized they were here to help me and not knock me down as I had experiencedmy whole life, I then accepted that I could learn.

Before I came to Brehm, I had no intention of going tocollege. I was lucky that I came in contact

(l-r): Steve celebrates hisSIUC graduation with father Len, mother Ann and brother Mike.

Below: Brehm yearbookphoto of Steve from 1983.

with the right people at Brehm tohelp me learn how to learn. Therewas a fork in the road, and still to thisday, I don't know what would havehappened to me if I didn't have theopportunity to be a student at BrehmSchool. I was also fortunate that mypublic school paid for me to attendBrehm. Brehm completely changed my life.

When did your parents realize you had a learning disability?

Steve:My parents became aware that I had Dyslexiain first grade. I had a high IQ and a learning disability.My mom was an educational diagnostician, and shepicked up on it right away. Back in the 1970s, therewere very few schools to help students like me. It wasn't until about nine years later that Carol Brehm created Brehm School for her son and students like me.

Do you recall your parents’ mindset before you started attending Brehm?

Steve:My mother went to a conference and learned all about the great work Brehm was doing. As soon asshe found out about the progress the Brehm studentswere making, she knew it was the best place for me.

At first, I was not happy to be at Brehm, but I was not given an option. After about a year and a half, I

(continued on page 3)

2014

1989

TouchingHome

1983

“I feel truly blessedto be awarded this important scholarship.

Brehm is really my secondhome and such an excellent experience for me.”

– RyDaje H., recipient of The Tyson Brehm Memorial Scholarship

“Brehm is amazing for me!

I am so glad and honored to receive The Tyson BrehmScholarship. Thank you.”

– Daisy B., recipient of The Tyson Brehm Memorial Scholarship

!y I M P A C T I N G Y O U N G L I V E S z

To learn how you can make a memorial gift in the name of your loved one or join others in funding the Tyson Brehm Memorial Scholarship, please contact The Brehm School Foundation today at 618.457.0371.

2 W I N T E R 2 0 1 4 / 2 0 1 5

After my brother, Tyson Brehm, died in 1989, our familybegan the first memorial to Brehm Preparatory School with a $10,000 giftin his memory. The dream was always to build a scholarship fund, but at that time, there was no active foundation or means to do so. Since then,we are proud to say that the Brehm School Foundation is up and flourishing, and we are building the Tyson Brehm Memorial Scholarship Fund.

This fund is a financial needs-based scholarship to help students of diversity according to race or ethnicity, rural or urban, to enroll at Brehm School or OPTIONS. We want to assist students with learningdisabilities from an underserved population to reach their dreams of education and independence.

I am happy to announce that we are currently assisting with the tuitionfunding of two students at Brehm School through the scholarship.

There are several people who have contributed to the Tyson Brehm Memorial Scholarship. I hope you will consider joining us in this endeavor to make Brehm School or OPTIONS possible for a student who may not be able to afford to attend.

Stacy Tate is the daughter of Brehm School Founder Carol Brehm, who began BrehmPreparatory School with a dream to give an excellent education to her son, Tyson Brehm,and other students with learning disabilities. Stacy is currently president of the BrehmPreparatory School Board of Trustees and serves on the Brehm School Foundation Board of Directors. <>

The Tyson Brehm Memorial Scholarshipby Rev. Stacy Tate

A L E G A C Y S C H O L A R S H I P A L E G A C Y S C H O L A R S H I P

2014 - 2015The Tyson Brehm

Memorial Scholarship

2014 - 2015The Tyson Brehm

Memorial Scholarship

3

OPTIONS students have the opportunity to attend numerous weekly recreationalactivities that refine socialskills. Here, two students attend Vulture Fest in mid- October. Vulture Fest is a celebration of the vulture's annual migration (black vultures and turkey vultures fly and swoop in the skies surrounding Makanda, Illinoiseach fall) with live music anddisplays by local artists.

understood that attending Brehm was a great opportunity. After two years atBrehm, my parents saw that I was acompletely different person. I evenspent the summers at Brehm continuingmy education. During my last summerat Brehm, my dad told me I was goingto college. So I packed up my thingsand moved down the street a few blocksto start Southern Illinois University atCarbondale (SIUC). I spent every sum-mer here in Carbondale going to classesat Brehm and then at SIUC.

Do you have any stories to Share about Carol Brehm or her son, Tyson Brehm?

Steve: Tyson was a nice kid and a good friend. He was always polite andcordial. What was nice about the Brehm family was they always seemed tomake their home available to the school. I recall one weekend, we all went to the Brehm farm, and we spent time camping at the large lodge they had.The Brehm family was always very nice and generous with their time.

The dorm experience was a great experience for me, especially having aroommate. The dorms were not connected like they are today; they were all separate. We cooked all our own meals with the dorm parents becausethere was no cafeteria. We all participated in preparing food, cleaning up and then, we would go straight to tutoring. The dorm parents were great, and everyone got along well in a very family-like atmosphere.

How did attending Brehm help you start your career and business?

Steve: Attending Brehm allowed me to be functional in the world. Mostimportantly, I learned how to read and write at a level that represented mytrue ability. This allowed me to get my high school degree and go to college.The reading and writing skills I learned at Brehm allowed me to grasp thebusiness skills I learned at SIUC in order to obtain my first job.

I first started out in the property casualty industry as an outside salesperson. After that, I worked for two different packaging companies as a sales representative, which led me to starting DNW Enterprises. In 1994,

I started DNW Enterprises with a partner. In 2000, I became the primaryowner of DNW Enterprises, which I have been managing for 14 years.

Once again, I can't begin to tell you how Brehm completely changed my life in ways I previously would never have believed. Students who make ithere are offered the opportunity to learn and grow. Brehm opens doors that would not have been opened otherwise.

YOU RECENTLY SHARED WITH YOUR CHILDREN THAT YOU HAVE A LEARNING DISABILITY AND ATTENDED BREHM. How did thattake place?

Steve: It was uncomfortable opening Pandora's box. I have been up frontwith my children about my LD for many years. But, I did not discuss Brehmbecause I felt like I had closed that chapter of my life after I graduated collegeand obtained my first job. I have explained to my children that my first jobincluded a great amount of reading, which has not been my greatest strength.In addition, I have shared with them that since I couldn't keep up with theother five to six sale representatives that the company hired, it was a realturning point in my life. It was the moment that I decided that I wanted towork with people and have my own company. I shelved the learning disability situation after that. This fall has been the first time that I havereached out to Brehm or visited for three decades.

A few years ago, I decided to tell my two boys about Brehm. At first, I feltanxious, and then, I felt relieved to tell them that I attended a specializedschool named Brehm. The manner in which I grew up was that the father ofa family was a strong individual who was the pillar of his family. For me, aparent with a weakness is a difficult issue to address. I look at my situationand view it as though I have conquered it, but it is still with me. Even today, I still struggle to read at times, but I think about all that I have accomplishedin my personal and professional life. That is what drives me.

Steve's son, Jake, speaks up, "The way I see it is that if you look at successful people whohave dyslexia such as the vice president at Goldman Sachs, Albert Einstein, and LeonardoDa Vinci - they have accomplished great things. I look at my dad as another person ofthat stature who has overcome a difficult aspect of his life and turned his life into something great."

His son, Dylan, says, "I agree." Steve and his two sons look at each other as all their eyes well up with love and understanding. <>

1992

(continued from page 1)TouchingHome

Back-to-BackParent, Family & Alumni Weekends!By Brian Brown Ph.D.Executive Director, brian.brown@brehm.org

OPTIONS and Brehm just completed successfulback-to-back Parent Weekends. The Brehm FallParent Weekend is a time to check in and assess whether we are collectively on the rightcourse in meeting the needs of our students. Parents have an opportunity to meet with theirchildren's teachers, dorm parents and related ad-ministrators to receive feedback on the students'goals and progress to date. One of the most consistent pieces of feedback I received from our parents was how pleased they were with our faculty and staff’s ability to understand and“get” their child in only ten weeks. This speaks tothe truly outstanding faculty and staff we have, and how communicative we are across areas.

(Continued on page 7)

4 W I N T E R 2 0 1 4 / 2 0 1 5

(l-r) Brehm students, Keelin and

Mackenzie, finish the Brehm 5th

annual 5K run together at a

matching time of 53.49.

The Brehm Parent, Family

& Alumni Weekend was

October 31 &

November 1. The Brehm

dinner on Saturday evening

was a fantastic ending to a

wonderfully fun weekend and

featured oversized “Trike”

races as part of a fundraiser

for Brehm's Future Business

Leaders of America (FBLA.)

Brehm families

enjoy an informative

"Arrowsmith Open

House," in which they

explore Arrowsmith

exercises firsthand and

meet other parents and

students.

A

week

th

famili

and e

OPTIONS FallParent, Family &Alumni WeekendBy Char Reed, Director of OPTIONScharlene.reed@experienceoptions.org

Where would you choose to spend a fall weekend?If you are an OPTIONS parent or family member,it would be with your student in Carbondale, Illinois for the Parent and Family Conferences.Across October 24 & 25, OPTIONS familiesgathered in Carbondale to celebrate students’ successes and plan for the future.

Throughout the weekend, students and their families had opportunities to spend time with oneanother. They also joined other families in activi-ties such as visiting some of the local restaurants,taking in Southern Illinois' fall colors, shopping,movie-going and just relaxing together.

Looking back, it was a weekend where many ideaswere exchanged and where futures were plannedwith dreams that once seemed out of reach butnow seemed possible. Partnerships between OPTIONS staff, students and families werestrengthened. Families were able to reconnect andenjoy time with one another. For the students, thepaths to independence became clearer, and theachievement of goals grew closer. <>

OPTIONS staff schedule conferences with stud

ents and their families

to provide time to reflect on student p

rogress, identify areas where there

could still be improvements and mak

e all-important plans for next steps.

A highlight of the OPTIONS

kend was the reception hosted by

he Brehm School Foundation on

Friday evening. Students, their

ies and staff gathered to socialize

enjoy the delicious appetizers that

Chef Ethan and his staff served.

(top - counterclockwise)

Char speaks at the Ronald Hursto

n

Tree Memorial Service. OPTIONS

students take a closer look at the tr

ee

and plaque. After Anne Hurston's

speech, she and Dr. Brown share a

moment. Read more about

Dr. Hurston on page 6.

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!

Carol Brehm SocietyGifts from $25,000 and aboveMr. and Mrs. John Calamos Mr. J. David Gibbs and

Mrs. Kaye L. LaFollette Mr. Mark and Rev. Stacy Tate Mr. and Mrs. Michael Wojtowicz

Founder's ClubGifts from $10,000 - $24,999AIG Mr. and Mrs. Sidney Black Mr. and Mrs. Martin Dolan GE Foundation Myranda’s Child and

Family Foundation Mr. and Mrs. Stanley Shure Mr. Thomas and Mrs. Charleen

Walsh Family

1982 SocietyGifts from $5,000 - $9,999Mr. Philip and

Dr. Sarah Alexander Mr. and Mrs. Peter Barnes George A. Bates Memorial

Foundation Mr. and Mrs. Edward J. Blake, Jr. Dr. and Mrs. Richard Collins Mrs. Floy O. Daugherty Mr. and Mrs. Manuel A. Eskildsen Fidelity Charitable Gift Fund Mr. and Mrs. David Huntoon Mr. Craig and

Dr. Gerry Schermerhorn Schwab Charitable Fund Mr. and Mrs. Michael Vaughan Mr. and Mrs. Neil Weiss Mr. and Mrs. J. Nelson Wood

Headmasters ClubGifts from $2,500 - $4,999Mr. and Mrs. John D. Beuerlein Dr . Christopher and

Dr. Cathy Kramer Mr. and Mrs. Robert Kueppers Henry Luce Foundation Marathon Oil Company

Blue Ribbon ClubGifts from $1,000 - $2,499Dr. Jo Ann Alley Mr. Ira and Mrs. Pam Altman Andreas Foundation Mr. and Mrs. Robert Batal Mr. and Mrs. Peter Blackmore Mr. and Mrs. Anthony F. ChapekisDr. and Mrs. James Chapin Mr. and Mrs. Mark Clancy Columbus Jewish Foundation J & B Cooney Foundation Mr. and Mrs. Colyer Crum Dr. Linda Dew Mrs. Rita O. Dodd Mr. Tim Downen and Mrs. AngieHampton Fannie Mae

SERVE Matching Mr. and Mrs. Carson Greene Mr. and Mrs. Chris Hackett Mr. and Mrs. Charles F. Jacobs Mr. and Mrs. Alfred D.

Johnson, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Thomas E. Laird Mr. and Mrs. E. William Le Fevre Mr. and Mrs. Franklin Leiter Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Maher Dr. and Mrs. James J. McDonald Mr. Greg Moyer and

Mrs. Collen Clatterbuck-Moyer Dr. Martin and Dr. Marcia Ontell Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Pereles Mr. and Mrs. Frank M. Poremski Mr. Jonathan Puth and

Mrs. Mira CourpasMr. and Mrs. Jim Sweeney Mr. Chip Thomas and

Mrs. Stacie GrahamUS Charitable Gift Trust Mr. and Mrs. Thomas M. Weiss Mr. and Mrs. James Wexstten Mr. and Mrs. Craig Wielansky

BenefactorsGifts from $500 - $999Dr. Robert Agranoff Ms. Marian Appiah-Kubi Mr. and Mrs. Kevin Bartolotta Mr. Jeffrey A. Bilyeu BMA Management, Ltd. Dr.Tom and Dr. Lynn Broderick Dr. and Mrs. Brian P. Brown Mr. and Mrs. G. W.

Christopherson Mr. Eric Claeys and

Ms. Susan Weber Mr. and Mrs. Charles Cohen Mr. and Mrs. Anthony D. Coscia Mr. and Mrs. Eric Drattell Mr. and Mrs. Tom Ferry

FWS Countertops Mr. and Mrs. Steve Heeney Mr. and Mrs. Robert S. HoneycuttMs. Julia A. Johns Mr. and Mrs. Anastasios J. Karalis Ms. Wanda Krause Mr. and Mrs. Richard A. Kuehn Mr. and Mrs. Gordon Lattu Mrs. Barbara L. Lawrence Mr. and Mrs. Peter LeBlond Mr. Wayne I. Miller and

Mrs. Colleen E. Dodge Mr. and Mrs. Neal Peyser Mr. and Ms. George Ruskan Dr. Michael L. Safran and

Dr. Geraldine Keyes Mr. Hugh Sakols Ms. Beth Smith Dr. and Mrs. Robert Soderstrom Southern Illinois Community

Foundation Mr. Paul Steege Mr. and Mrs. Walter J. Tomczak Mr. and Mrs. James Wexler Mr. and Mrs. J. David Wrather, Jr.

AdvocatesGifts from $250 - $499Anonymous Family Mr. Paul Berkowitz Dr. and Mrs. Tal Brown Ms. Carol Bybee Mr. and Mrs. Frederick

Dennerline, III Mr. Gregory and

Mrs. Terri Douglas Mr. Daniel Fischer and

Mrs. Wendy Yaross Mr. Eugene Gellert Dr. and Mrs. Mitchell Hamburg Mr. and Mrs. Jon Hoshizaki Dr. Michele Kemp Mrs. Carol L. Kracht Mr. and Mrs. Kevin W. Ludlam Mr. and Mrs. Gary Montgomery Ms. Susan Muradian Mr. and Mrs. George Mussie Mr. and Mrs. Albert Novara Ms. Karen Ann Nyquist Mr. and Mrs. William Pickart Dr. Gordon Plumb, II Mr. Philip and

Mrs. Charlene Reed Dr. and Mrs. Mark Reuter Ms. Amy Sadler Mr. and Mrs. Charles SchneiderDr. Robert A. Shively Ms. Mary Strother Mrs. Anne M. Swaim Mr. and Mrs. Gray Thornburg

StewardsGifts from $100 - $249Anonymous Family The Bank of Carbondale Mr. and Mrs. John Barnes Ms. Jennifer R. Conwell-Barnes Mr. and Mrs. Malcolm J. Barnett Mr. and Mrs. E. Allen Becker Black Diamond Harley-Davidson Box Tops For Education Ms. Deborah Browne Mr. Jackson Carpenter Dr. Matt Denis Mr. and Mrs. James DePonte D.N.W. Enterprises, Inc. Mr. Scott M. Donovan Mr. and Mrs. Robert Evans Mr. George L. Fonyo Dr. and Ms. Vincent Fortunato Mr. and Mrs. Gregory Fowler Dr. and Mrs. Gary Friend Ms. Beth W. Gifford Mr. Wayne Goodwin Mr. and Mrs. Michael Graham Mrs. Carol J. Graham Dr. Simeon Grater Dr. Herbert Gross Hampton Inn Mr. and Mrs. James Harr Dr. and Mrs. William D. Harvey Mr. and Mrs. Paul D. Hayes Mr. Greg Heck Mr. and Mrs. Greg Heebink Mrs. Martha F. Ikner Mr. Murray Jacobs Mr. and Mrs. Peter Jensen Dr. Yvonne Jones Dr. Jeffrey S. Kellogg and

Mrs. Lisa Devon Barnes Mr. and Mrs. Brian Kennedy Kerber, Eck & Braeckel, LLP Ms. Cheryl Kintop Mr. and Mrs. Tom Koulouris Mr and Mrs. Steve Krause Mr. and Mrs. Mitchell Lach Mr. and Mrs. Ethan Landis Mrs. Barbara W. MacKenzie Mrs. Heather L. Manis

Mr. Matthew D. Marosek Mr. and Mrs. Michael McDonnell Mr. and Mrs. Guido Meyer Mr. Daryl Morse and

Mrs. Meghan E. Collins-Morse Mr. and Mrs. Darren Murray Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Noll Mr. and Mrs. Hunt Oliver Mr. and Mrs. W.Burke Patterson Mr. Paul and Dr. Suma Peter Mr. and Mrs. Steve Peyser Mr. Steve and

Mrs. Jennifer Phillips Mr. David Poldoian and

Ms. Carolyn Zacarian Mr. and Mrs. Ollie Rathjen Mr. and Mrs. Brent Restemayer Mr. and Mrs. William Ryan Mr. and Mrs. Robert Shultz Mr. Michael B. Sims Mr. and Mrs. J Sidney S. Smith Dr. Christopher and

Dr. Stephanie Sockrider Target Mr. Brian C. Taylor Mr. and Mrs. Jeffrey Whittaker Mr. Lance Williams Mr. and Mrs. Russell D. Williams

FriendsGifts from $50 - $99Anonymous Family Miss Christina A. Blessing Mr. and Mrs. Richard Brake Carbondale Trophy Company Ms. Carrie Collins Mr. and Mrs. Jerrold N. Dorfman Mr. and Mrs. Michael Durr Mr. and Mrs. Cliff P. Geissler Mr. and Mrs. Charles L. Gellert Mrs. Scherrie V. Giamanco Ms. Anne Hurston Ms. Anita Hutton Mr. Marvin Kleinau Mr. and Mrs. Dick Kuehl Mr. and Mrs. Greg Meredith Mr. and Mrs. Donald Morgan Murdale True Value, Inc. Dr. Richard Parker Mr. and Ms. Michael Peterson Mr. and Mrs. Paul Podjasek Mrs. Ann Price Mr. and Mrs. Rodrigo Ramirez Mr. John S. Rendleman Mrs. Rachelle Ridgeway Ms. Patricia J. Dakin-Sinclair Billye Staff Ms. Christine E. Strusz Mr. Alan Sturges Villa Homeowner's

Association, Inc. Mr. and Mrs. Jeffery C. Vincent Mrs. Dorothy Weiss

BrehmiesGifts from $5 - $49Applebees Barnes and Noble Mr. and Mrs. Wayne L. Behm Mr. Tyler and Mrs. Erin Camfield Mr. and Mrs. Don Carlton Mr. Robert V. Crow and

Ms. Jane E. Goode Mr. and Mrs. Rodney Dame Ms. Etiennette Evans Mrs. Leah M. Furlow Mr. and Mrs. Dale Gass Mr. T. D. Goodwin, Sr. Mr. Joseph Guerra and

Ms. Susan McMichael Mr. and Mrs. Barry Hancock Ms. Joan Hart Ms. Chardonnay Henry Mr. and Mrs. Bill Hess Dr. J. Calvin Holsinger Karen's Kreations Mr. and Mrs. Ken Kearney Mr. and Mrs. Paul R. Kosuth Mr. and Mrs. David

McCormick, Esq. Mr. and Mrs. Wayne Miller Moe's Ms. Debra Olshever Ms. Shirley Olshever Panera Bread Co. Sauced Up Smokers Mr. and Mrs. Ron Stade, Esq. Mr. and Mrs. Chuck Stuhrenberg Sun Nails Mr. and Mrs. Gail White

Brehm has taken every measure to ensure the accuracy of the list of donors for the dates above. We apologize if we inadvertently overlooked an organizationor individual who supported our work.

.

ANNUAL HONOR ROLL OF DONORSFrom July 1, 2013 to June 30, 2014

Like us on Facebook Follow us on LinkedIn

The Gift of Education and IndependenceBrehm School Foundation | 950 S. Brehm Lane

Carbondale, IL 62901 | 618.457.03716

Ronald Hurston Tree Memorial by Russell WilliamsDirector of the Brehm School Foundation, russell.williams@brehm.org

A tree symbolizes longevity, strength and blessing. These are very fittingwords to describe Dr. Ronald Hurston and his philanthropic work. He wasa generous contributor to medical, artistic, and educational institutions including Brehm School and OPTIONS. When his son, Sam, enrolled atBrehm in 1998, Dr. Hurston became an important stakeholder in the success of our students, staff, and programs through his generosity. Hisgiving was consistent every year until his passing and included multiplegifts within years. We learned upon his passing that Ron also planned forcontinuing to support OPTIONS with a gift from his estate.

Ron was most interested in seeing resources utilized and beneficial not onlyfor his family but for all the families ofBrehm and OPTIONS. In 2009, Ron spoketo me at an OPTIONS family reception in the Grotto of the Newell House here inCarbondale. He was concerned that parents could not always make it back toCarbondale to participate in Parent/Teacher Conferences. He believed that a video conferencing system would make communi-cations possible across our geographical distance. Ron made this possible. He generously gave a significant gift to providethe technology and was persistent in making sure that we had what weneeded to make this vision a reality.

Dr. Hurston wanted to help others, and he did that very well profession-ally as a dedicated physician and psychiatrist. But he also helped othersthrough the intentional giving of his resources. WE — our families, students, staff, and programs — have been greatly impacted by hislongevity, strength and blessing. What he has done for others – us in particular – remains and is immortal. We are grateful and give thanks toDr. Ronald Hurston and his family. <>

“What we have

done for ourselves alone

dies with us; what we

have done for others and

the world remains and

is immortal.” � — Albert Pike

Did the Brehm Staff take the “Polar Bear Plunge” into the icy waters of the campus pond? Did the OPTIONS Staff lip-sync toTaylor Swift's "Shake It Off"? These were the challenges acceptedby our staff members if the Brehm School Foundation raised$25,000 for this year’s #Giving Tuesday campaign.

#Giving Tuesday is a national movement to create a day dedicatedto giving during the holiday season, similar to how Black Fridayand Cyber Monday have become days that are synonymous withshopping. This year, #Giving Tuesday was December 2.

Not only did the staff accept challenges, but if the goal was met,another $25,000 would be given by a matching donor! Did we doit? Look for the videos on www.blog.brehm.org. Thank you toeveryone for supporting our students and staff. <>

Thank you John B! Welcome John K!John Barnes (right) recently retired from his positionas School Counselor after 17 years. John helped numerous students, and we wish him all the best.

Thank you, John! This fall, JohnKeehn (left) has transitioned into the full-time position as School Counselor. John assists with the processing and interventions of the student body, as part of the clinical team at Brehm. <>

Witness Our #Giving Tuesday Challenges

7W I N T E R 2 0 1 4 / 2 0 1 5

LIFETIME GIVING RECOGNITIONUpdated as of October 2014

PLATINUM BENEFACTOR

Lifetime Gifts of $150,000 and above

Anonymous Family

Mrs. Carol Brehm

The Clarkson Group

Mr. J. David Gibbs and Mrs. Kaye L. LaFollette

Mr. and Mrs. Thomas E. Phelps

Mr. Mike Stevens and Mrs. Anne Fischetti

Mr. Mark and Rev. Stacy Tate

GOLD BENEFACTOR

Lifetime Gifts of $50,000 to $149,999

Mr. Philip and Dr. Sarah Alexander

Mr. and Mrs. Peter Barnes

Mr. Edward A. Bayne and Ms. Lea Delacour

Mr. and Mrs. John Calamos

Dr. and Mrs. Richard Collins

Community Foundation of Greater Memphis

Mr. and Mrs. John Cooney

Mr. Stephen Frates

The General Electric Foundation

Ms. Robin Gordon

Mr. and Mrs. Charles F. Jacobs

Myranda's Child and Family Foundation

Shaner Management, Inc.

Mr. and Mrs. Jim Sweeney

Mr. Thomas and Mrs. Charleen Walsh Family

Mr. and Mrs. Craig Wielansky

Mr. and Mrs. Michael Wojtowicz

Dr. Mark E. Zmijewski and Mrs. Jennifer Jones

SILVER BENEFACTOR

Lifetime Gifts of $25,000 to $49,999

Mandell L. and Madeleine H. Berman Support Foundation

Mr. Edward Brill and Dr. Michele Levin

J & B Cooney Foundation

Mr. and Mrs. Barry Edelman

Mr. and Mrs. William Eppard

Dr. Ronald Hurston

Mr. and Mrs. Robert Kueppers

Mr. and Mrs. Earl Magdovitz

Dr. Reuben Elbert Mayo

Mrs. Martha McGregor

Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Milligan

Dr. and Mrs. V. D. Pierce, Jr.

Dr. and Mrs. Richard Rak

Roberts Family Foundation

Mr. Craig and Dr. Gerry Schermerhorn

Mr. and Mrs. Alan Sheriff

Mr. and Mrs. Allan Will

All the great things we have accomplished came out of past Strategic Planning Weekends. All stakeholders (parents, alumni, alumni parents, board members, faculty and staff) of Brehm School and OPTIONS Transitions to Independence are encouraged to attend this inclusive retreat to celebrate our successes, evaluate our current needs and opportunities, and create goals for the future.

For more information, contact Heather Manis, Director of Human Resources at 618.457.0371. If you cannot attend,

you may send an email to heather.manis@brehm.org, which will be read and also become part of the meeting minutes. <>

2015 Strategic Planning WeekendJanuary 30th - 31st

(Continued from page 4)

The Parent Weekends were also filled with a range of activitiesthat included a Brehm Parents Association "Meet and Greet," apresentation by Terri Douglas and myself, and a wonderfulevening dinner with a fun "Trike Race."

Terri Douglas' presentation helped parents understand the scoresstudents receive when they take the psychological and IQ teststhat identify their learning issues. This presentation simplified thecomplexity of testing and helped parents better appreciate theirchildren's learning disabilities. I also gave a presentation withTerri on the importance of how we communicate and how wesometimes communicate from different parts of ourselves (Parent,Adult, or Child). We highlighted how important it is in life to receive, “Strokes”, and also how we grow up in a “Slap” orientedculture. I hope to be able to have Dr. Tal Brown do a mini-workshop during our Spring Parent Weekend to provide deeper meaning to our parents.

Parents and staff had time for fellowship, while the kids had funplaying games and participating in a human foosball game in thegym during the Saturday evening dinner.

Finally, our weekend came to an end with a great 5K walk/runevent on Sunday morning. I must thank all of those involved inmaking each of our Parent Weekends a resounding success andlook forward to seeing everyone at the Spring Parent Weekend. <>

M a r k y o u r c a l e n d a r

Back-to-Back Parent, Family & Alumni Weekends!

Community Partner Programs to benefit Brehm/OPTIONS students

Collect and send to Brehm Foundation:Box Tops for Education — Clip and send to Brehm FoundationLabels for Education — Clip and send to Brehm Foundation

Set up accounts and choose Brehm Foundation as your Donor of Choice:Schnucks — Contact the Foundation for an eScrip card for a % of your purchase to go to Brehm Foundation.Kroger Plus — Enroll your Kroger Plus Card to give back toBrehm Foundation. kroger.com/communityrewardsTarget Red Card — When you use your Target Red Card, a % of your purchase will go to Brehm Foundation. target.com/redcardAmazon Smile — Shop Amazon Smile to give back to BrehmFoundation. Same benefits as Amazon andAmazonPrime. smile.amazon.comGoodShop — Shop online with thousands of stores that give back to Brehm Foundation. goodsearch.com

For more information on any of the programs or help getting started, contact Brehm Foundation at 618-457-0371 or FoundationInfo@brehm.org