By Alex Black, Boys Program Dean of Students We’re sitting, two teachers and twelve 7th graders, in a circle just a few steps off of the trail we’ve been hiking on. One student, who has been chosen by his peers to be today’s “Speaker Keeper,” looks around at the class and asks if anyone has […]
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FBRA Rocks the Tropics at the Spring 7th/8th Dance Well, that was fun! Seventh- and eighth-grade Salamanders came together this past Friday night for their annual co-ed dance. Decked out in colorful Hawaiian shirts and shorts, floral leis, and shades, the students played games, shared snacks, hung out, and hit the dance floor. Thanks to
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At French Broad River Academy, every student travels to Costa Rica each of the three years they are at the middle school for this incredible immersion experience. Each year’s trip builds on the prior one and is in a different area of the country. Year in and year out, the Costa Rica trip is what
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By Leanne Chapman, Boys Program Staff Leanne Chapman relays the story of growth and renewal while rock climbing in Potrero Chico this past winter. “You’ve got this Leanne!” I heard, along with, “C’mon, try to get to the next clip!” My hands were sweating, and my heart was pounding as I was analyzing my next
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By Stiles Rockey, FBRA Girls Dean of Students At French Broad River Academy, advisory groups play a crucial role in fostering a sense of community and connection among middle school students. These groups, which bring together students from various grade levels, provide a unique opportunity for cross-grade connections that help build strong relationships throughout the
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By Felix Dowsley, Boys Program Director When I stepped on stage at the Orange Peel with Staff Rock as a first year FBRA teacher, I was keenly aware that I was treading in the footsteps of legends. Ms. Lauren Hill had stood behind these very curtains! Bob Dylan had mused on this same backstage couch!
Music Class as Character Education? Read More »
The BEST First Week of School Ever Our school year began last week with Induction Week, a five-day overnight experience based out of Camp Mondamin for Boys and Camp Green Cove for Girls. New students may have arrived on Monday morning with a bit of trepidation and uncertainty, but they departed on Friday with a whole new crew
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FBRA graduation ceremonies are unique in that each graduating 8th grader addresses the audience, in contrast to having a valedictorian deliver the class address. The ceremonies offer a special time for our community to celebrate the achievements of our graduating 8th graders, to reflect upon the impact of three years in our program, and for
FBRA’s Class of 2020 Alumni Gather to Reflect on their time at FBRA On, May 21, 2024, we invited the Class of 2020 to come out and reminisce about the good old middle-school days of French Broad River Academy. After hearing these soon-to-graduate-from-high-school young men and women reflect on their time at FBRA, we can
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How tackling hard things benefits us all, by Tricia Chan Tricia Chan is the program director for girls at the French Broad River Academy, an independent middle school in Asheville. She has more than 15 years of experience working in education and curriculum design, and integrating nontraditional instruction with student development and transformational field experiences.
In Defense Of Challenge Read More »