FBRA Blog
As the school year comes to a close, our graduating eighth graders are preparing for exciting new adventures in high school and beyond. For many of them, music has been more than a class or extracurricular activity. It has become a vehicle for collaboration, creativity, and confidence building. We are fortunate to have several dedicated […]
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By Tricia Chan, Girls Program Director I toss the last of the 95 drybags into our giant rented truck and slam the tailgate before everything spills out. It’s September 12, and my crew- four friends, including my husband John- and I are leaving Boise, Idaho on our way to Boundary Creek Campground, the put-in for […]
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By Liddell Shannon, FBRA Girls Science Teacher Over the years, FBRA Girls Program has had several Science Olympiad Teams. The most recent one before this year was in 2022/23 with an after-school program that I led with the help of FBRA board member Laura Bowers. This year, we offered Science Olympiad as a 7th/8th Grade […]
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By Will Yeiser, Executive Director & Co Founder When we opened our doors in 2009, a ski program was not part of the plan. It wasn’t in the budget, on the schedule, or even on our radar. But as winter approached, we began exploring the idea of launching a ski program at FBRA. During my […]
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By Felix Dowsley, Boys Program Director “¿Hace frío, Rodolfo?”“¡Sí! Hace frio.” We were cresting the pass between Jalcomulco and Tlapcoyan, headed for the legendarily fun Roadside section of the Alsaseca River. Rodolfo, a former raft guide who switched to driving shuttles after years of abusing his knees carrying boats, huddled over the steering wheel, a […]
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By Alex Briggs Allison, Girls Program Academic Director As an educator, it is a professional dream to work in a school that embodies and lives the pedagogy I hold close to my heart. I believe education should give every child a compass — not directions. I want students to discover confidence in their ability to […]
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Enjoy a Q & A with Caitlin Hay, Girls Program Math Teacher and FBRA Head of Technology. What inspired you to become a teacher? Looking back, I can see so many instances that make me think, “Ah yes, of course, teaching is what I am meant to do,” but in reality, the path to becoming […]
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By Will Yeiser, Executive Director and Co-Founder At the French Broad River Academy, we teach our students and staff to always “point positive.” On river trips, this phrase serves as a critical communication tool: we point only toward the line we want paddlers to take, never toward hazards or undesirable features. Because students learn this […]
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Enjoy a Q & A with Heath Alexander, FBRA Boys Program Social Studies Teacher and infinitely curious and interesting human being! What inspired you to become a teacher? I became a teacher because of the impact of my high school AP U.S. History teacher. Mr. Anderson taught me how to think critically and I have […]
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By Jack Schroeder, Math Teacher Math class can be a series of equations, or it can be a place where math meets imagination via the design process. Enter Desmos: an online graphing software program utilized by high schoolers and beyond as today’s standard graphing resource. This program is not intended for animation, illustration, or programming; […]
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