BRANSON BULLETIN • CAMPUS NEWS • OCTOBER 5, 2017
Fog lifting on a Fall morning.
NEED TO KNOW
Directory Changes

Address update:

Griffin-Masri, Isabella ‘21
P.O. Box 2005
Ross, CA 9495
Student Grades and Progress Reports
Fall term snapshot grades and comments will be available online after 3:15 pm on Monday, October 9. To view your child’s grades, go to the Branson website, click on “Parent” at the top of the page, and enter your ID and password. Click on “Click Here to Enter the Parent’s Center.” If you need assistance with your ID and/or password, please contact Lori Deibel.
The Daily Rotation - now on the website

The website calendar now show what day in the schedule rotation corresponds to each date. You can use the instructions to download the calendar to your devices.
New Address for Payments to the School

All student account payments and other payments should be mailed directly to the school at PO Box 887, Ross, CA, 94957. This includes online bill payments. Please make sure to update the address in your online banking site, as the previous address was to a lockbox the school no longer uses.
SCHOOL NEWS
Branson Football Back in the News

Branson's undefeated football team was featured again in the Marin IJ for their win over Calistoga. Read the story here and details of the game in BULLHorn News below. Photo of Kwentyn Wiggins '20 catching touchdown pass taken by Alan Dep for the Marin IJ.
CALENDAR
OCTOBER 10 - Parents' Association (PA) Meeting
Coffee/light fare/Hospitality from 8:30 am to 9:00 am
PA meeting from 9:00 am to 10:15 am

OCTOBER 11 - PSAT Testing Day
See explanation below for sophomores and juniors.
Stay tuned next week for freshman and senior schedules that day.

OCTOBER 11 - Advisor and Parent Meetings
If they have not already, your child's advisor will be contacting you to schedule a time for a half-hour meeting.

OCTOBER 17 - LGBTQ+ Families Social Hour 
Maxwell Music Hall, 6:30 - 7:30 pm

OCTOBER 21 - 10th Annual Alumni Family Fun Day

The dates listed above represent only the next two weeks.
UPCOMING EVENTS
PSAT Testing

Sophomores and juniors  will take the Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test (PSAT) on  Wednesday, October 11.  Students should report to the gym by 8:40 am. The exam begins at 8:45 sharp and will conclude between 11:45 and 12:00. Parents may sign students out after the completion of the testing.

This exam is administered by the College Board, so students who arrive late will not be able to take the exam and will be sent home. Please allow extra time for traffic, weather, good breakfast, and carpooling. Students who qualify for extended time should see the Rand Center staff for instructions and locations prior to the exam.

Sophomores and juniors have already received a copy of the  2017 Official Student Guide to the PSAT/NMSQT  from their advisors. The $16 exam fee will be reflected in your November Branson bill. Lunch will be provided after the exam and there are no classes in the afternoon. Contact  Lori Meaney   with any questions.
LGBTQ+ Families Social Hour

Please join us for our LGBTQ+ Social Hour on October 17 to enjoy our community and celebrate who we are at Branson.

Who? Anyone in the Branson community (students, parents, faculty, staff, and alumni) who identifies as LGBTQ+ or has a parent, child or sibling in their family who identifies as LGBTQ+
When?  Tuesday, October 17 from 6:30 - 7:30 pm
Where? Maxwell Music Hall
10th Annual Alumni Family Fun Day

We will be holding our 10th Annual Alumni Family Fun Day on October 2 here on Branson’s campus from 11 to 1 pm. Alumni and their families will gather to enjoy a BBQ lunch, bounce houses, petting zoo, and pony rides. All events will take place in the Academic Quad.
OPPORTUNITIES
Nicaragua - Cultural Immersion and Service Trip

Along with trip leaders  Sergio Ovalles and Madison Pulliam , students can participate in a cultural immersion and service trip to Nicaragua led by Viviendas  León  during February break. Branson has had a three-year relationship with Viviendas León, and students will have the opportunity not only to work on their Spanish but also to immerse themselves in Nicaraguan life by living with a family, working on a service project, and continuing an ongoing relationship with Nicaraguan families. Sergio says, "This trip is a transformative experience, and I can't wait to share it with Branson students."
PARENT TO PARENT (PA)
Next PA Meeting is October 10
Don't miss it! Below are instructions for accessing it remotely

Please join us at the Parents' Association (PA) Meeting on October 10 in the Old Dining Hall. From 8:30 am to 9:00 am coffee and a light breakfast will be served for parents to socialize; the meeting will start promptly at 9:00 am and will end on or before 10:15 am. Meredith Herrera , Dean of Student Life & Inclusion and Senior Class Dean will be our guest speaker.

We will be webcasting the meeting and hope the acoustics will be better as we will now have our members of the audience use a roving microphone for questions. Below are instructions for accessing the meeting.

You may want to follow the instructions below at 8:55 am, as the meeting will start promptly at 9 am.

Join from PC, Mac, Linux, iOS or Android: https://zoom.us/j/942986689

Or iPhone one-tap :
   US: +16699006833 ,,942986689# or +14086380968 ,,942986689#
Or Telephone:
   Dial(for higher quality, dial a number based on your current location):
       US: +1 669 900 6833  or +1 408 638 0968  or +1 646 876 9923
   Meeting ID: 942 986 689
Parent Education Event at COM

Would you like to find yourself "better able to see even your child's most exasperating behaviors as steps in striving towards maturity, rather than chronic problems or mean–spirited efforts designed to make you miserable?"

Come hear Dr. Brad Sachs talk about How to Have an Imperfect Family and Be Perfectly Satisfied at an event co-sponsored by College of Marin and Branson's PA. The event is free, but reserving a seat is recommended. Click on the link above or below.

"Dr. Brad Sachs helps parents understand the invisible transformation teens are experiencing and to recognize their unrealistic expectations for their teenagers, allowing them to love, accept and nurture the family they have to its full potential.

He presents a developmental overview of what parents can expect from their children during adolescence, then delineates the five stages in the journey towards accepting a child for who he or she is. With prescriptive tools, lively anecdotes, and practical strategies, Dr. Brad helps parents develop realistic expectations of the family, and to understand, forgive, and accept them in spite of their imperfections.

October 19, 2017 from 7 to 8:30 pm at the College of Marin - James Dunn Auditorium 
Parent Field Trip to Hear Talk on Raising Resilient Children
by Germana Fabbri and Liz Marks

We all recognize that “ raising resilient children and teens who thrive in our rapidly changing and uncertain world is no small task .” As such, the PA invites you  to be our guest  to hear Dr. Madeline Levine, Dr. Kenneth Ginsburg, and Dr. Denise Pope discuss why it matters to foster resilience in our teens.

Please join us on our parent field trip  Friday, October 20, 2017 from 7:30 pm - 9:00 pm  in the Memorial Auditorium at Stanford University.

The PA will pay for your ticket so please RSVP to:  germana@comcast.net  as soon as you know you are able to attend and  by October 13, 2017  at the latest. You do not need to purchase tickets separately. For more information about the event, please  see this link or download the flyer.

Carpools are leaving from Branson campus at 5:00 pm, and we will happily arrange carpools for parents who may want to drive from San Francisco or the East Bay. Plan on an evening of learning and fun with fellow Branson parents, as we are all together on the journey of raising our children!
CLASS OF 2018
Celebrate your graduating senior with a tribute that will last a lifetime!

Purchasing a senior congratulatory ad lets you include pictures and a message to create your child's own special page in their senior yearbook.  Click here   to view some previously created pages.

Please purchase a half-page or full-page ad (see link below) before October 16, 2017.
Thank you for supporting the Branson yearbook by creating a page for your graduate!

SPOTLIGHT ON EAC
The EAC (Environmental Action Committee) Jumps Into Action!
Did you know that compostable food scraps account for 30% of waste at Marin landfills?

Two weeks ago EAC members met with representatives from Marin Sanitation to discuss the implementation of a new Composting Program in the Student Commons. In the coming weeks, The EAC will work with Branson’s Facilities Department and Marin Sanitation on developing the program, beginning with a waste audit in the Commons. Once the compost program is active, Advanced Environmental Science will be using data on how much compost is diverted in order to calculate both the cost savings at Branson and the reduction in methane emissions from landfills. All of this will be taken into consideration as the EAC works to consider the potential application to the California Green Ribbon Schools recognition program.

This past Saturday, EAC garden enthusiasts convened our first Community Garden Work Day. Led by parent Anne Wick (Parent of Ellen '20 and Julia '21 ), the group tamed back an expansive of invasive blackberry vines and overgrown grape vines. Additionally, planting beds and the aquaponics system (designed by Cory Broad ‘14) were given some much needed maintenance in preparation for upcoming fall plantings. In symbolic Branson fashion, Alum Sarah Arndt '10, who was a leader of the group that originally built the garden, just happened to be passing through and jumped in to lend a hand! 

Anne Wick said it best: “We are pretty proud of what we accomplished … the garden is no longer a secret.” Special thanks to The Sann Family ( AJ ‘20 ), Reilly Manton ‘19 and his father Conor , Alex Le '19 , Grant Curry ‘19 and his mom Denise Lawson-Curry , as well as faculty Eric Oldmixon , Peter Z. (Zdrojewski) and Sergio Ovalles for all the hard work! Next time you amble down the Alumni steps, stop in, grab a fig, and check out the garden.
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
First Community Engagement Fair
by Elizabeth Siarny

Branson believes that the most meaningful experiences are ones during which students build relationships and make connections. This year we have a special focus as we talk to our students about engagement and service: Neighbors. We are encouraging students to think about how they engage with others in their communities, how they define and practice neighborliness, and who they consider to be a neighbor.

To encourage students to seek out opportunities beyond the Branson campus and become familiar with fellow members of our larger community, we are hosting a Community Engagement Fair on October 9. We’ll be hosting representatives from Hamilton School, REC, Inc., Marin Youth Court, Canal Alliance, Best Buddies, and Kids Enjoying Exercise Now (KEEN), just to name a few. Please ask students about what they plan to engage in this year!
Partnering with One Tam to Save the Bees

Your Branson PA Community Engagement Committee is working to schedule opportunities for families to engage with our neighbors (Community Engagement theme for the year). We're kicking off the new school year with a very unique opportunity with One Tam to participate in research to save the bees. We will be sorting insects collected from traps on Mt. Tam to separate out (no longer living/stinging) bees and prepare them to be sent to entomologists. Read more here. 

The event is Saturday, October 14 from 9 am to 12 pm in Corte Madera. Siblings ages 13 and up are welcome to join us. Please contact Evelyn Sayers by September 30 to sign up, as space is limited.
STUDENT SPOTLIGHT
Branson students are exceptional leaders in many settings. In this section, we will feature students' accomplishments outside of school. Please send your news  for future issues.
Brendon Milan Howells Named to KQED Youth Advisory Board

Brendon Milan-Howells '20 has been selected for KQED's Youth Advisory Board. According to the KQED Education branch's website, "Y outh Advisory Board members gain valuable leadership and communication skills, go behind the scenes of the media making process, and get exposure to different career paths in media. It’s a great opportunity to build community with other Bay Area teens, learn more about media making, and use your voice to help KQED provide better programming to students and the KQED audience as a whole.

Congratulations, Brendon.
BRANSON CONNECTIONS
Jordan Raabe '07 Advises Film Club

Jordan Raabe '07 is the new faculty advisor for the Branson Film Club. He travels to campus from San Francisco on a regular basis to bring his practical experience and knowledge into club discussions.
ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT
Tongo Eisen-Martin Publishes New Book of Poetry

Tongo Eisen-Martin '98 has just released his second book  Heaven is All Goodbyes , and his poetry was favorably reviewed in the San Francisco Chronicle . It was a starred review in Publishers's Weekly, which said "Eisen-Martin's impeccable collection is a crucial document of this time."

The book has been ordered for the Branson library.
Javier Zamora Publishes Book of Poetry

Unaccompanied, a book of poetry by Javier Zamora's '08 was reviewed in last Sunday's San Francisco Chronicle.. He was the subject of Jonathan Blitzer's article in The New Yorker on September 19. Branson's Alumni Relations Office has arranged for Javier to come to campus on December 8 to speak with students.

His book of poetry has also been ordered for the library.
Carina del Valley Schorke Published in The New Yorker

Carina del Valle Schorske '05  just published a piece for The New Yorker online entitled  The Internal Exile of Dulce María Loynaz . Carina del Valle Schorske has been published in the Los Angeles Review of Books and in New York Magazine and has been the recipient of poetry fellowships from Bread Loaf and the  MacDowell Colony .
BULLhorn NEWS
FOOTBALL
Photo of QB Alec Ritch '18 by Alan Dep for the Marin IJ
Bulls Continue Undefeated
Branson 74 – Calistoga 28

Thank you to everyone, including our Best Buddies from Cedars of Marin, who survived an Indian summer squelcher to cheer the Bulls to victory last Thursday.  Thank you volunteers for the snacks and shade!  

The Bulls came charging: minutes into the game, QB Alec Ritch ran in a touchdown and Brett Schneider recovered a fumble and scored another. 
Senior Ritch summed the game up for the Marin IJ: “We really ran the ball early on them, and they were respecting our pass game. Then they started bringing their guys up, making it tight, and that’s when it got a little tough for us. There were a couple formations they were well prepared for.“

“In the second half, we made some adjustments and decided to spread it out, and it really worked for us. Everyone executed.”

More highlights from the IJ :

“Touchdown passes of 13 and 43 yards from Ritch to Aidan Demian (eight catches, 107 yards, three touchdowns) and Kwentyn Wiggins (four catches, 68 yards, two touchdowns), respectively, pushed the Bulls’ advantage to 30-0.”

Our Defense Domination team included Andrew Ashley, Charlie Goldstein, Will Morris, Oliver Jacobs, Rich Bollini, Weston Terrell, Fin Woodlief, Nicholas Hariri , and Niklas Koehne .

“The Wildcats woke up in the third quarter, taking advantage of Branson’s only punt of the game before scoring two straight touchdowns to bring the score to 50-22.”
“Ritch finished 20 of 24 passing for 297 yards. The senior ran for 120 yards on 12 carries. (Brett) Schneider racked up 51 yards on two catches, Andrew Ashley caught one pass for 31 yards, and Koehne recorded 25 yards receiving and 23 rushing.”

Ritch’s last scoring drive ended with a 7-yard toss to freshman William McLeod.

“Our guys were focused, had a great week of practice, understood the circumstances and I’m so proud of them for executing defensively,” Branson coach Ian Albrecht told the IJ . “They run the ball hard, they’re big up front and they’re physical, and our guys proved to us early that they could play assignment football defensively. We’re starting to look our best.”

After a bye week, Branson travels to Rincon Valley Christian, next Saturday, November 14.
MOUNTAIN BIKING
Mountain Biking Team Looking to Expand
by Coach Adam Nuyens

A. CLUB RIDES
There is a Mountain Bike Club ride planned for most weeks, either on Friday or a weekend day. This is s student-led non-structured ride with no adult supervision. Please contact senior Nik Koehne for more information about these club rides or talk with Joshua Selig '18 , or Camille Pon '18 .
     
B.  TEAM SIGN-UP MEETINGf
We will have an informational and sign-up meeting on Tuesday, October 10 at 6:30 pm in the Branson library. (Snacks and refreshments will be served.)

This is for riders who want to commit to riding, (structured training) with the team regularly, 3-4 days a week, December - May, and possibly racing in the spring.
We want to grow our team because the more, the merrier!
We have so much fun while doing the following:
  • Making a breeze by pedaling our bikes.
  • Viewing the bay area from fire trails high above campus.
  • Spotting nature, such as hawks, salamanders and turtles.
  • Getting strong by doing hard workouts.
  • Laughing and smiling while rolling along.
  • This sport is co-ed.

No tryouts are necessary; Everyone is welcome. We teach the necessary skills. We can help with loaner bikes, if you don't have a mountain bike.

Our riders report that they gain so much pride and self respect completing our (gradually increasing) tough rides and develop character, too, by overcoming doubt and difficulty!
And of course there is the thrill and camaraderie of the races, which are so much fun!
We invite you to give it a try. Email me at if you want to learn more.

GIRLS VARSITY TENNIS
Branson Girls Tame The Marin Catholic Wildcats

The Marin Catholic girls tennis team hosted the Bulls at Dominican University’s tennis courts. Newly built about seven years ago, it was a handsome Marin setting for a match. Nice view of Mt. Tam, perfect weather, but yet again, six courts built with absolutely no regard for the spectators. Hard to see what’s happening six courts down …   or even four.

#1 singles Emma Hirschkop simply went about her business with her usual solid game and won 6-0, 6-0. Abby Ivancevich , at #2 position, also played a steady match with her usual display of varied strokes: pounding forehands, some lobs, some backhand slices, etc. … 6-3, 6-0. #3 Chelsea Wong, improving with every match, especially her serves, also scored 6-3, 6-0. Ella Ratliff, at #4 singles, is just hitting harder and with more confidence as the season progresses. 6-2, 6-2 was her result. #5 Clia Ellwein exhibited a strong backhand on her way to victory at 6-2, 6-0. And Emily Wells, at times scowling with determination, overwhelmed her opponent 6-1, 6-0.

The doubles teams ran into some interesting line-up combinations from MC and had a bit rougher go of it. Olivia Rosenlund & Grace Herbst played #1 dubs, and in spite of some sizzling serves from Grace and strong net-play from Olivia, succumbed 4-6, 1-6. Scarlett Bach & Caroline Ritter , at #2 slot, put in a solid performance to win 6-4, 6-4. And the #3 dubs of Lillie Lippman & Kate Lardner put up a struggle but lost at 6-4, 3-6, and 5-10 in the Super Tie-Breaker.

Branson 7, MC 2.
Branson GIrls Take Down Drake Pirates

Sir Francis Drake plays its home matches at Canon (Pron.: Canyon) Swim and Tennis Club in Fairfax. A more serene, picturesque setting for a tennis match is hard to find. Rolling hillsides butting up against the courts, young deer gamboling along the slopes, and the only background sound is the soft slap and splash of palms and feet from the elderly lap swimmers in the nearby pool.

That and the friendly design, where all the courts are easily accessed and visible to the spectators. In fact, three of the courts are just below a terrace furnished with chairs and umbrellas. Tennis heaven.

Branson heaven, as #3 singles Chelsea Wong rolled to a 6-1, 6-1 victory while #4 Ella Ratliff took a 6-0, 6-1 decision. #5 singles Olivia Rosenlund played steady and won 6-1, 6-0. Drake defaulted the #6 singles as their player could not make it.

The dynamic doubles duo of Abby Ivancevich & Emily Wells coasted to a 6-0, 6-1 win, while #2 dubs Lillie Lippman & Sedona Ward cruised to a 6-0, 6-0 final. #3 dubs Alana Talley & Katie Sayers had the most contested match at 6-3, 6-1.

With #2 singles Emma Hirschkop taking care of business at 6-0, 6-1, the spectators settled down to watch the grace and power of #1 Alise Pedersen overwhelm her opponent with a 6-2, 6-1 score.

Branson 9, Drake 0 for a friendly, genteel afternoon. Onward.
GIRLS VARSITY VOLLEYBALL
Lights Out for Terra Linda as Bulls Win in Straight Sets

Last Wednesday, the Bulls hosted the Terra Linda Trojans. The Lady Bulls started off slowly, and with the score 7-5, the power went out throughout campus and the town of Ross. As the officials were in the process of rescheduling the match and the teams and fans beginning to pack up, the power came back on. Due to the delay, the junior varsity girls who usually work the scorer’s table had been granted permission to leave, but Jochen Wentzel and Matt Davis , both parents of seniors on the team, stepped in to work the scoreboard without a hitch.

With the power back on, the Lady Bulls were amped up and jumped to a 14-6 lead. With the beautiful setting of veteran senior Amy Wentzel , every hitter in the rotation, senior Eva Davis , junior Amelia Browne , and sophomores Sophie Swett , Kelsey Polhemus , and Mallory Harrington-Fei , got kills for a very impressive 25-13 first set win.

The second set saw not only a continuation of the offensive flow, but also some of the best defensive resistance of the season by junior Lauren Winters and sophomore Abby Stover , with great digs by Amelia, Amy, and Mallory. 25-13

Terra Linda played valiantly in the third set, but Branson was plugged in. Sophomore Avery Arcuri , along with Abby, Sophie, Amelia, Lauren, and Amy, all generated service aces for a juiced up 25-11 third set, and the match.


Varsity Earns Twelfth Straight Win

With the absence of senior Amy Wentzel , the weighty mantle of setting and leading the team’s offense fell on freshman Alexa Garay ’s shoulders for the Monday away match against the San Rafael Bulldogs. Alexa immediately got to work, and the Bulls easily won the first set 25-9.

The second set saw sophomores Maya Roberts-Burbank and Avery Arcuri step up in to the primary hitters’ spots, and the team cruised to a 25-18 second set.

The third set saw sophomore Abby Stover go on a serving run, including two aces, for a 25-15 win.