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The entire Branson community greet each freshman by name at the Spirit Assembly.
See Photo Gallery below for Freshman photos.
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Additional Directory Changes
Please note these changes to what appeared in the printed directory:
Under:
Rewick, Anne ‘21
Rewick, Isabel ‘19
Add new mobile numbers: Glenn Rewick 415-905-0126; Jennifer Rewick 415-650-6240
Delete home phone number listed in printed directory.
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Need A Ride?
Need to ride the bus, but aren’t a registered rider? Pick up a pack of bus vouchers from Elizabeth Riley in Richardson Hall. Go can purchase a pack of 5 for $60 or a pack of 10 for $110.
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Record-Breaking Temperature on Field
This is a photo of two thermometers on the Tom Ryan Field on Friday. One reads 156.9 and the other 150.4!
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September 14 is
Branflix,
aka the 2017 Junior Talent Show aka JTS!
by Elliot Cherry '19
On Thursday September 14, the junior class will be presenting
Branflix
the 2017 Junior Talent Show. The first show (primarily for underclassmen and faculty) is at 4 pm followed by a 7 pm (mainly for seniors and parents), both in the Jewett Theater.
The juniors would really appreciate all the support they can get so please come out to one of the shows!
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Because the late show usually hits capacity seating, we ask everyone (except seniors, for whom spaces are already reserved) to please reserve a free seat if you plan to attend the 7 pm show.
Please note that you do NOT have to get tickets for your children unless they are freshmen or sophomores
and
want to attend the 7 pm show.
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Save the Date for Parents Day: September 23
The Branson faculty is pleased to invite you to Parents’ Day on Saturday, September 23 beginning at 8:30 am. After a continental breakfast and an assembly, you’ll follow your child’s schedule and attend classes. We hope that you can join us for this special event, a highlight of the school year. We regret that, because of space limitations, we cannot extend invitations to students or younger siblings. See you then!
More information to follow in an invitation and future BULLetins.
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SEPTEMBER 14 - Junior Talent Show
Jewett Theater, 4 pm (underclassmen) and 7 pm (seniors and parents)
SEPTEMBER 21 -
Rosh Hashanah - No School
SEPTEMBER 23 - Parents' Day
The Commons, 8:30 am start, ending approx. 12:30 pm
The above represents only the next two weeks. Check the calendar below for full lists.
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First Parents' Association Meeting of the Year!
Please join us at the first Parents' Association (PA) Meeting of the year on September 12!
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 will end on or before 10:15 am. Come hear our Head of School Chris Mazzola kick off the year as our first guest.
HOT OFF THE PRESSES!!
This year if you cannot attend the PA meetings in person (though we hope you can) you will be able to remotely participate. We will be webcasting the meetings starting with the first one. We will send out instructions on how to access the event beforehand. Stay Tuned!
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It's the Sweetest Spot on Campus - The Branson Snack Shack!
It's not too late to volunteer this fall.
The Snack Shack is a great place to engage with the kids and enjoy the beautiful Branson campus.
SCHEDULE
Please note, with the new 6-day rotating schedule, the time slots are different from last year, different each day, and each week. The slots have shifted but the times are actually shorter this year in most cases.
Call a friend and sign up together or meet someone new when you volunteer. We are open each day during lunch and every afternoon. The timing of the shifts coincides with the new schedule.
TRAINING
Our last training session for the fall will take place next Tuesday, September 12 immediately following the PA meeting, at approximately 10:15 am. Training takes about 15 minutes. Please make a note in your signup if you are a new volunteer or need a quick refresher and plan to attend the 9/12 training session.
Thanks!
Aimee West, Volunteer Manager
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Parent Education
Parent Education is off to a fast start this year, including collaborations with other high schools, co-curricular week, and some upcoming events planned exclusively for our Branson community. Sign up now for this sure to sell out event at College of Marin, co-sponsored by the Branson PA:
Please join us for a special parent-education event with Dr. Brad Sachs.
On
October 19, 2017 from 7 to 8:30 pm at the College of Marin - James Dunn Auditorium
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Get Involved Now!
Have you thought about getting involved with the PA but haven't made a move yet? Do it now! This year, we are asking our students to reach out and try new things, meet new people. You can, too.
Go to the link below to access the Volunteer Spot, where you can see the wide range of opportunities available and sign up for one or more of them. You don't have to move mountains or lead a group--there are many ways you can contribute your part in accomplishing a larger task or events. Take a look!
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Place Your Senior Yearbook Congratulations Ads Now
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 before October 16, 2017.
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Graduation Announcement Ordering Information
Jostens is the company that provides Branson families with official graduation announcements and graduation-related accessories. Packets that contain a catalog and ordering form will be handed out at the Senior Parent/Student College Night on September 6.
A representative will be on campus, in the Commons on September 26 from 11-1 to take orders and answer any questions.
Orders can also be placed online at
http://www.shop.jostens.com
by first clicking on “Find My School’s Store” then enter Branson, Ross, CA.
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Arduino Programming Class
by Computer Science Teacher Anthony Pound
Branson students have recently started a new Computer Science elective in which they have the opportunity to build circuits using the Arduino board. During the first week of class students gained an understanding of how electrical flow works. Students also learnt how to build circuits which included LEDs, resistors, potentiometers, and other sensors. Brett Schneider even created a circuit that played the Star Wars theme music, complete with lighting! Earlier this week students had the opportunity to present their newfound knowledge of circuit boards to the rest of the class.
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During the rest of the course students will gain more experience of electrical circuits and the C programming language. They will also create a health monitor and weather station using the Arduino, before embarking on their own final project. If you are interested in learning more about the Arduino please pop into the Garage during X and Y blocks to learn more. We have a number of spare Arduino boards for students (and adults!) to use.
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We Share Solar
by Peter Zdrojewski
With the school’s support, I was able to attend a two-day workshop with
We Share Solar
this past July.
We Share Solar
(WSS) empowers students to be global changemakers as they learn to apply what they learn about solar energy and engineering to meet an immediate need in the developing world.
With training in their extensive curriculum, I can now lead students in building a portable photovoltaic lighting system known as a
We Share Solar Suitcase
,
a 12-volt DC stand-alone, fully operational solar system. As students build, they learn about global energy poverty, basic electricity, solar energy, and engineering. When applicable and financially supported, students can deploy their built suitcase to a school or community center in an energy-poor region of the world.
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At the moment, WSS works with partners in Kenya, Uganda, and the Philippines to select energy poor schools and community centers as placement sites. The partners conduct solar installations and provide training to suitcase users. Once installed, the partners share stories and photos from beneficiaries with the student builders so that students can see the full impact of their work.
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Introducing Branson Music Teachers
Although all of this year’s music teachers are returning, they are stepping into expanded roles following Tony Angelo’s retirement. Here is a little background on each of them, what they are teaching at Branson, and how they practice their own crafts.
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Rachel Kim, Music Teacher
Will be teaching Chamber Singers, co-teaching Classical (Chamber Music), advisor for a cappella and music director for the musical
I've taught both privately and in classrooms for the last 8 years. I was one of the founders of a teaching program that targeted underserved neighborhoods in Washington, DC, often working in overcrowded classrooms with a student/teacher ratio of 40-1. The program turned out hugely successful and has helped several young people gain awareness of values and character through music education.
My vision for the year at Branson and especially in the Fine Arts department is to keep fostering the creative spirit in a safe and fun space for them to learn, with possibilities of inter-collaboration between departments (art+music, etc), and continuously challenging them in a variety of different ways. I'd like to keep up tradition but also look for new ways to innovate the program.
As a practicing artist:
I play in a professional piano trio named Curium, and we have roughly fifteen concerts scheduled throughout the 2017-18 season. We play all of the repertoire, but our specialty is women composers. We commission modern female composers, especially in the Bay Area.
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Dick Mathias, Instrumental Music Teacher
Will be teaching Jazz and Classical Music (with Alexandra Simmons)
I joined the Branson music faculty in 2004 as woodwind coach and, in 2005, became became director of the Jazz Ensemble, organizer of the Music & Performance class, and assistant in Chamber Music.
I bring an enthusiasm for musical exploration and experimentation to all my classes and hope to sensitize students to the aesthetic nuances, varied styles, and evolutionary developments of jazz and classical music.
Prior to Branson, I taught in the Yehudi Menuhin Scholars Program at the Nueva School (20 years), at Holy Names University, the Oakland East Bay Symphony Music Mentors in the Schools, and La Honda Summer Music Camp, and I was woodwind coach at Moreau High School and Sacred Heart. I’ve also given clinics and judged at festivals for the California Music Educators Association and the International Association of Jazz Educators
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As a practicing artis
t:
For four decades, I’ve enjoyed a professional freelance performing career as a woodwind doubler (clarinets, saxophones, and flutes) and music arranger.
Performances range from Dixieland and modern Jazz to classical chamber music and contemporary opera, with a lot of Broadway pit orchestra playing interspersed.
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Alexandra Simmons, Math and Music Teacher, Freshman Dean
Will be teaching Music and Performance and Classical Music with Dick Mathias
This is my fifth year at Branson, and I've worked with every music ensemble on campus in my time here (including Chamber Singers!). My vision in general is to promote fun and flexibility and I value variety and adaptability in my classroom. My freshmen, especially, will get to try many things before picking an area of expertise.
As a practicing artist:
I don't play as much professionally, (Ed. Note: could it be because of all her roles at Branson?) but I've been performing with the volunteer ensemble Awesöme Orchestra for over six months performing classical, jazz, pop, and more in venues around the Bay.
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Jeff Symonds
Tukman Distinguished Teacher of English and Fine Arts, Music Teacher
Will be teaching Rock History & Performance
I will continue to teach the Rock History and Performance class. This year, the class will partner with the Rock N Roll Forever Foundation for a series of new, fun projects. As we do each year, the Rock Band will kick off the Festival of Arts at Branson with a Thursday night performance at Terrapin Crossroads.
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As a practicing artist:
I have played bass, keyboards, and guitar on over twenty albums, including the Grammy-winning Shrek 2 Soundtrack, and performed thousands of shows across the US, including Jimmy Kimmel Live.
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Join in Ross Creek Cleanup
by Elizabeth Siarny
There's a great opportunity to get to know some of our neighbors in Ross this Saturday at their Annual Creek Clean-up! We already have group of Branson folks who have signed up!
For students or faculty who are interested, there is signup information on x2VOL and you can register for the event there. Also you can see the flyer at right.
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Sustainable Seas Monitoring
by Kathy Soave
If you are interested in checking out what we do at Sustainable Seas, please join us for the practice training outing on Sunday, September 10 from 7 to 10:30 am. We will meet in front of the library at 6:50 am, travel via Suburbans to Bolinas, and will return about 10:30 am.
Please
email me
to let me know you are coming and need a ride. Stay tuned Thursday for more details about the monitoring event!
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Breakthrough Junior Challenge
The Breakthrough Junior Challenge is an annual global competition for students to inspire creative thinking about science. Students ages 13 to 18 from countries across the globe are invited to create and submit original videos (3 minutes in length maximum) that bring to life a concept or theory in the life sciences, physics or mathematics.
There's also a $250,000 scholarship involved. Check it out!
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Swiss Cultural Immersion Opportunity for Juniors and Junior Families!
by Anne Butti
Would your junior student like to spend a few weeks in Switzerland this summer? The Branson Swiss Exchange program is an excellent opportunity for your student to experience “studying abroad” while immersed in a memorable cultural exchange.
We are looking for junior families willing to host a Swiss student from October 21 to November 10, 2017. The Swiss students attend classes at Branson and participate in extracurricular activities while at Branson, much like your own son/daughter.
Your son/daughter will then leave for Switzerland June 9 (the day after Branson’s Graduation) and spend three weeks enjoying an incredible itinerary of activities hosted by the families (whose child you hosted) and faculty in Zurich.
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This could be you! Branson students this summer.
This is a very special opportunity to dip one’s toe into the experience of studying abroad.
Swiss students at Branson: October 21 - November 10.
Branson students in Switzerland: June 9 - June 30, 2018.
Please email
Anne Butti
for for details or call her at 415.455.7132.
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We love to share what our students, faculty and staff do outside of Branson. Please
tell us
your story!
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Nadine Lee's Experiential Summer
Nadine Lee ‘18
was selected (from among more than 8,000 applicants) to be among 1,000 attendees at West Point’s prestigious Summer Leaders Experience (SLE) this past June. SLE attendees live in the cadet barracks, eat in the Cadet Mess, and participate in academic, leadership, athletic, and military workshops. The one-week seminars are designed to help juniors with their college-selection process, while giving them an idea of the importance of leadership and sound decision-making in their education, careers, and lives, in general. All SLE attendees participate in virtual-reality war simulation, and military and physical fitness training, and choose to attend three of 15 workshops offered.
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Nadine took an intense, rigorous, graduate-level two-week course at Harvard University in July. She embarked on the journey of uncovering the complex mechanisms of epigenetics, and spent a week making her own grant-proposal that targeted to suppress the symptoms of PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder).
She also completed a two-week intensive internship at Stanford University. She attended the Clinical Summer Internship program at Li Ka Shing, and was able to experience many different facets of surgery and medicine. From dissecting pig hearts, lamb brains, touching real-life cadavers, and shadowing ER doctors, Nadine was able to dive into the clinical world.
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Nadine at Stanford internship
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Lastly, Nadine volunteered for three weeks at HOLT International in Ilsan, South Korea. HOLT is an international organization that acts as a residential care facility, orphanage, disabled home, and adoption agency. Nadine attended classes with all the disabled residents at HOLT, played with them, did arts and crafts with them, and brought them to shopping malls. “I made unforgettable bonds and friendships with the residents and I hope to go back every year,” she says.
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Gabriel Giacoppo Interned at Fresh Films
Gabriel Giacoppo ’19
participated in a very selective film internship in LA this summer with
Fresh Films
. During the internship, Gabriel was able to participate in various production roles, such as camera work, editing, casting, and set management/location scouting. They helped produce a TV show pilot episode (set for release in January) that is being shopped to the Disney Channel. Here are some photos of Gabe and the team in action.
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Gabriel reviews applications and “sides” (script samples) for actor auditions.
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Gabriel monitoring and adjusting onset audio levels at Fresh Films TV pilot.
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In addition to being a production intern, Gabriel landed an acting role in the show as a nerdy character, Rodney (Ronney) Shaker (above). All the other actors were young professionals who have appeared in prior Disney shows/films. "One girl had over 2.6M followers on Instagram, and had starred in the popular Disney show Dog With A Blog," Gabriel explained. Another was featured for two seasons on "The Walking Dead." Gabe tried out as an extra and they loved his performance. They gave him multiple scenes and lines with some of the main characters and said he would have been cast in a larger role had they known about him before.
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Alternative Activity Program (AAP)
For students looking to participate in AAP (Alternative Activity Program) this year, there are NEW forms that need to be completed by Friday, September 11! They are available on the Haiku Student Resource Page. Please email your completed form to Associate Director of Athletics
Veronica Bosque
: Thank you!
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Dailey, Jones Star At Stinson
Senior
Grace Dailey
and junior
Callie Jones
posted the second-fastest times at the 61
st
annual Stinson Beach Relays on Wednesday, September 6. After running with several opponents early in their leg, the duo gradually pulled away from the pack and giddily crossed the line together in 9:58 (5:32 pace). Junior
Alex Le
paced the boys, breezing through his leg in 9:10 (5:06 pace).
The season’s first race is very informal, and team standings are not calculated beyond the top three squads, and any 2017 prognosticators should know that the course ran faster Wednesday than it has in
years
(low tide; 1.8 miles of damp, hard-packed sand). Nevertheless, it was an
epic
opener for the Bulls. Every single one of the nine girls who had run the course in previous seasons ran faster on Wednesday, as did all eleven of the returning boys, and Branson’s 18 rookies ran well too. (There were over 120 entrants each in both the boys and girls races.) That has
never
happened before; usually at least
one
outlier will struggle even as her mates enjoy career days; not so Wednesday!
Everyone ran about a minute faster than in the past, a substantial improvement, given the short distance, and there were several tight groupings up and down the lineup for both boys and girls, meaning three or four runners finished within a few seconds of each other, which bodes so well for fall training and racing; together the Bulls will do what they could never do alone!
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Bulls Travel To Thacher
Football takes their talent down South to Ojai, against The Thacher School. This will be their first regular season contest of season and it should be a great one! GOOD LUCK!
2017 Home games, Tom Ryan Field:
- Saturday, September 16, 1pm v. Roseland
- Thursday, September 26, 3:30pm v. Calistoga
- Saturday, October 21, 1pm v. Stuart Hall
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First Scrimmage: Lady Bulls Down Convent
OK, let’s be real, it’s going to be a little tough to repeat as MCAL (Marin County Athletic League) Champions. It was a magical season last year but we lost three seniors. Nevertheless, with the Branson’s girls’ heritage, history and tradition in tennis, they just re-load…no need to re-build. The season’s first scrimmage (out-of-conference opponent) was with Convent HS hosting us at San Francisco State’s tennis courts.
Junior
Alise Pedersen
continues at #1 singles. Wow, hasn’t lost a thing in the off-season. Dominating forehand, downhill backhand and maybe a bit more speed. 6-0, 6-0. Who knows…another undefeated season in the making? #2 singles was played by senior
Emma Hirschkop
. A little rusty, but solid strokes and patience yielded a 6-2, 6-1 result. Junior
Ella Ratliff
, former doubles partner in the very successful “Chella” duo with Chelsea Wong, took the #3 singles slot and succumbed 1-6, 3-6 to her opponent. Adjusting to singles.
#4 singles was the drama match of the day as a seriously improved senior
Clia Ellwein
showed a strong backhand and steadiness to take the first set 7-5, drop the second 2-6, and then surge through the Super Tie-Breaker 10-7.
The doubles teams flexed their rusty muscles with seniors
Abby Ivancevich
&
Emily Wells
showing great energy in the #1 doubles slot with stronger serves to win 6-1, 6-2. Another senior duo
Scarlett Bach
&
Elli Diaz,
playing at #2, put it together to score 6-3, 6-4. And in the #3 position, junior
Chelsea Wong
teamed with sophomore
Olivia Rosenlund
to post a very respectable 6-3, 6-3 victory.
Coach Patrick Anderson
and assistant coach,
Christina Wang
, still have to tweak the line-up a bit before MCAL play starts. Off to another scrimmage.
Branson Girls Have An Adventure At Cardinal Newman
For the second scrimmage The plan was to travel to Santa Rosa on a nice August (95 degree) day to play Cardinal Newman HS. Set to start at 4:00 pm. Things got a little dicey when the team bus broke down on Hwy. 101 and after some mechanical nursing the team arrived around 4:40 (two-hour trip) and could only squeeze in a “pro-set” format…first to win eight games wins the match.
Tired, overheated but dazzling in their new uniforms, the girls stepped up.
In the #1 doubles slot seniors
Abby Ivancevich & Emily Wells
continued to solidify their chemistry by downing their opponents 8-2. Strong serves and aggressive net-play. Seniors
Clia Ellwein & Scarlett Bach
, who seem to be a new duo for the season, fought hard but succumbed 8-9 (tie-breaker) to a determined foe. Senior
Caroline Ritter
and sophomore
Lillie Lippman
played #3 doubles and powered to an 8-5 victory…despite Lillie being stung by a yellow-jacket in the hand. And as a bonus feature, the freshman duo of
Alana Talley & Sedona Ward
played an “exhibition” match which eventually resulted in a loss but was an unquestionably promising effort by these two newcomers.
The singles juggernaut continued to roll with #1 junior
Alise Pedersen
using her laser forehand to dominate at 8-3. #2 singles senior
Emma
Hirschkop
had tight match with a stubborn opponent and lost 6-8. Still shaking off a little rust. #3 singles with junior
Chelsea Wong
showed her transition from doubles to singles is progressing smoothly as she won 8-6. Same for #4 singles junior
Ella Ratliff
who looked more comfortable this match in dismissing her opponent 8-2. And as another “exhibition,” Sophomore
Katie Sayers
topped her opposite 8-1.
Not bad…5-2. And now starts the Big Show with Redwood as the first MCAL opponent.
What A Kickoff! Branson Girls Down Redwood
The MCAL season opener was as tight as you can get. It’s been a great rivalry over the years. Both high schools have a great academic as well as tennis heritage. And due to the bizarre set of circumstances surrounding COM’s tennis courts, Branson will be “hosting” its home games at Redwood. Very sporting of Redwood.
Four singles matches and two doubles teams started off what was to be the closest match anyone can remember. Senior
Elli Diaz
showed her usual energy and tenacity by scoring a 6-2, 6-3 victory in #6 singles. Senior
Clia
Ellwein
, in the #5 slot, started the parade of STBs (super tie breakers: playing to ten points after winning and losing one set) by losing the first set 2-6, winning the second 6-4, and then really showing some grit by taking the STB 10-6. Junior
Ella Ratliff
, playing at #4 also lost the first set 3-6, took the second 7-6, and then rolled in the STB 10-2. Patient, consistent and nail-biting for the gallery. Junior
Chelsea Wong
showed solid, steady strokes and won the first set 6-3, but dropped the second 3-6, and succumbed 3-10 in the STB.
The #3 doubles duo of sophomore
Kate Lardner &
senior
Caroline Ritter
played together for the first time and scored big with a 6-0, 6-4 victory. The #2 doubles of senior
Scarlett Bach
and sophomore
Lillie Lippman
gave it a great try but lost 3-6, 6-3 and 3-10 in the STB. 4-2 for Branson.
Meanwhile, juniors
Stella Wong & Grace Herbst
along with freshman
Alana Talley & Sedona Ward
played successful exhibition matches with their Redwood counterparts.
The #1 doubles team of seniors
Abby Ivancevich & Emily Wells
put on an athletic show by chasing down impossible shots but somehow still came up short 2-6, 3-6. But then came senior #1
Alise Pedersen
who closed out the Branson victory with an exhibition in power, control and poise to score 6-0, 6-3. Senior
Emma Hirschkop
closed out the late evening (over three hours total time) match with a gutty and nervy performance that had her lose the first set 4-6, roar back with 7-5 set win only to drop the STB. Branson takes the match at 5-4.
That’s FIVE super tie-breakers to determine nine matches! A great opening to the MCAL season…Go Bulls!
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Volleyball ends the week, with their first home match against league rival, Marin Catholic.The JV game will start at 4:30 pm and Varsity’s opening whistle is set to sound at 5:45 pm. Come on out and support the “Lady Bulls."
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Post Office Box 887 Ross, California 94957
(415) 454-3612 • www.branson.org
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