Bronn’s Blog

It is with great happiness we celebrate Mr. Brad Dolloff’s recent appointment as Headmaster at the new School of the Ozarks.  We are thankful for his 15 years of devoted service to the Branson Schools, particularly Branson Junior High, understanding a little bit of Mr. Dolloff’s wisdom, humor and integrity has been deposited into all of us who have been fortunate enough to know him and be under his influence.  While we will miss him walking the halls, observing in classrooms and supporting us at school activities, we can remain excited because we know the Master’s plan for Mr. Dolloff’s life is leading him to impact students at another school.  Mr. Dolloff’s last day with Branson Junior High will be Tuesday, January 31, 2012.

We are equally excited to announce Mr. Jack Harris as our new Assistant Principal and Mr. Casey Carpenter as our new Activities Director.  We are thankful to the Board of Education and Superintendent, Dr. Doug Hayter, for allowing Mr. Dolloff’s position as AP/AD to be divided into two separate positions to meet the needs of a growing school enrollment at Branson Junior High.

Mr. Harris, formerly a 7th grade American History teacher, and Mr. Carpenter, a 7th grade Science teacher, have been well prepared for school leadership through their individual pursuits of advanced educational degrees and service in several leadership positions at Branson Junior High over the last several years.  Both young men have served as team leaders, helped lead grade-level or school-wide initiatives and filled many coaching and sponsor roles in various school activities.  Both men have the “right” stuff and provide a great “fit” for serving our students, their families and our faculty and staff. 

Mr. Harris and Mr. Carpenter are currently spending the month of January in mentor relationships with Mr. Dolloff and Mr. Bronn for their official start date with their new duties of February 1, 2012.  Mr. Harris will no longer be in the classroom or assuming his spring coaching responsibilities.  Mr. Carpenter will remain in the classroom full-time for the rest of the year and remain as head coach of the BJH Track team, while simultaneously serving in his new role as Activities Director.  Mr. Carpenter and Mr. Dolloff have been able to spend several school days finishing all spring activities preparations.  Junior High and District level leadership will take the remainder of this year to evaluate how Mr. Carpenter’s role as classroom teacher and AD will look for the 2012-2013 school year.

I am so proud of our students’ great start this school year, as evidenced by the following:

*Attendance rate of 96.4%.
*Honoring the Pirate Code by being ready,
respectful and responsible.
*High participation rate in fall activities.
*Positive character camp and champs events.
*90% of students with all A’s, B’s and C’s for
the Term 1 mid-term progress report.

Way to go Pirates!

Dear Parents,

The first seven days of school are in the books and we are enjoying a fantastic start to the school year.  Here are a few brags about the beginning of our school year:

• 97.35% attendance rate for the first seven days
• 8th grade class is the largest class in school district history – 389
• Homeroom teachers making phone contact with all of their Homeroom students’ families
• Cheerleading begins as our newest activity
• 7th grade students quickly embracing junior high student success expectations and habits
• 8th grade students providing leadership and modeling of student success expectations and habits

Two items which are EXTREMELEY important from a safety and efficiency standpoint at school is the dropping off and picking up of students by families in the car-line.  Please wait to unload your child in the morning and pick-up your child in the afternoon, UNTIL you can pull forward all the way past the main entrance, as far east as you can go.  This allows us to get as many cars off the hill and into the drop-off/pick-up line as possible.

Also, please DO NOT attempt to drop-off or pick-up students in the drive-thru, pull-out lane or in the main parking lot, as we do not want students crossing lines of traffic.  Thank you for your cooperation in this matter. 

Bryan Bronn, Principal

According to reknown educational leader, Harry Wong, the most important day of the school year is the first day of school.  Wong states, “the first day of school or a class-even the first few minutes-will set the tone for the rest of the year.” 

At Branson Junior High, we agree!  This is why during the entire first two days of school, we teach the expectations and procedures your child needs to know in order to experience student success. 

Wong goes on to inform there are seven things every student wants to know the first day of school (we agree with him here also, so expect your child to come home in the know!):

• how they treat themselves with respect, dignity, and love,
• how they greet their students at the door,
• how they dress,
• what signs are posted in their classroom,
• the message on the whiteboard,
• the obviousness which they are organized and ready, 
• that they are in control of the learning environment for the classroom.

Students,

Welcome to another new school year at Branson Junior High!  I am excited to see you all again or meet you for the first time as a new incoming student to BJH.   We have planned another terrific year for you to experience student success.

I know you have already received my summer letter about student schedule pick-up and have probably seen or heard announcements in the media, but want to remind you through one more mode of communication about picking up your schedule this week. 

8th graders may pick up their schedules this Thursday, August 4 from 8:30-Noon or 1-3 p.m. and 7th graders may pick up their schedules this Friday, August 5 during those same time periods. 

At schedule pick-up you will receive some of your important first days of school information, such as dress code guidelines and school supply shopping lists.  See you soon!

Mr. Bryan Bronn, Principal

As a Professional Learning Community, your public school staff at
Branson Junior High is in high speed pursuit of creating student success. 

A Professional Learning Community focuses on three big ideas:

Big Idea #1 – A focus on learning, not teaching.  A subtle, but powerful difference.

Big Idea #2 – A collaborative culture.  Teams of educators working together to improve student achievement outcomes.

Big Idea #3 – A focus on results.  Support and enrichment will be offered to all students in order to achieve mastery of grade level expectations.

Last Thursday, January 27, was a terrific night of displaying our ‘We are Branson’ spirit.  We are very proud of our 7th grade basketball players and student body for their outstanding effort and sportsmanship on the court and in the stands at the COC Conference championship in Willard.  

Seeing nearly 150 current and former junior high students fill the stands to cheer on our boys was an awesome showing of school spirit.  As always, our parents and community members also had a strong showing of support. 

From all across the conference we have received encouragement and feedback to the awesomeness of what they experienced in seeing and hearing such a high level of school spirit as was on display last week!  Our response has simply been, “thank you,” and “we take pride in demonstrating our ‘We are Branson’ spirit!” 

Students and Parents,

It is awesome to see 300+ of our students (40% of the student body), earn their way onto the Branson Junior High Honor Roll for 1st Semester!  These students’ success is evidence of a great partnership between home, school and community. 

The students themselves are to be congratulated for developing the habits and discipline it takes to experience student success.  Our Honor Roll students demonstrate on a daily basis the ‘Pirate Code’ to Be Ready, Be Respectful, and Be Responsible.  They apply themselves to their studies, participate with their teachers and fellow learners at a high level, and take pride in meeting the challenges of every single class subject for which they are enrolled.  CONGRATULATIONS for showing yourself, your parents, and your school what we knew all along….you have what it takes to be successful!

Our parents are to be congratulated for providing the unconditional love, structure and support their children need to reach their full potential.  Thank you parents for sending us and entrusting us with your treasure.

Our teachers are to be congratulated for focusing on learning, not teaching.  This subtle, but significant emphasis empowers our staff to be serious about student success for all of our students.  As our faculty and staff work together to answer the questions, What do expect students to learn?; How will we know when they have learned it?; How will we respond when they haven’t learned it?; and How will we respond when they have learned it?; they are enabled to focus on helping students meet and exceed mastery of the most essential and enduring learning outcomes for each grade level. 

Finally, we thank our district leadership, school board, and community for providing a culture of high expectations and a commitment to excellence for our students.  Without the huge commitment we enjoy from this community to our students receiving a world class educational experience, we know none of our student success would be possible, let alone celebrated.  

Thank you all!

Bryan Bronn, Principal of Branson Junior High

Welcome back students!  We look forward to seeing you back on campus this week.  Day 84 of the school year is Monday, January 3, 2011 and we will spend a portion of our day on a re-set of our ‘Respect the Code’ expectations for student success. 

I know you will look forward to re-connecting with your friends, teachers, and even your principals, this week at Branson Junior High, a great place to be!

Principal Bryan Bronn

• High expectations for student success, both for academic achievement and positive behavior.   It is wildly important to remember that only in an environment of high classroom and school-wide expectations will student success occur.  Our classroom teachers will spend part of Monday, November 29, as well as Mr. Dolloff and I during lunches, reminding students to Respect the Code – be ready, be respectful, and be responsible.   
• The next 15 days of the school year will fly by, but we will remain focused on the task at hand of moving students forward in their student success experience at Branson Junior High.  This may need to come in the form of providing a timely intervention for some students; holding a conference with others (whether one on one, as a team, or with parents included); or taking the time to recognize students for the progress they are making. 

Someone once said we are all walking around with an invisible sign hanging around our neck which says, “Please encourage me.”  During this holiday season, when we our senses are heightened towards a spirit of giving, we will remain focused on giving the gift of coming alongside your student with encouragement.  Our commitment to you and your child is to help each other keep our them focused on what is wildly important - student success! 

Bryan Bronn