December Feature Teacher

 Branson School Online is home to the most talented and dedicated teaching staff in Colorado! 

Each month we introduce you to one of our incredible Branson School Online teachers. 

Our Feature Teacher for the month of December is: Casey Husby!

Mrs. Husby is a 3rd grade teacher for Branson School Online. Read on to learn more about this talented BSO teacher!

Name: Casey Husby

Years Teaching: 5

Favorite food: Food: mashed potatoes Sweet: ice cream 

Favorite color: blue

Pets: 1 dog/ 1 cat

Hobbies: Camping, fishing, hiking, cooking

What do you love about teaching? I love watching each student grow over the year. Seeing what a child knows at the beginning of the school year to the end is an amazing transformation to watch!

What do you love about teaching with Branson? All of the staff members are so warm and inviting. Everyone goes above and beyond to do what is best for the kids. 

Favorite season? Why? My favorite season is fall. I love sweatshirt weather, the leaves changing, and football season.

Favorite place you have traveled to? Dominican Republic

# 1 item on your bucket list: To visit all 50 states

Favorite book/author: Little House on the Prairie 

Favorite sport: Football

Anything else you’d like to share:  I was born and raised in Wisconsin. I came out West with my husband six years ago. We love it here. We very quickly fell in love with the mountains and wildlife. 

Student Spotlight: Cord V.

Branson School Online is home to amazing students who are involved in a variety of exciting activities. 

Student Spotlight for December: Cord V. 

Cord ran cross country for Elizabeth Middle School for 2 years and now for Elizabeth High School. He has become a very strong runner.  He has been participating in 4H for 7 years with projects including Swine and Shooting Sports (.22 rifle and High Power rifle). he has qualified for State Fair many years in a row and was on the winning state team in 2018.

 

November Feature Teacher

Branson School Online is home to the most talented and dedicated teaching staff in Colorado! 

Each month we introduce you to one of our incredible Branson School Online teachers. 

Our Feature Teacher for the month of November is: Tara Abramson!

Mrs. Abramson is a high school social studies teacher for Branson School Online. Read on to learn more about this talented BSO teacher!

Name: Tara Abramson

Years Teaching: 8

Years with BSO: Will be my 4th (3 years when the school first started) & back for my 4th.

Favorite food: Korean & pumpkin & dark chocolate

Favorite color: Purple

Pets: Weimaraner puppy named Retta

Hobbies: Skiing in Winter Park, hiking, biking, listening to Audible books, & cheering on the Nebraska Cornhuskers!

What do you love about teaching? Teaching about the past in hopes of making a better future.

What do you love about teaching with Branson? Getting to know the students and families.

Favorite season? Fall Why? I love the colors, scents and anything with pumpkin.

Favorite place you have traveled to? Edinburgh Scotland

# 1 item on your bucket list: Travel more of Europe

Favorite book/author: C.S Lewis-Mere Christianity and Francine Rives-Mark of the Lion series

Favorite sport: Any activity my kids do (football, baseball, vball, softball, cheer, orchestra & youth group) & Nebraska Cornhusker Sports! GO...BIG...RED!!!

Anything else you’d like to share:
My husband and I have six kids (a senior, two-8th graders, 7th grader, two-4th graders).  I love interacting with students and families. 
 

November Counselor's Corner

 Each month our BSO counselors publish a newsletter that provides important information for our high school students. Please click on the link below to view this month's Counselor's Corner.

                                 Counselor's Corner 

Student Spotlight: Kelsey E.

Branson School Online is home to amazing students who are involved in a variety of exciting activities. 

Student Spotlight for November: Kelsey E. 

Last year Kelsey retired from quarter midgets as track champion in her division. This year she was able to start racing with the adults and runs in the Dwarf class at both Honor Speedway in Pueblo and El Paso Raceway in Calhan. She took home numerous second place finishes and continues to learn both the new car and the tracks. Next year we have plans to travel the country to attend a few national events. Racing is a great family sport and teaches the kids numerous life lessons. Her car is a 1936 Ford Sedan powered by a 1000cc Yamaha motorcycle.

Keep up the awesome work Kelsey!  We are so proud of you! 

 

October Feature Teacher

 

Branson School Online is home to the most talented and dedicated teaching staff in Colorado! 

Each month we introduce you to one of our incredible Branson School Online teachers. 

Our Feature Teacher for the month of October is: Tashena Peltier!

Mrs. Peltier is a high school math teacher for Branson School Online. Read on to learn more about this talented BSO teacher!

Name: Tashena Peltier

Years Teaching: 3 years

Years with BSO: This is my first year!

Favorite food: It's really hard to beat a good steak or a smoked brisket.

Favorite color: Green

Pets: I have a lot of pets so I won't include the ones that belong to my husband or daughter.  Two corgis, two horses, two parakeets, peacocks, and a couple cows that are pets as well as the rest of the livestock.

Hobbies: I really enjoy training and riding horses, reading a good book, and fishing when I get the chance.

What do you love about teaching?  I absolutely love getting to know the students and getting to share the language of math with them.  I'm kind of a nerd when it comes to math.  

What do you love about teaching with Branson?  It is really difficult to narrow down all the reasons that I love teaching with Branson into a short answer, but I'll try my best.  It has to be that Branson has a small town school feel to it and we all get to know each other and are able to build relationships with the students and parents.

Favorite season? Why? Definitely spring.  I love watching all of the lambs, calves, and other babies running and playing and watching all of the plants in my garden grow.  

Favorite place you have traveled to?  It's a tie between Patras, Greece and the Amalfi Coast in Italy.  

# 1 item on your bucket list: I'd like to go to Ireland, Scotland, and Iceland.

Favorite book/author: Chris Colfer's Land of Stories series currently at the top of my list.

Favorite sport: Rodeo

Student Spotlight: Clay V.

Branson School Online is home to amazing students who are involved in a variety of exciting activities. 

Student Spotlight for October: Clay V. 

Clay has been practicing Krav Maga for about a year and loves it.  This is his first year in 4H and he started with .22 rifle. He placed 20th out of 30 kids in his division (pretty good for his first year).  He will start showing pigs next year with his brothers.  This is his first year in BSO and he loves it.

Awesome job Clay!  We are so proud of you! 

 

Nature's Classroom: It's Tarantula Time

 

Check out this great article on Colorado's tarantula mating season currently under way in Southeastern Colorado. This article was written by BSO's very own middle school social studies teacher, Mike Hazel!

Nature's Classroom: It's Tarantula Time

October Counselor's Corner

Each month our BSO counselors publish a newsletter that provides important information for our high school students. Please click on the link below to view this month's Counselor's Corner.

                                 Counselor's Corner 

Student Spotlight: Anna S.

Branson School Online is home to amazing students who are involved in a variety of exciting activities. 

Student Spotlight for the week of Sept 28th: Anna S. 

Anna has been playing competitive fastpitch softball for most of her life. As a freshman, Anna recently made the varsity softball team with her local high school. She has started at catcher or 3rd base in every varsity game of the season! 

When high school sports end, Anna will rejoin her club softball team: Nightmares Fastpitch. 

During the 2020 Summer Season, Anna's 14u team placed 1st in the River Valley Brawl Tournament, 2nd in the June Jam Tournament and 3rd in Covid Bash Tournament.  

Congratulations Anna!  We are so proud of you! 

September InterestEd

 

Our September InterestEd sessions were a huge success!  Students had the opportunity to make smores, learn about online safety, make bracelets, learn about bike maintenance, practice calligraphy and much more!

Mark your calendar and watch your email for the next round of InterestEd opportunities!

Next InterestEd: October 22, 2020

If there is a topic you would like to see presented during InterestEd, please email your ideas to your homeroom teacher.

September Counselor's Corner

Each month our BSO counselors publish a newsletter that provides important information for our high school students. Please click on the link below to view this month's Counselor's Corner.

                                      Counselor's Corner

September Feature Teacher

 

Branson School Online is home to the most talented and dedicated teaching staff in Colorado! 

Each month we introduce you to one of our incredible Branson School Online teachers. 

Our Feature Teacher for the month of August is: Kate Rothgeb!

Mrs. Rothgeb is a second and third grade teacher for Branson School Online. Read on to learn more about this talented BSO teacher!

Name: Kate Rothgeb

Years Teaching: 5 

Years with BSO: First year

Favorite food:  Pasta with Italian sausage and garlic bread! 

Favorite color: Magenta and purple (I love so many bright colors, it's hard to chose just one!) 

Pets: A tabby cat who likes to follow me everywhere! 

Hobbies: Coaching basketball and reading, especially reading about Disney World!

What do you love about teaching? Helping kids grow and discover they love learning! 

What do you love about teaching with Branson? The staff is so friendly and helpful, I love being part of such a welcoming culture! 

Favorite season? Why? I love the season of Fall, so much anticipation of what is to come, celebrating a wonderful year  and sense of community. 

Favorite place you have traveled to? I've been blessed to travel all over the world, and even live in Japan, but my favorite place is London. Just such a vibrant city with so much history to discover.  

# 1 item on your bucket list: I want to write a book (just not sure what to write about yet). 

Favorite book/author: Venus to the Hoop by Sara Corbett, about the 1996 women's basketball team.  I love to read historical fiction, as well!

Favorite sport: Women's basketball

Anything else you’d like to share I love all things Disney; especially going to Walt Disney World every year. 

 

August Feature Teacher

 

Branson School Online is home to the most talented and dedicated teaching staff in Colorado! 

Each month we introduce you to one of our incredible Branson School Online teachers. 

Our Feature Teacher for the month of August is: Mike Hazel!

Mr. Hazel is the 7th and 8th grade social studies teacher for Branson School Online. Read on to learn more about this talented BSO teacher!

Name: Mike Hazel

Years Teaching: 3

Years with BSO: First one!

Favorite food: Collard greens, southern style    

Favorite color: Dark Green

Pets: I have two cats now but have had dogs, chickens, fish, bugs, and snakes, and appreciate all critters.

Hobbies: Hiking, biking, cooking, friends and family, guitar, gardening, reading  

What do you love about teaching? Pushing students to answer their own questions, and having them challenge me with questions I have to find answers for. Curiosity drives learning, and I love running with what students wonder about the world. 

What do you love about teaching with Branson?  I love the cool tech tools we can use, and how much the teachers work together to make sure students have what they need to be successful.  

Favorite season? Why? Fall because of the warm days, cool nights, aspen changeover and crane migration.

Favorite place you have traveled to? The San Luis Valley

# 1 item on your bucket list: Raise good kids with my wife 

Favorite book/author: Steinbeck is an all-time favorite; The Pearl, Travels with Charley, and Cannery Row

Favorite sport: To watch, all of the Winter Olympic events. To play, ultimate frisbee.   

Anything else you’d like to share: Glad to be working with BSO students and families this year!

Back to School 2020

 

Check out all of these hard working BSO students on their first day of school!

Have a fantastic school year!