Philosophy

The following quote by Frank Bell Sr., the founder of a local summer camp for boys, significantly influences our educational philosophy: “If education is instead a series of continuing experiences that build the knowledge, the skills, the habits, the appreciations, the attitudes, the values, and, ultimately and hopefully, the wisdom that enrich living, then we need to go far beyond the classroom.” Our goal is to combine our nontraditional classroom teaching experiences with our outdoor, international, and camp leadership experiences to produce a unique middle school experience for boys in an environment that enables us to teach to their strengths.

What makes the FBRA different?

1. A middle school experience with a purpose

The middle school years are often perceived as a transitionary period or “holding pen” between elemetary and high school. There is often an underlying message that students simply need to just “make it” through these years and then continue their academic pursuits in high school. We believe that the middle school years, especially for developing young men who are forming identities, are critical for building a solid foundation for success in high school, college, and the competitive world beyond. We take the middle school experience very seriously and believe that if our students have a middle school experince that is academically challenging and instills the confidence and a sense of purpose, our graduates will succeed in any high school context, be it a traditional public high school, an independent college prep school, or otherwise.

2. Preparation for a “Flat World”

A “Flat World” refers to Thomas Friedman’s argument in his widely read book, The World is Flat, that we live in increasingly globalized and connected world where we will be interacting and competing with people from all over the world, specifically India and China. Many of our schools are still teaching 20th Century skills and not addressing the needs of the 21st Century learners. We develop global citizens by preparing for, experiencing, and learning from international field experiences. We also incorporate 21st Century skills into the middle school experience by teaching the Seven Survival Skills for the 21st Century framework.

3. Small size

We maintain a ratio of one teacher for every twelve students. In addition to more individual academic attention and differentiation, students and teachers are also able to develop strong relationships during their three years at FBRA. Teachers, tutors, and staff value relationships with kids and parents/guardians and we invest a lot of time creating and nurturing those connections.

4. Catering to the needs of boys

We believe boys and girls are capable of learning the same things. However, based on recent scientific study, we know that boys and girls do learn differently. We have seen the success and challenges of it in our extensive experience of working with boys and girls. We’ve seen the success of it in Asheville with Hanger Hall middle school for girls. We want to create that same opportunity for boys. The single sex focus will inform everything from our curriculum and instructional approach to the the way we design physical activity and so on.

5. Unique partnerships and collaboration

FBRA partners with several key organizations to create a unique middle school experience. We work extensively with RiverLink and RiverKeeper Hartwell Carson to incorporate the French Broad River and the surrounding watershed into the curriculum and also into our conservation work. Camp Mondamin provides an ideal setting for our Induction Experience for entering 6th graders where we develop the skills necessary to safely complete our field work on the river and create a culture of respect, discipline, and courage. We collaborate the Costa Rican school Complejo Educativo Bilingüe Nueva Esperanza, Global Kids Academy in Japan, KanuSchule Versam in Switzerland, and the Peace Corps for our international field exeriences.

6. Outdoor education

We teach outdoor skills that support our work in the field. Specifically:Paddling, Camping/Backpacking, Snow sports, First Aid. We also meet physical education objectives with these activities.

Important note: While we reinforce swimming skills, we currently do not have the capacity to teach students how to swim. Therefore, students must meet the American Red Cross Level 4 standard for swimming in order to enroll.

7. Excellent faculty and staff

Will Yeiser and David Byers (both former Teach for America , KIPP , and Asheville City Schools certified teachers with masters degrees) have over thirty combined years of professional experience working with adolescents inside and outside the traditional classroom setting. Both have worked extensively with young males in counselor and leadership roles and have records of achieving high academic results with students.