CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR ACCEPTANCE TO BRANSON

I am delighted to welcome you to this very special community. If I have not yet met you, my name is Chris Mazzola. I am the Head of School at Branson and this is my 32nd year working with high school students! I will be entering my 8th year at Branson in the fall.

Your acceptance to Branson means that you are a student of the highest quality and that your personal traits mirror our four core values: courage, kindness, honor, and purpose. Through your excellent work in school and outside of it, you have proven yourself to be ready for the challenges of Branson.

You can look forward to a variety of wonderful experiences during your four years at Branson. At times it will be difficult, but know that your hard work will not be without purpose. The faculty and I will be working alongside you to prepare you to enter an increasingly complicated world, one that needs ethical leaders who are willing to work hard to make it better. Embrace each challenge that Branson provides and know that you will have our support each step of the way.

Again, congratulations on your acceptance to Branson. It is truly an exceptional place, and I hope you will choose to enter this collaborative and inspirational educational community. I look forward to getting to know you and your family, and guiding you through high school and on to adulthood.

All

the best, Christina K. Mazzola Head of School

*If you requested financial assistance, you should have already received an email with your financial aid package. If you have any questions or concerns about your enrollment contract or financial assistance, please email Amber Johnson, Director of Finance, at Amber_Johnson@branson.org.

Dear Incoming Freshmen,

We are the class representatives for the current freshman class at Branson and, just like you, we recently faced the important decision of which high school we wanted to attend for the next four years of our lives!

Each year, Branson draws the most talented youth in the Bay Area to its beautiful campus. High five to you for making this great achievement! With a highly qualified and dedicated teaching and administration team, Branson offers endless, unbeatable opportunities for its students. We want to share the aspects that we feel most thrilled about.

Are you like us when we were just admitted: very anxious about the upcoming academic challenge in a school renowned for its rigorous academics? However, Branson’s Objective Based Grading system certainly relieves the anxiety: students won’t be given a traditional letter grade in the first semester. Instead, teachers provide them narrative feedback on their progress and show them the ropes on how to reach the proficient level of every objective. Shrugging off grade pressure, it enables us to focus on learning itself and become self-motivated to better ourselves.

Gyms and fields at Branson are studded by countless sports stars playing volleyball, basketball, golf and many more sports. Whether you are a skilled athlete or plan to explore a new sport, you can find one team that suits your needs. All three of us have joined various levels of sports teams this year, and had a blast playing and socializing with peers with similar interests.

We also have over 50 clubs and affinity groups! You can join any mix of them, which provides a great way to discover your niches and add values to our community. Meeting many new people makes you feel really involved in campus life and find your place in this beloved community.

Class of 2027, an amazing journey at Branson awaits you. We are excited to meet you this fall!

GO BULLS!

Barry, Luke, and Henry

Class of 2026 Representatives

1 THE PEOPLE!

2The small class sizes make interestingdiscussions and engaging.

8: Annual traditions – such as Day on the Green, Welcome Week, and Gospel Night – that we celebrate together.

~ 9 ~

Everyone at Branson is authentic and tries to be the best version of themselves every day.

13

10 THE CLASSES!

15Being able to choose a different path, finding new interests you didn't even know you had.

Things Love To 23

• 14 • no.18

The balance that Branson has. Most schools are known for their great academics, or their great athletics, but Branson has both and more.

16: Interdisciplinary classes! Science and humanities electives.

17 THE ATHLETICS!

They are key to making friendships.

The variety of opportunities—from a multitude of clubs, to different classes, competitive sports, and many choices of art programs, Branson offers opportunities for you to find your passion and learn more about it.

• 3 • The multicolored leaves in the fall no.4 5 THE COMMUNITY

6: Every year right before Winter Break, parents bring cookies and hot chocolate into the academic quad for all the students and teachers.

~ 7 ~ Greatacrossfriendships grades

11No matter what you excel at or what kind of person you are, everyone in the community will welcome and accept you, and you will always find people that share similarities to you.