Backpacking trip in Waterton Lakes National Park

There are many reasons why we are so fortunate that Chrysalis is in Northwest Montana. One of those reasons happens to be how close we are to such expansive, wild, and dramatic scenery that surrounds us in all directions.  We decided to take advantage of our proximity to Canada and head to Waterton Lakes National Park for a backpack trip. I like to describe Waterton as the extension of Glacier National Park in Canada.  It mirrors the eastern and western boundaries of glacier and adds another 185 square miles of protected land to the "crown of the continent".

With a short window of only  three days, we wanted the girls to see some of the most magnificent views the park had to offer so we took a trip into Akimina pass on the southwestern end of the park with intent to summit Akimina ridgeline and see views into Glacier and Waterton alike. 

After several hours of measuring oatmeal, scooping craisins, and counting granola bars, we put food, tents, sleeping bags and cooking gear into our backpacks and headed north across the border.  On our way to the trailhead we passed the famous Prince of Wales Hotel.  We were inspired by the dramatic views surrounding the hotel.  We re-arranged our packs making sure they were stable and we tightened down all the straps, ready to hike the few miles into our campsite. 

We spent the evening setting up tents, huckleberry picking, and enjoying our new home for the next two nights.  The next morning we woke early around 5:30 am to start breakfast, pack up, and get ready for a big day.  We set off on the trail into Forum Lake and headed up the Akimina Ridgeline gaining elevation quickly.  The girls were such a great team supporting and encouraging each other to ascend the steep ridgeline.  After many false summits we found our selves in a cloud with little to no view of the surrounding mountains.  Many of us were disappointed while simultaneously being satisfied by the fortunate chance to be walking within a cloud.  As our view shrank to the few feet in front of us we found ourselves reflecting inwards and finding solace there.  Once the cloud cleared on the other side of the ridgeline, some absolutely outstanding views of the park greeted us.  It was well worth the suspense to experience such a beautiful site.  The energy of the group instantly sparked into a chorus of oohs and aahs.  We then descended into the Wall Lake drainage to find three mountain goats grazing above the lake and more huckleberries on the way down.  Nine miles later, we arrived to make dinner at camp after a successful day!  Early the next morning, we packed up camp and set out down the trail to arrive at the Prince of Wales Hotel where we enjoyed our lunch on the lawn with beautiful views of the lake and valley.

It was a short, but beautiful trip.  The girls put in great effort and reaped great reward.  I am so thankful to be a part of these life changing journeys.

~Ashton, Adventure Staff

2014 Mother-Daughter Retreat

This year's mother-daughter retreat recently concluded its 2014 stint under the high beams of the Cockerall Center at Flathead Camp. Unseasonable temperatures, dramatic clouds and rain provided a unique experience this year as we anxiously awaited for the skies to part and the sun to appear so that we could be pulled around on the speed boat, canoe around the bay, and have our moms teach us how to do back flips off the diving board. Even though there was a bit of wet weather, participants of this year's mother-daughter retreat had an overall wonderful experiencing reconnecting with their daughters and mothers, respectively. 

Our therapeutic focus surrounded the bond that exists between a mother and her daughter. We celebrated feminine energy and set intentions for the retreat in our opening flower ceremony on Tuesday. Wednesday and Thursday events and groups focused on reorienting relationships toward healing and re-connection, while also having a bit of fun with some art projects, spa activities, adventure activities, and a talent show of moms, daughters and staff. With the fire roaring in the main lodge on Friday morning, we spent a lengthy, large group circle reflecting on all that was experienced and accomplished throughout the retreat, by highlighting our "favorite frames" and offering gratitude to and for the ones we love, the privileges we are granted, and the ability to be in relationship with each other. We are celebrating yet another extraordinary, healing, rich Chrysalis family event and send our deep thanks to all who helped to make it happen. Can't wait for next year!

Love, light and gratitude.

Chrysalis Academics: Above the State AND National Average!

Kudos to the 2014 High School Graduates of Chrysalis!  They are ready for college success. The ACT College Readiness letter has arrived in our school office.  The results are shown on the graph below.  100% of our students who took the ACT met or exceeded the benchmark score of 18 on The ACT English Test.  The average for Chrysalis students was a whopping 23...a full 5 points above the benchmark. Also shown on the graph, our students outscored the average Montana student who took the test by 40 percentage points. College Social Science scores as measured by the ACT Reading test also exceeded the benchmark. We couldn't be happier. 

Chrysalis students are out performing other Montana students in 3 of 4 areas measured, and even out score them with the number of students who reach all four benchmarks. Meeting a benchmark score means that a student from Chrysalis heading to her first year of college will be 50% more likely to get a B or higher in that college course.   

Chrysalis girls are succeeding academically, and we are happy to share the news with you. What a great time to be a Chrysalis student and have the privilege of experiencing its supportive and challenging academic environment.  We are proud of what our girls have accomplished, and look eagerly forward to the new school year. Continued success stories are on the horizon as we strive to regularly make improvements in our academic program. 

Kootenay River Trip 2014

After a full day of preparing and packing for the second Adventure Trip of the summer we were all ready to hit the road and head north.  We drove three and a half hours into British Columbia to arrive just an hour south of Banff National Park, in the Kootenay National Park.  We spent our first night on the banks of the river anticipating the next four days of freedom on the water.  

We put in at Mcleod Meadows on a perfect bluebird day reaching temperature upward of 90 degrees.  Needless to say, once the two oar frame rafts, single paddle raft, and two inflatable kayaks were rigged and we embarked on our marine journey, water wars abound!  Thanks to Natasha, one of our therapists, who brought several water guns for our drenching delight. 

Three nights and four days on the water later we have endless stories of instructors falling into the glacial water, girls working hard paddling "all forward", and each and every one of us getting way too much sun!  However, I am happy to boast that we had zero sunburns and did a great job to keep all group members hydrated and happy.  

Many girls' favorite moments included watching Tom, another therapist, take a plunge into the very cold Kootenay waters; they thoroughly enjoyed his surprised reaction.  Another favorite moment was arriving at the most beautiful oasis of a campsite on our last night on the river - filled with beautiful sandy beaches, cedar trees and a gorgeous limestone cliff face opposite our site on the river.  We were all in awe and very thankful for the inspiring beauty around us.  I speak for the group when I say that we all experienced a great deal of light hearted happiness, filled with good humor and a healthy dose of humility in our circles and conversations.  I could not be more delighted to have been a part of this great adventure!

~Ashton, Adventure Staff

Freezeout Lake Migration Trip

Over spring break, seven Chrysalis students left Eureka for a weekend trip to the Rocky Mountain Front. ‘The front’ as locals call it, is the place in our state where the mountains meet the plains. To the west, snowstorms brew high in the foreboding Rockies, to the east, golden fields and blue sky stretch into eternity. Out here, you can tell why they call it big sky country. Below are reflections by one of our adventure staff who planned the trip:

Reflections on the Freeze Out Lake Migration Trip

We drive by Glacier Park, up and over Marias pass, then south until we pull in to our destination, Freezout Lake Wildlife Management Area.  We are here to witness the white goose migration from Southern California where they winter to the Canadian Arctic where the breed. Nearly a million geese live in the pacific flyway, and a majority of them stop at Freezout Lake during the spring migration. For most of these birds, Freezout is the only place they will stop to rest and refuel on their journey north.

We spend the weekend on goose time. We wake up at sunrise to see them simultaneously take flight and head for the nearby barley fields where they will spend the day feeding. While the geese are at lunch, we visit with the area’s biologist who tells us about the species in the area.

The spring migration through Freezout largely consists of white geese – snow geese and Ross’s geese. Trumpeter swans and tundra swans also fly through in large numbers. In addition to these birds, ducks, pelicans, seagulls, and songbirds all make a temporary home here in the spring.  

The students have many questions for the biologist, and we spend much of the afternoon in his office, looking at maps of the migration route and pictures of breeding habitat in northern Canada and Russia.

We say goodbye to the biologist and head back to our campsite. As the sun sets, flocks of geese begin to fly back to the water where they will rest for the evening. With hundreds of birds to a flock, it is easy to hear them coming and we all point and watch in awe as they pass. We can hear and feel their wings swooshing against the wind.

We make dinner and get ready for bed. The girls talk and giggle around the campfire where we roast marshmallows. We climb into our tents and say goodnight. The cattails rustle in the balmy evening and the geese on the water sing us to sleep.

Reflections on the Poetry Competition and Teaching

I strongly believe that one of the things that makes teaching such a challenging profession is that many of us adopt our students. Of course, this doesn’t happen legally, but I can assure you that it happens emotionally. I teach because I care about the success of your daughter. I am always telling them that I will never ask for them to do more than their best, since many girls are afraid they will fail a class even if they do their best work. They frequently believe that their best will not be good enough. From an outsider’s perspective, I’m sure it often seems I only want her to be able to write an effective analytical essay, but the reason I want her to write effectively is because I want her to thrive in life, get a good job, and become a happy, strong, successful individual. It would be great if, years down the road, they sent us a holiday letter and a wedding invitation to let us know how they’re doing, but we know better than to expect it.

I got a firsthand lesson in the emotional ride of being a teacher when one of our girls went to the State Finals for Poetry Out Loud. We drove to Helena on Friday afternoon and spent the evening practicing the poems, finalizing outfits for the event, indulging in a Chinese Buffet for dinner (which, as it turns out, was not as good an idea as it seemed), and inventing the sport of underwater ballet (look for it in the next Olympics!). The next morning we rose early to get to the venue in plenty of time.

The Myrna Loy is a theater in the state capital. There is ample seating for a large audience and the stadium seating ensures that everyone gets a perfect view of the stage. There is a pit for an orchestra, great sound and lighting options, and a lobby area selling food and drinks. They’ve done a wonderful job with it, especially considering the building got its start as the jail. The architecture is definitely… “alternative,” and the dungeon-esque feel is exacerbated by the fact that to get to the restroom, one must wind their way through a narrow labyrinth to the basement, surrounded by the cold sarsens originally intended to make their guests feel despairingly confined. I loved it.

I’m not sure that our student was as nervous about the competition as I was; I made sure to direct her to use the restroom before the event got started, get up on stage and practice adjusting the height of the microphone, test out the various shoe options she had brought, and rehearse the introductions to her pieces. After all, there was a lot riding on this performance and I know how much pressure teens can feel to succeed. I wanted to ensure this experience ran as smoothly as possible so she had the best shot at winning the trip to Washington, D.C. to compete in the National Finals. She accepted my pointers and suggestions, but was honestly more interested in socializing with her peers.

The first few rounds went very well. I was proud of how well the poems went, but couldn’t help wondering if they would be good enough. I knew that if we could get into the final round of the day, we’d be able to win. Her final poem was a secret weapon capable of destroying even the most formidable of her opponents… we just needed the opportunity for her to recite it. I hardly remember lunch, I was so focused on my nerves. As much as I wanted her to succeed, I wanted to protect her from failing. I knew that the ride home would be devastating if we had to make it knowing she hadn’t won. I knew that she would be emotionally crushed if she wasn’t the best. I knew that there would be tears and heartache and feelings of inadequacy that my words would not be able to soothe away. I wanted to protect her from feeling those things… I wanted her to be happy.

I locked my eyes on the back of her head as they announced the finalists after lunch, and was utterly deflated when her name was not on the list. I knew she had done her best and I was sure she would be devastated. When she turned in her seat to make eye contact with me, she shrugged and turned back to watch the final round. We listened to the finalists recite their poetry and watched as the winner was announced. When the day was finally over and I had an opportunity to talk to our girl again, I learned so much about being a surrogate parent.

She was sad to have not won, but she was not devastated. She was not emotionally crushed. There were no tears or heartache or feelings of inadequacy. She was happy to have gone as far as the State level of competition, and to have had time to interact with peers from other schools around Montana. She had eaten terrible Chinese food, she had painted her nails, and she had practiced ballet underwater. She had seen hundreds of miles of our beautiful state and taken a picture in front of a gigantic plaster roadside attraction cow. She knew that she had done her best and that she had been beaten, and she was okay with that. I was so focused on protecting her from failure that I forgot how strong she was. Sometimes, we have to trust that they know their best will be good enough.

-Krysten, English Teacher

Volunteering at the Special Olympics

On Tuesday February 25th, seven Chrysalis students journeyed south from Eureka to Whitefish Mountain Ski Resort, but not for a day of hitting the slopes.  Instead of skis, snowboards, helmets and goggles, they arrived with noise makers, flowery leis, silly hats and giddy personalities as we volunteered to help out with the 16th Annual Montana Winter Special Olympics.  Excited athletes took on the freezing temperatures as they snowshoed, cross-country skied, downhill skied, and snowboard their way towards gold medals.  

After arriving and a quick lesson on how we were to run the medals ceremony, we joined the athletes at the Closing Ceremony for music, celebration, and hugs before the races began.  

Some of our students cheered on racers and then helped the athletes line up on the podiums, while other students brought forward the medals on silver trays to be placed on the winners.  Though a bit apprehensive at first, everyone who was volunteering soon got into a good rhythm. By the end there were smiles and laughter from our students almost as bright and loud as the athletes.  

This is the sixth Special Olympics I have been part of with Chrysalis, and every year has been a lot of fun.  This year was no different, and I am proud of the students who came with to volunteer.  They all did a great job, had a good time, and helped make great memories for the Special Olympians who competed this year.

-Ken Kudick, Program Specialist and Service Coordinator