Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow!

"Skiing is a dance, and the mountain always leads."

  ~Author Unknown

Skiing and snowboarding season is upon us, with our first scheduled day to hit the slopes on Big Mountain in Whitefish being this Saturday, December 8th.  Last Saturday we all went to Big Mountain to purchase our ski passes and get all of our equipment together.  Now all we need is snow, snow, snow!

Chrysalis Halloween 2012

The students and staff of the Chrysalis School once again enjoyed a fabulous Halloween party!  On Saturday, October 27^th the girls were busy on campus preparing for the exciting event.  After weeks of excitement over what costumes would be worn, it was finally time to prepare for the party.   

Soccer Season 2012

“Take your victories, whatever they may be, cherish them, use them, 

but don’t settle for them”

 ~Mia Hamm, US women’s soccer star

This October marked the end of the Chrysalis soccer season for 2012. Our soccer team was composed of 18 girls of  various ages and skill levels. Throughout the last few months, we have been practicing twice a week and competing against other teams on the weekends.

Bugaboo Provincial Park, BC - August 2012 Hiking Trip

 "Everybody needs beauty ...

places to play in and pray in where nature may heal

and cheer and give strength to the body and soul alike."

~John Muir

 In August, two of our Chrysalis staff and six of our amazing students traveled to the Bugaboo Provincial Park in British Columbia for a challenging weekend hike.  This is not a trip for the faint of heart, and our girls proved themselves up to the challenge!

Tanzania 2012

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things 

you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. 

So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor. 

Catch the trade winds in your sails. 

Explore. Dream. Discover.” ~ Mark Twain

With that sentiment in mind, on June 26, 2012 a group of 14 Chrysalis students, Kenny Pannell and Mary Alexine, two of our staff members, a couple of former students and some family members set off on a life-changing trip to Tanzania, Africa.  Our trip itinerary included service work at Kaloleni School, a safari on the Serengeti, an expedition to Zanzibar, as well as two side excursions in London while we traveled.  A lot to pack into 16 short days!

Our first order of business was to spend five days at the Kaloleni School in Moshi.  Kaloleni School is in an area mainly supported by rice plantations.  Students are primarily from poor families, some are orphans unable to live with their parents because of the significant HIV/AIDS problem in the area.  Our work was to complete tasks that would provide the most benefit to the school and students at the time. The overwhelming joy and satisfaction we experienced doing this work is hard to describe and will be with us always.

Next we headed out for a camping safari in the Serengeti, Africa's most famous game reserve.  The name "Serengeti" is derived from the Maasai word "Serengit", meaning "endless plain".  The reserve is world-renowned for its predator population, and we were able to see many different animals, including elephants, lions, giraffes, water buffalo, and many others.  It was an amazing two days, full of breath-taking scenery and magnificent animals.

 

 

Ready for the next leg of our adventure, we boarded a plane for our flight to Zanzibar.  Zanzibar is a small island in the Indian Ocean.  It is stunningly beautiful, with white sand beaches, and crystal clear, warm seas.  We spent three days in Zanzibar, shopping, relaxing and taking in the beautiful scenery.

On July 12th we landed back in Kalispell, Montana.  Travel-weary and ready to be home, but satisfied, happy, and forever changed by the magnificent adventure we had just experienced. We can truly say, as Mark Twain so eloquently phrased it, that in twenty years we will not look back with regret on our time in Tanzania.

Global Finals Here We Come!

Two teams from Chrysalis School will represent the state of Montana at the Destination ImagiNation Global Finals 2012. Competing alongside 1,200 creative problem-solving teams from around the world, the eight Chrysalis students, two team managers, and one clinician will journey from Eureka, MT to Knoxville, TN on May 22 for a week of high-level challenges and camaraderie with other creative kids from more than 20 countries.

This year’s global finals provide the Champion teams, the highest titles earned at the state or country level, a range of optional and mandatory activities. All teams will compete by presenting their long-term skit and completing an Instant Challenge. Other intellectually demanding events are optional, such as Make Your Mark, an activity for the artistic commemoration of the week’s activities and the 3M Explore the Uncharted event in which teams “transport” needed supplies to new planets.

Interaction with other teams is facilitated through a number of planned events. Montana’s team members will have the chance to trade their state Dragon Kite pins for those from other states and countries. The Fiesta Improv will allow hands-on experience with products from vendors at the finals.

You can watch live online the opening and closing ceremonies at www.idodi.org, the official website for Destination ImagiNation and this year’s global finals. Opening Ceremonies take place Wednesday, May 23, 2012 at 7:30 p.m. EST. Closing Ceremonies takes place Saturday, May 26, 2012 at 7:30 p.m., EST.

To learn more about the Montana Destination ImagiNation program, visit: www.mt-di.org.

Chrysalis School Montana

Chrysalis School Montana began more than a decade ago as a small home-based therapeutic program in Eureka Montana.

Back in 1998, Chrysalis began with a class of eight teenage girls, founder and co-director Kenny Pannell said.

Pannell has a background in community mental health. Sensing a great need, he decided to start the school as an alternative to publicly funded therapeutic care.

"The impetus was to create a level of care that truly took care of kids in a more developed way," Pannell said.
 
Chrysalis School Eureka Montana continued to grow over time as more families took advantage of the therapeutic boarding school. After a couple of years, the program expanded to 10 girls, and over time Chrysalis has grown to a capacity of 36 girls ages 13-18.

Students at Chryalis face challenges such as different kinds of trauma, learning challenges, depression and/or anxiety, adoption issues, eating/body image issues or a sense of entitlement.

Staff at Chrysalis includes the co-directors, teachers, case managers, clinicians, house parents, program staff, adventure staff and business administrative staff. Each student undergoes an individualized program geared to help them progress academically, emotionally and socially at their own rate -- building their self-esteem while helping them learn to build healthy relationships.

Located just a handful of miles from the Canadian border, Chrysalis sits on 65 acres between Koocanusa Reservoir and Carpenter Lake. The therapeutic boarding school is provisionally licensed and registered with the Montana Department of Labor and Industry as a Private Alternative Adolescent Residential Program. Chrysalis is also accredited by the National Independent Private Schools Association.

A student's length of stay at Chrysalis Eureka Montana depends upon their individual needs (typically between 18 and 24 months). Most Chrysalis graduates adopt health lifestyles and go on to college.