At Chrysalis School, we offer a Horticulture class to expose our students to the joys and benefits of gardening. We are fortunate enough to have a dedicated Horticulture Manager, Leslie! She manages the school gardens and teaches the class basic gardening skills. She places an emphasis on growing their own “Farm to Table” food. The class also covers…
Read MoreAnswer: They were all topics addressed in this year’s Poetry Out Loud poems recited by our students on February 11th! It’s so exciting to have brought Poetry Out Loud back to Chrysalis for a third year. This National Poetry Recitation contest always begins in November for our students, when they first select their poem and…
Read MoreLife gives us our fair share of lemons to decide what to do with them. Within the therapeutic residential setting we probably see a few more lemons, both those of our girls’ and of our own. The cliche, “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade,” serves as a reminder that every challenge that comes our…
Read MoreI love this time of year and the opportunity it provide to spend with loved ones and reflect on everything in my life I am thankful for. I’d like to thank you for your continued trust and support. I feel extremely blessed to be the Executive Director of Chrysalis this past year. I have long…
Read MoreGarden variety opposition in adolescence is quite common, of course. Any kid who’s worth her weight in salt will push back at some point in her teen years, and it can become a bit of a dance after she’s rehearsed it for a few months, improving her technique. Parents often become unwitting partners in the…
Read MoreIn the main kitchen at Chrysalis, chef Bob Coffman serves a cue from the family farmhouse where he prepares meals for up to 60 students and staff. “My mom was a firm believer in everything from scratch,” he says a few minutes before the lunchtime crowd arrives, as he simultaneously crisps bacon, stirs two soups and assembles what must be at…
Read MoreGifts come in all shapes and sizes, and accompany a variety of different occasions in our unfolding lives. They often come wrapped in brightly colored paper to add cheer, and have a ribbon tied around them. Sometimes a card is attached to add personal sentiment. Gifts warm us, make us feel loved and appreciated, and…
Read MoreThe summer of 2015 experienced early, heavy rains followed by drought, wildfires, smoke, trail closures, and a very unpredictable Mother Nature. While Northwest Montana and many other parts of the country hoped for rain, the outdoor adventurers took every opportunity to walk with nature – thankful for late sunsets and warm, sun-filled days. During the…
Read MoreThere are some things in life one has to see to believe. Pictures and video recordings can both be altered, oral tradition stories can be exaggerated or twisted beyond belief, and the visual memories of our elders begin to fade as time goes by, rendering some of them not much more than rich fantasies. This…
Read MoreThis summer I had the joy of teaching “Seeing My Time,” an executive functioning (EF) curriculum by Marydee Skylar. Roughly twenty bright-eyed young ladies showed up every Monday for eight weeks to gather tools to sharpen executive functioning skills. The profile for teens and adults that benefit from this class is as follows: poor time…
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