Parent Newsletter
Parent Newsletter
Upcoming Calendar Events: August 5th – Quarter 1 begins August 9th – Washington DC deposit due August 6th-9th – Granite Creek Adventure Trip August 16th-18th – Parent Visit Weekend
August 2013
Sept. 2nd-3rd – No School Sept. 13th-15th – Parent Visit Weekend Oct. 4th-6th – Parent Workshop Weekend Oct. 18th – Quarter 1 ends Oct. 21st-25th – No School st
Yes, I’m Getting Better Dayja Daniels, Class of 2013
th
Oct. 21 -25 – Washington D.C. Trip In July 2011, I got a glimpse of rock bottom, and it was scary how comfortable it looked to me. I can’t *check our online calendar at alpineacademy.org for a more even give and exact time period of when things started detailed list of campus events. to go downhill because unhappy seemed so familiar. How could I be unhappy? I had a lot of friends, money, and drugs. How could I be an addict? I wasn’t in jail, dropped out of school or dysfunctional in society when I was high? How did I have reactive attachment disorder? I just wanted to do things on my own, connect with my family every once and a while, and not be so close to Ann, my guardian. I was almost certain I was getting sent to Alpine because it was Ann’s way of not having to deal with me. I could only count on myself. Oct. 28th – Quarter 2 begins
Then reality hit. I can’t even stand being in my own head, let alone my own skin. I hated myself. I could not count on myself for anything. So why were so many of these people trying to love and support me? I didn’t like who I was, but I couldn’t change that. I was my own worst critic. I didn’t even know where to start. I was still trying to figure out how to hold on to the little power I did have left. Why wasn’t my anger keeping them away? Why were people looking up to me, when I made it clear that I don’t have the capability of being a leader? Why were my teachers convinced I was smart and capable of getting A’s, when I wasn’t turning in my work? Obviously whatever I was doing wasn’t working.
Aarika, my therapist, wasn’t going to back down and give up, but there was no way she could know how grateful I already was for that. No one was playing my games. I decided that I needed to stop trying to be in control of everyone else. To accept that I have anxiety, depression, reactive attachment disorder, amongst many other things, yet none of that defines me as a person. It never had to. I gained the most essential key to my progress here once I did that. A connection in my relationships. It was put to the test many times, but I know well enough that genuine love and care does not just disappear when you get mad or feel rejected. Burnt bridges can be rebuilt, or can become good history lessons. If anything, my past has magnified my emotional intelligence for my benefit. Grief does not change us, it reveals us, and everything I went through at Alpine revealed who I’d been hiding all along. I have lots of challenges awaiting me in the future, but more importantly successes as well. I am strong and can make it though anything. My strength comes from being able to reach out and ask for help when needed, and that feeling that comes along with doing the same for others. I have no need to go through everything on my own because that’s what makes me weak. I will always miss my parents, I think about them all the time and how they should be sitting here listening to this speech. However, I was blessed with a gift of my own, Ann Hayman. I love you Ann, point blank. Opposites really do attract. I now want better for my future, myself and others. My gift to my parents is to not live my life the way they did. To do the best I can and be happy with myself. The best gift I could give is by saying: yes, I’m getting better!!!
Savoring Youth Derek Barney, Family Teacher I recently attended a concert by a country singer who sings one of my favorite songs. The song talks about not blinking because you will miss out on some great experiences in life that pass way too quickly. Whenever I hear it, I am reminded of being a child and wanting so badly to be old enough to drive a car and date a girl. When I turned 16, the thoughts of dating and driving soon gave way to thoughts of turning 18, when I would officially be an “adult” and could do what I wanted with my life. As each of these milestones arrived and passed by I seemed to pay less attention to them and focus more time and energy in wishing I could be older so I could enjoy the perceived benefit of the next milestone.
Focus On… On “Bonds That Make Us Free” By C. Terry Warner The following are valuable excerpts from Bonds That Make Us Free. This and many other books are part of Alpine’s recommended reads for parents. Follow us on Pinterest for a complete list of Alpine recommended reads. When someone we have been blaming becomes real to us, we change. We become a person who sees another person as real. We change from being accusing, guarded, and self-absorbed to being open, self-forgetful, and welcoming. In this new, searching posture we are acting upon a desire, even if only feebly formed, to be different. And we are doing it with a willingness, perhaps only slight, to use what we discover respectfully. Though our attitude may not yet be compassionate, it is crucially different from unbending accusation. By doing right because it is right, we divest ourselves of the reasons we have had for finding fault and thus open ourselves to be affected by the truth about others. Personal growth is not like the development of a skill. It does not take place in observable increments that can be measured and charted. So focused are accusing feelings that they obliterate or shun into irrelevance all other facts except those that support them. Forgiveness cannot be done from selfconcern. It must be done for the truth’s sake, or to right a wrong, or out of compassion for those we previously condemned by our refusal to forgive.
Now as I sit here on the cusp of turning 40, another milestone to many people, I often find myself looking at the young women we have the privilege of interacting with on a daily basis, and finding myself envious of the things they are getting to experience. Many of these girls have experienced things that a lot of adults might never go through in their lives. These experiences can have some lasting impressions on these girls that can cause them to miss out on some of the best times in a person’s life. They can rob these girls of childhoods that they should have had and can make them need to act more mature than they need to. The best part of my job here at Alpine is to help the girls see that no matter what past they may have endured, they can still take time to enjoy life in the moment. I love being able to teach them that they can find a healthy balance in their life and be able to be serious and mature when they need to but also be goofballs when its appropriate. As parents the most important thing we can possibly do is to engage in activities that will help our kids enjoy the moments in life they have. They end up going by so fast, if you blink you might miss out on them. There isn’t anything that you can really do to stop your daughter from wanting to grow up fast. But you can do a whole lot to help her focus and enjoy her youth. Don’t forget to have fun, even if it is silly or something you wouldn’t prefer. Be a good role model. If she sees you making the most of your time and enjoying the moment she will learn to do so as well. Encourage her and reinforce her when she chooses activities that are age appropriate and character building. There will be times when it seems like an uphill battle, but she will remember your efforts and be better off because of it.
Encouraging Your Student to Speak Up in Class Andrew Fish Social Studies Teacher “Does the inaction of bystanders mean that, on some level, they are culpable?” asked my professor. I sat there thinking. This was something I’d been pondering for weeks, as we’d been discussing the Holocaust. My heart started to race. I have social anxiety. Self diagnosed, but most definitely crippling in a lot of situations.
Welcome New Students and Families! Gene Smith: Camillle and her parents Mark and Judith from California. Sophia and her parents Larry and Diana from California Annie and her mother Leslie from Georgia Oak Ridge: Frankie and her guardian Joe from California. Pine Canyon: Blake and her parents Robert and Lori from Georgia Claudia and her parents Daniel and Colleen from Michigan. Willowcreek: Rachel and her parents Richard and Debra from Georgia. Lauren and her parents Sam and Lisa from California. Cherokee and her grandmother Elayne from California.
This was early in my college career. I spent most class periods listening, doodling, and mind wandering. I’m not even a proficient doodler. When I was actually paying attention, I’d have lots of ideas and things I wanted to share, but I was always terrified to do so. Because for sure nothing would come out right. I’d get nervous. My heart would race. My forehead would start to sweat. My neck would turn blotchy and red. I’d start speaking, and forget to breathe in the middle of it. Everyone would notice. EVERYONE. It would be the worst, most embarrassing moment of my life.
This was my inner battle every time I wanted to speak up in class. Finally, I just started doing it. Don’t forget to breathe. Don’t forget to breathe. Don’t forget to breathe. DON’TFORGETTOBREATHE. I raised my hand. “Um, I think so. I mean, like, if someone doesn’t...well, if people just keep not...um...so when we don’t help, I mean, how couldwenotbesomewhatresponsible...” I tried really, really hard to not gasp for air like an eight year old that just escaped being trapped under his grandmother’s inflatable doughnut, when attempting to surface in the wrong spot in the pool.
The girls that I can tell really enjoy school are the ones who speak in class.
Ever so softly, I let the sweet air silently fill my lungs. Maybe people noticed I got a little fast there at the end, and possibly cut off the last couple words in a wheeze...but whatever. I did it. I said something. It was a start.
Over time, especially in that class, it got better and better. After various comments and questions, I finally didn’t have to keep reminding myself to breathe. I quit saying things that seemed nonsensical, or losing my train of thought in the middle of an idea. It was definitely a process, but I kept getting better and better. The beautiful thing was, I really started to adore school. I found that I was becoming one of those obnoxious students with something to say about almost everything. I Sign up now for… started really paying attention in class, and found academic success easier to grasp. More than anything, learning became a reciprocal experience. Instead of just being an information receptor and later regurgitator, (that might not even be a word) I Alpine Academy will be touring the was an active learner. I was wrestling with ideas in incredible historic venues of our my mind, trying to come up with something profound Nations Capitol; including the to say, something that added to what my professors Holocaust Museum, Capitol Building, were saying. I wanted to formulate new ideas, Arlington Cemetery, Smithsonian complementary or contrasting, with those being Museums and much more! shared. I wanted to argue, question, and defend. Class discussion became something I looked forward Contact Corrie at [email protected] for to as much as...well...clawing my way free of the more information about signing your daughter up for doughnut, and inhaling cool, beautiful, life giving air. the trip.
Washington D.C. October 21-25 2014
My point in all of this is that school completely Deposits due by August 9th changes when students open up their mouths and make comments, and ask questions. It makes them active, rather than passive learners. It helps them to think about issues critically, instead of just listening to the critical thoughts of others. Encourage your girls to speak up, participate, and ask questions. I don’t know which always comes first with this—the talking chicken, or the egg full of enjoyment. But for me, clawing my way through the terror, opening my mouth, forgetting to breathe, and forcing out semi-coherent nonsense made all the difference. Now, I fearlessly make comments in front of classes for a living. And I love it. Alpine Academy ~ 1280 Whispering Horse Dr. Erda, Utah 84074 ~ 800-244-1113 office ~ 435-843-5416 fax ~ [email protected] Like us on Facebook! Facebook.com/AlpineAcademy ~ Follow us on Twitter @AlpineAcademy and Pinterest
Upcoming Calendar Events: August 5th – Quarter 1 begins August 9th – Washington DC deposit due August 6th-9th – Granite Creek Adventure Trip August 16th-18th – Parent Visit Weekend
August 2013
Sept. 2nd-3rd – No School Sept. 13th-15th – Parent Visit Weekend Oct. 4th-6th – Parent Workshop Weekend Oct. 18th – Quarter 1 ends Oct. 21st-25th – No School st
Yes, I’m Getting Better Dayja Daniels, Class of 2013
th
Oct. 21 -25 – Washington D.C. Trip In July 2011, I got a glimpse of rock bottom, and it was scary how comfortable it looked to me. I can’t *check our online calendar at alpineacademy.org for a more even give and exact time period of when things started detailed list of campus events. to go downhill because unhappy seemed so familiar. How could I be unhappy? I had a lot of friends, money, and drugs. How could I be an addict? I wasn’t in jail, dropped out of school or dysfunctional in society when I was high? How did I have reactive attachment disorder? I just wanted to do things on my own, connect with my family every once and a while, and not be so close to Ann, my guardian. I was almost certain I was getting sent to Alpine because it was Ann’s way of not having to deal with me. I could only count on myself. Oct. 28th – Quarter 2 begins
Then reality hit. I can’t even stand being in my own head, let alone my own skin. I hated myself. I could not count on myself for anything. So why were so many of these people trying to love and support me? I didn’t like who I was, but I couldn’t change that. I was my own worst critic. I didn’t even know where to start. I was still trying to figure out how to hold on to the little power I did have left. Why wasn’t my anger keeping them away? Why were people looking up to me, when I made it clear that I don’t have the capability of being a leader? Why were my teachers convinced I was smart and capable of getting A’s, when I wasn’t turning in my work? Obviously whatever I was doing wasn’t working.
Aarika, my therapist, wasn’t going to back down and give up, but there was no way she could know how grateful I already was for that. No one was playing my games. I decided that I needed to stop trying to be in control of everyone else. To accept that I have anxiety, depression, reactive attachment disorder, amongst many other things, yet none of that defines me as a person. It never had to. I gained the most essential key to my progress here once I did that. A connection in my relationships. It was put to the test many times, but I know well enough that genuine love and care does not just disappear when you get mad or feel rejected. Burnt bridges can be rebuilt, or can become good history lessons. If anything, my past has magnified my emotional intelligence for my benefit. Grief does not change us, it reveals us, and everything I went through at Alpine revealed who I’d been hiding all along. I have lots of challenges awaiting me in the future, but more importantly successes as well. I am strong and can make it though anything. My strength comes from being able to reach out and ask for help when needed, and that feeling that comes along with doing the same for others. I have no need to go through everything on my own because that’s what makes me weak. I will always miss my parents, I think about them all the time and how they should be sitting here listening to this speech. However, I was blessed with a gift of my own, Ann Hayman. I love you Ann, point blank. Opposites really do attract. I now want better for my future, myself and others. My gift to my parents is to not live my life the way they did. To do the best I can and be happy with myself. The best gift I could give is by saying: yes, I’m getting better!!!
Savoring Youth Derek Barney, Family Teacher I recently attended a concert by a country singer who sings one of my favorite songs. The song talks about not blinking because you will miss out on some great experiences in life that pass way too quickly. Whenever I hear it, I am reminded of being a child and wanting so badly to be old enough to drive a car and date a girl. When I turned 16, the thoughts of dating and driving soon gave way to thoughts of turning 18, when I would officially be an “adult” and could do what I wanted with my life. As each of these milestones arrived and passed by I seemed to pay less attention to them and focus more time and energy in wishing I could be older so I could enjoy the perceived benefit of the next milestone.
Focus On… On “Bonds That Make Us Free” By C. Terry Warner The following are valuable excerpts from Bonds That Make Us Free. This and many other books are part of Alpine’s recommended reads for parents. Follow us on Pinterest for a complete list of Alpine recommended reads. When someone we have been blaming becomes real to us, we change. We become a person who sees another person as real. We change from being accusing, guarded, and self-absorbed to being open, self-forgetful, and welcoming. In this new, searching posture we are acting upon a desire, even if only feebly formed, to be different. And we are doing it with a willingness, perhaps only slight, to use what we discover respectfully. Though our attitude may not yet be compassionate, it is crucially different from unbending accusation. By doing right because it is right, we divest ourselves of the reasons we have had for finding fault and thus open ourselves to be affected by the truth about others. Personal growth is not like the development of a skill. It does not take place in observable increments that can be measured and charted. So focused are accusing feelings that they obliterate or shun into irrelevance all other facts except those that support them. Forgiveness cannot be done from selfconcern. It must be done for the truth’s sake, or to right a wrong, or out of compassion for those we previously condemned by our refusal to forgive.
Now as I sit here on the cusp of turning 40, another milestone to many people, I often find myself looking at the young women we have the privilege of interacting with on a daily basis, and finding myself envious of the things they are getting to experience. Many of these girls have experienced things that a lot of adults might never go through in their lives. These experiences can have some lasting impressions on these girls that can cause them to miss out on some of the best times in a person’s life. They can rob these girls of childhoods that they should have had and can make them need to act more mature than they need to. The best part of my job here at Alpine is to help the girls see that no matter what past they may have endured, they can still take time to enjoy life in the moment. I love being able to teach them that they can find a healthy balance in their life and be able to be serious and mature when they need to but also be goofballs when its appropriate. As parents the most important thing we can possibly do is to engage in activities that will help our kids enjoy the moments in life they have. They end up going by so fast, if you blink you might miss out on them. There isn’t anything that you can really do to stop your daughter from wanting to grow up fast. But you can do a whole lot to help her focus and enjoy her youth. Don’t forget to have fun, even if it is silly or something you wouldn’t prefer. Be a good role model. If she sees you making the most of your time and enjoying the moment she will learn to do so as well. Encourage her and reinforce her when she chooses activities that are age appropriate and character building. There will be times when it seems like an uphill battle, but she will remember your efforts and be better off because of it.
Encouraging Your Student to Speak Up in Class Andrew Fish Social Studies Teacher “Does the inaction of bystanders mean that, on some level, they are culpable?” asked my professor. I sat there thinking. This was something I’d been pondering for weeks, as we’d been discussing the Holocaust. My heart started to race. I have social anxiety. Self diagnosed, but most definitely crippling in a lot of situations.
Welcome New Students and Families! Gene Smith: Camillle and her parents Mark and Judith from California. Sophia and her parents Larry and Diana from California Annie and her mother Leslie from Georgia Oak Ridge: Frankie and her guardian Joe from California. Pine Canyon: Blake and her parents Robert and Lori from Georgia Claudia and her parents Daniel and Colleen from Michigan. Willowcreek: Rachel and her parents Richard and Debra from Georgia. Lauren and her parents Sam and Lisa from California. Cherokee and her grandmother Elayne from California.
This was early in my college career. I spent most class periods listening, doodling, and mind wandering. I’m not even a proficient doodler. When I was actually paying attention, I’d have lots of ideas and things I wanted to share, but I was always terrified to do so. Because for sure nothing would come out right. I’d get nervous. My heart would race. My forehead would start to sweat. My neck would turn blotchy and red. I’d start speaking, and forget to breathe in the middle of it. Everyone would notice. EVERYONE. It would be the worst, most embarrassing moment of my life.
This was my inner battle every time I wanted to speak up in class. Finally, I just started doing it. Don’t forget to breathe. Don’t forget to breathe. Don’t forget to breathe. DON’TFORGETTOBREATHE. I raised my hand. “Um, I think so. I mean, like, if someone doesn’t...well, if people just keep not...um...so when we don’t help, I mean, how couldwenotbesomewhatresponsible...” I tried really, really hard to not gasp for air like an eight year old that just escaped being trapped under his grandmother’s inflatable doughnut, when attempting to surface in the wrong spot in the pool.
The girls that I can tell really enjoy school are the ones who speak in class.
Ever so softly, I let the sweet air silently fill my lungs. Maybe people noticed I got a little fast there at the end, and possibly cut off the last couple words in a wheeze...but whatever. I did it. I said something. It was a start.
Over time, especially in that class, it got better and better. After various comments and questions, I finally didn’t have to keep reminding myself to breathe. I quit saying things that seemed nonsensical, or losing my train of thought in the middle of an idea. It was definitely a process, but I kept getting better and better. The beautiful thing was, I really started to adore school. I found that I was becoming one of those obnoxious students with something to say about almost everything. I Sign up now for… started really paying attention in class, and found academic success easier to grasp. More than anything, learning became a reciprocal experience. Instead of just being an information receptor and later regurgitator, (that might not even be a word) I Alpine Academy will be touring the was an active learner. I was wrestling with ideas in incredible historic venues of our my mind, trying to come up with something profound Nations Capitol; including the to say, something that added to what my professors Holocaust Museum, Capitol Building, were saying. I wanted to formulate new ideas, Arlington Cemetery, Smithsonian complementary or contrasting, with those being Museums and much more! shared. I wanted to argue, question, and defend. Class discussion became something I looked forward Contact Corrie at [email protected] for to as much as...well...clawing my way free of the more information about signing your daughter up for doughnut, and inhaling cool, beautiful, life giving air. the trip.
Washington D.C. October 21-25 2014
My point in all of this is that school completely Deposits due by August 9th changes when students open up their mouths and make comments, and ask questions. It makes them active, rather than passive learners. It helps them to think about issues critically, instead of just listening to the critical thoughts of others. Encourage your girls to speak up, participate, and ask questions. I don’t know which always comes first with this—the talking chicken, or the egg full of enjoyment. But for me, clawing my way through the terror, opening my mouth, forgetting to breathe, and forcing out semi-coherent nonsense made all the difference. Now, I fearlessly make comments in front of classes for a living. And I love it. Alpine Academy ~ 1280 Whispering Horse Dr. Erda, Utah 84074 ~ 800-244-1113 office ~ 435-843-5416 fax ~ [email protected] Like us on Facebook! Facebook.com/AlpineAcademy ~ Follow us on Twitter @AlpineAcademy and Pinterest
