As of Sunday summer has officially started! We want to wish you all a happy summer and happy late Father’s day to all you fathers! Speaking of fathers, this week we are excited to welcome 14 of our intrepid fathers here to Montana as we embark down the wild and scenic Missouri River for our father daughter canoe trip! This trip will no doubt serve as an exciting adventure and wonderful opportunity to play and strengthen relationships.
We are two weeks into our summer programming and already the students have begun hiking, rafting, horse-back riding, rock climbing, etc. In, fact a group of our students were able to view a grizzly bear and her cubs this past weekend! It is important you know the students and staff responded perfectly to the situation by adhering to the training we provide before each outdoor adventure. Everyone, including the bear, was completely safe during the hike. The adventure team headed up by Julie Hughes will continue to plan amazing outings and trips throughout the summer. Please contact Julie at [email protected] if you are interested in participating in our bike trip, rafting trip, or mother daughter retreat. In addition to the wonderful adventure offerings, our academic team is also involved in engaging our girls this summer in a variety of ways. Monday through Thursday select students will have opportunity to perform credit recovery work to ensure everyone is on track for high school graduation. Additionally each student will be enrolled in a theater class and a course in comparative politics. After a week of these classes being offered the feedback has been very positive. Girls have been seen giggling and laughing as they practice for the school play, “Once Upon a Teen.” Even the girls who haven’t been inclined toward theater seem to be enjoying themselves immensely. There also seems to be great enthusiasm among the staff and students as we have begun the process of forming a student government. We are excited that our students will have these fun learning opportunities and earn additional academic credits as they participate in our summer programming.
Our goal with summer programming is to strike a healthy balance between play and responsibility as well as balancing opportunities for therapeutic gains and growth. The staff, therapists, and teachers are working to give your daughters a needed break from academic rigors while teaching them how to have healthy fun. We look forward to seeing so many of you as your visit your daughters over the course of the summer!
Best Wishes,
Corey Hickman