Blog – Page 4 – Chrysalis School

Child Development

July 15, 2015 By:Alison McNee

Research: At some point in our parenting journey we’ve heard about the importance of attachment for healthy child development, typically referring to the bond developed between infant and parent early on that is critical to survival and development. New research builds upon attachment theory into the adolescent phase of development and has important implications for parenting teens. Researchers at Simon Fraser University conclude that “secure attachment [in adolescence] is associated with less engagement in high risk behaviours, fewer mental health problems, and enhanced social skills and coping strategies.” While for infants attachment is largely physical, teens do not require this proximity, but do depend on maintaining “relatedness” with thier parents. While conflict is part of the experience, negotiating the conflict in healthy ways where teens can confidently express their opinions and experience empathy is key. “Adolescents who feel understood by their parents and trust their commitment to the relationship, even in the face of conflict, confidently move toward early adulthood.”

Practice: Summers with our children (of any age) offer us time and space to engage them and develop this bond. For parents of teens, while an idyllic summer of togetherness may not be very realistic, we can revel in moments of connection and practice healthy conflict to encourage their development. It’s not rejection, it’s a developmentally appropriate need for autonomy!

J.C. Retires After 50 Years of Teaching

June 30, 2015 By:Alison McNee

Aumni, David Rollins, wrote a beautiful story about J.C.’s teaching career. Another Alumni, Lindsey Wasson, took all the photos at his party. J.C. we will miss you at Chrysalis. Happy retirement!

Teacher J.C. Kilmer officially retired from Chrysalis School, closing out a 50 year career in education. Broadly put, Kilmer taught English, history, and social studies. More narrowly however, he covered the great stories of humanity and the fictitious work we use to define our lives, he diagrammed out narrative structure, and even delivered grammatical technique all while maintaining a charisma second to none. He was gracious enough to take a few moments to sit down with me (a former student) on his last day.

After exchanging pleasantries, we got down to it. I asked how he wound up teaching. His response, “What is it that they say, if you have a job, you don’t want to feel like you have to go to work. So, I started thinking about things I liked doing, and I like working with people.”

His career began in Port Angeles, Washington in 1965. As he put it, “I taught in the Jr. high that I went through.” Kilmer remained in Port Angeles either as a full time teacher or part time consultant until 1996, when he began looking for a new job. That job would end up being at a small private school located in Woodinville, Washington.

“I finished my last day of work–on the third Thursday of August, and reported to work at Chrysalis on the very last Tuesday of August.”

Having seen two very different schooling systems, I asked what the biggest difference he saw was. Kilmer spoke to class size, “When I started in the public schools at Port Angeles–I had 36 [students] in one class, and 37 in the other. At Chrysalis, over 19 years, the largest class I’ve had was 11.”

Kilmer went on to note, “That’s not to put in any fault on anyone that works in a public school, but there’s no way with 36 kids, you can be there for them as you can in this situation [At Chrysalis]… If you have an hour of class time and 30 kids, the max you can do is two minutes with each kid. Nope, sorry, you ran over.”

After a few moments, the conversation turned to his students at Chrysalis.

“I appreciate being here [Chrysalis], getting to know the students better, and getting to know the whole family–I remember somebody, at a graduation speech one time, made the comment. ‘The thing about Chrysalis–is that you know your consulting teacher’s top three TV shows, but you don’t know your teacher’s last name.’”

We both laughed, acknowledging the truth in it. With a grin, he continued on, eventually answering my initial question.

“I think for my students, and not to sound corny, but they are all memorable, and super in their own right–It’s funny, you remember kids, but you’ve lost the timeline.”

Kilmer plans on spending his retirement with his grandkids, traveling with his wife, and attempting to knock out more that a few great books. His first stop however, was to meet President Obama as a guest of his son, Derek Kilmer, Congressman, at the White House picnic on Wednesday, June 17th, 2015.

Having completed half a century in education, I asked if he had any advice to any young teachers, or potential ones out there. His response bore the honest simplicity and charisma that helped guide all of his students.

“Just always remember, it’s all about the kids.”

-David Rollins
Chrysalis Alumni
Class of 2012

On a personal side note J.C., it is unbelievable how impactful you sir have been on my life. Without your teaching, I never would have learned the value in escaping into a good story. A gift, that has truly saved my life uncountable times. The world is unquestionably better off for thousands because you decided to teach. You will be missed in the world of education; that much is without question. Thank you for forcing me to read every single one of those stories, even the bad ones. Thank you for every assignment that I fought you over. And finally, thank you for every conversation where we got distracted by the tangents of what happened last week in football. I guess I eventually learned that last name of yours. I hope retirement treats you well.

Unstructured Time

June 17, 2015 By:Alison McNee

Research: Rachel Garlinghouse has a great post on her blog about the importance of unstructured time in children’s lives. We live in a society that measures children’s success by comparing them to one another, counting how many activities they are involved in and boasting how packed their schedules are. But what children really need is time and space to pursue their own interests, find creative solutions to problems, and grow in their independence.

Practice: Summer is a great time to allow children some down time to grow into themselves. While the days of roaming the neighborhood are lost, we can certainly protect their time, set them up with materials or resources that invite their creativity, and step out of the way to allow them to drive their own interests and make their own choices.

Celebrating Achievements

June 8, 2015 By:Alison McNee

Research: Portfolios are student-driven demonstrations of learning and qualitative measures of accomplishment and growth. They present the opportunity for a student to reflect upon what and how they’ve learned over a period of time and evaluate their readiness to take the next step, whether it be graduation or grade promotion. They highlight student strengths and identify personal achievements to celebrate and promote the learning process.

Practice: Portfolios are an important part of the Chrysalis experience. A good deal of what we do involves helping students understand how they learn and uncovering their strengths. Dedicating time to reflect upon their growth during the course of the year and on their school experience more generally is empowering and inspiring. We dedicate this one day each year to celebrating their achievements and sharing them with their families. Our students have amazing stories to tell!

Dreaming of Electronic Robots

June 8, 2015 By:Alison McNee

Max Notarangelo has big dreams – then he builds them! Currently, he is the Captain of the Sammamish High School robotics team and has competed nationally with the robots they’ve constructed. Having shorter school days at Chrysalis has allowed him to pursue his interests outside of the classroom. He’s taken a welding class, an online programming course at Stanford and even pursued his dream of starting his own company – Clockwork Development. The business he started is almost ready to publish its first iPhone app! He has also served this year as JSA co-president and was a National Merit Scholar based on his exemplary PSAT and SAT scores. Next year, he’ll continue the pursuit of his dreams when he attends Quest University in British Columbia, Canada, where he plans on majoring in liberal arts with an emphasis in physics and math. We wish him all the best as he moves forward “building” his dreams!

A Climate of Possibility.

May 29, 2015 By:Alison McNee

Research: Education reformer Sir Ken Robinson uses his expertise in business and education to outline the crisis in education in America in his Ted Talk, “How to Escape Education’s Death Valley.” He argues that education must be centered on the concept of human flourishing. According to Robinson, this rests upon three main assumptions: (1) that humans are naturally different and diverse, (2) that curiosity drives learning, and (3) that humans are inherently creative. When schools force standardization they effectively limit the ability for children to flourish, and as a result we see children who are stressed, disengaged, and at risk for dropping out altogether.

Practice: At Chrysalis we recognize that learning is personal. Every child learns differently, has different strengths and challenges, and has unique interests. In response, we offer different programs for every child to obtain the balance that’s right for them–a place where they are challenged appropriately, supported when needed, and allowed a place to shine. To use Robinson’s words, we create the conditions in which children thrive by offering a climate of possibility.

Isaac Tieje: To Be or Not to Be is not the question.

May 28, 2015 By:Alison McNee

Isaac isn’t busy questioning what he wants to do, he’s busy doing it! If he isn’t on stage here at Chrysalis, he is attending an audition, participating in acting lessons or getting ready for his next gig. Recently, he was one of the lead roles, Harry, in the musical Once Upon a Mattress here at Chrysalis. In addition to acting, he plays the cello and models to help further his career goals of being on stage. Chrysalis has given Isaac the flexibility to attend auditions and pursue his passion of acting, all while finishing up his senior year. Next year, he plans to focus on acting full time either on stage or at college taking classes. His enthusiasm is contagious and we know one day it will be his name on Broadway… or in Hollywood… or wherever his ambition takes him! Best wishes, Isaac we can’t wait to see where your drive takes you next!

Intrinsic Motivation

May 21, 2015 By:Alison McNee

Research: The American Psychological Association recently published a guide for schools to include psychological science in teaching and learning practices. In it, they note that students do better and enjoy learning more when they are intrinsically rather than extrinsically motivated. Intrinsic motivation comes from the feeling of success, confidence, and autonomy. Extrinsic motivation depends upon rewards and punishments. Teachers can foster intrinsic motivation by allowing choice in achievement activities, providing optimal levels of challenge, allowing creative ways to demonstrate knowledge, and providing continuous feedback.

Practice: When performance is tied to extrinsic rewards such as grades, test scores, and class ranking, self esteem and confidence can suffer. Such rigid systems of comparison can even result in anxiety and depression. By removing the pressures associated with these elements of schooling, Chrysalis students are allowed the space to develop intrinsic motivation. They choose how they will perform, the direction of their courses, and work in an environment where they will make the most progress. This develops their confidence and they perform better.

Tori Leiweke Senior Update

May 21, 2015 By:Alison McNee

Tori hasn’t been on campus at Chrysalis very often this semester – and we couldn’t be more happy for her! Her deep curiosity about the world has propelled her to travel afar. Not only has she traveled to compete in horse shows she has also journeyed to Europe. Next year, Tori plans on attending the The University of British Columbia! Her plan is to major in Visual Art and Communication. The University of British Columbia will allow her to bring her horse to a stable in nearby Langley, BC, to pursue qualification for the Canadian Nation Team. We’re so excited for her and we wish her all the best on her explorations and adventures! Best wishes, Tori!

Alec Morihara is Heading to Drexel University!

May 18, 2015 By:Alison McNee

Alec enjoys science and math and says that depending on the year, the two subjects battle as his favorite. Regardless of the subject, Alec is a hard worker. His desire to see both academic and real world application of his studies is why he chose Drexel University in Philadelphia. When asked about the program he is interested in, he shared his enthusiasm about Business Engineering – a program that has both the technical aspects of engineering as well as the financing, leadership, operations and marketing elements of business. He is most excited however, about the co-op program at Drexel. He likes the flexibility of the program that will allow him to work six months in an actual business environment, getting hands-on experience, then going to school six months, then back to the business world. This school will be a great fit for him. Congratulations Alec on your adventure to the east coast next year and all your future endeavors!

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