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February, 2007

Message from Administration

Something to Be Proud of

137 students graduated Cross Creek Programs in 2006

Students at Cross Creek often earn a Presidential Service award which requires minimum 100 hours of community service!

Cross Creek Parents most active in staffing seminars

February is considered the month of LOVE by most people. It is a time when we appreciate friends, family and close relationships. Valentines are given out and flower shops thrive. There however, is another way to LOVE people and family members. The students in our facility have many opportunities to LOVE and show compassion on a daily basis. As students advance in levels and earn trust in the program, they are given chances to assist and be of service which is one of the highest forms of showing LOVE - service without expecting anything in return. What a wonderful way to learn about LOVING others and giving without expecting a reward. It is a great lesson for all of us to remember and relearn wherever we are in our lives. There are many ways students can serve without ever leaving the facility. On a daily basis the small acts of kindness and caring show up in someone doing a room or unit job for a room mate while he/she is in a seminar, or organizing a class room just because, or making sure your group member is prepared for premeetings, or asking to help around the facility when it is not your turn…. Life has a lot of lessons - this one is one of the most powerful ones. Pay it forward!

Cross Creek Boys Basketball Team Gets First Region Win

Shooting 23 points this game, T’chaid Doue, #25 makes the crowd go wild with a slam dunk in the third quarter, with his family sitting proudly in the stands. With Donald Gossard and Ben Paterik accumulating 23 rebounds, assisted Marcus Halter and Jose Galvan shoot 16 points and take seven steals. Struggling this season, the Bobcats knew they would wreck someone’s Friday night. Tonight was the night! Kanab had a good starting team. Glazier, #2 swooshed a 3 in the fourth quarter, and Ty Bunting had four slam dunks. Bobcats finally found unity and it showed through Bobcat spirit.

CCM vs. Beaver 1/24/07

It was an intense game of basketball Wednesday night between the Bobcats and Beavers. During the second quarter, Bobcats closed the gap to leave the score at 18-24 at half time.

Cross Creek defense caused numerous turnovers, yet number 20 on the Beavers, Sean Foster, scored 26 points.

Throughout the game the Bobcats never let the Beavers get past an eleven point lead. Donald Gossard shot a 19 point game for Cross Creek, leaving the final score at 58-50, Beavers.

CCP Girls Basketball team played Beaver on Tuesday, January 23. For Bobcats, coming together was a struggle. With Beavers’ strong man to man defense and enthusiastic offense, the Bobcats were unable to execute their play and fell way short of their season average. Taylor Traback shot a 6 point game with 5 rebounds, 5 deflections and a steal for the Bobcats. Kaitlin H. from the Beavers had a 15-point game along with Morgan W. The Beavers beat Bobcats 67-14.

News in a Nutshell

Angels for Animals is an ongoing service work performed by CCP students

Our facility has had many activities this past month and in December. All students participated in several on-grounds activities over the Holidays, including “Strong Man Competition” on the boys’ side, and a Talent Show for the girls. Volleyball Tournament was a big hit as well as all the fun movies students were able to enjoy over the Christmas break. But most fun was perhaps the excellent food served by our kitchen staff.

Students better not write home they have gained weight, since all of them ate more than their share! Christmas Stockings were prepared by the Grievance committees—filled with candy and treats. Starting in January, other activities have included service projects at the ARC dances and service at the local Nursery School as well as at the Nursing home. Students also do service work at Angels for Animals in Kanab, UT regularly.

Our goal is to assist students to see the value of service. It does not mean “free labor”, or “getting something for nothing”.

However, it has everything to do with selfworth and confidence in our abilities to assist others. This is a lesson all our students can take home with them and make the world a better place. It only takes one kind act and one kind word to make a difference.

My Second Home by Holly Renner

“I will never forget my journey at Cross Creek! Most importantly, I will never forget the people who helped me every step of the way”.

When I first arrived at Cross Creek December 27, 2003, I wanted nothing more than to leave and go home. Little did I know that Cross Creek would hold a place in my heart for the rest of my life. I guess you could say that by the time I graduated, I had a change of heart!

I graduated the program in October of 2005, and I counted down the days until I could come back and visit. This month I went to visit Cross Creek, and it was a blessing that I cannot describe in words. I was given the chance to see the people who truly helped me save my life. To see the girls’ smiling faces was so amazing to me. It brought joy to my life, and I cherished every moment of being back. I had some great laughs, tears and happiness in my visit. You know, Ron Garrett is right when he says, “You cry when you get here, and you cry when you leave”. I cried when I had to leave again!

I will never forget my journey at Cross Creek. Most importantly, I will never forget the people who helped me every step of the way. To be able to give back is priceless. Talking to the girls also helped me and gave me strength and hope for my future. Life gets tough out here, but I know that I always have a second home to go back to.

Freedom to Fly

This is the place I will never forget.
These are the things I will never regret.
There is a place where change took place.
There is a place where demons I face.
Finally, finally myself I can love.
Finally, finally my life flies like a dove

Freedom to Be

Life is like a harbor.
It stands still and firm.
People are like ships.
They leave on their own time, With no mercy.
My life was like a ship on the sea.
Always tossing to and fro.
Now my life is like the harbor.
Still and firm.
Sure and calm.
Peaceful and complete.

Finding Peace in Service Work

Lindsay O.

Service work is something I have had a passion for as long as I can remember. Due to the self destructive behavior I was engaged in at home, I pushed those ambitions aside.

During my stay here at Cross Creek, I have slowly been able to give back to the community

At first I started by cleaning around our facility and assisting other students here. However, I was able to begin service work in the area around Cross Creek when I earned a higher level.

To me, giving to others is what life is all about. When I assist others from the kindness in my heart, I have a feeling that what I am doing is right. Service builds my self esteem and gives a sense of purpose in life. When I help people I know that I am doing something that really matters. Maybe it is just my calling, but something about giving service makes me feel at peace with myself.

Creating Something Big by Elizabeth Barrett

I started to understand that the Program was not about being dry or.. becoming some preppy nerd who hangs out with her parents on Friday nights. It is about something bigger!

I came to Cross Creek and my name is Elizabeth. I am 14 years old. I remember the night I came almost as though it were yesterday. I was 13, strung out and filled with confusion and anger. The program, in my eyes, was a place to come down off of drugs, keep me from sex and talk about how this is all my parents fault. I was looking forward to my first shower in four days, and having roommates, but I was up for a rude awakening.

It was scary the first few days. Everywhere I turned I had to face myself, and no drugs to hide away anymore. I gave Orientation Seminar a shot, and it was all right. However, Discovery was something totally foreign to me. I found myself there. It was not until I created friendships and graduated Focus that I got a brick to the head.

I started to understand that the program was not about being dry or refraining from sex, or becoming some preppy nerd who hangs out with her parents on Friday nights. It is about something bigger. It is about loving myself, waking up each morning, happy to be alive. It is about recognizing I will die if I continue to do the things I called “fun”. I thought fun came with using drugs and being accepted by my peers, even though I did not care if tomorrow came, because what is another day of living if I hated living as who I am.

I have grown to respect myself, and I cry looking at the scars of my past. Even though I am not with my family right now, I look forward to being with them again, and I am proud to say that no matter where I go – there I am.

Girls’ BB Team Earns Spot at the State Finals

Cross Creek Programs Girls’ Basketball team earned their first trip EVER to State Finals. This invitation came as the Bobcats defeated two Region teams, Kanab (61-46) and Parowan (44-42). This team has no second year players as all students stay at Cross Creek approximately 18 months. With this years talent and hard work, the girls have surprised the region with their level of play. Coach Heaton has nothing but positive things to say about all of his players and it will be an exiting end to a great season. The Bobcats will play the number one seed team from North Summit on Friday, February 16, 2007 @ 11:30 am in Ephraim, Utah.

Parent Corner — Our Story

Being a single parent of two children for many years, my daughter was 6; my son was 1 when we were on our own. There was much fear for me with that responsibility searching for a form of security in the midst of endless tasks. I had full financial responsibility along with physical custody, which left me numb in their early years.

However, I did arrive to a point of balance just about the time that my child began drowning in a sea of poor choices with behaviors that were making horrific waves. The phone would ring crazy with reports of what my child did or didn't do and every conversation began and ended with my child’s name! My patience and humor was in short supply and I had it “up to here!”

Being the parent of a struggling child is the GREAT equalizer - and it LEVELED the playing field... I was numb when I received phone call from my 11-year-old son’s school informing me that he had been arrested! He adorned his drugs like a proud badge of honor for the other children to see with an extensive collection of paraphernalia, as well as a baggy of marijuana. My ‘head’ swarmed with thoughts of absolute fear, terror, guilt, shame, and anger while the committee ‘in there’ was going absolutely W – I – L – D. Oh My God! He’s only 11 years old…

This went on for 2 ? more years. I went through court with him, more than once… I moved him to 6 different schools, 2 of them private. I had him in twelvestep program, surrounded by recovery. Private counseling, weights, yoga, music, martial arts and nothing worked! I spent every single day focused on what HE was doing.

I made the decision on September 20 Th, 2004 to enter my son into an environment that would forever change our lives. It was a decision that I followed through on and after I admitted him, felt like I had a body part torn from me unexpectedly. It was undeniably profound. I bled for a few days and whimpered for sometime. I was a lost soul.

Then, it hit me! I realized that “I” had not been living a life at all. And, I hadn’t for sometime. I had to figure out who “I” was. The drama and chaos of the former times kept me quite distracted, even from a career path. Fear was the director of our family show.

The choice to place my son into a therapeutic boarding school was the greatest decision of our lives. The greatest INVESTMENT of my life! Boarding schools with an emotional growth component through Premier Educational Systems was not only provided for my son, but for my family and myself as well. It is not a drive by program. It requires effort from all of the family members providing educational tools in how to create a working and healthy family structure. It is a very precise and effective program that I am a strong proponent of.

EMPLOYEES OF THE MONTH

Jean Ebert, a Family Representative for A and C Group has been with Cross Creek Programs for seven years. It has been evident throughout her employment here, that this is not a job for her. She loves the students and her co-workers. Jean is a mother of six children, two of which are in the military service, and she has four grand children. In her younger years she was fourth in the nation in the sport of intercollegiate archery when attending Brigham Young University. Jean is working on her BS degree, and is active in the Scouting program.

Brent McKee, a Youth Supervisor on the boys side, has received the honor of employee of the month for January. Brent has been with the Cross Creek Programs for 3 1/2 years. He is very consistent with the students on rules and is well liked by the boys. He is friendly and a pleasure to work with. He is fair in his treatment of the students and his work ethic and enthusiasm for the program has earned him the honor.

Student Leaders of the Month

GIRLS

A Group     Miranda W.
B Group     Jenny B.
C Group     Jessica S.
D Group     Sierra B.
E Group     Brooke V.
F Group     Alexa W.
H Group     No Reps
K Group     Dakota C.
L Group     Richelle C.
M Group     Tracy Z.
N Group     Madison F.

BOYS

Group 1     Tyler L.
Group 2     Tchaid D.
Group 3     Keven L.
Group 4     Erik M.
Group 5     Kevin T.
Group 6     Hans P.
Group 7     Cameron A.
Group 8     Jack W.
Group 9     Adam A.

Facility Seminars in April

Girls Orientation       April 9-10
Boys Orientation        April 11-12
Discovery               April 13-14-15
Principles              April 16
Focus                   April 17-18-19
PC I                    April 20-21
Girls Keys              April 25
Boys Keys               April 26
PC II                   April 27-28-29
PC III                  April 28-29

Upcoming Parent Seminars

                Discovery       Focus           Keys
Bay Area        March 9-11      April 26-29     Apr. 21-22
Southern CA     May 18-20       March 15-18     March 24-25
Houston         May 4-6         March 8-11      Apr. 28-29
Chicago         March 30-Apr.1  March 22-25     Apr. 14-15
Atlanta         April 13-15     May 31-June 3   March 31
Newark          April 27-29     March 1-4       March 10-11

Cross Creek PROGRAMS
150 N. State Street LaVerkin, UT 84745 435-635-0600

Phone: 435-635-0600
Fax: 435-635-9055
E-mail: www.info@crosscreekprograms.com

Cross Creek Programs provide a structured and supervised environment with high standards. Each student follows a regimented schedule and a firm set of rules. Students learn discipline while developing proper motivation and direction. Part of the program at Cross Creek includes on site therapy, as well as services of a psychologist and a psychiatrist. Self discovery type seminars enhance the program both for students and their families. Cross Creek is also an accredited High School/Middle School by Northwestern Accreditation. Having been in southern Utah for over 18 years, Cross Creek has become one of the renown establishments for teens in crisis, assisting families reunite and find solutions. Cross Creek Programs - not just a program but a solution.