Ironwood Frye Blog

November has come and gone, and it seems that winter is nipping at our heels.  The students have enjoyed many fall activities at Frye.  They have worked on various arts and crafts projects including making Thanksgiving decorations, and beds for homeless cats.  Parent weekend was also in November, and the students enjoyed baking many treats in anticipation of their families’ arrival.

Parent weekend has come and gone.  The student and their families enjoyed making sweets, dog training, tours around Ironwood and spending time with their families.  Another successful parent weekend was to be had.  Students are already anticipating the next one in November.

The garden provided many yummy meals as well.  Students cooked using; Squash, tomatoes, watermelon, cantaloupe, beans, cucumbers, pumpkins and many varieties of herbs.  The students were proud of their hard work and took pride as well.  Now the garden has been dug up cleared out and put to bed for the winter and soon spring will be here where a new batch of students will learn they too have a green thumb.

The weather has turned, the days are not so hot and the nights are getting colder.  The days are cool enough now that we can enjoy hikes around the Ironwood property, the view is amazing and the students have let us know they find this relaxing, comforting and many use it for stress relief.  Many evenings before quiet time are spent around the fire getting to know each other and learning appropriate social life skills.  Students have spent their days doing a lot of outdoor activities, from walking the mini’s on educational hikes to gathering, sawing and stacking wood in preparation for this winter.  I am always impressed with the amount of information these teens retain when we teach them in the outdoors, not to mention a lot of the barriers they have put up around themselves seems to start to dwindle, which in itself speaks for nature and the unique gift Ironwood has.

Jason a staff member has started a new photography group which the boys really like.  Some of the photos they have taken are amazing and each student loves to tell how the picture was taking and the little story behind it. Nice to see the motivation for creation.

The girls have a knack for creativity as well we have those that love to paint, sew and decorate.  It is nice to see their visions come to life and the teaching they share with each other.

~Michele C., Behavior Specialist

Here in Maine we couldn’t have asked for better summer weather.  The days seemed to fly by and the Frye community enjoyed spending sunny afternoons outside!  Frye was bustling all summer long with many students arriving and just as many students being promoted to the Farm House. 

One of the biggest projects the community of Frye worked on this summer is our garden.  Many hands and many hours went into planting, weeding, and watering.  The students were all anxious to see their hard work pay off!  As the weeks went by the seeds began sprouting and soon the space was transformed into a lush green bountiful crop which we began to harvest.  Some of the first vegetables picked was a mix of lettuce that we used in our salads.  Soon followed many herbs such as dill and basil.  Currently our harvest includes tomatoes, carrots, radishes, string beans, carrots, and squash!  We are hoping to soon harvest the pumpkins and potatoes!

Another fun project was led by one of our most crafty staff, Gordon!  He helped both the boys and girls design and execute the project of building new shelves for the bunks.  Students worked with Gordon to measure the space, draw out the design, make a materials list and then execute the plan.  Students worked together for several weeks measuring, sawing, sanding, and nailing together these shelves.  Once placed in each of the bunks the students were thrilled at their accomplishment.  Many made comments like “I have never built anything before” and “I can’t believe I helped make this, it is so cool!”

As we head into the fall more projects and activities are coming our way!  Stay tuned!

Jessica ~ Frye Manager

The Frye community has spent the past couple of weeks really focusing their energy on the garden.  The students began by preparing the garden bed by tilling it, fertilizing it with some compost, and picking out rocks.   The next step was to create a garden plan.  Students worked with our gardening expert on staff, Ronanne to develop a diverse plan for lots of different vegetables.  They worked to create the different beds within the garden and then the planting process began!  They planted many vegetables which included tomatoes, green peppers, cucumbers, potatoes, herbs, carrots, beets, and more!  Many students who worked hard on planting were dedicated to seeing the garden flourish and took turns being responsible to make sure that the garden was watered every day.  It’s only been a couple of weeks since it was planted and signs of growth are abundant!

The garden project is among one of the most favorite activities for students at Ironwood.  It is such a valuable experience to learn how to grow your own food.  Many students come to us not even knowing where their food comes from.  In the process of planting and growing a garden we are able to have conversations about where food comes from and why it’s important.  Students are always fascinated to witness this fantastic process.

Stay tuned to read all about our harvest as well as the yummy recipes we will cook!

~Jessica, Frye Manager

April showers bring May flowers and there’s no exception at Frye.  The residents have participated in flower gardening this month.  Each resident selected three zinnia seedlings to plant and nurture.  They read the instructions for the type of exposure the seedlings need and selected areas to plant them.  They then prepared the soil by tilling the earth, removing weeds and rocks and mixing in compost and topsoil.  The residents are responsible for watering and weeding their own flowering plants of which several have already bloomed.  Others have buds.  Still others, not getting enough sun or water, have died.  Residents will get a second chance to find better locations for plants and to pay better attention by watering and weeding as needed.

Spring is upon us at Frye!  The students are all enjoying the sunshine and getting to work on a couple of the spring projects we are working on.

The girls have taken on the garden challenge this year!  They have been quite busy getting ready for the annual garden.  They have repaired some of the winter damage to the garden fence and put up some new chicken wire around the fence to help keep our roaming pigs and dogs away from our crop.  The girls also took apart the old compost structure and are in the process of building a new and improved composting area!  They are really excited about how their work is coming along and can not wait for next month to plant all the yummy and delicious vegetables!

The boys have been working out in the “L Field” on a new fire pit area at the totem pole.  This is a place used throughout the Spring, Summer, and Fall to celebrate the graduations of Ironwood residents.  They have taken on quite the project and are in the process of leveling the ground and putting up a rock wall.

The projects at Frye are a great way to teach the students the importance of having a good work ethic.  Being a part of a big project and seeing it through to completion gives the students a big sense of accomplishment.  The hard work that these projects require show the students that they are capable of doing many things if they just put their mind to it!

It’s that time of year again where the warm days and cold night create the perfect climate for the sap to run in our Maple grove!  Tree taping and sap collecting is one of the many jewels of the Ironwood program.

Over the past two weeks, the students have helped to set up over 100 tree taps and buckets.  They have been diligent in visiting the Maple grove once a day to empty the sap buckets into the giant tanks that feed the boiler in our sugar shack!

During each visit to the sugar shack the students are able to see the process of boiling the sap down into maple syrup!  For many of the students it is a highlight of the day to watch their hard work turn into such a delicious treat.  Once the sap is all boiled down and in containers the residents will get to enjoy their very own maple syrup during the Sunday morning pancake breakfasts!  The residents are also excited to share the syrup with their parents during the upcoming parent weekend!

One of the most challenging pieces to the Ironwood program is the first two or three days.  We refer to this time as “reflection.”  When a resident first arrives at Ironwood it can be a bit scary and confusing.  Most, don’t know they are coming and have no idea what they are about to walk into. 

When a new resident arrives at Frye they are welcomed by two staff.  We introduce ourselves and begin to tell them a bit about the program.  We take them to the bunk house and go through the intake procedure.  Once the intake is complete they begin their reflection time.

They usually begin reflection by being outside and sit in a gazebo.  They are given a water bottle, a writing pad, and a pen.  They also have a small campfire in which they can choose to tend a fire in addition to working on some writing assignments.

The reflection time at Ironwood is an important piece of the program.  It allows time for the new resident to sit and think about the path they are on and the choices they have made up to the point of coming to Ironwood.  During this time the resident will be in the company of staff, but they are not allowed to talk or interact with the other residents.  The structure of reflection is for the new resident to really focus on themselves.  They are given a series of writing and drawing assignments to help guide their thoughts and reflection.  Some of the writing assignments include drawing a picture of your family, writing a letter to themselves, and writing an autobiography about themselves.

Once the writing assignments are completed and the resident has been at Ironwood for two days they are finished with reflection.  They are introduced to all the residents and begin to follow the regular schedule of the day.