Cal Lane: WA's First Professional Athlete

Over the past couple years, we have been able to follow the professional track & field career of former Knight Cal Lane. He was the cover story of Volume 28 of the Knightly Knews that you can download here. Cal graduated from Woodward Academy in October 2007 and returned to his high school where he won 6 individual state titles and was inducted into his high school's athletic hall of fame. Until recently, he trained primarily on his own and competed in long jump events across the country with a little backing from Woodward Academy and the Lifetime Commitment Fund.

In 2013, he competed at Iowa State University and won the long jump contest at their indoor winter event. He also won at an event held at Arkansas University (you can see the video here) and has competed in several other meets, including those held at The University of Kansas and the 2014 USATF Indoor National Championships in New Mexico.

On December 19, Cal jumped at the University of Indiana and hit a huge jump: 26 feet, 4 inches. He won the meet and is currently ranked #1 in the world. It qualified him for the USA Indoor National Meet in Boston that is being held February 28-March 1. It also ensures that he can jump in any meet that he desires for the next year. We also just found out that Cal is now signing with an agent and will field contract offers that will help pay for clothing, travel expenses, and cash. One of those contracts was from Nike. Cal has decided that over the next few months, he will compete in Europe at events that will pay him between $500-$5,000 in prize money per meet. We are very proud to say that Cal is a Knight and is our first professional athlete.

Basketball Poster 2014-2015

Here is the official poster for the 2014-2015 Knights basketball team. Led by senior Ivan Johnson and junior Anthony Allen, the Knights are off to a great start this season and are a lot of fun to watch. Their balanced team and upbeat style has given opponents a lot of challenges and they plan to continue that trend into the second half of the season. If you didn't have a chance to see the video of the Knights beating a ranked and highly regarded 3A opponent during non-conference play, you can check that out by clicking here.

The image is a composite of individual pictures put together to form the team. If you're on campus, pick up a copy of the poster and attend a game if you get a chance. We'll have more on the team as the season progresses.

Happy Holidays from Woodward Academy

Self-Portraits in Art Class

"Draw what you see, not what you know," was the common phrase used by Sarah Elmore, art teacher at Woodward Academy when students started working on self-portrait projects. After taking their picture, students determined their own version of the project. Pictured are some great examples of what one class did. Other classes did full pencil renders of their image.

All students were asked to make grids on their pictures with several vertical and horizontal lines. This is a common technique used by professionals because it allows artists to break the project up into smaller sections, allowing them to draw faster and more efficiently. In art class, students are always improving their skills. A secondary focus for students who excelled in the grid technique was to focus on shading and to add value to their drawings.

Knights Basketball Victory // Video

December basketball does reflect with certainty where a team will end up at the end of the season, but key match ups can be used to assess where a team is right now compared against good competition. That happened on Monday night when the Knights (ranked 21st in 2A) hosted Bondurant-Farrar (ranked 9th in 3A in the latest power rankings) in what turned out to be a great contest.

In a back and forth game, the Knights found themselves down 8 at one point in the 4th quarter but rallied a comeback to eventually win the game. The upset was great, but not surprising considering how the Knights have performed this season. The video shows the intense final minute of the game and the pride that WA students show at every home game. You can check out some images from the game as well on our Knight Pics website. The Knights are off to a great and entertaining season so far and we'll have more updates as we move into the new year.

State Senator Steve Sodders visits Campus

Iowa State Senator Steve Sodders visited Woodward Academy campus today and talked with students about his experiences in the Iowa State Senate. During the two government classes, the Senator discussed a range of topics that included political strategies, fundraising, campaigning, volunteering, and how he got elected. His experience really supplemented what the government classes were talking about in class and he provided some great real world experience insight into state level politics.

One of the coolest things about his visit was that he really came with the intention of interacting with students. During the Q & A section, students suggested bills to the Senator, many of which he identified as having a legitimate chance of being proposed at the state level. Over the next couple months, he will determine which ideas have the best chance of making it on the Senate floor and will follow up with William Terry (Lead Teacher and government instructor who organized the visit) on any updates.

Football 1st Team All-District 2014

Ivan Johnson and Ankoma Riddick were both named First Team All-District this year for their standout performances on the football field. Ankoma led the team in rushing on the offensive side of the ball, but demonstrated that his strengths were on the defensive end. He led the team in solo (61) and total tackles (68.5) and served as a captain on the team throughout the season.

At 6'4", Ivan was the perfect receiver for a passing offense that broke nearly every school record this season. Quarterback Mike Payne (not pictured) received an honorable mention and set new school records in pass attempts (225), completions (96), yards (1640), and touchdowns (11). Most of those passes were to his star receiver, Ivan Johnson. This year, Ivan set a new standard for the position and now holds every school record that includes receptions (29), yards (649), yards per catch (22.4), and touchdowns (7). Darrion Fields also received an honorable mention on the defensive end and set a new school record with 6 interceptions this season for the Knights.

Thanksgiving Break

Thanksgiving break marks the beginning of a holiday season where students think about their families and home life more than usual. These weekends are also used to make that desire to see loved ones a reality. This past weekend, many students received home passes and ate Thanksgiving dinner with their families. In fact, some dorms sent 1/3 of their students home for at least part of the weekend. Home passes are earned by the students based on how well they are performing on the dorm. Even then, some students stayed on campus because they preferred a home pass over Christmas break.

For the students who stayed on campus, all was not lost and a lot of activities were planned to help keep them busy. Holiday weekend are often less structured than typical ones. There was a lot of football being watched and board games being played. On Thanksgiving day, a lot of staff helped cook meals and some of them were full on feasts. Nothing can replace spending a weekend at home, but it is amazing what a good, home cooked meal can do.

8ManTag Badgleys // Video

If you wanted to see what happened last Saturday night at the end of Royal Rumble Wrestling Week, here is the video. Hosted in Woodward Academy's gymnasium, the final event saw the Impact Pro Wrestlers in the ring along with Bill Badgley (the Program Director who set up the entire event) and his brother Ben Badgley, and an 8-man tag team event.

The narrated video is really good and you can see how much the kids loved it. We've outlined some key times to pay attention to:

Badgley Brothers enter at 12:13
Running elbow makes the crowd go crazy at 13:36
Bill Badgley's 4 person clothesline at 22:20
The Double Spear final moments at 23:30

America Recycles Day

November 15 was America Recycles Day and Woodward Academy was recognized with the "2014 Outstanding Business / Workplace Waste Reduction and Recycling Award" by the Boone County Recycling Center. This past year, both students and staff have been involved in helping WA make a more concerted effort to reduce waste by recycling cans and paper.

According to the official website, events are being hosted across the United States to raise awareness on the benefits of recycling. The 15th is only "One day to educate. One day to motivate. One day to make recycling bigger and better 365 days a year." Woodward Academy was honored to receive the award and to be recognized as a leader in Boone county.

Royal Rumble Wrestling Week!

It is officially Royal Rumble Wrestling Week at Woodward Academy which means that you'll see a lot of spandex and wrestling belts walking across campus. The week long festivities all lead up to the weekend activities where Impact Pro Wrestling will put on a show for the entire student body.

Throughout the week, students and staff dress up like their favorite professional wrestler as a part of a competition to see who has the highest spirit. In addition to getting into character, dorms will be working on their wrestling chants and entrances, and even group sessions during the week will be focused around a "wrestling theme." Friday night, dorms will be preparing their signs so when Saturday night comes, everyone will be ready to get rowdy! All of these activities will be judged and combined together to generate a cumulative score to see which dorm wins.

Read more after the break.

GUIDE Status

To Ankoma Riddick, a Guide "is someone you can look up to, respect, get along with, and trust." On Woodward Academy's campus, it is one of the highest positions that a student can achieve and something that does not come along very often. Obtaining Guide status is reserved for students on Delta Company, the highly structured dorm on campus. "A Guide is a leader wherever he goes and people know it right away. He leads in everything he does… and carries himself with a positive attitude." In many ways, Ankoma is referring to modeling the behaviors that he wants to see in other students, and he's been doing it since first attending Woodward Academy.

Ankoma is the Executive Knight on his dorm and one of the top Knights across campus. But gaining Guide status was never a given. In fact, it has been 4 years since Delta Company produced their last Guide. With his new found status, Ankoma is given much more freedom to move across campus and gets additional privileges on his dorm. These are all things that Ankoma has earned since he's done a great job being a leader on campus. He understands that even though he has earned a title that very few students have received, his work is not done. "When I got Guide status, I was happy and honored to be recognized for doing my job. But I need to make sure my dorm is the best on campus. I know I can take on any challenge that is thrown my way and I will be a good Exec." 

Phase 5 Paintball

Earlier this month, the two Phase 5 houses went to ICU Paintball in Des Moines, Iowa as a reward for months of hard work on campus, in their houses, and in the communities where they reside. The houses are reserved reserved for students who have completed their on campus program and are waiting to transition to the next stage in their life. For some, that is college, for others it is to move back home. Generally, the students who occupy the houses are some of the top students at WA and exhibit an ability to live independently. They learn important living skills such as cooking and money management, and some students even work in the community. Overall, the two houses have been an amazing success and every student who has had the privilege to live there, loves it.

NBA Preseason

The NBA season is kicking off in preseason form and two teams made a stop in Des Moines with a lot of Knights in attendance. Over 90 Woodward Academy students and staff filled Wells Fargo Arena for the game between the Golden State Warriors and Denver Nuggets. There was a lot of buzz around the game because it featured Iowa native Harrison Barnes (guard for the Warriors) returning home to play in the same arena where he won two state championships for Ames High.

Not only did a ton of current students attend the game, but alum and Lifetime Exec, Quartney Parker, returned to campus and also attended the game. Pictured is Quartney (right) with current Guide and a top Knight on campus, Ankoma Riddick. Quartney will be spending some time with students and talking with them about his experience at WA and how he has been doing since leaving the Academy.

Not that the preseason matters, but Barnes lifted the Warriors to a win in his home state by hitting a clutch jumper with 6.8 seconds left in the game.

Knight's Mind Training // Dialectical Behavior Therapy Group

The mission of Woodward Academy is to provide a safe and structured environment in which our students can learn, develop, and apply skills that will provide positive direction for their futures. In full alignment with this mission, we have developed a specialized program which will strengthen our ability to be effective in reaching our most challenging students. The Knight's Mind Training program offers an additional course of action for carrying out the WA mission - from the inside out.

A significant number of our students have been identified as having high levels of emotional and behavioral dysregulation. Emotional and behavioral dysregulation refers to emotional and behavioral responses that are poorly modulated and fall outside of accepted social norms. This results in entrenched patterns of maladaptive and anti-social behavior. Severe and explosive anger, physical aggression, verbal aggression, sexual aggression, opposition and defiance, isolation, anxiety, and depression/suicidality/self-harm are all indicators of high emotional and behaviors dysregulation. The pervasive and disruptive behaviors of these types of WA students present an ongoing challenge and frustration, often leaving us wondering if there is any real hope for change.

Read more about Knight's Mind Training after the break.

Frank Meeink // Speaker // American History X

Reformed Neo-Nazis and Ex-Skinhead, Frank Meeink, stopped by campus today and talked with students about his life and emphasized the need for reform and tolerance on civil rights issues. It has been long rumored that his story was the basis for the 1998 film American History X, starring Edward Norton. Meeink denies this, but in an interview acknowledges that the movie is "every skinhead's story."

For Meeink, his story began in Philadelphia where he grew up with his mother and abusive step dad. He never had a "home" that helped guide him and eventually was introduced to the Skinheads. Meeink says they treated him like a little brother and cared about him. He quickly adopted their lifestyle and way of thinking, and found that he was addicted to the violence that he was participating in and loved to evoke fear out of people.

Read more after the break.

Football Poster 2014

Here is the official football poster for the 2014 Woodward Academy team. The Knights are showing signs of a promising year after a close loss in week 1 and a dominating win in week 2. The picture was taken at the home football field and is a variation to the traditional team picture in the bleachers. The image was taken as one picture and then isolated from the background to create the difference in colors. If you are ever on campus, grab a poster for your office and follow the Knights this season on Press Box Radio.

I Am Building Woodward Academy // Staff Profile // Jeremy Hilbert

Jeremy started at Woodward Academy in 2005 and was quickly promoted to the position of Group Leader, handling the day-to-day operations of a dorm. But in 2007, life took Jeremy away from campus as he and his wife moved south to Savannah, Georgia. While she was pursing her graduate degree, he was beginning his career in education, teaching 7th grade Social Studies at Shuman Middle School, an inner city school in Savannah.

Upon their return to Iowa in 2009, Jeremy returned to his position as Group Leader at Woodward Academy as he finalized the paperwork for his Iowa teaching license. While he continued to teach Social Studies, he also adopted more roles in the education department in his position as Lead Teacher.

Jeremy is currently completing coursework at Drake University in the Education Leadership program and has been promoted to Education Director at Woodward Academy. He has already proven to be a competent leader in educational services and is a proponent of the Iowa Core Curriculum and Standards-Based Grading.

Besides being a Knight, Jeremy spends his time as a connoisseur of music. He deejay’s in his spare time and performs live under the name Pink Kodiak. He’s been married for 7 years and together they have an 18 month old son.

Cross Country Poster 2014

Here is the official poster of the 2014 Woodward Academy Knights cross country team. Like most of the other sports posters on campus, this one is a composite image, meaning that each athlete was photographed separately and later pieced together in Photoshop to create the final poster.

Each image was taken while competing at their first meet on Iowa State University's course. If you're ever on campus, pick up a poster and cheer on the Knights this fall sports season.

Knightly Knews Vol. 31 is now online!

The latest edition of the Knightly Knews is now online and you can access it by clicking here. As a .pdf document, you can view or download the quarterly publication to your computer, iPad, or smartphone for easy reading. Some highlights in this edition include:

- Campus Events: Open House and Golf Tourney
- Chewie: a therapy dog in training
- Knights Club
- Trauma Treatment
- Alumni returning to visit campus
- NCRC
- Staff Profile
- Baseball 2014 recap

We hope you have a chance to check it out and enjoy the read.

Fall Sports Begin

The Iowa high school fall sports season is upon us and the Knights are now in full swing competing in cross country and football. This week marks the beginning of official competition with the XC team running at the Iowa State University course on Thursday and the football team hosting Earlham tonight.

If you're hoping to check out a cross country meet or attend a football game this season, here are the schedules. You can also listen to every football game online at www.pressboxradio.com.

Cross Country 2014:
8/28 @ ISU Course
9/4 @ WCV
9/9 @ Winterset
9/11 @ Marshalltown
9/20 @ Carroll
9/25 @ Roland Story
9/30 @ Denison
10/2 @ Perry
10/6 @ North Polk
10/7 @ South Central Calhoun
10/16 @ WCAC Meet, Panora

Football 2014:
8/29 vs. Earlham
9/5 @ SE Webster
9/12 @ South Central Calhoun
9/19 vs. St. Edmond, Fort Dodge
9/26 vs. Manson NW Webster
10/3 @ Ogden
10/10 @ South Hamilton
10/24 @ Panorama

Football Team takes the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge

The ALS Ice Bucket Challenge has been sweeping across the United States to help raise money and awareness for what is known as "Lou Gehrig's Disease." The WA football coaches have accepted the challenge and enjoyed a nice icy bath.

Locating a Knight on Campus

In the upcoming edition of the Knightly Knews, we're going to take a look at the Knights Club as our cover story. In advance of printing, we're going to run part of that story now by taking a look at how you can locate a Knight on campus and how the club impacts every student regardless of how they are performing at the time.

If you ask a student if he is a Knight, you’ll get one of two responses: an enthusiastic “yes” or an embarrassed “no.” When you ask a student why he doesn’t have his Knight, you’ll probably receive a list a reasons that focus around his behaviors. This is a step in the right direction. Although it would be great if that student was performing better, it is important to understand that the Club has played a role in identifying areas where he has to improve. For the eager student who answers “yes,” be warned that you might get something that sounds like “a Phase Four, positive Knight, in student government,” indicating all of the positive aspects of his program.

Besides asking students whether they are Knights or not, one of the easiest ways to identify them across campus is by what they are wearing. Knights receive “Knights Gear” which is fashionable Woodward Academy clothing. The most prized position of that being their jacket. Wearing a jacket is a status symbol on campus and something students wear with pride. So next time you're on campus, check out all of the Knights Jackets walking around and stop and talk with a Knight.

Chewie // Therapy Dog in Training

This is Chewie, a 7 month old Golden Doodle and Michelle Sandusky's therapy dog in training. This is Sandusky's second second therapy dog with her first now nearly retirement age. Therapy dogs cannot be certified until they reach one year old, and for Chewie, that will be next March.

     

Until then, Chewie is an assistant to Sandusky and goes where ever she does. Together, their main focuses are working on socialization and obedience. Besides being at Woodward, Chewie also does obedience training with Des Moines Obedience Club on a weekly basis. In March, Chewie will be tested by Therapy Dogs International. To be certified, Chewie will have to pass 13 tests that are administered in 2 phases. When complete, he will be able to go anywhere Sandusky does. The goal is that he will also be able to serve others including at the Blank Children’s Hospital in Des Moines. 

Research has shown that individuals are able to stay calm and open up about difficult subjects when in the presence of an animal. It has also been show that progress happens more quickly. For this reason, Chewie has been a big hit at Woodward Academy among both staff and students. 

National Career Readiness Certificate (NCRC)

The NCRC is a standardized test that is designed to assess workplace employability skills in a person. It comes from the makers of the ACT, a standardized test used for college admittance, and is being readily utilized at Woodward Academy.

Once a month, 10-15 students take the three, 45 minute tests and can earn a bronze, silver, gold, or platinum rating if they pass. About 80% of students at WA who have taken the test have earned one of these ratings. Samantha Sperling (School Counselor) and Jon Shelness (Educational Liaison) have been certified to be proctors of the test, and it has served as a good portfolio building component for students.

The three individual tests are in Applied Mathematics, Locating Information, and Reading for Information. The assessments measure "real world" skills that employers believe are critical to job success, and the test questions are based on situations in the everyday work world. After receiving their certificate, students are encouraged to use it in interviews for employment. Past students have used it and reported back that they truly believe it helped them secure employment. So far, the test has been administered 6 times on campus, and will continue to be utilized in the future to help students transition away from WA.

Summer School 2014

This time of year, most teenagers are enjoying their last days away from school as the fall semester is quickly approaching. This isn't the case at Woodward Academy, where educational programming runs year round. There are the two traditional semesters in the fall and spring, with an additional semester that runs during the summer. Both core and elective courses are offered to students and curriculum is designed and assessed based on the standards from the Iowa Core Curriculum.

There are several reasons why school operates year round. The most obvious is that it keeps students engaged in an activity throughout the summer. Staying busy is a big contributing factor in why students succeed at WA. Additionally, many students involved in the juvenile justice system are academically behind either in content knowledge or in credits. This is the case at Woodward Academy and attending school addresses both. On campus, behaviors are consistently addressed because they are visible. Academic deficiencies such as in mathematics or writing are much more difficult to see on a daily basis… unless students are in school. Rather than take 3 months off, students are working on these skills in the classroom. A lot of students are also behind in credits compared to typical students. Being able to earn credits during the summer can in many cases rectify that problem and get those students back on track to graduate with their class.

Alumni Visit Campus // Knights Pride

The four years in high school are formative years in a lot of young people's lives, and ones that are often remembered forever. For two Woodward Academy alumni, they were so powerful that they helped shape who they are today. Kevante Jackson and Tony Stocker attended WA during the 2010-2011 school year and left an impact on the school that continues today. They were both members of Woodward Academy's first football team, and were also on the powerlifting team that was featured in the documentary, Knight of Iron.

They are now on their own in Kansas City, MO and Flint, MI respectively, working in the auto industry, and both are engaged to be married. Tony's fiancé is originally from Iowa and he wanted to show her his path through high school that included a stop at Woodward Academy's campus. He called Kevante up, and together they made the trip. Tony admitted to staff that he never thought he would ever return to campus, and was regretting his decision as he approached campus. But once he saw and talked with some staff he knew, he said it "felt like home." During their time on campus, they presented their story to a lot of Knights during Dorm Report meeting and both are extremely proud to be Knights.

Turning 19...

Today, Woodward Academy turns 19 years old. Established in 1995, the first day started with 4 students and a handful of staff. Over the course of the next month, our first dorm was filled and we have grown ever since. Today, Woodward Academy has a student capacity of 256 students and employs over 200 staff members. As of today, 4,650 students have entered the doors at Woodward Academy and the Knights are as strong as ever.

Over the past 19 years, not only have we served a lot of students, but our services to those students have improved as well. Our clinical services are top notch, we are continually helping more students graduate from high school or earn their GED certificate, and Woodward Academy competes in 6 sanctioned high school sports.

The list of activities we provide, accomplishments we've gathered, and lives that have been changed by being a Knight is immeasurable, but the source of our success is very clear. It lies in the staff who invest their passion and energy on a daily basis, and in the students who are willing to take a look at themselves and change their lives. Happy Birthday.

Culinary Arts Major

Victor Fuller recently participated in his orientation day at Iowa Central Community College as he prepares for college life later this fall. He spent time signing up for classes, worked on his financial aid, and was exposed to what campus life has to offer such as computer and support services. As a Culinary Arts and Restaurant and Hospitality Management major, Victor also took an extended tour of the culinary arts program.

The head of the program is Chef Michael Hirst, who led the tour of this area and laid out what he expects from his students. One of the most interesting things was the "daily evaluation" rubric he presented the students. After looking at the document, it was amazing at how accurately it married the values that are taught at Woodward Academy every day. Students in his program are evaluated on their acceptance of instruction, dependability / punctuality, initiative / enthusiasm, overall attitude in the work place, personal appearance, and quality of work. These are the characteristics that he views as valuable in the classroom and workplace. For Victor, it also cemented the values that he has been exposed to while attending WA.

Baseball Poster 2014

Nothing says summer more than the Fourth of July and baseball. So this week we thought it would be a good time to unveil the official 2014 Knights baseball poster. The Iowa high school baseball season  starts fast and progresses at a hectic pace with upwards of 5 games a  week. The Knights have been playing well this season and have had a great time on the diamond. The season is already coming to an end with only a handful of games left.

The poster is a composite picture with each player being taken separately and the background images are of Knights Field. When you're on campus, pick one up and add it to your collection. If you want to see all of the other sports posters from the past 6 years, visit our Knight Pics website by clicking here.

Annual Golf Tournament for the Knights Scholarship Fund

Last Friday, the 5th annual golf tournament benefiting the Knights Scholarship Fund teed off at the Beaver Creek Golf Course in Grimes, Iowa. This year, 78 golfers participated in the four-person best ball event. With the help of 35 sponsors and donors, the tournament raised over $6,000 that will directly help WA alumni as they move into the next stage of their life. Some of the money has already been allocated for students later this summer who have been accepted to college for the fall semester.

Over the past 5 years, this tournament alone has generated over $30,000 and changed students' lives for the better. The spirit of the tournament is an extension of Woodward Academy's Lifetime Commitment Program. You can see some pictures from the tournament by visiting our Knight Pics website by clicking here.

Rock Band // Weekend Activities

During the week, students attend school all day and after that participate in either extracurricular activities or high school athletics before heading back to the dorm for group. Their daily schedule is packed and needless to say, they are busy. But what do they do on the weekend?

Most weekends are just as scheduled as during the week. In fact, schedules for the weekend are organized throughout and approved by each dorm's Program Director before Friday afternoon hits. Dorm repair projects, community service activities, family visits, and organized competitions are common on the weekend. In addition to those things, a lot of weekends are themed, as was the case in May when Saturday night brought out the 80's hair band in everyone. Students did their best rock band impressions as Guns 'N Roses, Warrant, and Def Leppard blared throughout the gymnasium. Weekend activities have proven to be a great way to get students involved in campus life and can often times serve as great distractions from any stressors they may be experiencing. You can see more pictures from the Rock Band weekend on our Knight Pics website by clicking here.

WA Year in Review 2013 - 2014 // Video

Open House 5K // Tug O' War // Video

Woodward Academy's annual Open House took place on Wednesday, June 5, and was accompanied with a lot of other events as well. The purpose behind the day is to invite guests onto campus to visit with students and get a better grasp of WA life. Several years ago, we added a 5K run in the morning that isn't designed for the casual runner. This year's course asked participants to run 3 miles through a wooded area, in a creek with waist-high water, and up the Iron Man, a 70 degree, muddy incline, twice. This year's winner was a student from the Phase 5 house: Richard Collins.

An addition for this year's event was a dorm vs. dorm, Tug O' War. As you can imagine, the contest was epic and muddy; everything that a rope battle should be. Check out a video of it below.

After lunch, guests were given tours of the campus by Knights on campus. After that, tables were set up outlining many of WA's different programs including vocations, clinical services, and transitional opportunities. Additionally, they were given a demo of how to utilize all of WA's electronic media including this blog, web app, and YouTube channel. You can see images from the 5K on our Knight Pics website by clicking here. Warning: some are pretty colorful.

Knightly Knews Vol. 30 is now online!

The latest edition of the Knightly Knews is now online and you can access it by clicking here. As a .pdf document, you can view or download the quarterly publication to your computer, iPad, or smartphone for easy reading. Some highlights in this edition include:

- Celebrating the Class of 2014
- A Look at a State Champion
- Track and Field Season
- Trauma Treatment and Training
- Staff Profile
- How to Use the WA Mobile Web Application

We hope you have a chance to check it out and enjoy the read.

STATE CHAMPION // Darius Scott-Crayton // Video

The highlight from last weekend's state track meet was Darius Scott-Crayton becoming Woodward Academy's second ever State Champion, this year in the 110 Hurdles. As a returner and state qualifier from a year ago (long jump, shuttle hurdle, 110 hurdles), Darius was determined to make his senior track and field campaign one to remember. His primary focus was in his best event: the 110 hurdles.

Throughout the season, Darius battled with the defending state champion from CMB, Baxter High School. During the preliminary heat on Friday at the State Meet, Darius qualified for the finals with the second fastest time. On Saturday, he owned the competition and took home a State Championship in the event. He said he was the calmest he had felt all year before a race. The Des Moines Register caught Darius right after the race and you can see the interview and the end of his race in the embedded below. Darius also race in the 4x100 and 4x200 meter relay for the Knights.

Graduation 2014 // Video

The Woodward Academy commencement ceremony took place on Wednesday, May 21 and celebrated the end of a journey for the Class of 2014. This academic school year saw 47 students either earn their high school diploma or GED certificate while attending WA.

The student body erupted once the graduates entered the gymnasium, setting the stage for the rest of the ceremony that consisted of two seniors being awarded financial help from the Lifetime Commitment Fund, two senior speeches, and the keynote address from Iowa Senator Steve Sodders of the 36th District. Read more after the jump and watch a video of the senior speeches.

Knights Scholarship Golf Tournament

The 5th Annual Knights Scholarship Golf Tournament is being held on June 20, 2014 at the Beaver Creek Golf Course in Grimes, Iowa. Fees for the tournament are $100 for a single or $400 per foursome, which includes the green fees and cart for 18 holes, dinner, 20 raffle tickets, entered into all of the pin prizes, and 1 mulligan per 9 holes.

Proceeds for the event go toward the Knights Scholarship Fund that helps students transition to life away from Woodward Academy. Recently, money has helped alumni enroll in college, help furnish independent living needs, and even assist a former student compete at the USA Track & Field Indoor National Championships. Needless to say, the money raised is genuinely helping to change a students life who has already succeeded at Woodward Academy.

If you would like to register for the event or donate to the Knights Scholarship Fund, please contact Tami Santi (tami.santi@sequelyouthservices.com).

Juggling

Have you ever thought about juggling? Perhaps you should think about it in the near future. Here is a link to an article that outlines the Benefits of Juggling. Some of the reasons include that it's a great portable workout, makes you smarter, and increases your focus and concentration. But really, it's just kind of cool to be able to do the trick on command.

Recently, WA students spent a day in P.E. getting the basics of juggling and of course they loved it. A special thanks goes out to Bruce Kelley, President and CEO of EMC Insurance Companies who connected WA with Bunny Bruning, tennis pro at the Wakonda Country Club who donated over 200 tennis balls for the activity.

Trauma Training

On Wednesday, two SAMHSA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) consultants visited Woodward Academy campus for the day to provide feedback regarding trauma-informed care practices and implementing strength-based services to students. Members from Clarinda Academy and Woodward Community-Based Services also attended the training. For those who scheduled it, little was known of what to expect from the consultants but at the end of the training, every member gained valuable information from this experience. Read more after the jump.

Track Poster 2014

Pictured is the official poster of the 2014 Woodward Academy track and field team. The Knights have been off to a ridiculously good year thus far. To date, the team has won 5 of their 9 meets they have competed in and recently qualified runners for the Drake Relays. It was the first time since 2007 that WA runners have competed. You can read more about how they did at Drake here.

The team is looking to continue their momentum as they move into the final stretch of the season that includes the WCAC conference meet, Districts, and finally the state meet. The Knights hope to take another district title on May 15 where they have won 2 of the last 3. The end of the season will take place at Drake Stadium, May 22-24, during the state meet.

Governor's Scholar Recipient // Claudio Maciel

On Sunday, April 28, Claudio Maciel (pictured in blue) was honored for his academic performance at the Governor's Scholar Recognition Ceremony held in Des Moines. This is the 11th annual ceremony that is put on by the Governor's Office, the Iowa High School Athletic Association, and the Iowa Farm Bureau Federation.

Claudio was selected for the award based on his high academic achieving as a member of the class of 2014. Additionally, he participates in a variety of school activities and is a leader on this year's track team. Beyond those things, he is also a member of Woodward Academy's student government, being an Executive Knight on campus. After receiving the award, Claudio posed for a picture with Governor Terry Branstad and Lt. Governor Kim Reynolds and celebrated with his fellow Phase 5 roommates and key educational staff that have supported him at the reception.

Drake Relays

Woodward Academy athletes competed in the high school portion of the Drake Relays this past weekend, for the first time since 2007. The annual event held at Drake Stadium brings elite collegiate and professional talent to central Iowa in one of the preeminent track events in the country. This year, Darius Scott-Crayton competed in both the 110 hurdles along with the 4x100 relay. Darius is a returner and state qualifier from last year and is leading the charge this year as well for the Knights. Darius was joined by Kaelin King, Rashaun McGee, and Victor Fuller in the 4x100 relay. Together, they ran their fastest time of the year at 44.77.

Woodward Academy had more invested in the Drake Relays than just these two events. Four former students also qualified for the relays as well, now at their home schools. Josh Sparks ran the 110 hurdles, Warren Krieg in the 4x100 relay, Yarrell Fisher in the shuttle hurdle relay, and Anfernee Frazier in the 4x100 relay. Later this year, all of the athletes hope to compete again at Drake Stadium as it is home to the Iowa high school state meet, this year held May 22-24.

College Course Update

In March, we wrote a story about 3 Knights who started taking an online college Intro to Business course from Iowa Central Community College. You can read the story here. The courses were paid for from the Knights Scholarship Fund and served as a great way for the students to earn college credit as well as get a pulse of the workload the college classes require. We are happy to have an update on that story with all three students completing the course early. They each earned a B and all have voiced an interest to continue their collegiate education after Woodward Academy.

Knightly Knews Volume 29 is now online!

The latest edition of the Knightly Knews is now online and you can access it by clicking here. As a .pdf document, you can view or download the quarterly publication to your computer, iPad, or smartphone for easy reading. Some highlights in this edition include:

- WA Alum competes in the USATF National Championships
- Preview of the Knights Scholarship Golf Outing
- Powerlifting Nationals
- Guide to Clinical Services
- Knights Basketball
- Staff Profile
- Knowledge Bowl

We hope you have a chance to check it out and enjoy the read.

USAPL Nationals // Video

USAPL Nationals // Celebration at Cowboys Stadium

On Saturday after the competition, the team traveled north to Dallas and spent the day touring AT&T Stadium, home of the NFL Cowboys. At a cost of $1.3 billon dollars, owner Jerry Jones spared no expense to create the most impressive stadium in the world. One of the many attractions is the largest video screen in the world, which is 60 yards long and 7 stories high. You can read more on the stadium here and here. Since opening in 2009, the stadium has hosted some of the largest events in the United States including the NBA All-Star game, Super Bowl, and mega concerts by U2 and George Straight, all in addition to being host to the Dallas Cowboys. When the Knights toured, the stadium was being renovated to host the NCAA men's basketball Final Four.

During the tour, the team got to see press row, a luxury box, and even the Dallas Cowboys locker room where they took the team photo pictured. The tour guide was very knowledgable and recited amazing stats throughout the tour. If you've never been to the stadium, it truly is unlike any other in the world and was very cool to see.

USAPL Nationals // Competition

The 2014 USA Powerlifting High School National Championships were held in Killeen, Texas, March 28-30. The Woodward Academy Knights walked into the meet as 8-time defending team National Champions and over the past 9 years have crowned 20 individual champions. Killeen was the host of WA’s first trip to Nationals in 2004 and was also the home of their 5^th team title in 2009.

The powerlifting season began in November and followed the same road to the Nationals as previous years. There were two meets in Nebraska and WA’s home qualifying meet prior to Nationals. Those meets served as good preparation for the larger meet, but also were needed in order for the lifters to qualify for Nationals.

After the break, see how WA performed at Nationals.

Nae Nae Dance Craze Invades WA

During spring break, each dorm organized and videotaped their best version of the popular Nae Nae dance. If you're wondering what the Nae Nae is, click here for a breakdown of it. It's the hottest dance craze right now and even Iowa State University men's head basketball coach Fred Hoiberg broke it out while celebrating the Cyclones going to the Sweet Sixteen in the NCAA tournament.

The video below is a compilation of each dorm. Before watching, imagine what a video would look like if you told a bunch of teenaged boys to dance like crazy for the camera. You'll see some real personalities in the video and the students completely loved it.

Track Season Begins

The high school track season has been underway with practices since February. In typical Iowa fashion, the past month has been a combination of cold and snow, making practice very difficult. The team has done a lot of conditioning indoors and has ventured to the track as much as possible during the few 50 degree days. But last week marked the beginning of the meet season with an event at Iowa State University's indoor facility. The open meet hosts school from all classes and is a great way to get all athletes ready to compete. The Knights competed in a dozen events to kick start their season. You can view some pictures from the event by going to our Knight Pics website by clicking here.

Track and field is one of Woodward Academy's more accomplished sports. They are defending District Champions and last year qualified for the State Meet in 7 events. This year, State will once again be held at Drake Stadium, May 22-24.

Knowledge Bowl 2014

Last week, the 2014 Woodward Academy Knowledge Bowl took place with the winning dorm earning a trip to Kansas City. This year's format had all of the teams answering common knowledge questions, where the correct answers helped seed the dorms for the head to head, bracketed tournament. Teacher submitted questions where combined with common questions in 15 minute rounds to determine the winning dorm. This year, Navigator Hall took the top prize after narrowing advancing in the semi-final round in an overtime question. The competition is an annual event and previous winning dorms have traveled with Chicago, Minneapolis, and Omaha.

Conference Academic Bowl

Five WA students recently competed in the West Central Activities Conference Academic Bowl. Annually held at Des Moines Christian High School, the Academic Bowl pits schools against each other in a competition of academic knowledge. The Knight's team was chosen after they completed and scored well in a preliminary test administered on campus. The team represented themselves well in the competition and as a team, scored better than previous years. This is the third consecutive year that the Knights have entered the competition.

Coalition for Family and Children's Services Legislative Breakfast

Pictured are a couple WA Knights with Executive Director, Ryan Santi, and Group Living Director, Trent Fleshner, at the Coalition for Family and Children's Services Legislative Breakfast, held at the Iowa State Capital. The Coalition's breakfast is an annual event where state legislators are invited to meet with over a dozen members of the Coalition, including Woodward Academy. Awards are presented for work done with the children of Iowa and it also provides facilities face time with legislators to discuss relevant issues. Victor Fuller and Gabe Lee, Executive Knights on campus, did a great job explaining to the Senators of Iowa about the WA Experience and many gained some understanding of the services that WA provides.

Intro to Business College Course

This semester, three WA students are taking a college course online through Iowa Central Community College. These students are considered good candidates to be college bound once they leave WA, but they have not yet completed their program on campus. Students who take college classes are those who have either earned their high school diploma, or recently acquired their GED certificate.

The Intro to Business course is a good class for students to begin with to get a taste of the workload that college classes require. The students work on it throughout the week and check in with WA's Educational Liaison, Jon Shelness, twice a week to input their assignments. The courses are being paid through the Woodward Academy Lifetime Commitment Fund.

WA Alum Competes in the USATF Indoor National Championships

In the last edition of the Knightly Knews, we did a cover story on Woodward Academy alum, Cal Lane. At that time, Cal was resurrecting dreams of becoming a professional track athlete and his first step was to compete at the USATF Indoor National Championships.

As a 6-time state champion, Cal certainly has the athletic prowess, but lacked a lot of the resources necessary to compete on the national level. He continued to train on his own after work and with the help of WA, competed at Iowa State University’s indoor Holiday Preview event in December and won, despite not jumping his best.

Since then, he has competed at events at Arkansas University, the University of Kansas, and the University of Indiana, all leading up to qualifying for the USATF Indoor Championships. On February 22, Cal Lane was jumping with the nation’s best at our National Championships in Albuquerque, New Mexico. He was one of 16 who qualified and finished 11th after jumping 24’ 1/4’’. After jumping a new personal best this season of over 25’, Cal is looking forward to a successful outdoor season later this year.