Meet the WA Clinical Team

In 20 years, Woodward Academy has seen a substantial amount of change and growth in the treatment and clinical services that are offered to students and families. Clinical Director, Tonna Lawrenson, recalls when the team solely consisted of herself and Quality Assurance Director, Michelle Fenelon. The majority of the growth has occurred within the last 4 years, as the team has expanded and gained more valuable therapists. The days of only having a minority of students receiving therapeutic services are in the past. Today, the 13 clinicians have 11 Masters degrees and a Ph.D. degree between them as they serve the mental health needs of our students.

What sets our team and services apart from other facilities?  
Each therapist has found a niche or focus, and with each specialty comes education, experience, training, and motivation to create a very diverse and comprehensive treatment program at Woodward Academy. The diversity of the services that are offered demonstrates the commitment to the needs of students. The team is continuously developing new curriculum and enhancing the evidenced-based treatments available in order to ensure that students are receiving the best treatment possible.

Construction Careers and Education Expo

Last week, several students attended the Construction Careers and Education Expo, presented by the Central Iowa Apprenticeship Coordinating Committee. The two-day event was held in Des Moines at the Iron Workers Training Center and was designed to be an exposure opportunity for high school students interested in the construction industry. Unlike other career fairs with booths and pamphlets, this expo had hands-on equipment that students could operate from a variety of different trades. Students tested their skills on an excavator by picking up propped up tennis balls and even jack hammered solid rock. One of the more impressive exhibitions was a virtual reality auto painting training station. The participants got immediate feedback on how well they covered the simulated car as a way to gauge their skill level and interest in a career.

The four staff members responsible for getting students to participate in the expo were Education Liaison Aric Rush, Testing Coordinator Don Teague, who works with Hi-SET students, Vocations Director Ken Hageman, and Treatment Operations Coordinator Joel Porter, who also runs the World to Work extracurricular activity. The three of them identified students who would benefit the most from this exposure. Typical high school students are not fully aware of what they want to do when they enter the workforce, which makes this type of exposure to the construction industry beneficial. It can help inspire them to enter this field, or at the very least provide an appreciation for the demands that construction careers require.

Knightly Knews Vol. 37 is now online!

The latest edition of our award-winning publication, 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. This The Sixth Man edition includes:

- Athlete of the First 20 Years
- The Sixth Man
- Letter from Parent in the Community
- USAPL High School National Championships
- Celebrating at Universal's Island of Adventure
- Clinical Team
- Knights Basketball Recap
- Outcomes Survey
- Knowledge Bowl

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

Powerlifting Nationals 2016 // Video

Watch the Knights of Iron powerlifting team as they traveled to Orlando, Florida and won an 11th consecutive USAPL High School National Championship.

ISPRA Communications Awards 2016

As a school, our communications naturally focus on student opportunities, achievements, and the amazing contributions that our staff make every day. We work really hard to tell interesting stories, and to make them visually appealing and engaging to our audience. On Thursday, April 7, some of our efforts were recognized at the Iowa School Public Relations Association (ISPRA) communications awards banquet. 

This was the first year that we submitted materials for awards consideration. Of the 20 events, we identified 4 categories where we felt we could perform well, which include Photography, Print Newsletter, Social Media, and Video. As a local chapter of the National School Public Relations Association (NSPRA), it is policy that another state score the submissions based on rubrics.

This year, professionals from the Colorado chapter scored Iowa's submissions. When averaged, if a submission scored between 7-8, they earned an Award of Merit. Scores between 8-10 earned an Award of Excellence. Out of that pool, submissions that scored 9 and above were eligible to earn the top honor of the Blue & Gold Award. Woodward Academy was honored to receive 3 Blue & Gold Awards, earning the top prize in photography, print newsletter, and video for our I Am Building Woodward Academy series. School districts from across the state submitted materials and this year was the largest to date. We are excited to be recognized for our efforts in this area and look forward to telling more amazing stories. 

Powerlifting Nationals 2016 // Universal Studios

The day after competition, the team spent an entire day at Universal’s Islands of Adventure, home to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Hogsmeade, and Marvel Super Hero Island. The entire team took in the amazing sights and pulse-pounding rides that the park had to offer. For a three-hour stretch during the day, central Florida got drenched with rain, but it didn’t stop the team. With many of the attractions and waiting lines indoors, the rain did not slow anyone down. The team took in the Dragon Challenge rollercoaster three times, The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man twice, and one of the big highlights was the spectacular Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey. The day was a great celebration to a hard-fought season.

Powerlifting Nationals 2016 // Competition

Last November, the powerlifting team held tryouts and began the long season of training and preparation. After three qualifying events, the road to the USAPL High School National Championships ended in Orlando, Florida on April 1. The team kicked practice into high gear in the final weeks of practice, and every ounce of that effort may have been necessary for what turned out to be the toughest Nationals ever for the Knights.

At 2 a.m. on Wednesday morning, the team left campus for a flight out of the Des Moines International Airport. They made a stop through Chicago O’Hare, and arrived in Orlando at 3:30 in the afternoon. Over the next day and a half, the team took in the pool, caught a movie, and for some, actively watched their weight.

On Friday, April 1st, after the athlete’s weights were finalized, the lifting began and the competition was stiff. A powerlifting meet consists of three individual events: the squat, benchpress, and deadlift. Each lifter has three attempts to record the biggest lift they can. They are then added together for a total weight to determine the winner in each weight class. The common strategy is to record an opening lift that is nearly guaranteed for the lifter and progress upward from there. The coaches know that athletes will miss lifts, it is a part of competition. How this team responded is what distinguishes them from other teams.

Read about how lifters competed after the break.