Neiko Morris Scholarship

On May 17, two Woodward Academy graduating students received the Neiko Morris Scholarship in remembrance of the former student leader on campus. Neiko was the perfect student for Woodward Academy: he was an excellent student, involved himself in student government, being an Executive Knight on his dorm, and participated in several athletic teams including the 2015 state basketball team.
   
Months later, he left us all with more questions than answers and gave us all a stark reminder the difficulties that many teens face. The statistics point to the fact that we are living in an epidemic:

• Children aged 10 to 14, death by suicide is now more common than death from traffic accidents.
• In 2014, suicide rates were higher than homicide rates for males and females of all age groups.
• While suicide was the 10th leading cause of death among the U.S. population in 2014, it was the second leading cause of death among youth ages 15 to 24.
   
Earlier this year, Neiko’s parents reached out to Woodward Academy and offered the generous gift of a financial scholarship to a pair of high school graduates who plan to attend college. Moved by their sentiment, the Management Team at Woodward Academy decided to match that gift for those students to help pay for tuition, books, or other things they may need.
   
The questions of “why” these things happen will never go away and we all now have to live with the looming feeling that we could have done more with our time with him. These feelings are no more powerful than with his parents. His time at Woodward Academy mattered and his parents saw that in him. He was laid to rest in his Knights jacket, a sentiment that he is forever a Knight. We report a lot of student opportunities and success, and as a school we are very proud of those things. But Neiko proves to us that there is more work that can be done and we will continue to do that work.
   
This scholarship is a way to honor him and make a difference in another Knight’s life. The two recipients of the scholarship were Ammari Johnson, a standout WA athlete who plans on attending Iowa Central Community College, and Destry Johnson, who anticipates attending college in his home area of the Pacific Northwest.

The Class of 2017 // Video

On May 17, the graduating Class of 2017 was honored with a commencement ceremony in the WA gymnasium. During the 2016-2017 academic school year, 51 students either received their high school diploma or Hi-SET equivalent, which is the largest graduating class in school history. The event was the culmination of a life-changing path that the students decided to take while at Woodward Academy. Many would admit that graduating was an unattainable dream and something that was not meant for them. But now that dream is complete where no one can take it from them.

Many parents and family members were able to attend the ceremony and the gymnasium was loud. When handing out diplomas, Lead Teacher William Terry noted how it is often protocol to hold applause until the end, but said "At Woodward Academy, we don't do it that way." As he read off the list of graduates, the student section exploded as they cheered for their dorm mates, and there was more than a couple tears of joy shed from the audience.

Principal Cory Wenthe began the ceremony with an introduction, and Group Living Director, Trent Fleshner, announced that seniors Ammari Johnson and Destry Johnson were recipients of the Neiko Morris Scholarship, a generous gift from the parents of a student alum. Senior speakers included Darnell Green, who talked about when he first started contemplating his future was mid-sprint at a track meet last year, as well as seniors Casey Bynum and Destry Johnson. Keynote speaker, Mark Wills, had a great uplifting speech where he challenged students to be their best and reminded them that this day was not the last time they will graduate from something, and that committing themselves and graduating from anything is a good day.

Edgenuity

For many students at Woodward Academy, the path to graduation is not always the same or an easy road to follow. With a student population that is constantly in flux, getting students placed in the correct classes is a challenging endeavor. Students are being admitted and discharged at different points throughout the school year from many different states, and many have gaps in their credits, having received partial credit for classes in some cases. All of these variables add layers of complexity to class scheduling to meet graduation requirements.

New to this academic school year was the implementation and usage of Edgenuity: an online resource where students can complete classes toward high school graduation. Edgenuity is a self-paced, online curriculum, where students can login to their classes from any computer and work on them as needed. It meets the rigor of Common Core and state standards, as well as various state's graduation requirements.

At Woodward Academy, the usage of Edgenuity was never intended to replace classroom instruction. In fact, only a small percentage of students have taken courses through Edgenuity this academic school year. Those students were selected based on their transcripts, as well as their ability to complete coursework independently. Utilizing Edgenuity has allowed the education department to meet some of the unique circumstances that credits require. For example, a student this spring was enrolled in the short-term, highly structured program, and was expected to only stay 90 days. He needed a partial credit for graduation and was able to complete the coursework required through Edgenuity to get that credit. The student worked on the course during the school day, and because of his positive behaviors on the dorm, was able to supplemented that learning after school and on the weekends while on the dorm. For other motivated students, some have been able to complete two courses in the same amount of time it would take to complete one classroom course, allowing them to make up credits that they missed out on prior to attending Woodward Academy. Edgenuity also provides an abundance of elective courses that the school plans to utilize more fully in the future for students who have met the majority of their required courses and are on pace to graduate.

It is anticipated that the implementation of Edgenuity will increase as the need arises. It is already slotted to be used this summer as a credit recovery tool for some students in addition to the array of summer courses offered to students. 

The Graduating Class of 2016

On May 18, we honored the graduating class of 2016 with a commencement ceremony in the Woodward Academy gymnasium. This year, 33 students completed coursework to earn their high school diploma, and 13 students fulfilled the testing requirements to obtain their Hi-SET high school equivalent. This was the largest graduating class to date at Woodward Academy, and is a celebration of the commitment that these students made.

Group Living Director, Trent Fleshner, summarized their journey best when he said this day was not "always guaranteed for some of you guys… and I think it means all that much more, and it's that much sweeter that this day is here." Quincee Altman and Matt Sosa provided the student speeches from the senior class and choose to spend most of their time reflected on how Woodward Academy changed their mindset about education. Quincee self-disclosed that he was the student who would sleep in class and not do his homework. Today, he spoke as this year's Governor's Scholar recipient. While introducing Matt, Fleshner recalled a story that in his referral packet, a judge said that he was "the worst juvenile delinquent" that his county has ever seen. Fleshner countered that statement by describing how Matt has succeeded at Woodward Academy by being a leader on campus and "has been nothing but a great kid for Woodward Academy." The keynote was Dr. Anthony Jones of the Ames Community School District. He was inspired by the stories that originated from Woodward Academy and offered tips for the leaders of tomorrow.

The entire ceremony was a celebration. If you have time, check out the video recap of the event above. There are some really great moments, both large and small, that portray the camaraderie and commitment that both Woodward Academy students and staff put into this day. Whether it's Principal Jeremy Hilbert adjusting a graduating senior's tie, the inspiring senior speeches, or Lead Teacher William Terry encouraging the crowd to cheer loudly as they walked across the stage, it is safe so say that this commencement ceremony was unlike any before it.

Knowledge and Academic Bowls 2016

This year’s Woodward Academy Knowledge Bowl took place on March 11 in the Knight’s gymnasium. The decade long (est. 2006), dorm versus dorm, bracketed competition, tests the students academic prowess. At stakes this year was an all day trip to Kansas City for the entire dorm.

The morning rapid fire session consisted of 10 rounds of six questions that were used to seed the dorms for the afternoon. Once the bracket was created, the dorms battled each other with their minds. What makes Woodward Academy’s knowledge bowl unique is that many of the questions were offered by teachers and taken straight from their classes. In a close final round match, Delta Company beat out Pathfinder Hall to claim the championship.

The campus event took place on the heels of the West Central Activities Conference (WCAC) Academic Bowl. Woodward Academy brought a team of 5 to the event, this year held on Ogden.

Popsicle Bridges // Video

Students in Mr. Larson's Physical Science courses studied the effect that force has on bridges. For the experiment, students were put into teams and were instructed to build model bridges with popsicle sticks and glue, simulating an actual bridge that everyone uses today. The most common types constructed in class were beam and arch bridges.

The specifications for the experimen is that each bridge could use a maximum of 200 sticks, it had to be 18-24 inches across, and 1 inch off of the ground. Once done, each bridge was put to the test by adding increasing weight to see how much each bridge could support. In the video above, the destruction of each bridge was pretty fun and some of the student reactions are hilarious. The top bridge held 78.7 pounds hanging from it. Pretty impressive for popsicle sticks.

Graduation Ceremony // Class of 2015

The graduating class of 2015 was honored at the Woodward Academy commencement ceremony today. This year's class consisted of 20 seniors who earned their high school diploma and 10 individuals who completed their Hi-SET tests (a high school equivalency). The ceremony took place in the WA gymnasium with parents and family members, teachers and dorm staff, and the entire student body in attendance. Jeremy Hilbert, Woodward Academy's principal, welcomed everyone, and then in an emotional speech, told each senior how proud he was of them and that it was a privilege to be their education leader this past year.

Governor scholar Julian Acker and Ankoma Riddick gave the senior speeches and offered some thoughts to their fellow graduates. Both have made the most out of their senior year at Woodward Academy. Julian plans to attend Job Corps in the fall while Ankoma will attend college and play football on a scholarship he earned after this season.

The keynote address was given by Jerry Anderson, Woodward Youth Corporation President. The first part of his speech gave the graduating class a history lesson about Woodward Academy. As the only staff member who has been with WA for the past 20 years, Jerry is more than equipped to reflect back and see how far the school was come. In many ways, the growth of the Academy mirrors the growth made by these students. Mr. Anderson  assured them that their growing has only begun and that they have great things ahead of them.

Congratulations to the graduating class of 2015! You can see pictures from the ceremony on our Knight Pics website by clicking here.

Knowledge Bowl 2015

This year's annual Knowledge Bowl marks the event's 10th anniversary. The all day contest pits dorms against each other in a battle of the minds and is truly one of the best events on campus all year. At stakes is an day trip to Des Moines for the entire dorm. They will spend it at the Science Center of Iowa where they will check out all of the attractions including a sweet IMAX documentary. Afterwards, they will be eating tons of pizza at CC's. In addition to both of those things, the winning dorm gets an additional $100 to spend on it's students. Hosted by teacher Christopher Levi, the morning session saw all of the dorms answer 10 rounds worth of question that provided the seeding for the bracketed afternoon sessions. In the end, Navigator Hall came up just a little short and Victory Hall won the 10th annual Woodward Academy Knowledge Bowl.

One Conversation that Made Me Think…

Every day, the collective staff at Woodward Academy works with students to help them make positive decisions in their life. Whether it be guiding students in phase work, teaching them how to add fractions, or confronting their negative behavior, it can become very easy for these things to become common place and to lose sight of the impact that we have on these students. Over the past 11 years, I have seen a lot of things, yet I am reminded about the work that we do here at Woodward Academy. One of those conversations happened last week.

I was in my office when a student told me how he was frustrated that he was being asked to stay at Woodward Academy for a few months longer. This was a student who had attended WA for about a year and he had been performing well. He is a Knight, active in athletics, and has good relationships with students and staff. But he had it in his mind that he would be able to go home and didn't handle the news the best that he could have. Part of me was sympathetic toward his feelings of wanting to go home because he deserved it.

Read more after the break.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Roller Skating Unit // Video

The P.E. class offered a new unit this semester that they had never done before: roller skating. The teachers felt very confident that the students would love the unit, and they were not disappointed. Skating is a special skill that not all individuals have, so after the skates were rented, one of the first lessons taught was how to fall properly. From there, other basics of how to balance themselves and to shift their weight to move were also taught, which turned the gymnasium turned into a roller skating rink. The students found the unit to be a lot of fun, and for some staff who also participated, it was a blast to years ago when skating was more in vogue. Below is a video showing the students in action.