Athlete of the First 20 Years

This month, Julious Walker returned home after an illustrious athletic career at Woodward Academy. Throughout his stay, he participated in football, track & field, but powerlifting was the sport he dominated. He did things that had never been done before at Woodward Academy, and honestly may never happen again. He was a member of two USAPL National Championship teams (2014-15), and became an individual National Champion when he destroyed the competition in 2015.

The unprecedented part of his powerlifting career came last fall when he became runner-up World Champion as a member of the U.S. National Team at the IPF Sub-Juniors World Championships in Prague, Czech Republic. He has 5 American records, and 11 Woodward Academy school records to his credit, and this year was on track to earn more accolades. One of his last meets, he squatted a personal best 750 pounds in competition. To label him a world-class athlete sounds a little cliche, but as a 16 year old with these credits, it is certainly within reason that he could become just that. He was recently given an honor that no Woodward Academy athlete has ever received: Athlete of the First 20 Years. Congrats Julious, and good luck.

The Sixth Man on the Court

Woodward Academy's student body section is big and loud, and they certainly make an impact on the basketball court every game. With chants like K-N-I-G-H-T-S and D-Fence!, the cheering section is the sixth man on the floor, often propelling the Knights to better play and being a distraction for our opponents.

From a student's perspective, attending basketball games is an escape from the routine. It is time away from campus that offers a sense of normalcy. For most regular season games, a handful of students from each dorm get to attend, which often adds up to about 40-50 students. During this week's first round district playoff game, over 200 students and staff attended the game, outnumbering the other team's cheering section 20 to 1. And they made a significant impact on the outcome!

From a staff's perspective, it is fun to watch the students. They love to be loud and cheer for the players that they know, walk the halls of school with, and in some cases share a dorm with. Our student body makes their presence felt in the best way possible. Every season, we get letters from parents and members of the community of the opposing team, and every letter touches on our sportsmanship and school pride. Here is an example from a couple weeks ago from a parent from the opposing team:

As a parent and also an educator, I want to commend your players and your entire cheering section on their fantastic performance last night. 

Your student section was amazing. They were "loud and proud" and cheering for their team. They used positive cheers and never did I hear a negative comment or cheer. 

The young men on your team exhibited great sportsmanship and restraint, even when they may have felt a call was not a good call. My son commented when he got home that they exhibited the best sportsmanship of all the teams he has played this year. 

I just wanted to share a positive with you and your staff! Thank you for all you do to work with these young men!

As a basketball team and athletic program, we practice and compete to win. But this is an example of winning in life and that is what it means to be a Woodward Academy Knight.

Winter Sports Posters 2015-2016 // Basketball and Powerlifting

Both of the winter sports posters for the 2015-2016 seasons are out and can be picked up on campus. The basketball team is entering the post-season with a first round game against CMB, while the powerlifting team is preparing for the USAPL High School National Championships at the end of March. The posters are composite images with each athlete taking individual picture, which were later assembled for the final product. Both teams are looking to have a strong end to the season and we will provide updates on our Facebook page. So "like" us and stay in tuned with Knights athletics. 

Nursing "Dream Team"

This story was originally published in Volume 36 of the Knightly Knews that you can download here.

The Nursing Department at Woodward Academy has no off-season. They work every day, weekend, and holiday and their contribution is what keeps the campus safe and healthy. The quartet of Jamie Golly, Emily York, Hilliary Mahler, and Tia Hemesath have 62 years of nursing experience, and 33 of those years are at Woodward Academy. They are the only department that sees every student, not only when they enter, but when they discharge as well. Between those times, they are responsible for all of the medical needs of the 262 students on campus. It is a balancing act that this team has perfected and they love it.

When a student first attends Woodward Academy, a thorough head-to-toe examination is conducted within the first 24 hours. The 21-page standardized assessment documents any known medical issues, obtains vital signs, and also looks at a student’s past that may include substance abuse, physical and sexual abuse, suicidal tendencies, and family history.

Throughout the student’s stay, this team sets up medical, dental, and vision appointments, manages student medications, and becomes involved with crisis situations to ensure the safety of all of the students on campus. They also train staff and high school seniors in CPR, communicate with parents regarding their son’s care, and handle the small things in between that include seasonal colds, and the natural bumps, bruises, and breaks that boys get. They are able to do all of these things because they have built what they call “The Dream Team.”

Outcomes Survey

Every time a student discharges from Woodward Academy, they complete an outcomes survey. They rate our services and are allowed to write comments. This is our opportunity to test the formal vs informal. Is what we are really doing what we say we are doing? This helps us identify gaps in our services and allows us opportunities to fix it. 

Overwhelmingly, our students talk about the great people they had helping them, the support they had, and an overall great experience being a Knight. After the break, we have copied some student responses to offer a quick snapshot of some of the comments we received from the past three months. We have identified areas we want to improve upon, but the message was clear that students have benefited from the Woodward Academy experience. 

I Am Building Woodward Academy // Part 4 // Videos

Every day, the staff at Woodward Academy work tirelessly to provide the best possible care to students. The three staff featured in this edition of the I Am Building Woodward Academy video series have 24 years of experience at Woodward Academy and are truly building the school for the future.

Collectively, they lead the charge in the classroom, ensure the safety of students, coach on the athletic field, and train staff to provide them the tools to be the best version of themselves. In the videos, they discuss how they have grown professionally over the years and why they have choosen Woodward Academy as their career. Program Director Shaun Mohon's video is embedded above with principal Jeremy Hilbert and Director of Nursing, Jamie Golly below.

Knightly Knews Vol. 36 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. This State Cross Country edition includes:

- Knight's Den Remodel
- Cross Country State Qualifiers
- A Team Legacy in XC
- Nursing Department "Dream Team"
- Alumni Profile
- Football Recap
- I Am Building WA Staff Profile videos
- "A New Man" Music Video Project
- Wrestling Week
- A Look Back at 2015

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