Congratulations Christina H.

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March 8th, 2010
Christina H. is this week’s Student of the Week. Her teachers praise her as being  steady and consistent in all of her studies. Good job, Christina!  

Students of the Week

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February 18th, 2010

Discovery Academy faculty have begun selecting one outstanding student each week for recognition as Student of the Week.  During February, they have recognized Sydney A. and Wesley C.

Sydney’s techers said, “She asks questions to help her understand ideas and is focused on learning.  She is patient and steady with her work and efforts.”

 Wesley’s teachers noted, “Wesley has continued to show consistency in obtaining his monthly goals.  In addition to completing concepts on scheduled basis, he requires little re-directing.  Also, he is showing emergent leadership qualities.”
Congratulations Sydney and Wesley!

Phil Scoville Joins Therapy Team

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January 29th, 2010

Phil Scoville, LMFT, is the newest member of an expanded therapy team at Discovery Academy. Scoville is an experienced therapist whose former treatment environments have included wilderness therapy and residential treatment centers.

“One of the specialties I work with is anxiety disorders,” Scoville explains. He says he’s excited about Discovery Academy’s experiential emphasis and the opportunity of working one-on-one with families. “Families here are very invested in the treatment process,” he notes. “They’re eager to accept their role in their child’s therapy.”

He says he enjoys his role in helping to guide the process as families work toward wellness.

Executive Director Brent Hall says the Academy’s growing student enrollment and a commitment to small therapist caseloads gave the school an opportunity to add Scoville. “His background in wilderness and residential therapy, as well as his work in anxiety related issues, is a great addition to our team,” Hall notes.

Born in Alberta, Canada, Phil moved to the United States as a child when his father pursued chiropractic training in Utah. Scoville holds a Bachelor’s degree from Brigham Young University and a Master’s degree from Loma Linda University. He’s currently working on his doctoral dissertation at Brigham Young University.

Married with three children, when he’s not working or trying to keep up with his young family Phil enjoys snowboarding, waterskiing and football. He plays the guitar and says he has a passion for music, especially indie-rock.

Welcome, Phil!

Challenge and Change

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January 7th, 2010

It’s been a few years now since our son attended Discovery in Provo, UT. He was there from Oct through Jun and I do believe Discovery saved either his life…or a life of misfortune or possibly prison. He fought you all the way, until you made him realize fighting would not help. He left Discovery earlier than you wanted, struggled with some minor problems when he came back home. He got an MIP for drinking, which seemed to wake him up again that deeds had consequences. He managed to return to the regular high school his senior year instead of the “alternative” high school, graduated with his old classmates and then attended Montana State University for the fall and followed his girlfriend out to Illinois for the winter term. He finished that year with a 3.65 at MSU and a 4.0 at Illinois, and has since returned to MSU where he continues to do well. He is still moody, still has some problems from his extended drug use in high school, but there is no doubt, that Discovery Academy literally saved him and for that I thank you.
Sincerely,
Ron and Lori M.

Exam Time

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December 29th, 2009

It’s exam time at Discovery Academy. Not for the students, for the academic program as a whole. The Academy is undergoing an accreditation process that takes place every six years.

 Jonathan Jones, Discovery’s Headmaster, says every aspect of the academic program is being examined. “Our mission, curriculum, staffing, administration, and facilities are being reviewed,” he explains. “The whole theme of accreditation is constant school improvement.”

 Discovery is currently accredited by the Northwest Association of Accredited Schools. But the Utah State Office of Education is responsible for carrying out the evaluation. Prior to his position as Headmaster, Jones spent 13 years working with the state conducting accreditation evaluations at dozens of schools. “I know what needs to be done,” he notes.

 He says the evaluation is an extensive process that includes annual reports and, for the six year evaluation, a statistical analysis of the program. Those statistics measure students’ grade point averages on their entrance and exit from the Academy, as well as SAT or ACT scores.

 The entire academic team participates in the process by identifying areas that could be improved and creating an action plan to achieve each goal. Jonathan says this process is critical to identifying and implementing improvements.  “It really makes us work together and take a good, close look at ourselves. Sometimes we have to rethink. There may be a better way of doing things.”

 “Feedback from parents and students is also part of the process,” Jones says. Within the coming weeks families will receive a questionnaire which asks them to share their perspectives on the Academy’s strengths and weaknesses.

 Once the paper work portion of the review is complete, an evaluation team will spend approximately two days conducting an on-site visit. Jones says that visit is where academy teachers have the opportunity to show evaluators the unique strengths of Discovery’s teaching style.

 “Evaluators won’t see teachers standing in front and lecturing. They’ll see teachers working one on one,” he says.

 Jones says in schools that use packet programs, students may or may not meet with an actual teacher. “They’re sort of on their own,” he explains. “It’s just a matter of reading and filling in the blanks.”

 Contrast that with Discovery Academy, where Jones says evaluators will see students completing an entire textbook, working side by side with teachers. “It’s definitely a tutorial program,” Jonathan explains. “The teacher is there to work the student and teach each concept so that the student understands. On every chapter, students must past a test with 80% or better. The students work individually but it’s personalized. If there is a learning disability we accommodate them right there, one on one.”

 Although the reports and site visit will be finished by March, Jones says the accreditation process is never really over. “The whole theme of accreditation is constant school improvement.”

Profile of a Champion

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December 29th, 2009
Mikey Su'a and the Brigham Young University National Champion Rugby Team

Mikey Su'a and the Brigham Young University National Champion Rugby Team

When Mikey Su’a takes the field his opponents take notice. Su’a is part of the Brigham Young University rugby team – the team that won the 2009 USA Rugby National Championship.

 Originally from Samoa, Mikey and his family moved to Utah when he was a teenager. “Rugby is the main sport in the islands,” he says. Since his father and older brother both played for BYU, it was only a matter of time until Mikey tried out for the team as well.

 At 5’10” and 290 pounds, it’s hard to miss Mikey, either on the field or working at Discovery Academy as a member of the front line staff.“You don’t have to be a big guy to play,” he says. “It’s mainly fitness and speed. There’s no offense or defense so you’re always playing.”

 There are also no time outs and no water breaks during the two forty minute halves. “If somebody gets injured, we just keep playing,” Mikey adds with a laugh. “The medical staff just runs on and tries to stay out of the way.”

 Su’a and his teammates spend hours training. Rugby season runs from January to May. During that time the team trains at least two and a half hours a day, six days a week. Off season it’s 2-3 hours a day, four days a week.

 Mikey is studying sociology and has a 3.0 grade point average. He’s considering a career in criminal justice or counseling.  Besides his work at school, on the team, and at Discovery Academy, Mikey is also a husband and father.

 “It takes commitment and sacrifice,” he says, something he hopes was not lost on the Discovery students who often watched Su’a compete in weekend games. When some of the boys wanted to learn how to play rugby, Mikey was happy to teach them the basics of “touch” style rugby. “I don’t know if they’ll keep playing when they go home,” he says. But he hopes they’ll always remember what it takes to be a champion.

Masking Therapy

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December 29th, 2009

Drama therapy is not new to Discovery Academy. Therapist Nathan Mitchell has been using it for years. But drama therapy with masks? Now that’s a different story – and a different approach to effective therapy.

 “We’ve only been using the masks a couple of months,” Nate explains. He got the idea after he attended a workshop teaching more advanced drama with masks. As he thought of his Discovery students he realized there were therapeutic aspects to using masks.

 “What’s interesting to me is what happens during the process of trying to use the masks. Students talk about how different it feels to have the mask on and to understand someone when they can’t communicate in the normal ways they’re used to.”  He adds, “You have to work harder on the understanding side as well. You have to exert some energy. You have to listen more actively.”

To start the activity, Nate will sometimes have the group write down stories everyone knows in common, such as fairytales or movies. Then he divides the groups into teams with 4-5 students per team, giving each of them a slip of paper with one of the stories. He tells them they must tell their story to the rest of the class, without any words.

“At that point, I give out the masks,” he explains. All the masks are identical – neutral, blank and white. “You have to do this without any facial expressions and without words.”

 Nathan says students’ reactions vary. “Sometimes they get really excited and sometimes they think it’s going to be impossible.” He continues, “Sometimes when they put the masks on they sort of retreat and become less energetic. They have relied so much on just using facial expressions or words. That happens in a quarter of the students. The majority become more energetic and more invested in what they are trying to communicate. There are a few students who won’t respond or participate in any other activities but when we get the masks out they’re first in line.”

 After the activity students share what they did and how they felt. “We discuss the underlying meaning, sometimes unintentional meaning, behind a person’s posture, how far away a person stands when they talk to another person. Especially for some of the kids who have a hard time understanding social cues, it’s pretty good for them to understand what some of those norms are. Once we understand that we can practice how to communicate more effectively,” Nate says.

Eventually, he plans to introduce different colored masks to represent different aspects of a student’s personality. “From there I can have them take the stage and cast different students as different members of the sub personality. That gives them a visual of understanding their personalities and why they’re having some of the troubles that they’re having,” Nate explains.

Keeping therapy fresh helps keep students engaged and learning. Nate says mask therapy is another unexpected element of drama therapy. “Sometimes they’ll try to peek in my bag and see if I have the masks,” Nate says, “which is exactly what you want. You always want to keep them wanting more.”

A Graduate’s Perspective

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December 29th, 2009

We’re always happy to hear from our Discovery Academy graduates. Here’s a note we recently received from Aaron B.

 “I was a student at DA in the mid ‘90’s. It has taken 15 years to grasp but the people I had contact with changed my life. Without them, I would not be the father, a good son, or someone who would even be alive. I am sorry the staff will never know the impact they had on me. Just know that places like DA and people like your staff do make a difference. We might not always get it right away but with time we do get it.”

 Congratulations, Aaron and best of luck to you.

Driving Hybrid

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November 19th, 2009

At a recent conference for eduational consultants, company co-founder Scott Peterson discussed Discovery Academy’s hybrid co-ed model. Here’s a summary of that discussion.

Hybrid-coed: A Third Treatment Option

            As an industry professional of more than 20 years now, I’ve learned one of the greatest fears parents express when selecting a therapeutic program for their teen is what may happen if their child is sexually promiscuous.

            I can tell you first hand, program owners have that same concern. For many companies, this very real worry played a large role in the movement toward single gender programming.

            Most of us are well aware of research that claims single gender education results in a more focused and productive academic environment. We’ve certainly seen that play out in some of our programs. 

            However, to my knowledge there is no quantitative research that indicates therapy is more effective in a single gender environment. There are only claims from various programs that a single gender environment is more therapeutically appropriate.

            With a lack of research and an abundance of claims, parents and industry professionals should be asking this important question: How important is appropriate social interaction between male and female students in providing an optimal therapeutic environment?

            Let’s consider what a true single gender and a true co-ed program look like. A single gender program simply means no interaction with the opposite sex regarding residential living, education, recreation, or any other program function.

            Philosophically, there’s a natural gravitational lean toward single gender programming because it eliminates the difficulties that come with housing, educating and treating boys and girls in co-educational approaches.

            A true co-ed program usually offers separate housing, but almost every other program function is combined. Residential, educational, and recreational activities involve both genders to some degree throughout the day.

            The strengths of a single gender program include fewer hormonal distractions, allowing a higher degree of focus in therapeutic, residential, and academic situations.  Students just aren’t as concerned about keeping up appearances to charm or repel the opposite sex.  This program’s greatest weakness is that it is not a normal environment.

            That “real world” environment is a co-ed program’s greatest strength. However, it’s also its greatest weakness. Many parents and consultants understandably fear working through the sometimes chaotic distractions involving the opposite sex. 

            I believe there’s a third option. It’s what I refer to as a hybrid co-ed program. The hybrid model isn’t a new approach. Some programs have been using it for years.

Many people mistakenly label the hybrid approach as simply co-ed. That label doesn’t do the hybrid model justice.

            I realized this recently as I listened to the rhetoric between two programs competing for the same child. That conversation forced me to look much more closely at the language being used by consultants and even program personnel.

            The hybrid co-ed model has a very simple definition but is much more complex to operate than either the single gender and or pure coed programs. 

            The dictionary defines a hybrid as “a combination of two or more different things, aimed at achieving a particular objective or goal.”

            In a hybrid co-ed program, male and female students are housed in entirely separate buildings.  The boys and girls programs run completely independent of each other residentially, therapeutically, academically, and recreationally – with one important exception.

            That exception is when the clinical team determines that co-ed interaction is appropriate for specific students who are therapeutically ready to step toward normalcy, or appropriate social interaction.

            Co-ed interaction occurs only when it is therapeutically recommended – not when it is administratively convenient.

            Understandably, these programs are much more difficult to administer. That may be one reason why there are so few of them. However, the benefit to the student is tremendous.  Families have the opportunity to take advantage of whichever environment best suits their child’s needs, and then alter that environment as clinically necessary.

            As our industry has matured and specialized, we have managed to label many different program models. But a true hybrid co-ed approach has never been defined or included in the conversations about what treatment milieu may or may not be in a child’s best interest.

            The hybrid model offers another choice to parents.   However, they will never truly understand the benefits unless it is properly explained. That’s a conversation I believe needs to take place, both inside the industry and out.

Growth Brings New Admissions Team

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November 19th, 2009

Dr. Triston Morgan has been named Admissions Director at Discovery Academy. Executive Director Brent Hall says the move is in response to the steady growth in enrollment Discovery has been experiencing for the past two years.

            Dr. Morgan joined Discovery Academy in January 2009 as a therapist after working in both wilderness and residential settings for more than seven years. He will continue to carry a small caseload.

            “Triston’s thorough knowledge of the clinical issues students face is a tremendous asset to families who are transitioning their students to Discovery Academy from other programs,” Hall says.

            As Admissions Director, Dr. Morgan will focus helping families and consultants understand which types of students are best served by the Academy.

            He can be reached by calling Discovery Academy at (801) 374-2121 or on his cell phone at (801) 372-7679.

            Mari Allman will serve as Discovery’s Admissions Coordinator, helping families complete the appropriate documentation for enrollment. She can be reached at the Academy or by calling her cell phone at (801) 380-6988.