Midwest Academy Blog http://midwestacademyblog.com Just another weblog Thu, 08 May 2008 21:41:17 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=wordpress-mu-1.2.5 en PSA Membership http://midwestacademyblog.com/blog/2008/05/08/psa-membership/ http://midwestacademyblog.com/blog/2008/05/08/psa-membership/#comments Thu, 08 May 2008 21:41:17 +0000 admin http://midwestacademyblog.com/blog/2008/05/08/psa-membership/ Hello Everyone!!

We recently discovered that the PSA membership page on our Website isn’t working properly. Apparently, when it thanks you for submitting your information, nothing happens. The information flies off into cyberspace never to be seen again. The Webmaster has been alerted and is rebuilding the page. As soon as it’s up and running, I will post again. We became aware of the problem through a series of unlikely coincidences. The PSA has no way of knowing about emails they aren’t getting, and Midwest Academy has no way of checking the PSA’s email. Anyway, we are taking this very seriously and are doing our best to correct this problem quickly. If you have submitted your information and haven’t received a welcome letter from the PSA, please email them directly at psa_mwa@yahoo.com. (There is an underscore between psa & mwa; you just can’t see it because of the underlining.) We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused.

]]> http://midwestacademyblog.com/blog/2008/05/08/psa-membership/feed/ Breakthrough http://midwestacademyblog.com/blog/2008/04/15/breakthrough/ http://midwestacademyblog.com/blog/2008/04/15/breakthrough/#comments Tue, 15 Apr 2008 14:56:09 +0000 admin http://midwestacademyblog.com/blog/2008/04/15/breakthrough/ Dear Friends,

After making the difficult decision to place my child in Midwest Academy, a behavioral school, I was given the opportunity by premier to attend Discovery and Focus workshops to assist me in creating a new working family structure.

 I want to share the fantastic news that I recently received. The people who developed these awesome seminars have combined the two workshops for the general public to experience.

This 4 ½ day possible life changing opportunity is called Breakthrough and is offered beginning June 11th at noon and ending June 15th at 5:00p.m.and will be held at Holiday Inn Miami Beach, 4333 Collins Ave, Miami Beach, Florida 33140. The cost of the seminar is $795.00.

This combined seminar was created by David Gilcrese and Lou Dozier who I have had the pleasure of working with several times. The bio of these two amazing facilitators can be seen on www.resourcerealizations.com/company/staff
 
To read more of what Breakthrough has to offer please visit www.branchingoutseminars.blogspot.com. My friend Amy Schwartzbard had the vision of combining these two seminars for those interested in personal growth and using the proceeds to create scholarship opportunities for those less fortunate to attend a Breakthrough seminar in New Orleans 9th district. This is the area that was the most devastated by hurricane Katrina.

The greatest thrills of my life were the birth of my children. The love, joy, pride and exuberance I felt at that time were equaled again since my completion of these two amazing seminars.

It truly can be a life changing experience. I feel this is the best gift I have ever allowed others to give me. Perhaps you or someone you know might be interested in attending this workshop. Please forward all inquires directly to me and I will assist you in getting signed up. Thank you for your time and support on this matter.

Sincerely,

Rick Gardner

I’m leaving my contact information in case anyone has questions or wants to talk further on my experience.
Cell 847 344-7447
graytreeservice@yahoo.com

]]> http://midwestacademyblog.com/blog/2008/04/15/breakthrough/feed/ First Post http://midwestacademyblog.com/blog/2008/04/07/first-post/ http://midwestacademyblog.com/blog/2008/04/07/first-post/#comments Mon, 07 Apr 2008 15:58:35 +0000 admin http://midwestacademyblog.com/blog/2008/04/07/first-post/ I have no clue if I’m doing this right, but I graduated August 08? and life is going well. I moved to Chattanooga Tennessee, the biggest little town ever. Anyway, I’d love to hear from other grads, or parents, or whoever.

 Samantha C. — January 7, 2008

]]> http://midwestacademyblog.com/blog/2008/04/07/first-post/feed/ Thank You http://midwestacademyblog.com/blog/2008/03/27/thank-you/ http://midwestacademyblog.com/blog/2008/03/27/thank-you/#comments Thu, 27 Mar 2008 16:33:04 +0000 admin http://midwestacademyblog.com/blog/2008/03/27/thank-you/ To the Staff at Midwest Academy:

Thank you for your dedication to helping our children grow. Thank you for your insistence on holding them accountable for their actions but also providing them with support and encouragement. Thank you for looking beyond what they say and determining what they are demonstrating with their actions and behaviors and attitudes. I must admit I did not do that well.

Thank you for providing positive but honest feedback on how David is doing and what you can do to support him. This has been very valuable to my wife and me.

Finally, thank you for turning out great graduates like Kathryn C. She helped me a lot at Focus with her insight, support, and boundless enthusiasm. She is a great success story. You people must be true miracle workers. Thank you for your efforts to help David and us grow and learn. We appreciate it more than this letter can communicate.

Sincerely,

Steven H.

]]> http://midwestacademyblog.com/blog/2008/03/27/thank-you/feed/ A POEM FOR CONNIE http://midwestacademyblog.com/blog/2007/12/26/a-poem-for-connie/ http://midwestacademyblog.com/blog/2007/12/26/a-poem-for-connie/#comments Wed, 26 Dec 2007 21:45:20 +0000 admin http://midwestacademyblog.com/blog/2007/12/26/a-poem-for-connie/ I remember back when I first came

I knew my life would never be the same

When we first met, you were just Ten

I knew my life wouldn’t be the same again

You were all lined up, like Ducks in a Row

You Mom so proud, her children to show

I taught you to believe in yourself

Don’t leave your Talents on the Shelf

As you got older, you got yourself in trouble

I had to tell your mom and Burst her Bubble

She didn’t want to listen, she didn’t want to hear

Your Life and Soul in Jeopardy was my biggest fear

I wanted  just the Best for you and that you would be Happy

The more I yelled and tried to help, the more things just turned out Crappy

Finally, you mom saw the truth and she knew just what was Best

She did a lot of research and she sent you to MidWest

I really didn’t like it, I thought it a bit cruel

But as I saw you grow and learn, I knew it was the right school

As I sit here today and write,

I get a very unusual fright

I hope that I will learn and grow

the way you are, the way you show

My Child, you are an Inspiration for me

I’ll go to FOCUS and you will see

I can be the one you once again trust

I know I can do it, for I must…I must

I am so very proud of you Connie!!

MARK W.

DAUGHTER CONNIE C.

CURRENTLY ENROLLED

MIDWEST ACADEMY

]]> http://midwestacademyblog.com/blog/2007/12/26/a-poem-for-connie/feed/ A SINGLE STEP http://midwestacademyblog.com/blog/2007/12/10/a-single-step/ http://midwestacademyblog.com/blog/2007/12/10/a-single-step/#comments Mon, 10 Dec 2007 18:13:06 +0000 admin http://midwestacademyblog.com/blog/2007/12/10/a-single-step/ Each  journey begins with a single step.  That’s the way we looked at Focus.  We thought we knew what to expect having completed Discovery.  There was a sign hanging up as we entered the room, “THIS IS NOT DISCOVERY”.  How true that would prove to be.  We both entered fully prepared to give it our all…until the first exercises…I (Sandy) had a difficult time connecting.  I wanted to bolt, but I was committed to completing what I had stared.  Valuable lessons were learned as a result.  Our son doesn’t like the way certain things are done at the school and has often complained that he wants out.  Fortunately for him he doesn’t have a choice.  As we were continually being stretched we became accountable and more responsible in the choices we made.  We realized being vague shows a lack of integrity and doesn’t give us the results we want.  If we wanted to change we had to start taking risks.  We looked at what our reasons were for being there; it was for us to grow healthier and develop a purpose and vision for our lives with intention.  We wanted to create a win-win situation for our family.  A few of the valuable lessons we learned were; to approach life with an open mind, be willing to receive feedback (its neutral information), allow ourselves to be stretched beyond what we thought our limit was and trust in the process.  We have both been wonderfully transformed!  We are experiencing freedom, joy, and a new level of commitment to the program.  We learned the only way out is through!  We recommend you approach Focus as an amazing journey capable of taking you as far as you’ll allow yourself to go.  It’s hard work that has incalculable payback if you allow yourself to go the distance.  The staffing is dynamic and they’re there to help and encourage you along the way.  It truly is a life transforming process.  We were richly blessed and realized nothing worthwhile comes easy.  Today we choose to live our lives in abundance.  You and your family deserve the growth and healing that participating in the Focus journey provides.  CHOOSE LIFE!

SANDY AND RUSS F.

SON SPENCER F.

ENROLLED MIDWEST ACADEMY

]]> http://midwestacademyblog.com/blog/2007/12/10/a-single-step/feed/ ACHIEVING THE IMPOSSIBLE http://midwestacademyblog.com/blog/2007/12/07/achieving-the-impossible/ http://midwestacademyblog.com/blog/2007/12/07/achieving-the-impossible/#comments Fri, 07 Dec 2007 20:11:56 +0000 admin http://midwestacademyblog.com/blog/2007/12/07/achieving-the-impossible/ It has been over two years since I was expelled from high school, which was definately and event I will never forget.  I will never forget any of the years I spent in high school because they were full of more confusion that I knew how to deal with.  At first, I wanted to pretend that nothing was happening.  I felt liek life was just a cycle of going to school, coming home, and partying on the weekends - round and round like a turntable.  I was never happy, but I thought that was normal.

Then one day changed everything.  What I thought was this smooth, flat turntable was in fact a whirlpool of destructive behavior sucking me under.  I thought I could never succumb to what I was doing at home because deep down I knew I was a good person and I had good sense, but the scary part is not “bad kids” or “dumb kids” that get sucked under.

I had already been waging war with my parents and with the other people at school.  It was just a reflection of the terrible things I was soon to create for myself and how I was terrible for myself.  I knew I needed to get out of it all and yet everything I was doing was just dragging me in deeper.  Before I knew it, I was someone I couldn’t recognize and someone I didn’t even know I could be.  I had changed a lot since receiving a character aware in fifth grade.  A day in the principal’s office was a wake up call that life couldn’t continue the way it was.

The past year and a half has been the hardest year of my life, but it has also been what I neede most and the most fulfilling thing I have ever done.  I no longer live in fear, confusion, or pain.  Secrets and shame aer a thing of the past.  I allow myself to experience what I am feeling when I feel it and I trust my own instincts.  I can ask for help; I don’t need to be rigidly self-sufficient.  I find joy in the present and I surround myself with people who respect and treat me well.  Life everyone’s story, mine was and will be up and down.  My life isn’t perfect but it is a far cry from what it was.

I remember something one of the first people to touch my life in the program said to me when I first arrived, “Someday, everything will work out for the best.”  I had nodded, but truley believed that she was wrong.  I never thought I could have reached a stated where I would not be overwhelmed by my life.  I never thought I could even graduate high school.  Standing here today shows me that nothing is impossible.  I can now smile as I realize even the people that stray the farthest from their path in life can learn from their mistakes and return to what is important to them.  Every day the world looks different to me.  In the morning I wake up feeling sure of  myself, something I have never experienced before.  I am no longer afraid to tell people how much I care about them.

 I believe the trials of my own life were how I got here and I do not regret the past nor wish to close the door on it.  I am grateful for all of it and especially grateful for my parents who never stopped believing in me.  I know something greater than myself has been guiding my steps in each and evey way, even when I didn’t know that for sure.  Life is full of blessings and one of those is that life continues to give us second chances.  Today our journey in the program comes to an end and we start a new journey with the tools we have learned and the memories we have made here.  As we get ready to spread our wings and fly, my last wish is that none of us forget we can be the change we want to see in the world.

CATHERINE B

GRADUATED MIDWEST ACADEMY

VALEDICTORIAN FEBRUARY 2007

SHE PRESENTED THIS SPEECH TO THE GRADUATING CLASS

]]> http://midwestacademyblog.com/blog/2007/12/07/achieving-the-impossible/feed/ JULY 2007 VALEDICTORIAN http://midwestacademyblog.com/blog/2007/12/03/july-2007-valedictorian/ http://midwestacademyblog.com/blog/2007/12/03/july-2007-valedictorian/#comments Mon, 03 Dec 2007 22:43:40 +0000 admin http://midwestacademyblog.com/blog/2007/12/03/july-2007-valedictorian/ One year ago, my mind could not have handled the possibility of being where I am today. Graduating high school had already been eliminated from my future plans, and I had almost convinced myself I would be OK if I settled for the life I was leading. If I could have looked into the future to see myself standing here at this very moment, I’m not sure I could have believed what I would see. I never though my life could consist of success, sobriety, and even laughter and happiness.

I stand here today with an overwhelming feeling of accomplishment. As I slowly realized the end of my high school education was approaching, I was scared out of my mind. I did not expect to be graduating two years ahead of my class. In public school I had the comfort of knowing the exact date that I would be finished with a year of school. At Midwest Academy, i did it all on my own, without evening knowing exactly when or if I would be finished. I became worried over what life was going to be like outside the walls of Midwest. But as I can see now, being there better prepared me for life than an extra two years of high school could have.

I have learned to decide what I want, and how to get it. I have turned my stubbornness into determination. Now, I do not compromise who I am as a person. Everything I have learned has enabled me to become independent and aware of myself. The everyday practice of setting priorities and goals had given me a head start in life that some adults have still not found. I have learned to be aware of my boundaries without allowing them to limit me, and to respect the positions of those around me. But more than anything, I have learned who I am and to trust myself. I know I have the knowledge and the strength to do whatever it may take to accomplish my dreams. All of the hard work and tears that went into graduating not only high school but this program have paid off. Now I have the tools it takes to be successful in this world.

There is something indescribable about the power each one of us now holds. We have been on both sides of life. We know what it’s like to give up and surrender to what life has dealt us. However, we also know what it’s like to really work for something that’s going to change our lives and we know what it’s like to be genuinely happy. We can use our experiences to influence and change the lives of each person we come in contact with. The scariest part of this whole journey is now we can do anything we want. The only limitation is within our imaginations. Each of our lives now consists of infinite power, endless possibilities, and strong ambition. Our dreams can take us anywhere we desire. Without hesitation, we can each walk out of this building and take on the world

So that’s it!! We’ve made it!! “We’ve always had wings, and now we’re ready to fly!!” Congratulations class of July 2007!

Elyssa N.

Graduate Midwest Academy

Valedictorian July 2007

She presented this speech to the graduating class.

]]> http://midwestacademyblog.com/blog/2007/12/03/july-2007-valedictorian/feed/ Hello world! http://midwestacademyblog.com/blog/2007/10/22/hello-world/ http://midwestacademyblog.com/blog/2007/10/22/hello-world/#comments Mon, 22 Oct 2007 17:31:30 +0000 admin Welcome to Midwestacademyblog.com. This is your first post. Edit or delete it, then start blogging!

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