Bear Essential News November 2020, Phoenix Edition

Bear 40 YEARS!

November 2020 • Phoenix Edition www.bearessentialnews.com

essential news

®

November 2018 • Phoenix Edition • www.bearessentialnews.com

In This Picture: Find a Pilgrim’s hat, an acorn, the letters STEAM, a canoe, a Native American basket, an apple, a fall leaf, the U.S. flag, a chili pepper and the word THANKS!

FEATURE

NEWS

Callin g All Crafty Kids Hot Holiday Toys Hand-made crafts & poetry! pages 8 & 9

Spotlight on new U.S. Justice News Highlights page 3

TEACHERS

FAMILIES

High-F lyin’ Interview Nominate Yours!

S weet Words

NEWS & more news kids can use Scoops pages 5 & 14

Celebrating teachers Page 13

for chocolate milk Page 16

2

BEAR 40 YEARS •

November 2020

www.bearessentialnews.com

e-mail: boomer@bearessentialnews.com

B

News Highlights

Hot Toys In Limited Supply This Year!

November 2020 •

BEAR 40 YEARS

New Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court Amy Coney Barrett was sworn in as the newest justice of the United States Supreme Court on Oct. 27.

The Supreme Court dates all the way back to 1789! Article III of the United States Constitution establishes the federal judiciary and allows Congress to decide how to organize the courts. When Congress created the Supreme Court 231 years ago, there were six justices. There are nine seats on the Court today. Each justice is appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate, and it is a lifetime appointment.

Barrett, 48, was confirmed by the Senate with a 52-48 vote and became the 115th justice of the Supreme Court. She was sworn in to fill the seat vacated by Ruth Bader Ginsburg five weeks after Ginsburg died.

AZ-led Mission Nabs Samples from Old Asteroid

Image: wikimedia.org/Rachael Malehorn

Karl Haller to USA Today.

Haller is the Consumer Center of Competency leader and retail industry expert for IBM The animatronic version of The Child Global Business Services.

So which toys do experts PROJECT will be top sellers for the holidays?

All things Baby Yoda, officially known as The Child, are at the top of many lists! Sony’s PlayStation 5 and FACTS: other consoles also may be difficult-to-find items. · 115th justice of the Supreme Court LEGO is expected to have some hot ticket items · Attended Rhodes College as well. This is likely because of the range of products · Completed law school at Notre they offer, which vary from complex sets that include Dame thousands of pieces to LEGO Dots that allow kids to · Only current justice not to have make everything from jewelry boxes to picture frames attended either Harvard or Yale and pencil cups. for law school Whatever you’re hoping for this holiday season, remember to ask nicely!

There were plenty of politics involved in Barrett’s nomination. Due to the impact the Supreme Court can have with its decisions and the length of time justices can serve, logical bird associated with creation, rebirth and the sun.

After almost two years of orbiting and carefully vacancies on the Supreme Court always atThe team chose a site it named Nightengale as its studying Bennu, an ancient asteroid that’s 205 million tract a lot of attention. The fact that she was target for the sample-return mission. Just the size of miles from Earth, the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft has confirmed the week before the presidential DEFTLY reached out and grabbed a sample of dirt and six parking spaces and surrounded by what could be election was a source of contention. Shortly rock on Oct. 20! mission-ending boulders, it was a risky sample site. before her CONFIRMATION, the American The ambitious NASA mission The spacecraft dropped out of its Bar Association rated Barrett as “well qualiis led by the University of Arizona. orbit and extended its 11-foot arm that fied” for the position.

The 4,650-lb spacecraft has camhad a round collection head attached to Barrett was born in Louisiana and comeras on board built by the UofA and it. To make things even more challengpleted her undergraduate degree at Rhodes a thermal emission spectrometer ing, images took 18 minutes to arrive College in Memphis, Tennessee. She went to built by ASU to analyze rocks. back to mission control! law school at Notre Dame on a full scholarBennu’s rocky terrain, with But the collection head made contact ship.

After law school, she worked as a clerk building-sized boulders, surprised and nitrogen gas was released to stir for the late Supreme Court Justice Antonin scientists and brought about chalup dirt and rocks into the head. See the Scalia.

Barrett returned to Notre Dame to lenges that are just as big! Scienvideo at NASA.gov. work as a law professor for 15 years. In tists believe the asteroid, which The team cheered upon learning 2017, President Trump nominated her to has an average radius of 861 feet, that things went well. “(I’m) a little overbecome a federal appeals court judge. may have formed billions of years whelmed right now…it’s been a pretty Nitrogen shoots from the Barrett and her husband are parents to ago as our solar system started intense several minutes here,” said collection head to stir things up! seven children, so Barrett has joked that forming. The asteroid is rich in Dante Lauretta, the principal investigashe’s used to being in a group of nine. carbon-based molecules, and scientists want samples tor for the mission. “The team is exuberant!”

“While I am a judge, I’m better known brought back to Earth in hopes of unlocking some of But new challenges cropped up, forcing the team back home as a room parent, carpool driver the mysteries as to how life may have started here to stow the head in its sealed container early. The and birthday party planner,” Barrett said in and how our oceans formed. Astronomers discovered spacecraft starts its return trip to Earth in March, and September.

Bennu in 1990 and named it after an Egyptian mythoshould arrive Sept. 24, 2023.

What do toilet paper, cleaning supplies and toys all have in common?

They’re all items that have been in big demand and limited supply during the pandemic!

In most of Arizona, the pandemic picked up as temperatures were heating up, which meant people were suddenly stuck at home and indoors. Some parents responded by buying games, puzzles, building blocks, art supplies, game consoles and more. In the first nine months of 2020, the toy industry in the United States grew 19 percent.

“So you saw huge growth in the toy industry at a time where normally the toy industry is fairly quiet,” said Steve Pasierb, CEO of the trade group The Toy Association, earlier this fall.

Most experts expect this trend to continue as the pandemic goes on and people continue sticking close to home. This has led some experts to predict a huge holiday season for toy sales in 2020. Many stores are anticipating the uptick in sales and offering sales online and throughout the month of November—in an effort to reduce large crowds in stores.

The holidays are often a difficult time to find some products. But “during a holiday that’s impacted by COVID, there may be even more” shortages, says

3

4

BEAR 40 YEARS •

www.bearessentialnews.com

November 2020

BRACES $

99

per month

CHECK

-UP!

EXAM, X-RAYS & CLEANING

$35

(for patients without insurance)

Open Saturday and Sunday! www.KidzConnextion.com • 480-725-8413 • Text or Call 524 E. Baseline Rd. South Phoenix

2046 N. 24th St. Central Phoenix

2533 N. 75th Ave. West Phoenix

Good Dental Care for a Healthy Smile!

Brush, Brush, Brush Those Teeth!

Happy Most children spend less time than a minute brushing their teeth.

However, they should brush for two to three minutes. Try putting a timer in the bathroom or they could brush their teeth for the length of a song, which is generally two to three minutes. Keep brushing to create healthy teeth and a nice smile!

Thanksgiving!

and...

Don’t forget to BRUSH! www.KidzConnextion.com

November 2020 •

e-mail: boomer@bearessentialnews.com

Get the Scoop!

Former Young Reporter Takes Flight

by Reporter Nava Nelson, Homeschool “....So yeah, just living the dream out here,” says Warrant Officer-1 Emily Gin when asked about her career as a helicopter pilot in training.

The Tucson native was a gymnast and Young Reporter as a child, starting around the age of 7. She says her favorite story she wrote for the newspaper was when she got to visit the tallest horse in the world. She spills that her and the horse got a picture together “and it made me look so small because the horse was really tall!”

She also says she has always loved being in the air, and was a skydiver at a young age. When the question came, “What job would you be doing if you weren’t doing this?” she said she wouldn’t be doing anything else. “Something that I could do, that I could just be in the air, and the sky could be my office.” What a wonderful description!

The most beautiful thing she’s seen flying were the gorgeous sunsets on the California beaches. “Sunset is just completely different from way up high in the air,” she says about the breath-taking display.

There are some things to look out for when you’re flying: turkey buzzards. She shared that they can hit the helicopter (more on that later), hurricanes, lightning storms, and a scenario that she has flown in herself, ‘dust landings.’

Now about the turkey buzzards, or vultures.

She says that there are a lot of them where they fly, so the vultures hit the helicopter often, which can do damage to the vehicle. “We actually have them hit the helicopter,” she says. As a matter of fact, she says another pilot in training had a turkey buzzard hit the helicopter they were flying in, and they had to immediately land on farmland on their very first day.

And before I close this article off, I want to include something else important: Her advice for kids who want to be pilots? “Meet as many pilots as you can, talk to them, make sure it’s something you like,” she says.

Warrant Officer Gin: Thank you for spending your time allowing us to interview you!

Family Has a Crafty, Thankful Tradition

by Reporter Aislyn Sheard Homeschool

Our family has a tradition of making a thankful tree every year. (A tradition is something with a special meaning that you do yearly.)

To create our tree, we start by drawing a tree trunk on a large piece of paper and then we draw branches with no leaves. Once that’s complete, we tape it to a wall or window.

We cut out red, orange, yellow, and brown paper leaves.

Last but not least, every night we write on a leaf what we are thankful for and tape that leaf on the tree for others to see. Everyone in the family can participate. Even our dog Ginger did it one year, but his handwriting was just a few scribbles.

The best part of all is that when the season is over, and you’re ready to take the tree off the wall, you can recycle the papers. I love this tradition because it’s a great reminder that we should be thankful for what we have.

MORE SCOOPS, page 14 ➧

BEAR 40 YEARS

5

News Stories Written by Kids— for Kids

Interview with a Veteran

by Reporter Theron Plant Jacobson Elementary I enjoyed interviewing a veteran and I learned a lot. In the military, he is known as Chaplain (Major) Danny Hughes, United States Army. One becomes a veteran after they have served a deployment. A deployment is serving the military in a different country. This can be a war zone, where fighting is taking place.

Chaplain Hughes is active duty (still in the Army), has served in the Army for 12 years and was deployed for one. He served in Jordan, Syria and Kuwait. His call to serve was in response to the 9/11 attacks in 2001.

He wanted to help defend his country.

Also important to him is his work as a pastor. A chaplain does pastor jobs for the Army. As a chaplain, his main role is to make sure everyone in the Army has the opportunity to worship God the way they want to do that. There are other responsibilities as well.

One of the things he loves most about his work for the Army is he gets to take care of soldiers by helping to keep them safe, helping them when they miss their family, and

BEATRES BI

MORE VETERAN, page 14 ➧

Presidential Address!

President Abraham Lincoln gave his famous Gettysburg Address on Nov. 19,1863.

REPORT

FOR

Call toll free:

BEAR!

1-866-NEWS KID

sponsors

6

BEAR 40 YEARS •

November 2020

Growing, Growing,

Strong!

www.bearessentialnews.com Sponsored by

Fun tips on healthy foods, fitness and well being —from our family to yours!

In November, We Wear Blue!

Why do we wear blue? We wear it in support of National Diabetes Awareness Month! During this time, countless communities around the world work together to bring attention to diabetes. For those of us who don’t have diabetes or are at risk, this month provides us an opportunity to learn about it and be advocates for those who do. For those of us living with diabetes, it gives us a chance to tell our stories. Whether someone has diabetes or they are wearing something blue in November, these advocacy efforts help us understand causes, prevention, and the effects diabetes has on people who are living with it.

But, first, let’s slow down and have a quick science lesson:

So, what is diabetes?

Diabetes is a disease that impacts how the body uses glucose, a sugar that is the body’s main source of fuel. Your body needs glucose to keep running.

Here’s how it works: 1. You eat.

2. Glucose from the food enters the bloodstream.

3. Your pancreas (a long, flat organ in your belly) recognizes there is glucose and makes a hormone called insulin.

4. Insulin helps the glucose get into the body’s cells.

5. Your body gets the energy it needs.

If someone has diabetes, their body can’t make insulin (or they can’t make enough), and the glucose can’t get into the cells like they normally would.

When this happens, blood sugar levels become very high, which makes people

Volume 42 • Issue 3

Editor & Publisher

Sales Director & Publisher

Stephen B Gin

Nancy Holmes

City Editor

YR Coordinator

Copy Editor

Art Director

Mike Loghry

Gary Shepard

Renee Griffith

Julie Madden

Bear Essential News for Kids®

is published monthly by Kids’ View Communications Corp. to educate, enrich and entertain children and their families. Content of this newspaper is designed to promote reading and writing skills as well as creativity.

Classroom educators are welcome to reproduce any portion of this newspaper for their students.

Call or fax Kids’ View Communications for any additional information on stories.

Please Call (480)

752-2327 for any editorial or advertising inquiries.

©2020 Kids’ View Communications Corp.—all rights reserved • 2525 E. Broadway #102 • Tucson, AZ 85716 Fax# (480) 792-2580 • Bear Essential News is distributed free each month.

Printed with recycled newsprint.

www.bearessentialnews.com

Written by Daniela Larson, MPH

CARE Program Manager at Phoenix Children’s Hospital

sick if they don’t get treatment.

But wait, there’s more! There are two major types of diabetes: Type 1 and Type 2.

In Type 1 Diabetes, the pancreas can’t make insulin. To make sure that the glucose doesn’t stay in the blood, someone with Type 1 Diabetes needs to take insulin through shots or an insulin pump.

In Type 2 Diabetes, the pancreas still makes insulin but it doesn’t do a good job of getting the glucose into the cells for energy. To make sure the glucose doesn’t stay in the blood, someone with Type 2 Diabetes may need to take insulin shots at first but it can also be managed with other medicines and sometimes can be managed with lifestyle changes.

For both Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes, it is very important to eat a healthy diet and exercise regularly!

So what can you do to support your friends and family living with diabetes?

1.Wear blue on November the official World Diabetes Day.

14,

2.Join a Diabetes walk hosted by your local community.

VIRTUAL HALLOWEEN

Costume Contest!

Check out the 2020 Winners at

BearEssentialNews.com

Mother Nature’s Farm Visit the Farm for a Day in the Snow

ENDORSED BY THE

Arizona Education Association

Black Mountain BMX

We Are OPEN and

RACING!

For Dates and Times, check our website

602-938-1108

www.blackmountainbmx.com

phoenixchildrens.org 602-933-0935

Saturday, Dec. 12 9 am to 6 pm

Bring your mittens & snow tube

Fresh cut Douglas & Noble Firs for sale!

Open from 3:00 to 9:00pm Mon–Thur and Fri–Sun Open 9:00am–9:00pm

480-892-5874

$10 per person

Includes: Snow hill all day, the hayride, spider web crawl, maze, air bounce and the animals.

Baseline Rd. between Stapley & Gilbert

www.mothernaturesfarm.com

e-mail: boomer@bearessentialnews.com

November 2020 •

BEAR 40 YEARS

7

Girl Scouts Think in New Ways The pandemic has not gotten in the way of girls’ goals, but it has shifted their thinking and the way they do things. Girl Scouts are doing things in new ways, often applying the skills they have already learned through Girl Scouts! Many shifted their service projects in 2020 to support those affected by COVID-19.

After learning how hospitals were being impacted, Troop 2320 knew they wanted to find a way to bring smiles to the many healthcare professionals working so hard and also help provide hard-to-find supplies. They organized a food and supply drive. Along with six other troops, they donated over 700 boxes of cookies and snacks to the employees at Banner University Medical Center.

Each year during the Girl Scout Cookie Program, Girl Scouts provide their customers with the option to donate cookies. Girls then decide how they would like to donate the cookies, whether to an organization like St. Vincent de Paul, to military troops, or to health care workers.

Girl Scouts at Arizona Cactus-Pine Council are getting ready for the upcoming Girl Girl Scouts in Troop 2320 delivered cookies, supplies and smiles to Banner University Medical Center in April.

Scout Cookie Program. It will run Jan. 18 through Feb. 28, 2021. Girls will learn to adapt their business to market changes, build confidence, and develop more e-commerce, digital marketing and web management skills.

Through the Girl Scout Cookie Program— the largest girl-lead entrepreneurial program in the world—girls learn goal setting, decision making, money management, people skills and business ethics. They can earn badges, to certify their skills in these areas, too.

Proceeds stay local and troops get to decide how they want to use their funds. Many use cookie money to pay for programs, summer camp, troop experiences, troop supplies or troop travel. Girls may also use proceeds to fund their High Award experiences or complete a service project—both great ways to give back to their communities!

Sevice projects range from donating items to shelters, to feeding the homeless, to raising awareness about topics that girls are passionate about, oftentimes those local causes and organizations that help others.

So when Girl Scout Cookie season rolls around, remember, it may look a bit different but it is still doing all the great it always has: teaching girls valuable entrepreneurial skills and life skills.

Join Girl Scouts today!

Visit girlscoutsaz.org Call or text 602-452-7030

@GSACPC

Page 8

BEAR 40 YEARS •

www.bearessentialnews.com

November 2020

Are you one

of those

Crafty Kids?

W

hether you are looking for something fun to do at home, or you are planning your holiday gifts, now is a perfect time to get crafty!

A handmade gift shows you care and lets the recipient enjoy a unique creation that has your personal stamp on it.

Boomer has some craft ideas to share, and you can find ideas and tutorials online, too. You might have materials already at home and you can repurpose some items from the recycle bin.

Younger kids and those working with thick cardboard should ask for help when cutting out your animal. If you don’t have packing boxes to cut, you can use thinner boxes and paperboard—like cereal and other food boxes. Paperboard boxes may be more available and—bonus—they are easier to cut. To make thinner cardboard shapes more sturdy, double up by cutting out mirror images.

This is how pieces look before assembly. At this stage, you can begin decorating your animal with whatever materials you have on hand. Be creative!

Let your imagination run wild! You can even create your own desert scene complete with plants and animals.

Container Ornaments ntainers

r plastic co

Small, clea

Add a few details with cloth or paint, and your craft animal will be ready for the holidays!

If you want to make your animals more colorful, you can paint them or use marker or even crayons. You can also glue on construction paper or fabric. When the animal looks the way you want to, it’s time to cut the slots that will join the body and legs together. For thicker cardboard, cut your lines more that one time or even make little V-shaped cuts so that the pieces will fit together.

This one was made for our friend Boomer Bear!

•

BEAR 40 YEARS

Page 9

Calling All POETS!

Some eyes and a nose, please!

Cardboard Creations Cardboard animals are fun to make and decorate! You could make some farmyard animals for a young relative or friend, or make a forest or desert scene or a nativity as a gift.

Start with a sketch of the SILHOUETTE, or side profile, of the animal you want to make.

Draw the animal’s head, body and tail. You can draw on a piece of paper to cut out and use as a template, or you can make an outline directly on your cardboard. To make the cross pieces that make your animal stand up, cut some upside down U-shapes, or make a semicircle for a sitting animal, or one that doesn't have four or more legs. You can also make cross pieces for certain features that will make your animal more 3D, like ears or antlers.

November 2020

You might have small plastic food or condiment containers around. What can you do with them? They may be too small to be recycled, but you can REPURPOSE them!

They can make cute ornaments or mini photo frames.

Make sure to clean out the container thoroughly. Then get some string, yarn or ribbon to make the hanger and even to glue on as decoration.

Measure the space in back of the container, and cut out a small drawing, some patterned paper or a photo to glue or tape in the back. Bling it out with some stick-on jewels, or glue on some beads, ribbon or fabric. You can make a set of complementary ornaments, or make each one unique!

A

nother great personal gift is a handwritten letter or poem.

Bear Essential wants to hear from all the young wordsmiths in Arizona. Send in your poem (it can be seasonal or holiday themed, but it doesn’t have to be) and you might see your name and work in the pages of a future issue of Bear Essential News!

The holiday season is finally here after a strange and spooky year.

Boomer and all of his friends at Bear think poetry is a great way to share!

The joyful, the bad, the wacky, the sad, write it down with a pen, and maybe you’ll win!

Savannah Grace Hicks

Time for Tutorials When you are trying to learn a new skill, like knitting or crocheting, you can find lots of tutorials online. A video tutorial can be really handy because you can stop it and go back when you miss a step, and you can pause if the instructions are going too fast.

When learning a new skill, start small and have patience! A good yarn project that makes a great gift is a scarf.

Remember: The more time and practice you put into your crafting, the better you will get at it.

Don’t worry if your finished item doesn’t look like an example picture (here or elsewhere). The differences are what make your creation special and show that it is hand made!

Send your poem to: Boomer@bearessentialnews.com Include your name, age and a telephone #.

Select poems will appear in future issues of Bear Essential News and one grand prize winner will receive a special gift from Bear!

Page 8

BEAR 40 YEARS •

www.bearessentialnews.com

November 2020

Are you one

of those

Crafty Kids?

W

hether you are looking for something fun to do at home, or you are planning your holiday gifts, now is a perfect time to get crafty!

A handmade gift shows you care and lets the recipient enjoy a unique creation that has your personal stamp on it.

Boomer has some craft ideas to share, and you can find ideas and tutorials online, too. You might have materials already at home and you can repurpose some items from the recycle bin.

Younger kids and those working with thick cardboard should ask for help when cutting out your animal. If you don’t have packing boxes to cut, you can use thinner boxes and paperboard—like cereal and other food boxes. Paperboard boxes may be more available and—bonus—they are easier to cut. To make thinner cardboard shapes more sturdy, double up by cutting out mirror images.

This is how pieces look before assembly. At this stage, you can begin decorating your animal with whatever materials you have on hand. Be creative!

Let your imagination run wild! You can even create your own desert scene complete with plants and animals.

Container Ornaments ntainers

r plastic co

Small, clea

Add a few details with cloth or paint, and your craft animal will be ready for the holidays!

If you want to make your animals more colorful, you can paint them or use marker or even crayons. You can also glue on construction paper or fabric. When the animal looks the way you want to, it’s time to cut the slots that will join the body and legs together. For thicker cardboard, cut your lines more that one time or even make little V-shaped cuts so that the pieces will fit together.

This one was made for our friend Boomer Bear!

•

BEAR 40 YEARS

Page 9

Calling All POETS!

Some eyes and a nose, please!

Cardboard Creations Cardboard animals are fun to make and decorate! You could make some farmyard animals for a young relative or friend, or make a forest or desert scene or a nativity as a gift.

Start with a sketch of the SILHOUETTE, or side profile, of the animal you want to make.

Draw the animal’s head, body and tail. You can draw on a piece of paper to cut out and use as a template, or you can make an outline directly on your cardboard. To make the cross pieces that make your animal stand up, cut some upside down U-shapes, or make a semicircle for a sitting animal, or one that doesn't have four or more legs. You can also make cross pieces for certain features that will make your animal more 3D, like ears or antlers.

November 2020

You might have small plastic food or condiment containers around. What can you do with them? They may be too small to be recycled, but you can REPURPOSE them!

They can make cute ornaments or mini photo frames.

Make sure to clean out the container thoroughly. Then get some string, yarn or ribbon to make the hanger and even to glue on as decoration.

Measure the space in back of the container, and cut out a small drawing, some patterned paper or a photo to glue or tape in the back. Bling it out with some stick-on jewels, or glue on some beads, ribbon or fabric. You can make a set of complementary ornaments, or make each one unique!

A

nother great personal gift is a handwritten letter or poem.

Bear Essential wants to hear from all the young wordsmiths in Arizona. Send in your poem (it can be seasonal or holiday themed, but it doesn’t have to be) and you might see your name and work in the pages of a future issue of Bear Essential News!

The holiday season is finally here after a strange and spooky year.

Boomer and all of his friends at Bear think poetry is a great way to share!

The joyful, the bad, the wacky, the sad, write it down with a pen, and maybe you’ll win!

Savannah Grace Hicks

Time for Tutorials When you are trying to learn a new skill, like knitting or crocheting, you can find lots of tutorials online. A video tutorial can be really handy because you can stop it and go back when you miss a step, and you can pause if the instructions are going too fast.

When learning a new skill, start small and have patience! A good yarn project that makes a great gift is a scarf.

Remember: The more time and practice you put into your crafting, the better you will get at it.

Don’t worry if your finished item doesn’t look like an example picture (here or elsewhere). The differences are what make your creation special and show that it is hand made!

Send your poem to: Boomer@bearessentialnews.com Include your name, age and a telephone #.

Select poems will appear in future issues of Bear Essential News and one grand prize winner will receive a special gift from Bear!

10

BEAR 40 YEARS

www.bearessentialnews.com

• November 2020

Let’s Go...

VALLEY METRO! Valley Metro trains to get a

FRESH COAT OF PAINT!

V

alley Metro is always looking for ways to spruce up your ride, from purchasing new buses and trains to improving transit stops or updating voice and visual announcements.

The latest great news is that new trains have arrived and the original 50 light rail trains are getting a fresh coat of paint.

The expansion of the light rail system brings the opportunity to brighten up the entire rail fleet. We are going from the silver and green look to a vibrant purple on each end with a silver body. The new paint scheme of the trains matches the latest bus paint colors.

A Valley Metro train gets a fresh new coat of paint in the station’s spray booth.

That’s a LOT of paint!

It's quite the job to paint 50 trains, one at a time! It takes about three weeks to paint a train then let it cure, which is, hardened. It is a chemical process during which pigments and binders fuse to form a strong surface to last years in the desert sun. Be on the lookout for the purple and silver Valley Metro light rail trains traveling down the track!

A freshly painted train with its new coat of paint!

Color your own Valley Metro train! ! s Kid

Choose your favorite colors and paint the Valley Metro train art.

Be sure to draw yourself, your family and friends inside—and wearing your face coverings, too!

valleymetro.org

602.253.5000

e-mail: boomer@bearessentialnews.com

November 2020 •

BEAR 40 YEARS

11

12

BEAR 40 YEARS •

November 2020

www.bearessentialnews.com

November 2020 •

e-mail: boomer@bearessentialnews.com

Best Donuts In Arizona

BoSa DONUTS

Celebrates Education!

Coffee & Smoothies

BoSa Donuts salutes a different Valley teacher each month for their hard work, dedication and passion for teaching Arizona kids!

S!teacher is GREAT D I K

Teacher Is Truly Special to Mom and Son

S

hannon Yturraspe is a special education teacher at Coyote Ridge Elementary. Yturraspe has been a teacher for four years and has worked at the school for over 10 years. She was an educational assistant in the autism program, then decided to get her teaching degree.

“When the time came and I was certified, I was able to make the transition at Coyote Ridge to be a special education teacher for the autism program. This was an amazing opportunity as I wanted to continue working at Coyote Ridge and I knew the autism program very well,” she explains.

One student and his mom were truly inspired by Yturraspe. Monica Piquero wrote to Bear last December.

“This amazing special education, autism, self-contained classroom teacher has given my son so much support, love, aid, consideration (did I mention love?) and most of all empowered him,” writes Piquero. “He feels smart, confident, he is speaking, socializing to the best of his ability now.... She gave Andy an opportunity, a chance and most of all the tools and skills he needed to accomplish his dreams.”

Piquero adds, “To me, as a past educator, I am amazed (by) her accomplishments as an educator, her dedication and the difference she made in my son

37th St & Indian School 3722 E. Indian School Rd 602-955-5575 Central & Clarendon 3701 N. Central Ave 602-888-8999 23rd Ave & Camelback 2211 W. Camelback #186 602-368-4477 Bell Rd & Tatum 4601 E. Bell Rd, Ste A5 602-603-3892 4th St & Jackson 310 S 4th St, Ste 100 602-888-8666

1st Ave & Monroe 101 N 1st Ave, Ste 100 602-888-8777 3rd St & Fillmore 455 N 3rd St, Ste 1195 602-888-8555 35th Ave & Southern 6360 S. 35th Ave 602-702-6888 PEORIA 75th Ave & Cactus 7446 W Cactus Rd 623-334-0506 GLENDALE Glendale Ave & Litchfield Rd 13820 W Glendale Ave 623-271-7191

Tell us why your

and be entered to win a

$50

GIFT CARD

for your teacher

and other students alike. She is a force to be reckoned with...I have never met a teacher as impressive as her.”

Learning has looked different this year. Due to COVID, most students at Coyote Ridge are distance learning.

“As far as teaching during the pandemic, it has been a learning curve for all,” says Yturraspe. “I had to find ways to reach my students on a completely digital platform. Most of the teaching I have done in the past was very hands on and making the switch to all online was challenging. I spent many hours researching ways to create assignments for my students to make it accessible to them.

For the assignments I had to make sure that it had explicit directions, visuals, and different ways for my students to show me their understanding of the curriculum.”

“When I was needed back at school to teach some students in person, I was nervous,” she admits. “I take the virus very seriously and I wanted to make sure that we were safe. Luckily the students in my class are very good with keeping a mask on and only need a quick prompt to put it back on if they took it off. We follow all of the protocols set by the Glendale Elementary School District and keep the room very clean during the day.

We also have our classrooms sprayed nightly.”

“I am currently teaching synchronously. I have a few students online and a few in person… learning the same content at the same time,” explains Yturraspe.

BoSaDonuts.com PHOENIX 32nd St & Shea 10876 N. 32nd St 602-569-5556

BEAR 40 YEARS

and a $25 GIFT CARD for yourself!

Teacher name: _______________________ School: _____________________________ District: _____________________________ Your name: __________________________ Grade: ______ Phone: _________________ email: ______________________________ Why is your teacher great? ____________________________________ ____________________________________ ____________________________________ ____________________________________

Send this info and your entry to Bosa Donuts/Teachers

(Winners by random drawing–no purchase necessary)

2525 E. Broadway #102 • Tucson, AZ 85716 or by email to julie@bearessentialnews.com

26 Valley locations to serve you—and growing!

SCOTTSDALE 74th St & McDowell 7444 E McDowell Rd 480-990-1398 CHANDLER Dobson & Elliott 2990 N Dobson Rd 480-899-4999 Arizona Ave & Galveston 655 N Arizona Ave 480-899-7134 Arizona Ave & Ocotillo 4015 S Arizona Ave 480-895-8955 MESA Country Club & Southern 1144 S Country Club Dr 480-844-6181

Mesa Riverview 805 N Dobson Rd, Ste 108 480-699-0066 Greenfield & University 4418 E. University, Ste 101 480-448-9999 GILBERT Val Vista & Queen Creek 4844 S Val Vista Dr 480-699-9084 Gilbert & Williams Field Rd 155 E Williams Field Rd 480-814-1681 Val Vista & Elliot 130 S Val Vista Dr, #E1 480-699-2229 Higley & Baseline 1614 N Higley Rd 480-699-9962

Higley & Williams Field Rd 3305 E Williams Field Rd, Ste 104 480-275-5044 QUEEN CREEK Power Rd & Chandler Heights 23858 S. Power Rd 480-699-9579 SURPRISE Reems & Greenway 15261 N Reems Rd, Ste 104 623-404-8888 PRESCOTT Gurley & Pleasant 415 E. Gurley St 828-237-9999

Best Donuts In Arizona

Coffee & Smoothies

BUY A DOZEN DONUTS

GET 6 FREE! Expires 12 /3/20 One coupon per person.

With coupon only. No photocopies.

13

14

BEAR 40 YEARS •

B

www.bearessentialnews.com

November 2020

Get the Scoop!

Continued from page 5

Honoring Those Who Served

by Reporter Zoe Santos Arizona Desert Elementary What is Veterans Day? Why do we celebrate it? Veterans Day honors all who have served our country. A veteran is a person who has served in the military. Can you imagine yourself being in the military?

Chief German Rodriguez served 12 years in the military and has served six years in the Navy Reserves. Rodriguez’s motivation for joining was to do something bigger than himself. “I wanted to serve my country,” he says. His branch in the military was the U.S. Navy. Rodriguez’s main job was to oversee communication on ships. His job now in the Reserves is to communicate with civilians.

According to Rodriguez, the military impacted his life in ways he never imagined. “All in good ways,” says Rodriguez. “I have traveled the world, I am more active, more understanding and have more meaning in life.”

When you join the military, you have to go through boot camp. Rodriguez attended boot camp in Chicago, Illinois, for nine weeks in 2001.

According to Rodriguez, “One of the coolest things about being in the military is that you get see wonderful places. I went to 27 countries and have been on four continents. I have met new people.”

Rodriguez met Officer Cervantes from Houston, TX. He became a very good friend of the Chief. “I am proud to be in the military and wish more people would consider the military.”

Adviser: Karen Golden

The Science Behind Fall Leaves

by Reporter Euwain Sheard, Homeschool Have you ever wondered why leaves change color in the fall? Have you ever noticed that when they change color they flutter to the ground? Well, behind all the color changing there is some science involved.

First, the pigments (yellow, orange and other colors in a leaf) have been there the whole time, but the chlorophyll (the green color in a leaf) takes over and the pigments become invisible because green is the strongest color. In fall, the chlorophyll breaks down and you can see other colors or pigments.

When there is no chlorophyll left and the leaves are no longer making food for the trees, they don’t need them anymore. So, they let them flutter to the ground. In the winter the trees are bare. They no longer have to provide food for the leaves so they can focus on hibernating and saving as much energy as they can. In the spring it is warm and sunny so new buds can grow and once again the chlorophyll takes over the other colors.

The next time you see fall leaves, think of the amazing changes trees have to do to survive the winter. Tell your family and friends what you learned. Now, you can consider yourself a scientist in the magical world of leaves.

More Veteran

Continued from page 5

helping them when they have difficulties or troubles in their life.

I asked Chaplain Hughes if he had advice for anyone wanting to serve in the military. He recommends that you know that you may be deployed, which means that you may be away from your family for a long time and a war zone can be very scary. However, soldiers do that to protect and defend America.

I am thankful for the time with Chaplain Hughes as he shared his role and experiences. If you ever see a person wearing anything to identify them as a veteran say, “Thank you for your service,” because they were brave and protected us and our country.

e-mail: boomer@bearessentialnews.com

November 2020 •

BEAR 40 YEARS

15

BEAR 40 YEARS •

www.bearessentialnews.com

November 2020

Write. Sip.

Whip.

Chocolate Milk

Sugar Comparison

Chocolate Milk...

What’s in it for you?

Fat-Free

Chocolate Milk

1.5 tsp added sugar

MILK

(including k) chocolate mil urce of is the #1 food so ents tri 3 of the 4 nu of concern.

Serving size =8 oz

Sports Drink

3.25 tsp added sugar Serving size =8 oz

CALCIUM POTASSIUM VITIMIN D

Chocolate milk is th e be It's my favorite, I co st nfess It boosts my energy in every way That's why I drink it every day Breakfast, lunch or even Chocolate milk is defi dinner nitely a winner!

Written by: Haile e B.

Young Athle tes

Snacktivity of the month:

WHIPPED

MILK

Makes 2 servings Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons cocoa powder • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar • ¼ c heavy cream • 2 cups (white or chocolate) dairy milk • Ice

A great choic e for young athlete s to fuel for physical a ctivity,replenis h fluid and elect rolytes post-exercise and support bone health to reduce risk of stress fractures.

Stacie

o ilklife.c Billis/m

m

Directions:

e: Imag

16

Combine the cocoa and sugar in a medium mixing bowl. Add the heavy cream and whip with a hand mixer (or a whisk and lots of elbow grease) until frothy and thick, about 5 minutes on high speed.

Fill two glasses with ice and top with dairy milk, dollop the whipped cocoa on top of the milk and serve immediately with a straw.

Enjoy!

www.arizonamilk.org