Organizers of an inaugural Gilbert event are hoping to create a one-stop shop for the needs of all families.
Chandler-based PB&J Events and Promotion will bring the “Babies Bonanza Showcase and Expo” to SanTan Village from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, May 16.
“It covers a gamut of ages,” said PB&J founder Gary Klayman of the event. “Our goal is to be a great resource for those who are in the market for having kids. It is something near and dear to our hearts and as a company producing kid-friendly events and events for young families.”
Klayman said he decided to organize the expo when he was unable to find a similar event in the Valley. The event was scheduled at the Phoenix Convention Center, but it was moved to SanTan Village to accommodate parking. Attendees can also shop and dine at the shopping center before and after the expo.
“It’s a great location,” Klayman said. The expo will feature about 60 exhibitors showcasing and demonstrating local and regional products. Experts will offer health and fitness education, and summertime activity and parenting tips, while representatives offer free samples and giveaways.
An hour-long baby shower begins at 12 p.m., with all pregnant women receiving a raffle ticket. Additional raffle tickets will be sold for the baby shower with all proceeds benefiting a charity that was undetermined as of press time. Klayman said pregnant women will be chosen to participate in activities on stage for prizes.
Kids can keep busy in the Super Tots Party-sponsored baby play area. The company provides moveable indoor play areas.
PB&J is also hosting “Destination PB&J” from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, June 6, at SanTan Village. It will highlight summer activities and staycation spots in the Valley.
“It’s all about promoting those businesses that cater to kids and kid activities whether indoors or outdoors across the valley,” Klayman said.
A third event, PB&J’s “Small Bites...A Family Food Festival,” is set for 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, June 20, at Rawhide Western Town and Steakhouse in Chandler.
While other food festival are for adults and serve alcohol, “Small Bites” is geared toward families. Local food trucks and restaurants will offer bitesized portions of kid-friendly food.
Klayman said he is always on the lookout for participants for his unique expos. For more information, visit http://pbjevents.com.
“We are always looking for those unique activities and unique businesses that we can showcase that maybe the general public doesn’t know about,” he said. “We reach out for those businesses that you (do not) see at every event, but those that might be hidden gems.”
Teen is powerlifting her way to the top
BY TIM J. RANDALL
Seventeen-year-old
Gilbert High
School senior Sara Olguin is taking competitive powerlifting to a whole new level.
Sara recently competed in California and Arizona in the female, 16- to 17-year-old age bracket, but even more impressive was she competed in two separate weight classes. The result:
Sara set four United States Powerlifting Association (USPA) Arizona State records and four national records. She took first place in her division and best overall award for the junior women’s class (under 23).
Sara only began working at it less than a year ago, when her brother, Sam, introduced it to her. He’s no slouch: Samuel set three state records recently. He won first place in his division and best overall award for Men’s Classic Raw.
“Sam and I had been training at bodybuilding, but then he started powerlifting and I followed his lead. Once I started powerlifting, I just loved it,” Sara said.
Not long after that Sara and Sam began competing in USPA tournaments.
“I really enjoy the competition and pushing myself to win,” she said.
Powerlifting involves three events— squats, bench press and deadlift. For each activity there are three opportunities to lift: an opening weight is what competitors know they can accomplish; a middle weight; and last a max weight that tests their upper range. Upon completion, the highest weights are added together for a cumulative total.
“All the training prepares you to go after that max weight and beat your personal best,” ‘Sara said.
In the first tournament of March, Sara competed in the 165-pound weight class and reached a total of 755 pounds. In the subsequent contest she competed at the 148-pound division and reached a total of 744 pounds. In each tournament she finished first in her weight class/age and female division, and placed in the top five in the open category against all females. Her brother also competed in one of the meets with Sara and finished first in his division. But big brother said he really gives credit to his sister for doing so well and achieving athletic success in a short time.
With support from her parents, Michael and Judy Olguin, Sara is making a name for herself in the ranks
of the USPA.
“I’m very proud of her and what she has accomplished both academically and athletically,” Michael said.
“I’m amazed by how much she has matured this past year. Not only did she set very high goals for herself, she also managed her time in a way that gave her the best opportunity to achieve those goals.”
Sara has attained great success in the sport, while also earning a 4.0 in school. She has accepted a full academic scholarship to NAU this fall. She also works an afternoon job five days a week.
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Sara Olguin has achieved success as a powerlifter while earning a 4.0 grade point average at Gilbert High School. GSN photo by Kimberly Carrillo
“It is a lot to do, but I enjoy having the opportunities,” she said.
The schedule can be challenging with school, work and training, however, with the help of a regimen that includes a strength and conditioning coach and a diet that is primarily chicken, rice and veggies, Sara is at her best. She works out with Sam six days a week from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. at Power MMA and Fitness in Gilbert, focusing on the lifts she will be doing in competition, while also incorporating strength training and cardio. “Sam has my workouts all ready when we start and I follow those to constantly get better,” she said.
Sara is already training vigorously for August’s next big meet, which will see 180 entrants. “Sam and I are building my strength and are hoping to break into the top five of overall lifters at the 132-pound weight class. My goal is to lift 900 pounds total.”
Powerlifting is a sport that is not just about strength, it depends on intense focus and determination, traits that Sara displays in abundance.
“I have never put a cap on what I can achieve in powerlifting. Nine hundred pounds is the number now and for the next meet it will be 1,000. I just want to keep lifting and achieve,” she said.
Gilbert girl wins second-place arts prize
In seeking aspiring artists and writers among junior high students across the Valley, 60-year-old Seton Catholic Preparatory announced the winners of its “Leaders of Tomorrow Art and Poetry Contest.”
The first place winner in the art category, Kasey Behnke of Mesa, an eighth-grade student at St. Timothy School, took home a $600 Visa gift card for her art submission. In the poetry category, Anna Iverson of Mesa, an eighth grader at St. MaryBasha, received a $600 Visa gift card for her poetry submission, “Weapon vs. Tool.”
Earning second place in the art category was Miranda Pieper of Gilbert, an eighth grader at St. Timothy School for her submission, “I Am Malala.” Harrison Geryk of Chandler, an eighth grader at St. Mary-Basha, earned second place for his submission, “St. Elizabeth Ann Seton.” Both students received $120 gift certificates to the Chandler Center for the Arts.
Receiving third place in the art
category was Elena D’Avanzo of Phoenix, a seventh grade student at Summit School of Ahwatukee, for her submission, “Courage.” Elena received a $60 Michaels
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gift card. In the poetry category, Rowdy Olson of Stanfield, an eighth grader at St. Anthony of Padua, received third place for his submission, “Paws,” and a $60 Barnes & Noble gift card.
The award recipients attended the “Seton Catholic Prep Visual Arts Showcase” on March 19 in the Seton Fine Arts building where their works were on display. Entries were judged by Seton faculty members in the departments of Fine Arts and English.
“We received many excellent entries,” said Bridget O’Neill, English department chairwoman at Seton Catholic Prep. “It was inspiring to see the talent of such young students, as well as their interpretation of the virtues of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton through their art and prose.”
The “Leaders of Tomorrow Art and Poetry Contest” was created to celebrate the 60th anniversary of Seton Catholic and recognize the gifts in all children as set forth by St. Elizabeth Ann Seton: courage, determination, faith and love. These gifts, also called charisms, are integrated in each student’s experience at Seton Catholic. The contest required sixth- through eighth-grade students to create their artwork and/or poetry on these four central themes.
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Miranda Pieper shows off her artwork to Cyd Totten, Seton Catholic fine arts teacher. Submitted photo
Teen singer wins ‘Showcase
Singer’
prize
Katy Litwiller, a 14-year-old student of the Learning Foundation and Performing Arts School in Gilbert, was named the Showcase Singer of the Year in the teen division during the Youth Music Academy’s Hot Pipes Grand Finals at ASU Kerr Cultural Center.
The Sunday, April 12, event featured performances by 14 students who placed in the top rankings throughout the series. The junior winner was 11-year-old Morgan Karam of Cheyenne Traditional School in Scottsdale. The program, which is a biannual initiative of the nonprofit Arizona Music Festival Foundation, consisted of regular, hands-on workshops with the goal of helping these 30 students become wellrounded performers.
Focus areas covered all aspects of stage presence including vocals, choreography, theatric skills and more. Each Monday, students would perform during the Hot Pipes Showcase for Singers that featured everything from rock ‘n’ roll- and discothemed tunes to Motown tributes and throwbacks to Billie Holiday and Barbra Streisand. The program also included field trips to a recording studio and the Musical Instrument Museum.
“Programs like these are becoming increasingly important, especially as funding for school-provided music initiatives continue to be a challenge,” said Arizona Music Festival Foundation founder, C.C. Jones, who is also a musician and producer. For those interested in auditioning for the fall program, they can contact Jones at (602) 999-9061. The value for the 10-week program is $1,500, but the foundation offers full and partial scholarships based upon need.
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Showcase Singer of the Year Kathy Litwiller poses with her trophy. Submitted photo
Greenhouse Montessori earns national certification
BY ALISON STANTON
Pomegranate, orange and lemon trees, filled with ripe and juicy fruit. Musical instruments, made from natural materials. Plenty of green grass and gardening areas filled with growing plants.
These are just a few of the many highlights of the outside classroom at Greenhouse Montessori in Gilbert.
Jennifer Papp, owner and operator of Greenhouse Montessori, said the half-acre outdoor space recently earned national certification as a Nature Explore Classroom from Dimensions Educational Research Foundation and the Arbor Day Foundation.
From 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. Saturday, May 9, Greenhouse Montessori is hosting an open house, during which prospective students, their families and other members of the community can tour the school and enjoy the outdoor learning space.
Papp said to earn certification, the outdoor classroom must offer a variety of interactive elements like garden and pathway areas, musical instruments and natural materials that can be used to build and create art. Greenhouse Montessori’s outdoor classroom was designed according to standards and principles from Dimensions Educational
Research Foundation.
Papp heard about the idea of a Nature Explore Classroom about five years ago during a Montessori conference.
“After meeting with vendors who designed natural playscapes I thought what an amazing way it would be to utilize the space we have and build upon our philosophy of teaching,” she said.
With the help of enthusiastic parent volunteers, the outdoor classroom quickly began to take shape.
“We tweaked it a bit as we went along to make sure it does what everyone needs it to do, but it’s just an amazing place for kids to learn and interact with nature, as well as learn to respect nature. Anything kids can learn inside, they can also learn outside,” Papp said.
One popular area of the Nature Explore Classroom is the mud kitchen, where students can concoct messy masterpieces.
A large grassy area encourages physical movement and Papp said kids can often be found carrying rocks and moving them with wheelbarrows to construct castles and forts.
“We have a lot of seasonal trees and there are lots of different things to smell and chromatically a lot of colors,” Papp said.
At least one teacher is always outside
supervising and keeping an eye on the kids and the weather.
Lauren Issar, an office administrator at Greenhouse Montessori, said she spends a lot of time outside with the students.
“Just seeing them create things with nature is so special, and there are so many learning opportunities that still give them the chance to be kids,” she said, adding even something as simple as picking an orange and squeezing it to get juice takes kids out of the mindset that food only comes from the grocery store.
“We want them to appreciate nature,
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and here they can come outside and create things and find plenty of opportunities,” Issar said.
For Papp, knowing that her students are enthusiastically sharing all that they are learning outdoors with their parents is especially gratifying.
“They go home and they share that they helped plant flowers or that they tasted fresh oranges,” she said.
Greenhouse Montessori is located at 505 S. Gilbert Rd. in Gilbert. For more information, call (480) 635-0386 or visit www.greenhousemontessorischool.com
Students from Greenhouse Montessori help to plant flowers near the school’s sign. Submitted photo
