4 5 2014stsn p29 38 youth

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Youth

April 5 – 18, 2014

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Easter celebration spells ‘eggs’citement at Snedigar

BY LYNETTE CARRINGTON

Eight thousand eggs will be up for grabs for kids in four different age groups at this year’s Easter Egg Scramble from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Saturday, April 19, at Snedigar Sportsplex.

“We have 8,000 eggs altogether, so there will be 2,000 in each age group,” says Stephanie Feldaverd, City of Chandler recreation coordinator.

“They each have 1,000 eggs with candy and 1,000 eggs with a toy,” The morning will be filled with fun events, friends, egg hunts, displays, information booths, inflatables, carnival games and performances, plus the Easter Bunny will be hopping by to visit with guests.

“This is our 34th year,” Feldaverd states. “They’ll have roughly 3,000 attendees at the event and over the past few years, it’s grown in size each year.”

The Easter Egg Scramble will be divided into age groups of 0-2 (green flag), 3-4 (yellow flag), 5-6 (purple flag) and 7-9 (blue flag). Look for the colored flags at the start line for each designated age group. All eggs will have candy or a toy inside (only four eggs per child is the requested limit). One egg in each age division will include a “golden ticket” that is redeemable at the information booth for a special age-appropriate prize. If a family has more than one child and they wish to keep them all together, it is requested that they go to the older

FAMLY FRIENDLY FUN IN THE SUN: There will be many fun activities, rides and entertainment at the Family Easter Celebration 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. April 19.

Submitted photo

EASTER: Families are invited to Snedigar Sportsplex to take part in a free event to usher in Easter weekend. Submitted photo

age category field, Feldaverd notes.

The Chandler Family Easter Celebration is free, with minimal charges for select interactive activities and photos with the Easter Bunny.

Activities that carry a charge include the Human Hamster Ride (5-minute ride for $6), Easter Bunny photo fees by the Mayor’s Youth Commission ($3), face painting ($1), inflatable and ride wristbands and food vendors (varies according to vendor). Proceeds benefit the Mayor’s Youth Commission.

There will also be a family Easter basket giveaway. Stop at the information booth for a ticket for each

family member.

“It’s free to enter,” Feldaverd says.

“If you have four people in your family and you get four tickets, you’ll have four chances to win. The drawing for the basket will be held the day of the event at 11:30 a.m.”

The Easter “basket” is actually a nice ice chest with games, a towel, a ball and other family friendly goodies tucked inside. The winner must be present to win.

A DJ, Kyrene Del Pueblo Middle School Show Choir and Desert Star Dance will entertain. Inflatables will be provided by Extreme Events, and

the Chandler Public Library will be present.

“The Family Easter Celebration is a fun way to start the holiday weekend with our families and have a free event they can come to,” Feldaverd says.

In addition to the celebration on April 19, there is a coloring contest for kids 9 years and younger. The coloring page can be downloaded at www. chandleraz.gov. Colored pictures must be dropped off at Chandler City Hall, 175 S. Arizona Ave., Chandler, or mailed to Easter Celebration Coloring Contest (Attention: Stephanie Feldaverd), Mail Stop 500, P.O. Box 4008, Chandler, AZ 85244-4008 by April 11. You need not be present to win. The winners of the coloring contest will be announced at 9:30 a.m. during the event and posted on the official Chandler website.

Lynette Carrington is a freelancer for the SanTan Sun News. She can be reached at lynette@santansun.com.

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Chandler Boy Scout dubbed ‘inspirational’ by City

BY M.A. LEWIS

Vinnie Holmquist is an inspiration to many. The difference is, though, the Chandler 15-year-old has an award to back up the claims of his mother and mentors. He was given the City of Chandler Inspiration Award.

“Vinnie separates himself by staying focused on the goal,” according to Matt Lewis, Vinnie’s plant and animals teacher at Chandler High School. “He doesn’t wait for others to tell him what to do, he researches options and then may ask (for) advice as to the best option, but he has already taken steps to find answers prior to asking the question.”

The Inspiration Award is given to someone who “exhibits a work ethic and behaviors that inspire those around them,” according to a City of Chandler press release. Vinnie was chosen for his work with a community youth volunteer program and for coordinating various monthly events for Boy Scout Troop 280. He volunteers for the iHelp ministry of Sun Valley Church, the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and the Chandler Food Bank. “(The award) means the world to me,” Vinnie writes. “I had no idea that I was receiving the award so it was a very nice surprise. I appreciate the (award).”

Patty Holmquist, Vinnie’s mother, says most people don’t know that Vinnie was born with the genetic disease cystic fibrosis.

“He has never let this define him, however, it has help(ed) make him the

WINNER: Vinnie Holmquist, the City of Chandler’s Inspiration Award winner, doesn’t let his diagnosis of cystic fibrosis stop him.

STSN photo by Ron Lang

person he is today,” Holmquist writes in an e-mail.

Adam Eslinger, Vinnie’s scoutmaster from January 2011 to April 2012, also dubs Vinnie an inspiration. He worked with him to develop basic scout skills, such as knot-tying and first aid.

“Vinnie is unique with his determination,” Eslinger writes. “He

never allowed his diagnosis affect how he lived his life. Even though he struggled through a couple episodes during my time with him, he always returned with a positive attitude. This is difficult for middle school youth to accomplish without having to face some of the challenges he faces.”

His mother describes him as a diligent and fun-loving young man. She also says he knows when to “get down to business” and make things happen.

A Chandler High School freshman, Vinnie participates in its Future Farmers of America (FFA) program.

“As for my future career, I’m not sure what I would like to do just yet,” Vinnie writes. “However, I am currently thinking about going into the D.E.A. organization or S.W.A.T. team.”

Vinnie does know that he plans on continuing with the FFA and in the Boy Scouts of America program. He wishes to earn the Palms, a five-badge achievement.

“Vinnie is a humble kid who is willing to do the work to succeed,” Lewis writes.

“He is pleasant to be around and his humility makes him easy to teach.”

Lewis says Vinnie does not allow physical challenges to stop him from accomplishing his goals and works to find a way around any problem that may arise.

Recently, Vinnie’s troop honored him at a special Eagle Scout ceremony at The Springs Church in Chandler. His service project was with the Southwest Wildlife

Conservation Center in Rio Verde. He led a group of adults and scouts in building three informational kiosks and an animal platform for the Mexican Grey Wolf Habitat. The project took about one and a half months to complete.

“Vinnie has always loved animals, especially reptiles,” his mom says. “As a child, he was fascinated with scorpions and all kinds of bugs. As he grew up, he became more interested in reptiles.”

The teen owns two leopard geckos, a turtle and a bearded dragon.

“That’s not to mention that our family rescues dogs and volunteers for the Boxer Luv organization and have three of our own,” his mom says.

Holmquist says there is a lot to love about her son.

“First, I love that Vinnie can laugh at himself,” she says.

“He’s kind of a jokester and he isn’t afraid to laugh at himself when things don’t go his way. I think my most favorite quality about him hands down is his ability to be accountable. It’s hard to be a teenager today and when he makes a mistake or maybe gets a little out of line, he always comes full circle and takes responsibility for his actions and apologizes if necessary. He’s also a loyal friend and makes great efforts to keep in contact with his friends from past schools and church.”

M.A. Lewis is a freelancer for the SanTan Sun News. He can be reached at news@santansun.com.

www.SanTanSun.com

Youth

April 5 – 18, 2014

WEEK 1: JUNE 2-6, SUPER SPORTS! Children will participate in playing sports and games, both classic and crazy! From good old-fashioned kick ball to games like monkey soccer and everything in between. Amazing athletes will be spending 30 minutes a day leading our students in athletic fun and games!

WEEK 2: JUNE 9-13, SPLISH SPLASH! Welcome to wettest week of summer, wear your swimsuit to get soaked! Splash pad, rubber duck races, and slip ’n slide are just some of the fun activities planned for this wildly wet-filled week! Come cool off and stay refreshed on the hottest days of summer. Carebear will have a bouncy water slide this week and we will be visited by the Chandler Fire Department to learn about water safety.

WEEK 3: JUNE 16-20, CAREBEAR COOKS Come enjoy the creativity of cooking. This class gives children the opportunity to enjoy a variety of cooking experiences as they create delicious snacks. Students will use cooking tools, learn about etiquette and nutrition, and learn how to make recipes and mix ingredients!

WEEK 4: JUNE 23-27, ANIMAL PLANET Join us for a week of animals adventures. Our Carebear explorers will learn about mammals, birds and reptiles. We will have a visit from the Reptile Guy who will bring his cool creatures.

WEEK 5: JUNE 30-JULY 3, PARTY IN THE U.S.A. The children will celebrate the USA’s birthday with some good old fashioned summer fun, watermelon eating, flag making, sidewalk child, water games, s’mores and much more!

WEEK 6: JULY 7-11, A CAMPING WE WILL GO It's going to be a wonderful week in the wilderness! The children will enjoy reading tents, s’mores and games. During this week as well the children will get to learn about constellations, nature and even get to build a pretend campfire.

Full-Day Programs for 2- to 5-year-olds

FULTON RANCH RIGGS ROAD (480) 802-0058 (480) 219-9049

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April 5 – 18, 2014

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‘Wee blessing’ sells lemonade to help teacher

CYF registering for new season

BY TRACY HOUSE

Mariza Martinez-Gay, a teacher at Wee Blessings Preschool and Academy, has her own wee blessing—Lincoln Fife.

Recently Lincoln, 5, and his family manned a lemonade stand at a community garage sale event to raise money for Martinez-Gay’s medical bills from cancer. “It’s for his preschool Spanish teacher,� says Davi-Anne Fife, Lincoln’s mom. “Lincoln and I talked about it and I asked him how he’d feel about raising money for his teacher and he said he’d want to give all the money to her.�

Fife says a ton of people came through the community and helped out by buying lemonade and cookies from Lincoln’s stand.

Lincoln raised $346 in just one day selling lemonade and cookies only. Fife says, “Every single bit of it is going to help her with her medical bills.

Lincoln is part of “Mrs. Mariza’s�—as he calls her—class of nine students at Wee Blessings. He’s been at the preschool for a year now, in her class for half the year, but Fife explains MartinezGay has been too weak to be there recently. “We’re just trying to teach our kids how to give back to our community and I felt with this coming up it was the perfect opportunity to teach him, so we got word that they needed some help with their medical bills,� Fife explains about how this event came about. “They never asked for help for anything. We sat

WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM HIS FRIENDS: Lincoln Fife, second from right, sells lemonade for teacher Mariza Martinez-Gay with some friends, from left, Elisha Wells, Dakota Fife, Alec Grant, Olivia Grant, Lincoln, and Genesis Wells. Mother Davi-Anne Fife is in the back row. MartinezGay is pictured in the photo at front. STSN photo by Ron Lang

down and talked about how this is one way to give back.�

He’s shy when asked how the day has been going but Lincoln worked at the lemonade stand from 8:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. with the help of his sister Dakota, 7, and two of his friends, to raise the donation for Martinez-Gay. Fife explains there is a fund to help Martinez-Gay. The school is also holding a boutique from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

Thursday, April 17, at Wee Blessings, 1751 E. Queen Creek Rd., Chandler. “All

$500

OFF

Chandler youth ages 6 to 15 are invited to register for Chandler Youth Football’s upcoming season at one of its registration sessions.

Registration for the youth football organization’s new season will be held 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, April 5; 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday, April 16; and 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, April 26, at Tumbleweed Recreation Center, 745 E. Germann Rd., Chandler.

Chandler Youth Football has served the community for more than 39 years and remains committed to providing high-level football instruction while emphasizing sportsmanship, teamwork and academic excellence. To learn more, visit www.chandleryouthfootball.net or call (480) 840-4142.

proceeds, every single proceed, is going toward her medical bills,� Fife says.

Debi Larkin-Chavez is the owner of Wee Blessings and Fife says that folks interested in helping out should contact the school. For more information, visit www.weeblessingspreschool.com, email weeblessings@cox.net or call (480) 6344788.

Tracy House is the news editor for the SanTan Sun News. She can be reached at tracy@santansun.com.

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Youth

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April 5 – 18, 2014

WHERE KIDS EAT FREE 347 Grill Ak-Chin 16000 Maricopa Rd., Maricopa (520) 233-2426 www.ultrastarakchin.com Here’s the deal: Sunday Brunch 6 and under eat free with paid adult.

On Tuesdays, all kids 12 and younger eat free with purchase of adult entree.

Apple Dumpling Café 3076 E. Chandler Heights Rd. Suite 101, Gilbert (480) 279-3879 www.appledumplingcafe.com Here’s the deal: Mondays are Family Value night, where kids eat free with each adult meal and two drinks purchased. On Family Fun night, kids receive free ice cream with a meal.

After-school coolness is from 2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, where kids buy one ice cream, and get one free Chompie’s 3481 W. Frye Rd., Chandler (480) 398-3008 www.chompies.com Here’s the deal: All day Tuesday, children 10 and younger receive one free item from the kids’ meal menu with adult meal purchase of $8 or more. Dine in only.

Connect5 Family Centers Corp.

222 E. Warner Rd., Chandler (480) 699-2122 1495 S. Higley Rd., Gilbert (480) 361-8410

Here’s the deal: Mondays and Fridays free kids’ meals with an adult purchase for Munchie Monday Free Lunch and Freebie Friday Free Dinner.

Copper Still - Moonshine Grill 2531 S. Gilbert Rd., Suite 101, Gilbert (480) 242-1258 www.CopperStillMoonshineGrill. com Here’s the deal: Every Tuesday, kids ages 10 and younger eat for free with the purchase of an adult meal.

Dilly’s Deli 2895 S. Alma School Rd., Suite 5, Chandler (480) 722-0644 www.dillysdeli.com Here’s the deal: On weekends, get one free kids’ meal for each adult meal purchased for $4.79 or more.

El Palacio Restaurant & Cantina 2950 E. Germann Rd., Chandler (480) 802-5770 www.epchandler.com Here’s the deal: Wednesday kids 12 and younger eat free with paid adult.

Fat Willy’s 4850 S. Gilbert Rd., Chandler (480) 883-1356 www.fatwillysaz.com/Chandler Here’s the deal: From 2 p.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday, dine in and get a free kids’ meal with every adult entrée purchased. Little Leaguers menu only, 12 and younger.

Nabers Music Bar and Eats 825 N. 54th St., Chandler (480) 705-0288 www.nabersaz.com Here’s the deal: Kids eat free every Monday and Tuesday, with the purchase of an adult meal and two beverages.

Pittsburgh Willy’s 1509 N. Arizona Ave., Chandler (480) 857-2860 www.pittsburghwillys.com Here’s the deal: Every day except Sunday breakfast, kids younger than 10 eat free with each paying adult. Additional kids eat for 50 percent off; Wee Willy menu only.

Planet Sub 1920 W. Germann Rd., Chandler (480) 245-6503 www.planetsub.com Here’s the deal: Monday kids eat free with paid adult.

Sidelines Grill 2980 S. Alma School Rd., Chandler (480) 792-6965 www.sidelinesaz.com Here’s the deal: Kids eat free from kids’ menu after 4 p.m. Thursdays with adult entree. Dine-in only.

Cannot be combined with any other offers or specials.

Someburros!

3461 W. Frye Rd., Chandler 2597 S. Market St., Gilbert 1335 E. Baseline Rd., Gilbert

www.someburros.com Here’s the deal: Every Tuesday night from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. kids 12 and younger eat free with purchase of combo or specialty meal. Dine-in only.

The Cove Grill 5070 S. Gilbert Rd., Suite 400, Chandler (480) 802-9070 www.thecovegrill.com Here’s the deal: Tuesday kids younger than 12 receive one free meal per adult entrée purchased.

The Sushi Room 2475 W. Queen Creek Rd., Chandler (480) 821-9000 www.sushiroomaz.com Here’s the deal: Sunday Funday means kids 12 and younger eat free, two kids per paying adult.

Uncle Bear’s Grill and Bar 1980 W. Germann Rd., Chandler (480) 722-1555 www.unclebearsgrillandbar.com Here’s the deal: Wednesday kids eat free with each full price entrée purchased.

Whiskey Rose Bar and Grill 135 W. Ocotillo Rd. Chandler (480) 895-ROSE (7673) www.whiskeyrosesaloon.com Here’s the deal: Kids eat free every day with the purchase of an adult entree and kids drink.

WHERE KIDS EAT FREE The SanTan Sun News now has a regular “Where kids eat free” section.

Restaurant owners, please email us details such as days of the week kids can eat free at your establishment, and what conditions apply, such as purchase of an adult meal, certain hours, etc., Include your restaurant name, address, phone and website and a contact name for verification.

Readers, if you know of a location that has a kidseat-free program, email us with the restaurant name, a phone and / or email for confirmation and details.

Email information to KidsEatFree@santansun. com.

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New Vistas students take top regional honors Four sixth-grade students and two recent graduates under the supervision of Stacey Trepanier from New Vistas Center for Education successfully competed with finalists throughout the Phoenix region for Arizona’s National History Day held at Sorenson Junior High School.

The all-day event marked the culmination of a year of intensive preparation by sixth through 12th graders that began in fall 2013.

The first- and second-place winners in each division will proceed to National History Day State Finals on April 5 at Grand Canyon University. The National History Day (NHD) program, sponsored locally by the Arizona Historical Society and nationally by The History Channel, is dedicated to teaching the importance of history and how historical events have impacted our world today.

For “Best Performance,” Aryasp Nejat presented a moving soliloquy entitled “Veterans Rights—A Two-Way Street,” noting the immense sacrifice that veterans make to secure our rights.

Aryasp was recognized for his effective use of oral history, creative use of archival photographs and the emotional retelling of returning veterans from combat theaters throughout the world.

Kira Armoogam and Grant Trepanier teamed up for their original website entitled “Incanis Confiderus: In Canines We Trust,” dedicated to the work of military-trained dogs who are often sent into harm’s way to secure citizens’

FINALISTS: Pictured are three of the six finalists heading to the state competition in the History Channel’s NHD Competition: From left are teacher Stacey Trepanier and students Hannah Tsay, Riaz Mowzoon-Mogharrabi and Sajni Patel. Submitted photo liberty during combat situations.

Kira and Grant were recognized for the depth with which they presented their topic, extensive field studies and thorough analysis.

Two students scored high with musicrelated themes: Hannah Tsay and Sajni Patel. Hannah, an accomplished pianist, produced a website the judges could only describe as incredibly advanced.

Hannah chose to analyze how jazz star Dave Brubeck did more than just revolutionize music but also worked

tirelessly for the causes of religious and civil rights. Sajni Patel, performed a persuasive monologue depicting Nina Simone, a black musician who lent strength to the cause of blacks in America’s civil rights movement. The judges noted her charismatic delivery and the uniqueness of her topic.

Riaz Mowzoon-Mogharrabi will proceed to state competition for his exhibit which effectively presented his family’s experience with religious persecution in Iran. The judges noted

his exhibit’s unique construction. The family immigrated to the United States from the country of Iran where they had practiced the Baha’i Faith, a new independent world religion. Those in Iran who practice any other religion other than Islam are targeted for arrest and torture.

New Vistas Center for Education is located at 670 N. Arizona Ave., Suite 35, Chandler. It is celebrating its 35th anniversary. For more information, visit www.newvistasaz.com.

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CHANDLER UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT April 8 through April 11: AIMS and Stanford 10 testing April 18: Spring holiday; no school

CTA-Independence Hawks Save the dates – AIMS/Stanford testing is scheduled for April 9 and April 10, second grade; April 9 through April 11, third grade; and April 8 through April 11, fourth through sixth grades. Families are asked not to schedule appointments during testing dates.

Spring Fling – All families are invited to join CTA for its Spring Fling event from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Friday, April 25.

More information and ticket order forms will come home soon.

—Wendi Olson

Haley Tigers Stage stars – Haley’s Drama Club recently performed “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory,” with music led by Haley Music Director Kim Abrahamson. More than 100 students in fourth through sixth grades participated in the production.

The Drama Club, a weekly afterschool program, was created by the ADAPTS (Teacher of Autism Spectrum Disorders) teacher Amy Miller, who also put together the script, set, music and costume details; all

children who auditioned for a role received a part in the play. All 12 children from Miller’s class were in the play.

—Tanya Sanders

Hancock Heat Welcome kindies – Families may come in and register their children for the 2014-15 school year; documents needed for registration include the child’s birth certificate, immunization records and proof of address.

Tax credits – Donations for 2014 can be given any time. Up to $400 can be donated to Hancock for credit on 2014 taxes for the full amount. Thanks to the Hancock families who have already contributed.

—Andrea Dickson

Hull Heroes Test time – Students will take AIMS and Stanford 10 tests April 8 through April 11. Teachers and students have been working hard to prepare for these tests all year.

Read-a-Thon – Pledges for the first Hull PTO Read-A-Thon are due Friday, April 11. All reading logs must be turned in with pledges for students to be eligible for prizes.

Restaurant Night – Families are invited to support Hull PTO by participating in Chick-fil-A restaurant night from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday, April 17, at the Gilbert and Loop 202 location.

Acts of kindness – Hull students collected $1,100 for the Lymphoma Society through the Pennies for Pasta program and donated books for the Books for Jamaica book drive. Thanks to Hull families for their generous tax credit donations.

Thanks due – The Awesome Arctic Festival was a great success, thanks to all the students, families, PTO, volunteers and vendors, and to Mr. Novak for volunteering for the Silly String arena. Thanks also to the staff, teachers, volunteers, students and families who made the Book Fair and Celebration of Learning Night a fun success with a great turnout.

Kudos – Congrats to the fifth- and sixth-grade student winners of the 2014 Science Fair. Also, congrats to Hull for its grant awarded from Fuel Up to Play60 and Dairy Council of AZ to purchase new physical activity equipment.

Class notes – Sixth graders dressed up as Mythological Character Wax Museum exhibits, playing their roles very convincingly. Mrs. G. and the Hull Heroes Chorus Club participated for the seventh year in the district’s Elementary Chorus Festival.

Calendar April 8-11: AIMS/Stanford 10 testing April 14: Environmental forms available April 15: Kindergarten Fairy Tale Night April 25: AIMS Dance Party April 29: Battle of the Books —Lalitha Krishnan

April 5 – 18, 2014

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Tarwater Toros Save the dates – Tarwater’s final Restaurant Night of the year is from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday, April 22, at Barro’s; both dine-in and carry-out orders benefit the school.

Language learning – Tarwater will offer a Kindergarten Mandarin Immersion program for the 2014-2015 school year. Contact Tarwater for more information at (480) 883-4300 or visit the school website.

—JoAnne Cawley

Basha High Bears High honors – Basha High senior Ashley Diaz is the recipient of the 2014 Presidential Honors Scholarship Award as well as the 2014 National Technical Honor Society Award for ranking within the top 20 percent of her graduating class. Ashley was recommended by a school official for the National Technical Honor Award.

Both awards recognize her hard work and dedication by maintaining a 3.5 grade point average for all four years of her attendance at Basha High.

—Sandra Jaramillo

Knox Knights Save the date – The next PTO meeting will be held at 3:45 p.m. Tuesday, April 8, in the library, featuring special guest speaker future KGA Principal Lynn Weed.

SEE CUSD PAGE 36

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April 5 – 18, 2014

CUSD FROM PAGE 35

Nominations for 2014-15 PTO Board members are open; anyone interested should contact knoxelementarypto@gmail.com for more information. Free child care is provided during the meeting.

Flying high – Last year, several CUSD teachers and administrators designed and launched a high-altitude balloon. Sally SkyRider, as she is now known, launched near Casa Grande and traveled nearly 100 miles east to land on the San Carlos Apache Reservation. Sally was recovered, intact and full of interesting data and video footage. This year, Knox gifted fifth graders will take the lead redesigning the questions and payload; the next launch is scheduled for Saturday, April 12. Stay up to date on Sally SkyRider and the work of the KGA fifth graders by following her on Twitter, Instagram and Flickr; check it out at my.yapp. us/D7S8DX. Character Counts – Students are asked to come dressed in green to celebrate the character trait of Responsibility at the next school assembly Thursday, April 17.

Chess champs – The Knox chess team recently won first place in the K-3 champ section. Trophies were also won individually

by Kenneth Su, second place; Benjamin Higgins, fourth place; and Evan Higgins, 15th place.

Calendar April 8: PTO meeting April 8-11: AIMS testing May 2: Field Day May 5-9: Teacher Appreciation Week May 6: PTO meeting May 9: Muffins for Moms —Jacqueline Bartrim

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Get involved and give back by volunteering Event season has hit Arizona with clear skies and beautiful temperatures that draws the community outdoors. Downtown Chandler is no exception, and for the next few months there is an event almost every weekend. The Downtown Chandler Community Partnership (DCCP) is seeking volunteers to assist at a variety of events such as the Chandler Craft Spirits Festival, Cinco de Mayo and Chandler Chill Out. “Volunteering at one of our events is a fun way to get involved in the community, meet people, and assist at events that raise money for our

foundation which provides grants to nonprofits in the community,” explains the DCCP’s Executive Director, Jennifer Lindley.

Volunteer duties vary per event but often include beer and wine tents, ticket sales, wrist banding, information booth, kid zone attendants and more. See below for a list of upcoming events needing volunteers: • Chandler Craft Spirits Festival – 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday April 26, • Cinco de Mayo Festival and Chihuahua Races – 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, May 3, • Chandler Chill Out – 10 a.m. to 2

p.m. Saturday, May 31 Visit downtownchandler.org/ volunteer-downtown/ or email allison@downtownchandler.org for more information.

Kids: Win $15 gift card from Changing Hands Bookstore Students who either live in Chandler, Gilbert, Queen Creek or surrounding areas or who attend area schools can win $15 gift cards from Changing Hands Bookstore, thanks to a partnership between the bookseller and the SanTan Sun News.

This ongoing, monthly promotion awards a $15 Changing Hands gift card to every youth whose article, story, poem, essay, editorial, book review, photo or illustration is chosen to be printed in the SanTan Sun Kids Opportunity section, while

Bring the Kids, they Love our Playroom!

Your Smile is Our Top Priority!

• Cleanings and Dental Examinations • Digital X-Rays • Sealants and Fluoride • Periodontal Treatment • Laser Gum Therapy • Extractions • Teeth Whitening

supplies last. The Kids Opportunity section is printed in the Youth Section of the first paper of the month, each month. The best news is that even though only one to three submissions are printed per month, all good submissions are held in a file to be printed in future issues.

So if an entry doesn’t win this month, it could win next month— or even the month after that.

To enter, visit SanTanSun.com, click on Youth and then on Student

Writer Permission Slip to download a submission-permission slip. Complete the form and have a parent sign it so the paper has permission to print the entry and the author or artist’s byline.

Then, email the submission-permission slip and writing or artwork to news@ SanTanSun. com as a Word file, if writing, or JPEG, if art, or pasted into the email.

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From Chronic Crying to Colic and everything in between, BabyComfort is the fastest way to comfort and soothe even the fussiest of babies. We guarantee it!

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480-963-6105, Ext. 211

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800 West Ray Road South Campus • Chandler

3970 E. Riggs Rd., Ste. 3 | NW Corner of Lindsey & Riggs | Chandler

www.RayofLightPreschool.org

2014-2015 PROGRAMS 9 A.M. - NOON 3-Year-Old Class Tuesday and Thursday Monday, Wednesday and Friday Monday thru Friday 4-Year-Old Class Monday, Wednesday and Friday Pre-K Class Monday thru Friday

Youth

www.SanTanSun.com

April 5 – 18, 2014

37

LITTLE LEARNERS

AWARD WINNER

AWARD WINNER: Horizon Community Center. Submitted photo

—Melissa Hartley

BIRTHDAY FUN: The students at Ray of Light Christian Preschool celebrated Dr. Seuss’ birthday recently with two special guest visitors. First Officer Laura Fabianek and flight attendant Lisa Ellis from US Airways spent the morning reading to children and sharing about all the places they have visited. The students ended their school day with a parade for their parents. Ray of Light, at 800 W. Ray Rd., Chandler, offers programs for ages 3 and 4 and pre-K students from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Monday through Friday. Enrollment for the upcoming school year is underway; prospective families are encouraged to contact the school to schedule a private tour or for more information at (480) 963-6105, ext. 211 or visit www.rayoflightpreschool.com. Submitted photo

• Title and Registration • Title Transfer • Permits: 3 Day, 30 Day, 90 Day • Level One Inspection: Bonded & Salvage • OVH Decal • Special Plate • MVRs

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• Abandoned Vehicle Fee • Mobile Home

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TAEKWONDO New Student Special!

Your first month. Includes uniform.

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Gilbert

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2100 S. Gilbert Rd. #17 • Chandler • Germann & Gilbert

38

Youth

April 5 – 18, 2014

www.SanTanSun.com

YOUTH CHRONICLES Tonimae Bancod, Monica Burba, Chad Flannery, Rachel Gur-Arie, Whitney Lawrence, Nisarg Patel, Cindy Shi and Jorge Tenorio of Chandler were among more than 100 students who represented Arizona State University at the Clinton Global Initiative University meeting held recently at ASU’s Tempe campus. The event brought together college students to address global challenges with practical, innovative solutions.

Megan Liborio, a junior at Basha High School in Chandler, is the firstplace winner out of 29 competitors in her division at the Phoenix Metro Jr. Championship, held recently at Dobson Ranch Golf Course in Mesa.

Benjamin Pitt of Chandler is on the fall 2013 Dean’s List at Berklee College of Music in Boston, Mass. To qualify, a full-time student must achieve a grade point average of 3.4 or above; a parttime student must achieve a grade

point average of 3.6 or above.

Chandler residents Allison Desrosiers, Nhan Du, Edward Gonzalez, Jeffrey Hanley, Baltazar Hernandez, Caroline Hutchins, Samantha Incorvaia, Jason Kerestes, Damon Krause, Miles Johnson, Athena Lovely, Kristin Jones, Jenni Layton, Ha Mai, Erin Mattocks-Thielsen, Krista McDowell, Kaleena Middleton, Alexis Mitchell, Gina Nasta, Kalin Nehrenz, Sydney Park, Bailey Patchen, Lacey Phillips,

Santiago Quinio, Loni Rae, Caitlyn Scanlon, Nicholas Shaw, Madeleine St. Peter, Amanda Sweig, Cynthia Thomas, Yuexin Wu and Bryant Young are on the fall 2013 Dean’s List at Arizona State University. To qualify, undergraduate students must earn a grade point average of 3.5 or higher in 12 or more graded semester hours during a semester in residence at ASU.

Free self-defense seminars offered

Speech contest yields winners

A free one-hour self-defense seminar for females 14 years and older is offered Saturday, May 3, by Kajukenbo AZ. The seminar covers a variety of useful techniques, including kicks, strikes, verbal techniques and defenses from front grabs, hair pulls, back grabs and arm grabs. Other upcoming free seminars will be held Aug. 16 and Nov. 1.

Founded in 1947, Kajukenbo is a blend of five styles of martial arts: karate, judo, jiu-jitzu, kenpo and kung fu. Kaju’s free seminars were recently featured on “The List” on ABC Channel 15, during which studio

The first District Modern Woodmen Speech Contest for northern-area Legacy Traditional Schools at the Athlos Campus winners were: First place, Katie Rea, a fifth grader at LTSGilbert; second place, Delaney Auer, a seventh grader at LTS-Avondale; and third place, Jordan Sutherland, a sixth grader at LTS-Queen Creek. These students are eligible to compete at the state level.

The contest was designed to enhance students’ public speaking abilities, as well as research and organization skills.

The Legacy Traditional School district, featuring a back-to-basics

owner and master instructor Sigung Kelly Corder demonstrated for “The List” host Donna Ruko the best tools for preventing or fighting off an attack in different settings.

Kajukenbo AZ operates two Valley locations, 3978 E. Chandler Heights Rd., Gilbert, and 2602 W. Baseline Rd., Suite 1, Mesa, and will also visit the site of any business, organization or group to present a free self-defense seminar. To learn more, visit www. kajuaz.com, email info@kajuaz.com or call (480) 755-3008.

curriculum and accelerated pace of studies, operates several campuses Valleywide, including locations in Chandler, Gilbert and Queen Creek. To learn more, visit www.legacytraditional. org.