Playground improvements help student attain Eagle Scout honor
BY KEN ABRAMCZYK
Jake Daily, a freshman at Seton Catholic Prep School in Chandler, attained the rank of Eagle Scout recently, after he completed repairs, painting and improvements at his former school, Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Tempe.
Jake, 14, repaired and painted three brick walls, and laid 345 square feet of artificial grass in the preschool playground at the school.
He volunteered to complete the project, which was finished in December. He attended Our Lady of Mount Carmel from kindergarten to eighth grade.
Jake Daily of Chandler recently achieved the rank of Eagle Scout after he and other volunteers repaired three walls and installed artificial grass at Our
“I wanted to give back to the school for my nine years of education,” Jake says Jake remembers that the preschoolers were not permitted to play on an old surface of gravel there because teachers feared the children would fall and hurt themselves.
He decided that as his Eagle Scout project, he would tackle the improvements with assistance from other scouts and volunteers. Last August the crew began the work there.
Cracks in three walls were filled, old
paint was scraped off and then the walls were painted.
The old gravel and fill were dug up and removed from the playground. New fill and sand were added and leveled, then artificial grass was installed, according to Scoutmaster Alan Garlington, who leads Jake’s troop, No. 379.
“It was a nice little project,” Garlington says.
“Like a lot of other Eagle projects, it had good value to the community. He did a good job.”
Jake organized the group of volunteers, consisting of Garlington, other scouts, Jake’s parents and other adults. For a project of this magnitude, adults are needed to provide supervision, but Jake showed leadership in organizing the group, Garlington says
The project was completed in December. The total of 123 volunteer hours easily surpassed the Eagle requirement of 100 hours.
Jake’s mother, Laura Daily, says she has enjoyed watching Jake take on the additional responsibilities during his years in Boy Scouts, which he has been a member since first grade.
Jake has attended camps from
Connecticut to California, sometimes gone for a week at a time, learning to be on his own and take care of responsibilities and chores.
“It’s been incredible to watch him grow,” Laura says. She says she and her husband, Fred, are proud of her son attaining the Eagle Scout status, especially at the age of 14.
“He’s a good kid,” she says.
Ken Abramczyk is an associate editor at the SanTan Sun News. He can be reached at ken@timespublications.com.
Chandler teen youngest Symetra winner
BY TIM J. RANDALL
Chandler teen Hannah O’Sullivan took a step toward her plan to play and compete with the world’s best golfers on the LPGA tour by winning the Symetra Gateway Classic in late February.
Playing at the 6,463-yard, par-72 Longbow Golf Club in Mesa, the 16-yearold golfer carded an impressive three-day aggregate total of 15 under par, while besting the second place finisher by four strokes.
“I took one shot at a time and was lucky that I came out on top,” Hannah says. “To be able to represent the local area and come out with a win, I can’t even describe the feeling.”
The Symetra Tour is the development arm of the LPGA tour and showcases some of the best young women golfers from around the globe. With her victory, O’Sullivan became the youngest winner on the Symantec stage at 16 years, 9 months and 11 days, assuming the mantle held for 20 years by LPGA superstar Cristie Kerr. Additionally, she is the fourth youngest golfer to win on either the LPGA or Symetra Tour.
“To be able to win on the Symetra Tour, at any age, means so much,” she says.
O’Sullivan’s impressive three-day run to the title included 17 birdies and two bogeys with a concluding round of 3-under-par 69.
“I knew my game was good, I was happy with where it was entering the week,” O’Sullivan says.
Playing on a sponsor’s exemption for the week, O’Sullivan had no thoughts of winning the event, but just wanted to make the cut.
“I am so grateful for this opportunity,
it has not really sunk in yet, but it feels incredible to know that all of my hard work over the off season has paid off,” she says.
O’Sullivan would have liked to have cashed the $15,000 prize, but her amateur status eschewed that possibility. In the same breath, she mentions she has history and math tests to study for, and an English paper due for her studies at Hamilton High School.
“My ultimate dream is to play on the LPGA Tour and compete at the highest level after I graduate from college,” she says.
That matriculation will occur at USC.
“I am verbally committed, so Fight On,” she says, referencing the school’s official fight song.
The next step for O’Sullivan is trying to compete at the LPGA Founders Cup at Wildfire Golf Club at JW Marriott Phoenix Desert Ridge Resort & Spa March 19 through March 22.
Following this will be an expected appearance April 2 through April 5 at Longbow Golf Club for the American Junior Golf Association Winn Grips Heather Farr Classic.
“The win gives me a big boost of confidence and I am just so thankful to given this opportunity,” she says.
Tim J. Randall is a freelancer for the SanTan Sun News. He can be reached at news@santansun.com.
Girls raise awareness and funds through dance
BY LYNETTE CARRINGTON
Four Valley students striving to improve the lives of girls in India raised more than $6,000 during a recent dance fundraiser at the Tempe Center for the Arts. Among the organizers/dancers was Anagha Deshpande, a student at Hamilton High School.
The monies raised went to the nonprofit organization She’s the First in an effort to raise awareness to the plight of girls in developing nations who are often faced with gender inequality and wind up in controlling or abusive relationships.
“The donation will be used to sponsor girls at our partner school in a village outside of Bangalore, India,” says Katie Riley, campus program coordinator for She’s the First.
The organization sponsors the education of girls in low-income countries with a goal of creating firstgeneration graduates and the next generation of global leaders.
“The event is an inspiring example of what young people can do to support the causes that they are passionate about,” Riley explains.
Anagha was joined by fellow dancers and BASIS Scottsdale students Divya Vatsa, Natasha Menon and Shourya Kothakapu.
“Their commitment to girls’ education
Jake Daily, center, red sweatshirt, was joined by other Boy Scouts and adult volunteers to complete his playground improvements and wall repairs. Submitted photo
Lady of Mount Carmel School. Submitted photo
Hannah O’Sullivan is the youngest winner at the Symetra Gateway Classic. Photo courtesy of Rick Scuteri
Sister Cities seeks young artists, authors from Chandler RANDOM ACTS OF KINDNESS AT TARWATER
Chandler’s Sister City affiliate, Chandler-Tullamore Sister Cities (CTSC), which represents the “twinning” of Chandler and Tullamore, Ireland, invites Chandler youth between the ages of 13 and 18 to participate in the sixth annual 2015 Young Artists and Authors Showcase.
The showcase theme for 2015 is “Connecting Communities for Peace and Prosperity.”
Young Artist entries must be no larger than 24 inches by 36 inches, including matting. Only 2-dimension works are accepted. Watercolor, oils, pastels, pen and ink, charcoal, photography, 2-dimensional mixed media, as well as computer-generated art are all acceptable media.
Young Authors - essayists and poets - are encouraged to creatively express the theme. Essays are not to exceed 500 words, and poetry is not to exceed 25 lines. All entries must be typed in English. Winners will be required to also submit a digital copy. Judges will evaluate on theme interpretation, composition, and grammar.
The deadline for Young Artist and Young Authors entries is Wednesday, March 25.
A reception will be held from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. Friday, April 17, at Vision Gallery.
One piece of artwork, one poem and one essay from the Chandler entries will be submitted to Sister Cities International where the national finalists are chosen. Grand prize winners at the national level will receive $1,000 from Sister Cities International.
After the national finalists for art and literature have been announced, they embark on a year-long tour hosted by local sister city programs on a monthly basis.
Chandler-Tullamore Sister Cities has been honored for the second year to host the national exhibit, which will be held at Vision Gallery in April. Chandler’s Art and Author Showcase, Hamilton High School student Brandon Thornton, was the national grand prize winner.
Underwriting for the 2015 Art and Author Showcase is made possible through a grant received from the Chandler Special Events Committee and the Chandler Cultural Foundation.
Entry Guidelines and Forms may be found at www.chandlerirish.org.
For further information, contact Ellen Harrington at chan.to.tull@gmail.com or (480) 600-8509. Its website is www. chandlerirish.org.
Second-grade students at Tarwater Elementary School were busy recently spreading random acts of kindness throughout their campus. On Tuesday, Feb. 17, they took it one step further by having Capt. Kindness, otherwise known as Principal Jeff Hensley, surprise all the first graders as he delivered the important message to “Be kind and pass it on!” The second graders covered the campus with smiley faces on every door, hidden bookmarks in library books, left sweet treats for random students, wrote kind words with colorful chalk on the playground and sent handwritten thank-you notes to their staff. Tarwater’s random acts of kindness will continue throughout February. Submitted photo
Leadership in children: Can these traits be learned?
BY CAROL ELIAS, NEW VISTAS CENTER FOR EDUCATION DIRECTOR
Recently, business coach and motivational speaker John Maxwell was approached by a company executive who relayed the following story: “Last week my 3 year old’s teacher said that she’d noticed leadership qualities in my daughter. That bowled me over!... Because I know how my daughter can be at times—strong-willed and persistent. The teacher said, ‘She is definitely a leader. If she wants other kids to jump, she is the first one to jump. She is an example for others to follow and now others look to her for leadership.’”
So are children born with leadership traits? Or are such traits learned? The neuroscience revolution has enabled researchers to look at this issue in ways they hadn’t before. They can now identify a small genetic predisposition to leadership. But genetic predisposition doesn’t account for everything. In fact, it only accounts for a little less than 30 percent. Seventy
SEE LEADERSHIP PAGE 30
Registration opens March 13 for CCA summer camp
BY MEGHAN MCCOY
Registration begins Friday, March 13, for the Chandler Center for the Arts’ three summer camps that will have youth singing, dancing and acting.
“The programs helps in developing selfconfidence and other skills for their day-today activities,” says Judi Johnson, the center’s arts marketing coordinator.
The summer kicks off with the threeweek Full-Scale Musical Production Camp, which will be held room 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday, June 1, through Friday, June 19.
Campers will memorize lines, learn dance and song routines, as well as experience the process of putting together a musical production. Students will hold auditions, stage block and analyze the characters.
The second and third summer camps are called Mini-Musicals—both of which are one-week camps—and will be held from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday, June 22, through Friday, June 26, and Monday, July 6, through Friday, July 10.
“It’s a condensed version of what we do in our three-week camps,” says Johnson, adding that the plays are shorter as well.
Youngsters can attend all three camps, each of which will produce a different musical. Kids will learn the name of the musical on the camp’s first day.
Each camp is to 70 kids aged 7 to 14 years old. She says everyone who attends the camp will have a role in the musical.
“It depends on how they audition to what part, but they all get one,” Johnson says.
Campers are encouraged to wear dance
shoes or sneakers, as well as comfortable clothing.
The summer camps have been at capacity since it started in 2009.
“They really develop a sense of team,” Johnson says why she believes it is popular. “If you are not in an athletic sport and you don’t really have that outside of a team thing, unless you are part of a cast, this is another outlet to have that same experience in a theatrical setting.”
She says it’s neat to watch the kids transform as the week goes on during the camp.
“They really bond with each other, especially with the three week camp,”
Johnson says. “It’s amazing when you see some of these little kids (that) are so shy the first couple of days, to see them come out of their shells.”
The cost is $525 for the three-week camp and $195 for the one-week camp. Campers must bring their own lunch.
For more information, or to register for the camp, visit www.chandlercenter.org.
Meghan McCoy is the Neighbors, Spirituality and Business section editor for the SanTan Sun News. She can be reached at meghan@santansun.com.
Youngsters 7 to 14 years old have the opportunity to sing, dance and act this summer during the Chandler Center for the Arts Full-Scale Musical Production or Mini-Musical camps. Submitted photo
and empowering their peers around the globe is evidenced by the hard work and planning it took to orchestrate such a successful fundraiser. She’s the First is very proud of Divya, Anagha, Natasha and Shourya and their peers at BASIS Scottsdale and in the Tempe community.”
Divya is a sophomore and the chapter president of She’s the First at BASIS Scottsdale.
“All of us are extremely passionate about helping others in need around the world. We thought this cause was something we really related to,” Divya explains. “We thought that combining these two ideas—dance and helping others—and then combining it together would be a really unique and impactful idea. We were really excited to get started on this.”
The group of four girls did all of the fundraiser’s organizing, planning and marketing.
The four girls, who take dance lessons at Sampradaya Dance of India School, worked long hours at Anagha’s house, choreographing the program.
“We started dancing together 10 years ago,” says Natasha, a Xavier College Preparatory junior.
“We became friends really quickly. We grew up together and had dance every week together. We graduated by doing our graduation dance called Arangetram and that means we’ve gotten very comfortable and sort of mastered this art form.”
After their Arangetram, the girls wanted to do something more with their passion.
“Our very first duet was a piece on Ganesha, one of the Hindu gods,” says Anagha.
“Almost all Indian performances focus on an invocation for this god because he is believed to move obstacles and challenges and bring good luck.”
The second duet was focused on the lack of education that some girls face in developing nations.
“We paired off where two girls showed an uneducated household where they have to work their entire lives,” Anagha explains. “The other two dancers showed two girls getting an education and going to college. It showed how their two situations really separated them and eventually became so bad that they were friends when they were little and then they couldn’t
even recognize each other when they grew up.”
Another dance portrayed romance gone wrong.
“At first it starts off romantic and then the guy becomes really controlling, possessive and abusive,” Anagha says. “It’s really sad that a lot of women wind up going back to these men that are abusive. We showed how the woman can break free and take control of her own life.”
In contrast to that couple, a dance portrays a healthy relationship.
“We made it a point in the healthy relationship to show a fight between the couple but we resolved it in a healthy way instead of having it turn physical,” says Shourya, a senior at Phoenix’s Pinnacle High School.
About 500 acquaintances attended the performance at Tempe Center for the Arts. A friend of Natasha’s mother owns a series of group homes and about 60 of those girls were invited to the performance.
“They had such an amazing time,” Natasha says. “It was really cool to see their faces when they saw our dance. I’m really happy they were able to come.”
Lynette Carrington is a freelancer for the SanTan Sun News. She can be reached at lynette@santansun.com.
Mark H. Wilson, M.D. and Lois Henderson, FNP—We
Natasha Menon, Shourya Kothakapu, Anagha Deshpande and Divya Vatsa, from left, created a fundraising event that brought in more than $6,000 for nonprofit organization She’s the First. STSN photo by Lynette Carrington
Chandler Unified School District
March 9 through March 23: School intersession
March 23: Teacher inservice/workday, no school
Tarwater Toros
The 2014-2015 School Cents: The promotion ends on March 30. Turn in any remaining receipts dated from May 1, 2014, to the office or log them at guest services at Chandler Fashion Center. Thank you for keeping Tarwater at the top of the leader board.
Boosterthon: PTO’s second fundraiser for this school year begins when the students return from Spring Break, on Tuesday, March 24. The Boosterthon is two weeks of daily “pep rallies” where students learn about the Toro Targets and other important values. The Boosterthon ends with a fun run on April 6, and all parents are encouraged to come out during this fun event and support the students. All proceeds raised will be used for a Read Naturally program and for the purchase of laptops to be used at all grade levels.
—JoAnne Cawley
Hamilton High Huskies
Football fundraiser dinner: The Hamilton Gridiron Golf tournament will be on Saturday, May 2, at the Ocotillo Golf Resort. Early bird registration
has started; register by March 28 for the discounted price of $100 a player. Registration includes 18 holes of golf and dinner that evening. After March 28, the cost will be $125 per person. Visit the Hamilton Gridiron website, http://hamiltonhuskiesfootball.com/ to register. Golf polos may also be preordered/purchased on the website to be picked up the day of the event. Limited sponsorships are available now. All proceeds go to support Hamilton Huskies Football. Email: hamiltongridironclub@gmail.com if you are interested.
Hamilton High School Spring Football Camps: Sign up now for the Hamilton High School Spring Football Camps held from April 1 through April 30 at the school. There will be two camps— one for fourth through sixth graders, and another one for seventh to eighth graders. The camp will help students improve their skills on the football field and focus on fundamental football techniques by position. To register Go to www.cusd80.com, Click on “Community Education” tab at top, then click “CUSD Camps/Clinics” on left, if new to Community Ed. Select “Register for a Community Ed. Program,” if already registered select “Access Your Community Ed. Account,” then click “Hamilton High School.” Finally, find “Spring Football Camp” and register. —Wendi Lyle
In honor of Presidents Day, Hancock announced a new group: The Hancock Flag Detail. Submitted photo
Hancock Heat
Proud to be an American: In honor of Presidents Day, Hancock announced a new group: The Hancock Flag Detail. The group is made up of fifth-grade students who will take turns raising, lowering and folding the American flag. Members from the Arizona Army National Guard—Maj. Noel Chun, Sgt. Arturo Hernandez and Spc. Daven Dumas—trained the students. Pictured are: In the fourth row are Spc. Daven Dumas, Dylan Anderson, Maj. Noel Chun and Sgt. Arturo Hernandez; in the third row are Camden Haggard, Principal Connie Hull, Tatum Thomas, Emilee Horky, Brayden Shields, Diego Franco, Daniela Chavez and Administrative Assistant Sue Dunham. In the second row are: Sean Paterick, Karla Quintero, Joshua Morris, Timothy Weddell and Anthony Dominguez; and in the first row are Charlenne Jimenez, Emily Do, Mayli Nielson and Katie Dunn.
Orchestra notes: Congratulations to sixth-grade student Peyton Neimeir for being selected to participate in the Chandler District Honor Orchestra. She has been diligent about practicing on her own. Great job, Peyton! PTO needs you: A few members of the PTO board are finishing their service this year. Those interested in volunteering with the PTO board should send an email to hancockpto@gmail.com. Elections will be held during the April 6 general meeting.
Calendar: March 9 to March 23: Spring intersession; no school April 3: Spring holiday, no school April 6: PTO meeting at Hancock April 17: Kindergarten field trip to Children’s Museum of Phoenix —Amy Fricke
Chandler High Celebrates 100 Years With Special Centennial Book
Chandler High School is celebrating 100 years of serving East Valley area high school students this year. Founded in 1914, just two years after the city of Chandler was founded, Chandler High School will celebrate its centennial with a special book dedicated to documenting Chandler High’s history and growth, alumni memories, curriculum changes throughout the years and Chandler High School Sports Hall of Fame.
The Centennial Book will include letters from city and state officials, memories of events that occurred over the last 100 years, photos of the current graduating class, local business advertisements and photos of alumni with space to submit a quote for publishing in the book. Chandler High School’s Principal Larry Rother explains the importance of this Centennial Book to the city of Chandler: “Chandler High is one of a small group of Arizona schools that can say they have served their community for 100 years, and this book will provide the most authentic account of that history from those who lived it – Chandler’s Alumni.”
Chandler High School has a long history of expansion to accommodate the area’s population growth. The school building has undergone several construction developments, most notably the original development in 1922, the frame and architecture of which still stands today. Subsequently, Chandler High School was used as a promotional tool to attract out of state residents who were interested in settling in Arizona and providing their children with superior education.
Chandler High is also home to notable alumni. Among the graduating alumni: several NFL players, major league baseball players, WNBA players, actors, authors and community business leaders, including Eddie Basha, Jr.
The Centennial Yearbook is a very special and memorable anthology that will appeal to Chandler High School alumni and Arizona residents alike.
For information on advertising in the Chandler High Centennial Book or submitting a special memory on your alumni page, please visit www.farabeepublishing.com and click on the Chandler High link. This is also where you can order the Centennial Book for $65. Funds collected will go to the school in the form of scholarships and other school programs.
percent of leadership qualities in children are nurtured through behavior modeling by parents and teachers. Understanding that genetics plays only a small role then, leads parents and teachers to take an active part in modeling leadership for children. So what behaviors matter?
Leadership skills are a combination of many characteristics and factors that enable children to streamline and correct their mindsets and perfect their skills with confidence. In fact, these characteristics enable children to profit immensely in all areas of life. Some of these characteristics are:
1. They love to learn. They welcome challenges and are willing to grow.
2. They are authentic when communicating and strive to listen before making judgments.
3. They have a positive attitude, are flexible, independent, responsible and tend to follow through with tasks.
4. They exhibit empathy, passion and commitment.
5. They persist and creatively problemsolve especially in the face of mistakes or hardship.
6. They focus on solutions rather than problems.
7. They have an ability to plan and strategize.
8. They inspire and mobilize, not only themselves (self-motivated), but also, others.
9. They value relationships.
What’s interesting is that these are the same characteristics identified by businesses as essential traits for employees to exhibit.
Each day parents teach their children how to be kind, self-confident, generous and how to have a healthy sense of self. Parents model structure and organization. Such skills lead to healthy expectations of self and others, as well as, how to examine options, and how to solve problems. Whether it’s learning to dance, doing homework, being a friend, taking a bath or cleaning the bedroom before playtime, parents have unlimited opportunities to teach leadership skills through everyday interactions.
That parental example is an important bridge to meaningful relationships later in life. The parent/ child relationship is the first step to fostering leadership qualities as an adult. And, leaders understand how important relationships are to effective leadership. After all, you cannot have a leader without people willing to follow. Most will even admit that being inspiring, compassionate, mindful (acting with integrity) and even playful helps create and sustain more effective leadership relationships. So parents, take heart. Your influence could someday nurture the next CEO, president or start-up entrepreneur.
When Nice is just … Nice
From Dr. Chamberlain’s Desktop
As part of our efforts to strive for excellence in patient satisfaction, we commit ourselves to continuous training. Each year we invest in days of staff training. Last year we invested in two days of Ritz Carlton Training and this year, for the month of February, we have challenged our staff to read a book called, The Nordstrom Way to Customer Service Excellence.
We know there is always something to learn from the best in each industry. One item that I found interesting in our book reading was
Free SAT, ACT practice tests at Tutor House
High school juniors and seniors are invited to take a free SAT or ACT practice test on Saturday, March 7, at Tutor House Tutoring Services, 1256 W. Chandler Blvd., Suite F, Chandler.
Testing is from 9:15 a.m. to 1 p.m. with a welcome and registration from 9 a.m. to 9:15 a.m. Students should bring a calculator to the session.
Taking the practice test is a way for students to find strengths and weaknesses in a low-pressure environment. Participants will learn about the test format, question types, timing and content tested on these college entrance exams. Test results and analysis are given by email. Separately scheduled conferences are available.
This free practice test is offered in addition to Tutor House’s regular SAT
and ACT prep programs. Tutor House is a family owned and operated learning center helping students reach their full potential by providing an individualized approach to education. The tutoring process begins with a skills assessment that will identify students’ academic strengths and weaknesses. Test results are reviewed with parents, and a program is designed to address the student’s individual needs.
A wide range of one-on-one and small group tutoring for students in kindergarten through 12th grade is available, including tutoring in reading, math, writing, study skills, algebra, geometry, calculus, science, SAT/ACT prep and other topics.
Sign up at www.TutorHouseAZ.com on the homepage to reserve a seat.
For more information, call (480) 857-1222 or email Tutoring@TutorHouseAZ.com.
STUDENT CHRONICLES
Anastasia Plyasunova has been named to the University of Delaware’s dean’s list for the 2014 Fall semester. To meet eligibility requirements for the dean’s list, a student must be enrolled full-time and earn a GPA of 3.33 or above (on a 4.0 scale) for the semester.
Christine Winkelman has been named to the Fall 2014 Southwest Baptist University honor roll for
Chamberlain Orthodontics transforms smiles every day… Why not yours? Call 480-899-9423
Nordstrom’s philosophy to, “hire the smile, train the skill.” I completely relate to this statement. Not just due to the fact the an attractive smile is proven to raise one’s ability to find better employment and higher pay, but also in the fact that if you are striving for amazing customer satisfaction, you need people who are “nice.” One of my favorite compliments are when our patients exclaim that all of the staff at Chamberlain Orthodontics are just so nice. True, it is a wonderful place to work and that the atmosphere definitely makes it easier to be pleasant, but I feel that the staff at Chamberlain Orthodontics are unique in their “niceness.” Yes, they are highly skilled, hard workers, problem solvers and great think-
undergraduate students. To be listed on the semester’s honor roll, students must carry at least 12 hours of college work at Southwest Baptist University in Bolivar, Missouri, and earn at least a B (3.0 GPA), with no grade below C. Josh Barro and Devin Lawson were admitted to Cornell College in Mount Vernon, Iowa, and offered the Presidential Scholarship.
ers. Numerous reviews from our community can attest to that fact.
But more than all of those great qualities, I’m proud that our staff members are uniquely nice. As the author, Robert Spector has written, “Have you ever tried to take someone who is not inherently nice and magically make them nice? It can’t be done.”
If you happen to stop by our office in the next few weeks, please ask us about what we liked best about the book. For those of our office staff who read the book in its entirety, we are planning a special trip to the mall for a “Nordstrom experience.” And, if you have a desire to create a smile that matches your “niceness,” please stop by or give us a call. I know we can do wonders with your smile and that you will have a “nice” Chamberlain Experience.
