9 20 2014 stsn p27 34 youth

Youth

AZ BabyComfort soothes colicky babies

BY ALISON STANTON

When Camie Judge’s youngest son Declan was diagnosed with colic as an infant, she and her husband did everything in their power to try to help him.

“We had many sleepless nights and long periods of continually holding him,” Judge says.

They took Declan out for plenty of car rides because it seemed to help him.

When Declan was 2 months old, the couple contacted Robin Franz, owner of AZ BabyComfort in Gilbert. Franz’s company rents out devices called BabyComfort that she says helps soothe the average colicky baby in three minutes.

As Franz explains, her uncle, who is a pediatrician, designed the BabyComfort device as a way to help soothe his children, all five of whom were severely colicky. After placing his babies in their car seats on top of a running clothes dryer for hours in an effort to help them feel better, Franz says her uncle was inspired to come up with another solution.

“It uses a very specific vibration, sound, speed and motion. It was designed by a pediatrician, but then refined by parents and engineers,” Franz says.

He says more than 100 local babies have been helped by BabyComfort.

“One hundred percent of

babies have all been soothed by BabyComfort. People see it and sometimes think it’s a bouncer, rocker or swing, but it’s totally different,” Franz says.

“The way it works on colicky babies is unbelievable; most will be asleep in five minutes, which is less than the time it takes to pack up the car and take the baby for a ride.”

Franz says parents like Judge will contact her, and after verifying that their baby has colic, she will bring a BabyComfort unit directly to their home, show them how to set it up in less than a minute and then pick it up once they are done. She travels Valleywide.

Most parents rent the BabyComfort for two weeks to a couple of months. The cost is $100 per month, which is prorated daily, and a $50 service fee, which includes the delivery, pickup, setup and tutorial on how to use it.

During October, Franz says she is offering a free month’s rental.

“The only thing I’m asking in return is that if it works, for them to tell their friends about it,” she says.

Judge, who lives in Scottsdale, says that it was “absolutely amazing” when they tried the machine with Declan.

“It worked immediately,” says Judge, who used the product until Declan was 4 months old.

For parents who have been

spending countless hours standing in front of a clothes dryer or driving their inconsolable infants around in the car, Franz says watching their infants suddenly become calm and happy is an incredible experience.

“I’ve had moms start crying because they cannot believe it,” Franz says.

For more information about AZ BabyComfort, call (602) 549-3146 or visit www.azbabycomfort.com.

Alison Stanton is a freelance writer who lives in the East Valley. She can be reached at alison@santansun.com

Accelerated Private Preschool & Kindergarten

Youth

Hamilton Night Out at Main

Event Tempe

Hamilton High School AFJROTC Boosters are hosting Hamilton Night Out at Main Event, 8545 S. Emerald Dr., Tempe, just east of Interstate 10 and north of Warner Road, 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 5. Enjoy unlimited fun with unlimited bowling including shoes, laser tag, gravity ropes, billiards, shuffle board and a $5 game card. Cost is $20. Buy tickets the night of the event at the Hamilton table in front of Main Event starting at 4:30 p.m. or at the Hamilton football game on Sept. 26. For more information call (480) 252-1119 or go to www.fugeo1.wix. com./hhs-at-mainevent.

Youngsters focus of Ocotillo golf program

BY TIM J. RANDALL

As the official end of the PGA golf season rolls to a conclusion in September with the FED EX Cup and the biennial Ryder Cup matches, Stephen Kahler of Ocotillo Golf Resort is looking forward to teeing off a new season of junior golf programs.

Kahler, the resort’s PGA head golf professional, intends to grow the game for the next generation.

“It is just great to see how the junior golf programs have evolved here at the course since I started in 2007,” Kahler says.

Despite the robust coverage of golf on TV and large tournament purses, the sport’s popularity has been on a decline. According to the latest statistics from the National Golf Foundation, 25.3 million golfers in the United States chased par in 2012, down from the high of more than 30 million in 2005. Perhaps more problematic, though, is the decline in youth golf, with a fall off of 35 percent during the past five years, according to recent data from the Club Managers Association of America.

Kahler, along with his colleagues Kay Cornelius, director of instruction, and Mark Bakeman, director of golf, are making a concerted effort to change that dynamic.

“Golf as a whole suffers from three distinct pressures,” Kahler notes. “It is expensive, challenging and time

consuming.”

These three issues can be even more acute for kids who have so many other options for spending their time and money.

For Kahler, the first step is a focus on affordability with the club’s junior academy, which allows young golfers to have unlimited access to practice, and depending on tee-time availability, to play the course for $50 a month.

For golfers who already play the game, the fall break junior golf classes helps hone a player’s skills. It is offered from 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 30, through Thursday, Oct. 2, and Tuesday, Oct. 7, through Thursday, Oct. 9. Juniors can sign up for the $60 three-day sessions and improve their games.

“This has really been great to see how many kids now use this option. It is so cool to come out on a Saturday for example and see young people playing and practicing,” he says.

The academy does not include instruction, but youth can receive training with three other programs.

The first is the after-school junior golf program, which is an initial exposure to the game. Primarily for beginners ages 5-12, the program teaches etiquette and rules, as well as the fundamentals of the full swing, chipping and putting. This introduction series begins with a Tuesday group on Nov. 5, and a Wednesday group on Nov. 6.

The first series runs for six weeks from 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. on the respective nights, breaks for the holidays, and then picks up in January for eight weeks. The cost is $125.

Lastly, for high school golfers, Ocotillo offers its skill development series from 3:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. Oct. 12 and Oct. 19. This is a $35-per-class tutorial on taking a competitor’s game to the next level.

“We focus on course management with the high school players, really looking at how they can improve their games through thinking their way around the golf course,” Kahler remarks.

Overall, Kahler wants to make golf more relevant and user-friendly for the current and next generation of players, consistent with the PGA of America’s Golf 2.0 program.

For information and questions regarding the program or to sign up, contact Kahler at skahler@troongolf. com or (480) 917-6660.

Tim J. Randall is a freelancer for the SanTan Sun News. He can be reached at news@santansun.com.

FAMILY FUN

LOOK, GRANDPA: Three-year-old Jackson Milton shows his grandpa his classroom. Wee Blessings Preschool and Academy recently celebrated Grandparents Day with an event themed “Grandparents and Goldfish.” Grandparents visited the classroom, and children presented them with handmade gifts. For more information, call (480) 634-4788 or visit www.weeblessingspreschool.com. Wee Blessings is at 1751 E. Queen Creek Rd., Chandler. Submitted photo

Young Chandler chefs invited to Chuck Wagon Cook-off

Aspiring chefs ages 10 to 15 can compete with creative cobblers at this year’s Chuck Wagon Cook-off Sunday, Nov. 9, at Tumbleweed Park, 2250 S. McQueen Rd, Chandler.

The deadline to submit an entry form is Wednesday, Sept. 24. Participants will be chosen on a first-come, first-served basis and notified by Friday, Oct. 10.

On Sunday, Nov. 9, youth participants will each be assigned to one of the wagon teams, whose members will provide guidance for cooking cobbler in a Dutch oven over a wood fire. No cooking experience is required to enter the Junior Cook-off, and parental help is not allowed. All participants will receive the same basic cobbler recipe and the necessary ingredients upon arrival, but are encouraged to add their own spices and/or seasonings to personalize the recipe.

Check-in begins at 11:30 a.m. and cobblers must be delivered to the judging station at 2 p.m. Prizes will be awarded to the top three cobblers, and winners will be announced at 3 p.m.

The free event runs from Friday, Nov. 7, through Sunday, Nov. 9, and features authentic 1880s chuck wagons competing in an old-fashioned cook-off. Other Sunday festivities will begin at 9 a.m., and the wagon teams will cook up

a cowboy breakfast for purchase at 10 a.m. KFYI radio personality and Arizona’s foremost foodie, Jan D’Atri, will also be on hand Sunday to demonstrate unique outdoor cooking recipes.

For more information, call (480) 7822751.

CHOIR POWER

IN TUNE: The Chandler Children’s Choir (CCC) performs in concert with the Sun Lakes Doo Wops and Ambassadors at 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 3, at the Sun Lakes Oakwood Clubhouse Ballroom in Chandler. “The Start of Something Big” is the theme for the concert, which will include song selections in a variety of musical genres. CCC has 120 members ranging in age from 7 to 15. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased at the door beginning at 6 p.m. To learn more, call (480) 699-9846 or visit www. chandlerchildrenschoir.org. Submitted photo

STUDENT CHRONICLES

Tristen Gilbert and Monique Wells of Chandler are new students at Fort Lewis College in Durango, Colorado. Tristen is majoring in general biology, and Monique is majoring in environmental and organismic biology.

Nick Palomares of Chandler, a sophomore majoring in athletic training at Culver-Stockton College in Canton, Missouri, recently participated in the school’s sixth annual Extreme Dome Makeover, volunteering his services to help fix up 16 different sites in Canton.

Cesar Sandoval of Chandler is one of 74 transfer students to enroll at Lake Forest College in Lake Forest, Illinois, this fall. Cesar was awarded a Forester Academic and the Phi Theta Kappa scholarships. Cesar comes to Lake Forest College from Mesa Community College.

Annie Waltersheid of Chandler is on the Spring 2014 Honor Roll at University of Dallas in Irving, Texas, for earning a semester grade point average of 3.0-3.49. Annie is majoring in economics and finance.

Cox to broadcast Basha football

Cox Arizona will continue its live broadcast coverage of this fall’s high school football season Sept. 25 for the Basha Bears–Westview Knights game. Throughout the season, Cox7 will air 10 of Arizona’s high school football games, highlighting the best of Thursday and Friday night football fever.

After the game, fans can relive the game online by viewing expert commentary, game highlights and local player and team features.

Cox Arizona has been broadcasting high school sports for the past 33 years.

Cox7 broadcast schedule:

• Oct. 2: Desert Mountain at Red Mountain

• Oct. 9: Williams Field at Saguaro

• Oct. 16: Cholla at Sabino

• Oct. 23: Pinnacle at Horizon

• Oct. 30: Mountain View vs Desert Ridge

Santan cheerleaders hosting fundraisers for competitions

BY MANALI CHAVAN

Behind every great cheerleading routine is a great cheer team and behind every great cheer team is an even greater support group.

The Santan Junior High School cheerleading team has a support group that is working hard to fund this year’s competitions for the seventh- and eighth-grade participants. The booster club will be holding various fundraising activities, such as ice skating nights, selling merchandise and much more to raise money throughout the year.

“We do so much fundraising because we’re a competitive team,” says Erin Quick, booster club president.

“We go to several competitions throughout the season, so the money goes mainly toward paying for competitions as well as paying for our choreography, coaching and music.”

The team is hosting a “Family Food Night” at Texas Roadhouse at 3961 S. Gilbert Rd., from 3:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. If a flier is presented, partial proceeds from the meal will go to the organization.

However, the cheer team’s primary fundraising event will be a rummage sale from 7 a.m. to 12 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 25, at the school. The booster club is accepting donations, such as lightly worn clothes. The event will also allow vendors who sell items such as candles or jewelry to rent out booth space. For food, the club is arranging to have food trucks attend.

“There will be activities for children to do while the parents are shopping

around,” Quick adds.

The cheerleaders are also helping out with fundraising by selling cups and hosting a cheer clinic. At the cheer clinic, the cheerleaders will spend time with younger students teaching them a cheer and dance. Participants will also get the chance to perform what they learned at one of the cheer team’s games. Part of the motivation to fundraise comes from how close the girls were to winning state last season.

“This year I’m really looking forward

to the competitions because last year in state we lost by .5,” says cheer captain Paityn Frye. “This year we’re all really striving for first place. We really want it this year.”

The Santan Junior High School cheerleading team is a nonprofit organization and will also accept tax credit donations.

Manali Chavan is an intern for the SanTan Sun News. She can be reached at manali@timespublications.com.

Chandler Unified School District

Sept. 29-Oct. 10: Fall intersession

Oct. 13-14: Teacher inservice workdays

Oct. 15: School resumes

CTA-Independence Hawks

Save the dates – Dollar Dress Down Day is Friday, Sept. 26. Students are invited to bring in a dollar and participate in this fun, nonuniform day. All clothing must be CUSD dresscode appropriate. Proceeds benefit the Chandler Care Center. Family Fun Night is Friday, Oct. 17; watch the PTO website for more information coming soon. Also, Dad’s Club will host a golf event Saturday, Oct. 25; more information will come home soon.

Box Tops – Thanks for sending in Box Tops with students. Box Tops will be collected for the remainder of the year.

—Wendi Olson

Haley Tigers

Talented Tigers – Haley’s annual talent show will be held at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 24, in the Multipurpose Room. Participants will show off their skills to their peers on the following day during school hours.

Tax credits – The Arizona state tax credit allows an Arizona taxpayer to contribute $200 per Arizona state individual return or $400 per joint tax return if the taxpayer contributes to extracurricular activities or character education programs in a public school.

Pick up a tax credit form in the front office.

Youth

—Stephanie Palomarez Hancock Heat

Volunteer match – Intel provides funding to schools through the Volunteer Matching Grant program; all Intel employees are eligible to apply for the grant. The program encourages Intel employees to volunteer in local K-12 schools by matching volunteer hours with cash grants. For every 20 hours an Intel employee volunteers in a school, the Intel Foundation donates $200 to the school. To learn more, visit www. intel.com/community/iimgp.htm.

—Andrea Dickson

Tarwater Toros

School Cents – Shop at Chandler Fashion Center throughout the month of September and earn double points for Tarwater at select stores such as The Children’s Place and Crazy 8. Visit www. shoppingpartnership.com and click on Chandler Fashion Center for details. Log receipts at Guest Services or turn them into the office by Tuesday, Sept. 30. Class notes – First graders are learning all about matter, studying solids, liquids and gases. At the end of the study, they use a solid and liquid to create a gas.

Calendar

Oct. 21-24: Book Fair

Oct. 24: Fall Festival, 5p.m.-8 p.m.

—JoAnne Cawley

Basha High Bears

RYAN KELLEY RECOGNIZED: Basha High School sophomore and varsity quarterback Ryan Kelley was selected as the Arizona Cardinals’ Player of the Week. “This is a real honor for me, and I’m happy that it’s putting Basha in the spotlight,” Kelley says. Kelley led Basha to its homecoming win over Centennial, placing them at 2-0 so far this season.

“We’ve really become a close-knit group and have a great offensive line that knows how to work together through tough situations. Plus, our defense is really strong this year and deserve a lot of the credit for our wins,” he says. He also gives credit to the seniors and especially to head coach Gerald Todd for creating a team that is cohesive and unified.

In memoriam – Basha High’s AFJROTC program recently participated in its first 9/11 Remembrance Run. Col. Cliff Stansell, who leads the AFJROTC program at Basha High, and A.J. Miller, a senior and Cadet Corps commander, collaborated to help re-energize the importance of remembering civilian,

military, police and fire heroes. The cadets ran at least 911 cumulative miles between Sept. 2 and Sept. 11 of this year, competing against each other for total miles. In addition to the run, a flag-raising ceremony was held, with upperclassmen wearing their dress blues in honor of the event.

—Carol Skocypec

CTA-Goodman Gators

Western Week – Cowboy hats, western boots, neckerchiefs, chaps and vests were the rule during Western Week, held recently at CTA-Goodman. Square dancing and line dancing skills were taught to all students; each grade had a special dance time with families coming to visit and cheer. The CTA-Goodman staff hosted a Western barbecue for Friday lunch, and many parents and extended family members were able to participate.

Fundraiser fun – Thanks to the families who participated in the annual PTO Cookie Dough drive, making it a huge success. Funds raised in the past have helped purchase updated computers in the library, student computers for classrooms, additional library books and reference materials and a library renovation.

Calendar Sept. 23: Site Council meeting, 3:15 p.m., Media Center, all parents invited Sept. 26: Good News Gators Assembly, 1:30 p.m., Multipurpose Room; first quarter ends

—Kathie Butters

Teacher passionate about his students’ future

BY MEGHAN MCCOY

Mike Lisi gets emotional when he recalls his 13-year career as co-operative education coordinator/teacher at Hamilton High School in Chandler.

Lisi is passionate about his job. After spending 34 years as a middle manager at Salt River Project, he switched gears and decided to teach business and help students find paid internships that often turn into full-time jobs.

“After working with students over a couple years, I’m able to place kids in jobs with various employers based on their skill levels and work aptitude,” says Lisi, who lives in Tempe.

“When I can match a student with a potential employer, and then the employer keeps the student while they’re in college, this creates a win-win for both the student and the employer.”

Over the years, the 68-year-old teacher has helped place his students in internships at SRP, Chandler Regional Medical Center, the City of Chandler, Chandler YMCA, Gilbert Mercy Medical Center, Target Financial and Maricopa Library District.

“A requirement of the business coop class is for students to work a paid internship during the school year,” he says. “One of my responsibilities is to work with employers in the East Valley and advocate for my students, so they can get a paid internship.”

Career Change

Lisi was just about to retire when he ran

into Dr. Robert Gryder, one of his professors when he attended ASU.

“He remembered my name,” he says. “He said, ‘Are you still interested in teaching?’ and I said, ‘I am about to retire, but yeah I would really love to do that.’”

At 55 years old, Lisi re-enrolled in ASU and, with Gryder’s help, he became a certified teacher. In 2005, he earned his master’s degree in education.

His first student-teaching job was at Corona Del Sol in 2001 with Sandy Swanson, who used to send business co-op students to work with him at SRP in the 1980s.

Learning the Ropes

Lauren Tuttle, who works in human resources as a member of the learning technology team at SRP, worked 20 hours a week while taking Lisi’s class at Hamilton.

“I am the first line of support for our team inbox and phone where I answer questions people have about training,” Tuttle says. “I also work with our learning management system (entering) class rosters and running various reports.”

The business program at Hamilton, she said, helped her become more confident and develop interviewing and resumewriting skills.

“I really love my job and I am grateful for the opportunities that I have had because of being in Mr. Lisi’s business classes,” Tuttle says.

Lisi gets to know his students well before finding that perfect internship for

them.

“I try to find out what is going to make this kid tick,” he says. “Once we determine that, I determine where we need to go with it.”

Zarina Shafeev decided to take a business course at Hamilton because she is considering a business degree in college.

“What I have enjoyed most about this program is the real-world application of the class,” she says. “There hasn’t been a single thing that we have learned in class that hasn’t been wildly helpful in my life.”

With a love of books since the fifth grade, Shafeev decided to do her co-op at Maricopa County Library District, where she spends nearly 20 hours a week.

“The experience has taught me further responsibility and work ethic, as well as customer-service skills that I find have already been applicable in my day-to-day life,” she says.

Shafeev says Lisi has been an inspiration.

“First and foremost, the program will give me an edge in college as I will already have so much more experience in the area than my fellow peers,” she explains. “Past college, I know I will carry the lessons Mr. Lisi taught me throughout my entire life.”

Meghan McCoy is the Neighbors and Business section editor for the SanTan Sun News. She can be reached at meghan@ santansun.com.

For many teens, stress is a reality

BY ALISON STANTON

In his work as a clinical psychologist at Bayless Healthcare, which has locations in Chandler and Phoenix, Dr. Jon McCaine routinely works with teenagers who are suffering from stress.

Although some adults contend that the teen years are a carefree time, McCaine says this is often far from the truth.

“Many adults forget what it’s like to be a teenager, and there’s also a glorification of youth at the expense of what it’s like to be young,” he says.

“In reality, this is an extremely challenging part of growth, and much of the stress has to do with the fact that teens are in transition.”

Most of the stress that teens experience, McCaine says, boils down to two fundamental stressors, competence and confidence.

“Teens may wonder ‘Can I do this?’ Or, ‘Can I do adulthood?’ as well as, ‘Where do I belong?’ and, ‘Will I be valued?’” he says.

While McCaine says he’s the first to say gender differences are usually overblown, boys and girls experience challenges with competence and relationships. Teens can differ, though, in what typically causes them to be stressed.

“Boys tend to be more stressed about things related to competence. They can be quick to feel disrespected because they are looking for power, and they’ll say things like ‘You can’t make me.’”

On the other hand, teenage girls tend to become stressed about relationships

and may struggle with feelings of rejection, jealousy and embarrassment.

For 18-year-old Maria Pretty, this is exactly what led to her feelings of extreme stress.

“I thought that I didn’t want to let anyone down, and I had also just graduated from high school and was stressed out about work, school, the future and how it would all play out.”

Before she started working with McCaine, Pretty says stress made her

depressed and sarcastic. Now, she says, she tries to think positively about the things that are causing her stress and tells herself that things will get better. She also likes to talk with other teens who are feeling stressed, listening to their stories and offering support.

Parents who are concerned that their teenager is experiencing excessive stress should monitor their child for a variety of behaviors and symptoms, McCaine says.

“Watch for things like the teen being

withdrawn, becoming isolated and being clearly unhappy and distressed,” he says.

Changes in diet, including restrictive or compulsive eating, can also indicate the teen is experiencing excessive stress.

“Other signs are difficulty with sleeping and staying asleep.”

If teens are showing signs of extreme stress, McCaine suggests consulting with their pediatrician, or getting help from a counselor.

While McCaine says that it’s natural for adolescence to be what he calls a “push period” filled with a certain amount of tension between the teen and his or her parents, rebelliousness and hostility is not a part of normal adolescence.

“This is a common misconception, but while parents will have some challenges with their teens, they should not be violent or aggressive.”

Parents who are concerned about their teens should be sure to express care and concern, McCaine says, while being careful not to accuse them of having an attitude.

“Stay away from words like ‘anger’ or ‘disrespect’ and instead say, ‘You are not listening to me,’” he says.

“Talk about the truth with them, and ask them if they are scared or have something that they are afraid of. Talk about hurt and fear with them, and figure out what their underlying emotions are.”

Alison Stanton is a freelance writer who lives in the East Valley. She can be reached at Alison@SanTanSun.com.