Seventeen-year-old Olivia Ekberg isn’t afraid to dream big. A synchronized swimmer since age 8, she hails from Gilbert but now calls Northern California home as she trains fulltime to pursue her Olympic dream.
A member of the U.S. National Synchronized Swimming Team, Ekberg is training to compete for a spot on the Junior National Team.
“I am only 17 so I still have one more year in that category [the Junior National Team] and I will also be training, traveling, and competing alongside my senior teammates this year,” she explained. “The Olympic Games are the light at the end of a very long tunnel, and this road inside the tunnel is no easy one, but it’s worth it. Light is always worth it, whether it’s an Olympic title or not.”
The 2016 Olympic Summer Games take place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and Team USA has an ongoing campaign of promoting the “Road to Rio” to spread awareness of the athletes across all Olympic sports. In late September, Ekberg’s Road to Rio continued when she performed in a one-of-a-kind event called Swimming in Ink in Times Square. The event featured multicolored, seethrough swim tanks for a series of highenergy synchronized swim performances. Sponsored by Epson and Staples, the USA
Synchro team performances heralded the availability Epson’s new EcoTank printers. It took place on Sept. 24 and featured hourly performances from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Ekberg was one of the performers.
“The show in New York City was an absolute dream,” Ekberg said. “It was amazing to be able to jump in a tank, go underwater, and still see people instead of seeing a wall. It was surreal to be in the middle of Times Square, doing what I love, for the entire world to see. Synchro isn’t the most popular sport in America, and it was so nice to see people being intrigued by what we were doing, and stopping to see more.”
USA Synchro officials said they were delighted to work with Epson on this “fun and truly unique event.”
“This is a tremendous opportunity for our team to showcase this sport as we begin our preparations for the 2016 season,” said Kevin Warner, executive director of USA Synchro.
The experience in New York City was a long time coming for Ekberg, who started synchronized swimming in local pools.
“When I was 8 years old, a friend invited me to do a simple summer camp with her. During this summer camp I fell in love with synchronized swimming and progressed on to join a club team that fall,” she explained.
“At that club, I gained a strong
relationship with teammates and coaches that helped push me through my career. After about eight years of swimming and competing on several national teams during the summers, I found myself taking a break from the sport due to other events happening in my life.”
After a year off, Ekberg explained, she tried out for her current national level team.
“After successfully making this team, I moved from the comfort of my home and family in Gilbert to take on a new life in Northern California to train full time for my Olympic dream.”
When asked about her advice for young Olympic hopefuls, Ekberg had two words that stood out: keep dreaming.
“I find myself dreaming of everything, even life outside synchronized swimming,” she explained.
“Dreams are what keep your heart and soul alive, and it’s essentially what drives you to success and to work hard towards those dreams.
“I dream of going to the Olympic Games, but I also dream of having a swing in my house someday, and both dreams drive me toward the other. If I didn’t dream, if I wasn’t taught to chase my dreams, I would not be where I am today.”
Olivia Ekberg. Submitted photo
In late September, Olivia Ekberg and her teammates took part in Swimming in Ink in Times Square. Submitted photo
Read for the record
BMX
champion Parker participates in a global reading experience
BY MICHELLE TALSMA EVERSON
On Oct. 22, millions of children and adults from across the world participated in Read for the Record, a global campaign that annually generates public support for high-quality early learning by encouraging educators and students of all ages to take part in the world’s largest shared reading experience.
Locally, the students at Arizona Connections Academy (ACA), a statewide virtual school with a campus in Gilbert, invited former pro BMX rider and X Games judge John Parker to read “Not Norman: A Goldfish Story.”
According to Jumpstart, the national organization behind the Read for the Record initiative, the worldwide event encourages reading and attempts to break a world record for the number of people reading the same book on the same day.
“We participate in JumpStart’s Read for the Record every year,” said Kerri Wright, principal of ACA. “Usually, our elementary level teachers host their own students and read the designated book together. This year we switched it up and we’re excited to have a guest reader.”
Parker, a Gilbert resident, was thrilled to participate as the event coincides perfectly with his own passions.
“A friend turned me on to it [Read for the Record] because she knew it was right up my alley—books, kids and motivating future leaders to read and take action,” Parker said.
Parker recently published his own book called “Whaddya Want?” The title is the first in the StuntMasters series.
“It [the book] is my story really; my discovery of BMX at the perfect time in life,” he explained. “Like the main character, Levi Kraft, I had just started junior high. Suddenly the world got bigger, faster, and more demanding—scary! It was hard to fit in and be accepted with classmates having so many different interests and backgrounds. BMX helped me realize there is a huge world to discover and I get to choose my part in it all.”
Parker has definitely come a long way since discovering BMX in junior high.
“Since then I’ve traveled around the world continuously, competed at the X
Gilbert resident and former pro BMX rider John Parker read “Not Norman: A Goldfish Story” during the world’s largest shared reading experience. He recently published his own book, “Whaddya Want?” as seen at right. Submitted photo
Games eleven times, toured with Tony Hawk, performed at the Olympics, won the MTV Sports and Music Festival twice, and been a part of hundreds of other events,” he continued. “Now I focus on my own action sports shows, motivational speaking and writing. You can learn a lot riding a bike!”
As of press time it was not clear whether or not the JumpStart’s 10th annual Read for the Record global reading event had beat a world record.
Wright added that the Read for the
Record event was just one of many events that ACA hosts throughout the year.
“We [also] have monthly Art in the Park activities,” she said. “During Art in the Park, teachers meet students at a local park, read a story aloud and then engage in a literacy activity and art project together.”
To learn more about ACA, visit www. ArizonaConnectionsAcademy.com and to learn more about Parker, visit www. bmximpact.com. More information on Jumpstart can be found at www.jstart.org.
credits while still in high school. This approach to achievement has been shown to give students a dramatically improved opportunity to graduate from high school ready for life. It’s a fast-tracked, solid foundation to prepare you for college, to advance in the military or to pursue skilled post-secondary job training.
Primrose hosting family-friendly Trunk or Treat
Primrose School of South Gilbert is hosting Trunk or Treat on Friday, Oct. 30, and its mission is twofold. This serves as a family-friendly event and also gives the public the opportunity to tour the school during the festivities. Trunk or Treat allows children a safe place to trick or treat before Halloween and will include activities such as a haunted bus, face painting, fall crafts, snacks and more. The event is from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Oct.
30 at the school, 3293 E. Williams Field Rd. Gilbert. Call (480) 633-5635 to RSVP. For more information about the school, visit www.primrosesouthgilbert.com.
Azusa Pacific University student Megan Wood made the academic dean’s list at APU. Wood is honored for a spring semester 2015 academic standing of a 3.5 or better gradepoint average. Wood is joined by 1,880 other students receiving the same honor at the Azusa, California, university. Azusa Pacific University is an evangelical Christian university committed to God first and excellence in higher education. With 71 bachelor’s degrees, 47 master’s degrees 18 certificates, 14 credentials, eight doctoral programs, and three associate’s degrees, the university offers its more than 10,700 students a quality education on campus, online, and at six regional centers throughout Southern California.
Ryanne McLaren , a freshman at Biola University, was among 47 students who received the college’s
highest scholarship—the Trustee’s scholarship—for the 2015-16 academic year.
Freshmen are eligible for the Trustee’s scholarship—$12,000 per year—if, upon entering the university, they meet the requirements of the scholarship. Approximately 4 percent of this year’s incoming class received this award. Students are considered for this scholarship upon admission to the university based on the combination of their GPA and SAT, both math and English, scores. According to Biola’s admissions department, the average recipient of the Trustee’s scholarship has a GPA of 3.91 and an SAT score, both math and English combined, of 1320. Students must maintain a GPA of 3.2 to continue to receive the scholarship the following year. Recipients of the Trustee’s Scholarship were scheduled to be honored at a special reception on Oct. 23.
Charter school receives International Baccalaureate distinction
BY TRACY HOUSE
Eduprize Gilbert was the first charter school in Arizona, but now it’s notable for another reason. The Eduprize Gilbert High School campus recently achieved International Baccalaureate (IB) approval.
“This means that the teachers, effective immediately, will be integrating the IB curriculum into their curriculum and focusing on making the kids successful in a world economy and better citizens and accepting of cultures and other ideas, and becoming a world student,” said Robin Dean, vice president of Eduprize’s Parent Teacher Alianza.
EGH becomes the first IB school in Gilbert, and the first charter school in Arizona to achieve this. There are only 21 schools in the state offering the IB curriculum. There are about 1,850 students in kindergarten through 11th grade attending EGH, with about 100 students in grades nine through 11 high school. The Diploma Programme starts junior year, and six of the 28 juniors are pursuing the IB diploma.
While it has been a three-year process, Scott Greenhalgh, IB coordinator for EGH, said, “It’s been two years of intense work to get to this point. IB wants to make sure we understand and embrace what it
means to be an IB world school.”
Principal Charles Green said it was easy to get onboard with the IB program. “It really follows the Eduprize philosophy of providing students with a well-rounded, real-world education.”
Greenhalgh said he anticipates the number of students taking IB courses to increase as the program continues. “We’re excited about what it can do for kids,” he said.
“It affects the culture of our school,” Green said. “Everything we do is aiming toward the IB philosophy. That worldmindedness, being able to think about things in a positive way. That growth mindset. That’s what we’re trying to instill in all the kids.”
Recently, teachers and students came together to celebrate the IB distinction and were honored by a surprise guest, Mayor John Lewis. “From an international perspective it is a great thing to learn about different cultures and what’s happening in the world, to be aware of it, and what you can be doing to make a difference,” he said.
Lewis officially congratulated the school and spoke about the significance of having an IB school in Gilbert. He said it is an honor for the city, calling Eduprize a
special place.
“The No. 1 reason I think families come to Gilbert is education,” Lewis said. “From a Gilbert perspective, (EGH) has just
added another great asset, International Baccalaureate, right here in one of the finest schools, our first charter school in Arizona.”
offering the
in BIOLASE LASER
infants with lip and tongue ties who are experiencing difficulty nursing. If you or your baby are experiencing these symptoms call us for a consultation.
Mayor John Lewis, shown here with the Eduprize Choir, surprised faculty and students by attending the celebration for the school’s approval as a International Baccalaureate school. GSN photo by Tracy House.
HIGLEY HAPPENINGS
Williams Field senior a finalist for PCA Triple-Impact Competitor scholarship
Williams Field High School’s Mitch Shreeve started playing club lacrosse in fourth grade. It’s a sport, he said, he found more challenging than others.
“I tried every sport. I liked lacrosse best because it was a mix of everything,” he said, adding that it requires a great deal of skill to be successful.
Now a senior, Shreeve is a veteran player on the Gilbert Tiger Varsity Lacrosse team, one that’s produced players for ASU, BYU, Adam State University and more. The season kicked off in late September and lasts through the spring.
“I’ve played with the kids on my varsity team since fourth grade. We have a lot of fun, even in games,” he said “
Shreeve said he hopes he can pass that fun and skills to future players. When not on the field practicing for his own team, he’s out coaching sixth-grade and under players, offering them advice and techniques to play the tough, physical sport.
That dedication and desire to make
himself, his team and the game better have earned Shreeve a spot as a finalist for the Positive Coaching Alliance Phoenix Chapter’s Triple Impact Competitor Scholarship. Shreeve will earn later this fall if he’s selected.
“I was surprised,” he said. “It was the first scholarship I’ve applied for.”
It certainly won’t be the last. Shreeve is exploring his post-high school options to study either science or in the medical field.
He’s as comfortable in a white lab coat in the bioscience class at Williams Field as he is on the lacrosse field, he said. He’s finishing his second year of the program and will graduate as a certified bio-technician. Class work includes DNA studies, biology and more.
“Last week we did an experiment where we examined DNA from different people and one of them was a criminal. We had to do the process like the police do for DNA testing and figure out who was the criminal,” he said.
Shreeve hopes to attend the University
of Utah, where he can put his skills to work in the labs.
“I love science. It’s always been my big thing,” he said. “They discovered that a spider’s silk that is stronger than steel.”
He’s also a member of the Williams Field Academic Decathlon team that competed at state for the first time last year.
Higley High ‘Athletic Hall of Fame’ inaugural class inducted
With Higley High School embarking on its 15th year as a school, the administration announced the creation of the Athletic Hall of Fame. The inaugural class was recognized prior to kickoff at the homecoming game on Sept. 18, following a reception in the media center.
More than 60 members of the Knights Athletic Program were invited to the special event. Twenty-eight individual state champions and four championship teams made up the population of the first induction class. Each student-athlete was presented with an individual picture commemorating the accomplishment. The Higley High Athletics Hall of Fame is sponsored by the UPS Store on Higley and Pecos roads. Business owners donated plaques, which will be put on display on
Mitch Shreeve hopes to attend the University of Utah. Submitted photo
campus. For more information about the championships at Higley High, see the video produced by Higley High television production students: https://vimeo. com/140251765.
Chaparral teachers bring STEAM into lessons
Danielle Edwards’ sixth-grade classes at Chaparral Elementary School in the Higley Unified School District are learning how more
about science, technology, engineering, arts and math through STEAM challenges she is introducing this year.
During a recent lesson, students tried to build a structure out of gumdrops and toothpicks strong enough to hold a textbook for 1 minute. Many students thought the challenge would be easy.
“What they found, however, was completely different,” Edwards said.
One student said, “I thought it was going to be pretty easy, but what my group found is that the prototype starts to hold the book, but then it slowly collapses to the side...It’s actually really hard, but it’s fun.”
So far, students have put engineering techniques to the test in three building projects. Most recently, they learned about fingerprinting.
The latter project involved looking at fingerprints from a “crime scene” to try to discover the criminal. Then students enlarged their own fingerprints and created an art piece using phrases and words they associate with themselves.
Students are learning about math and science while discovering paths for their futures, Edwards said.
“We went over the different types of engineering jobs available: structural genetics, engineering. It engages them in potential career fields,” Edwards said. “They didn’t realize that there were people whose job is to make structures earthquake proof. It was neat to see that spark of, ‘Here is this career I didn’t
know existed and hey, it’s actually fun.’”
Edwards is learning alongside the students.
“That first project was eye-opening to me. The kids who are identified as struggling found success in the project. The excitement has been my favorite, watching students open up and ask others, ‘How did you do that?’” she said.
Power Ranch Elementary earns Go! Grant
Power Ranch Elementary School teachers aim to make students more active through a Go! Grant awarded this past summer.
Teacher Marissa Ames plans to use the $2,800 grant to fully operate the school’s Running Club. When students returned from fall break in October, the club started its new season. There are 70 students in kindergarten through sixth grade participating.
“This grant will allow kids of all grade levels at our school to participate in a collaborative afterschool program,” said Ames.
“Students in grades kindergarten through sixth will learn how to incorporate health and fitness into their daily lives and participate in some fun runs. This grant gives students an opportunity to make new friends while building relationships within the community as we do our runs.”
The students are excited for the next season to start.
“Running Club helped me stay healthy by exercising regularly throughout the week,” said Colin Morgan, fifth-grade student.
“Last year before I got started I was not motivated to run at all. As time went by, I got the hang of it and started to run faster and faster and wanted to do more laps around our school. I actually got my stamina up and I know am ready for more running club this year,” Jason Camaj, fourth-grade student.
Students are preparing to run in a Tempe event—Battle of the Barriers—in November.
The PHIT America Go! Grant was awarded by Kids in the Game, Sports & Fitness Industry Association and 20 national corporate sponsors. Of nearly 360 applications, 156 grants were awarded to schools in 22 states. Power Ranch was the only Arizona school to receive the funding.
Students in Danielle Edwards’ class at Chaparral Elementary School in the Higley School Unified District created a structure from toothpicks and gumdrops that can hold a book. It was part of a lesson on engineering design during sixth-grade science.
Photo by Danielle Edwards
Students from Power Ranch Elementary School’s running club participate in local running events, such as last year’s D-backs Race. The school was recently awarded a Go! Grant to support the club
