Page 20 November 2011 Book fair at Hopi open to neighbors Sun fl owers help to keep garden at ANLC fruitful By Jennifer Crane Planted by students 15 years ago, the sun fl owers at the Arcadia Neighborhood Learning Center garden come back each May. The fl owers bloom in July and then die out by the end of the summer. The seeds will have dropped, making it possible for the fl owers to come back year after year. The fl owers grow up to 12 feet during the summer months. “It always looks like this,” said Ann Rodarte, an ANLC mother. These sun fl owers provide shade for the plants underneath, which they “nurse.” Rodarte comes in a couple of times a week during the summer to water the garden and check on the sun fl owers. Sometimes, like this year, plants under the sun fl owers continue to grow, like the loofa plant did this year. The sun fl owers attract birds and insects bene fi cial to the garden. They also help to hold moisture in the ground and suppress weed growth. According to Sun fl owerGuide.com, planting sun fl owers helps to stabilize the soil for future plantings. Sun fl owers follow the sun each day, facing east as the sun rises and west as it sets. Each school year, the garden is planted by ANLC students. Each class gets a plot on a rotating basis because each plot gets different amounts of sun. The class then gets to choose what they want to plant. “Gardening is all about nature,” Rodarte said. “It’s survival of the fi ttest. If you plant 30 seeds and only three or four come up, so be it.” Hopi Elementary School’s annual Book Fair will be Nov. 3-4, featuring thousands of gently used children’s and adult books, CDs, DVDs, videos and games. The public is invited to attend 8:30a.m.- 4p.m. Nov. 4. Prices for books range from 25 cents to $2. Book donations, especially young-adult fi ction or non- fi ction books for grade levels 4-6, are being sought. Donations can be dropped off at the Hopi cafeteria from 8:15 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Nov. 2 at the school, 5110 E. Lafayette. WHERE LEARNING COMES TO LIFE With our small class sizes and low student-teacher ratios, we foster a true love of learning, engaging students and encouraging them to explore their interests and passions within a positive and supportive environment. Now accepting applications for preschool through high school tesseractschool.org 480.385.3673 FINANCIAL AID AND HIGH SCHOOL SCHOLARSHIPS AVAILABLE Lower School Campus (PS - 4th Grade) 4800 E. Doubletree Ranch Rd. Paradise Valley, AZ 85253 Middle and High School Campus (5th – 12th Grade) 3939 E. Shea Blvd. Phoenix, AZ 85028 Tesseract is a non-profit, private independent school. Independent Living Personalized Assisted Living Exceptional Experiences Every Day SM 13240 North Tatum Boulevard Phoenix, Arizona 85032 www.brookdaleliving.com LEADERSHIP MATTERS Some people just make a living on the job. Our people make the difference SM . Hire one good person, treat them well; empower them to serve others – and they will find more good people to join them. That’s our company philosophy and we take special pride in the team of friendly and caring professionals who work together to serve our residents every day. As a Brookdale Senior Living ® community, nothing is more important than ensuring all our residents enjoy comfort, convenience, security and value. And whether they are working to find you the best apartment to fit your budget and lifestyle, serve a five-star meal prepared by a professional chef, or lead you on the path to an Optimum Life ® , our people make the difference. Call (602) 953-3600 or visit our community today and let us show you why and how leadership matters. 2XU3HRSOH0DNHWKH'LIIHUHQFHDQG([FHSWLRQDO([SHULHQFHV(YHU\'D\DUH6HUYLFH0DUNVRI%URRNGDOH 6HQLRU/LYLQJ,QF1DVKYLOOH71 86$Š5HJ86 3DWHQWDQG702I¿FH5236: Alex Miller, Dining Room Server and Happy Hour Bartender

Page 21 November 2011 STARS program offers aid to special-needs students By Valeri Spiwak With the newly established Young Adult Transition Training Program on the Cholla Special Needs Community Campus, the Scottsdale Training and Rehabilitation Services (STARS) is expanding efforts toward easing special-needs students’ adjustments to life after high school. Transition specialist Alison Roskosz said students with physical and mental learning disabilities such as epilepsy, autism, cerebral palsy and cognitive disorders are offered transition outreach support in addition to lessons on essential life and prevocational skills. The program engages both the special needs student and the family, she said. McCormick Ranch resident Julia Rosen has a 15-year-old daughter with autism, Camilla Prais, who has been involved with STARS and young-adult training program for the past few months and now attends program sessions every Friday. Prais currently is a sophomore at Chaparral High School, which enables her to access the numerous resources offered at the Cholla Community Campus. “It has been an incredibly positive in fl uence on her life,” Rosen said. “It has been a positive experience for us and for her.” The emphasis of the transition program is focused on teaching the students “soft skills” such as learning how to shake hands or how to talk to a manager, Roskosz said. “We know those soft skills lead to success,” she said. Roskosz said the advantages come from being able to work closely and securely with the STARS students. “It’s fun to really work with the students in a kind of one-to-one or very small group situation. We can acknowledge their very unique learning styles,” she said. Depending on the readiness and willingness of the individual, the youth- training program also can assist students in getting a job through employment programs, said Jennifer Dangremond, development director of STARS. Students and families at Arcadia, Coronado and Saguaro high schools have access to the many resources provided by the STARS program, Dangremond said. “This is a model that can be taken to other communities. We believe that it’s just beginning,” said Virginia Korte, president and CEO of STARS. “If we can help the families and gear the individuals to gain self-con fi dence, then we have accomplished a major goal in their life.” THANKS A heartfelt to the entire Arcadia community, from our family to yours. 2011 Highlander Neil Germundson ~ Toyota Fleet Manager NeilG@RightToyota.com 7701 E. Frank Lloyd Wright Blvd. Scottsdale AZ 85260 480-778-2200 Craig Thorpe ~ Honda Fleet Manager CThorpe@RightHonda.com 7875 E. Frank Lloyd Wright Blvd. Scottsdale AZ 85260 480-778-2440 to all of our Arcadia customers. ia community, o yours. ia 201 2011 H 1 ighlander ll f At this time of year our thoughts turn to those who make us successful. A big 2011 CRV Arcadia customers. 2011 CRV ur focus is on you! Honorable mention, clockwise from far left: Beth Flynn Siegrfried, Mike Kasulati, Michelle Orick and Sharon Carlson. SUBMISSION DEADLINE: TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2011 Next month’s theme is: Pets and Animals We know you think your pet is the cutest in the world, and now’s your chance to prove it. Send us shots of your “furry children” or any other critter you’ve managed to capture creatively on film, and you just might win next month’s photo contest. Monthly Prize: $50 in gift cards to local restaurants Grand Prize: Flip Ultra HD Video Camera (supported thru 12/31/13) Your Photo might make our COVER ~ like August’s winner! WINNING PHOTO! Congratulations to Pete Schroeder, this month’s photo contest winner! Pete is as excited about double rainbows as that guy on YouTube. e. PRIZE INFO! arcadia news photo contest! Use your camera phone, use a Polaroid, use a wide angle lens – whatever it takes – to enter the Arcadia News Photo Contest. It’s fun & easy! Email them to us at photos@arcadianews.com for a chance to win killer prizes! SU Nex W y Front D Back Front D Back Bac D PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE PAID PHOENIX ARIZONA PERMIT NO. 3644 POSTMASTER: Requested in-home delivery date by Friday, June 3, 2011. Page 56 Page 56 This former Arcadia High baseball player is tearing it up as a Sun Devil, hitting his way into the lineup and excelling in the clean-up spot in the Arizona State batting order. Page 36 Page 36 When is a broken leg good for you? When it leads out of the restaurant biz and into a new career as a personal chef. This month’s offering from Arcadia’s Cookbook. ARCADIADAILY.COM June 2011 Vol. 19 No. 3 AWARD WINNING NEIGHBORHOOD NEWS SINCE 1993 LEAPING LEAPING INTO INTO SUMMER SUMMER Reader Janey Ledyard and her sons Tommy (left) and Scott, capture the youthful spirit of summer’s start in their winning photo of this month’s Arcadia News Photo Contest. See more photos on page 23.