Youth & Education - OUT THERE [CITYSunTimes June 2010]

Summer Fun With Desert Ridge Parents’ Group

Looking for economical ideas to keep the kids cool and entertained this long hot summer? The Desert Ridge Parents’ Group (DRPG) invites families in the community to check out its fun activities and events. Organized in 1997, the not-for-profit DRPG hosts playgroups, weekly kids activities, seasonal family events and child-free parents nights for residents in Desert Ridge and the surrounding areas. Dues are $30 a year.

Here are some of the upcoming summer fun activities:
Monday Playgroup – For up to age three, the group meets every week at 10am at various indoor and water play locations.

Saturday Playgroup – Every first and third Saturday of each month at 9am. The “Boomerang Kids” playgroup is for all ages and will plan outings and play dates based on member input.

City North Kids Club and Mojo Frozen Yogurt
Join the families of DRPG on Thursday, June 17 at 4pm at the City North Kids Club and stop for yogurt afterward. Varying free crafts each month and 25 percent off Mojo Yogurt for Kids Club attendees. RSVP.

Father’s Day Craft
DRPG member kids get to make a cool craft for daddy on Saturday, June 19 at 9:30am.

Welcome Summer Story, Craft, and Snacks
On Thursday, June 24 at 10am, DRPG will celebrate summer with seasonal activities and play time. RSVP.

Mom’s Night Out – Pasta Primo
Join the DRPG moms for happy hour and dinner on Tuesday, June 29 at 6:30pm at this fun Italian restaurant in the Scottsdale Promenade center. RSVP. Plan ahead for the last Tuesday of every month and mark your calendar for the whole year. MNO location will vary each month.

Arizona Science Center
Join the members of DRPG for some science fun on Wednesday June 30 at 10am. Admission is $12 for adults, $10 for children, Free to Science Center members. RSVP.

To RSVP for events or for more information, visit the DRPG website or send and e-mail to president@drpgonline.com.

Invite Your Children into the Garden

Now is a great time to plan to get together as a family and promote the healthy values of gardening and good food. Not only can you connect with your kids in a new way, it provides exercise and awareness of healthy food choices that can be grown in your own backyard.
“With nearly one third of children in the United States overweight or obese, there has never been a better time to start than this new growing season to promote a solution to this nationwide epidemic,” says Jeffrey Restuccio, author of Get Fit Through Gardening.

Get Fit Gardening Among the many benefits Restuccio cites:

Growing their own food will provide added incentive for the children to eat it. Not only will they be proud of their accomplishments, but they will also discover that fresh produce always tastes better and is more nutritious.
Gardening is something that any child, regardless of their athletic ability, size or weight can participate in. There are no rules. There are no coaches and no one is keeping score.
All studies show that light to moderate exercise provides the most health benefit.
Gardening is a wonderful social activity. Grandparents, parents and children can all enjoy exercise, the outdoors and doing something meaningful.
Gardening actually saves money. It is a perfect activity for those with limited budgets.
Children are more open to new ideas. And with proper education, they can develop lifelong habits that increase both their enjoyment and the caloric benefit of gardening.

Get in to the garden with your kids and get fit and healthy, one tomato at a time.

For information on vegetable planting dates in Arizona, refer to the Arizona Master Gardener Manual schedule. For additional information, visit the University of Arizona Extension website at extension.arizona.edu and go to the Home, Garden and Landscape section.

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CITYSunTimes Web Exclusives June 2010 | Read the full SECTION

YOUTH & EDUCATION

OUT THERE: A place for kids and parents to find out what's going on and who's doing what

Huskies Girls Lacrosse Wins Division II State Championship

Huskies Girls Lacrosse Division II team

Horizon High School’s Girls Lacrosse Division II team took the state title after outscoring Desert Vista with a final score of 14 to 11. The players are: Alex Aguirre, Brooke Basar, Eryn Beechey, Katlyn Davis, Emma Euting, Bayleigh Fuller, Morgan Hayes, Paige Hazzard, Tayler Heath, Abby Jensen, Katie Klick, Courtney Kowal, Allison Martin, Brooke Peters, Chelsea Regan, Tiffany Reyes, Sami-Jo Roth, Hanna Searl, Taryn Sisserson, Maddy Sporbert, Sydney St. Clair and Angela Velazquez. The coach is Raymond Bagnerise; assistant coach is Lauren Wheeler.

Summer Reading Programs
Studies have shown that when children stop reading, even for a few months, they experience significant declines in their literacy growth as compared to those children that read year round. Summer Reading Programs are a fun, rewarding way to keep students reading and strengthen their literacy skills.

Phoenix Public Library kicks off two summer reading programs June 1. Both programs, designed to encourage kids and teens to read during their summer break, feature exciting prizes and run through July 31.
“Extra! Extra! Read Your Way to the Ballpark” is a countywide reading program co-sponsored by the Arizona Diamondbacks and The Arizona Republic. Children up to age 18 can earn prizes by reading 50 pages or listening to a book being read for 20 minutes. Readers who finish the program win a children’s book for their home library and also earn a bonus prize − a ticket to a Diamondbacks’ game. For more information, visit phoenixpubliclibrary.org/kids.
Teens, ages 12-18, can also win exciting prizes by participating in Phoenix Public Library’s “Make Waves at Your Library” summer reading program. The program is entirely online and features instant and weekly prize drawings and a grand prize drawing for an eMachine Netbook. Beginning June 1, teens can register, log their reading and submit book reviews at phxlib.org/teenreading.

Scottsdale Public Library also kicked off its summer reading program on June 1. There are programs for babies, youth, teen and adults – all of which have some terrific prizes along the way. Stop into any Scottsdale Library Branch between June1 and July 31 to sign up. It’s free, it’s fun and it’s an essential part of summer. For more information, visit library.ci.scottsdale.az.us.

Comedy Club State Champions
Horizon High School announced that the 56th Street Comedy Club won the National Comedy Theatre High School Improv League Championship for the second year in a row. Sponsored by the National Comedy Theatre in Phoenix, teams from across the Valley participated in the Improv Tournament in May.
Also last month, comedian Cody Dove from The Second City was at Horizon working with the 56th Street Club members. Cody led a workshop with 11 Club members teaching new exercises and games to improve their improv skills.
To learn more about the National Comedy Theatre High School League, visit the Theatre’s website. For more information on the 56th Street Comedy Club, visit horizondrama.com. To learn more about Horizon High School, visit the school website.

Day School Recognized
Pardes Jewish Day School in Northeast Phoenix recently won a prestigious honor, as a “Top 10 School” in Arizona. The Johns Hopkins University Center for Talented Youth (CTY) Talent Search named Pardes as number five on its list.
CTY Talent Searches identify, assess and recognize students with exceptional math and/or verbal reasoning abilities. Students from grades two through eight participate in two different age categories. According to CTY Executive Director Lea Ybarra, Ph.D., the participation of schools on its list “reflects upon the school’s academic quality, student abilities and teacher talent. It also reflects upon the school leadership that encourages students to seek out educational challenges beyond traditional school walls.”
For more information on the award, visit the program website.
Pardes Jewish Day School educates students in grades K-8, combining a rigorous secular and Judaic education in a nurturing community. To learn more about Pardes, visit pardesschool.org.

YOUTH & EDUCATION Web Exclusive | CITYSunTimes June 2010

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