Breaks Ground on New Buildings

By Kevin Crawley

On April 5th, Kim Anderson’s vision and dream for Montessori in the Park took one giant leap toward becoming reality with the official ground breaking of a new campus on Litchfield Road behind Romano’s Macaroni Grill.  Anderson, the owner and co-manager of Montessori in the Park, celebrated with family, friends, community leaders, and business partners as well as staff, teachers, students and their parents who were in attendance for the ceremony.  The school buildings are scheduled for completion in September.
The new complex will be comprised of three buildings: a preschool building for children age 3 to 6; an elementary school building for 6 to 12 year olds; and an administration building.  Shaped in a “U” configuration, the new campus will feature a center courtyard that will be very conducive for outdoor activities that are so important to the Montessori method of education.  Outdoor activities are one of the many advantages that the new buildings will have over Montessori in the Park’s current set up of two smaller separate locations, and are just one of the reasons the school’s staff, teachers, students and their parents are so excited.

“(The reaction has been) extreme excitement and enthusiasm,” said Lisa Cusick, president of the Parent Teacher Organization for Montessori in the Park.  “A beautiful outdoor environment encourages students gardening and horticulture.  Everything has been very well planned out inside and out.  The spaces will be larger and improved.”

Montessori in the Park first opened in 2007 with locations at Veranda Commons in Litchfield Park and Indian School Crossing in Avondale.  However, the plan has always been to eventually have one united campus despite hurdles that at times seemed insurmountable.  “It’s hard to forget about (a new building) when parents are excited and supportive, and ask about the progress,” said Anderson.

As it turned out, parents became an even more vital part of bringing construction of the new buildings to fruition than Anderson originally could have thought.

“My kids went to Montessori in the Park, and I loved the school,” said Mike Hirth, principal at 101 West Commercial Advisors, who became the real estate developer for the project.  “When I found out they were looking to expand, I asked how I could help.”

“Mike Hirth put his heart and soul into the project.  We wouldn’t be here without him,” said Anderson at the ground breaking ceremony.

Finding the land proved to be the most difficult aspect.  “It took awhile to find the right-sized land at the right price,” said Hirth.  At first, suitable land was too expensive.  However, as the recession took affect on real estate, the market moved into the range they were looking for.

Still, financing remained elusive.  The group visited with over ten banks and numerous potential investors without coming to an agreement, but they remained persistent.  “What is really amazing, after the number of people who turned this project down or said it couldn’t happen, is that we are here breaking ground,” said Hirth on the day of the ceremony.

CLC Associates and GCON, the respective architect and construction company on the project, were brought together to cooperate on a design-build to maximize cost effectiveness and Anderson decided to proceed without outside investors.  Eventually the pieces fell into place – the location, the design, the builder and the financing.

With the Montessori method of education, the surroundings and environment play a very significant role, so everyone involved with the school is thrilled about the new campus.  Based on the practices and findings of Italian educator Marie Montessori in the early 20th century, the method is often described as a way for children to learn through their own natural, self-directed activities with the role of teachers being to control the environment, not the child.

“The Montessori method is all about choice,” said Tammy Chavet, co-manager of Montessori in the Park.  “Marie Montessori found that when kids have choice in what to do, they get more out of activity.”

According to Chavet and Anderson, Montessori students learn first from a global perspective rather than a local one; learn concepts early before putting them to pencil and paper later; and are reading and doing math at a high level by the ages of four and five.  They also say the students do well when they transition to public school.

“The kids come out (of Montessori school) with a lot of leadership skills,” said Chavet.  “They are self-assured and independent, and know what they want.”

“There are huge benefits to many types of education,” said Anderson.  “This is one that produces good results.  Montessori in the Park is here to give parents options that just weren’t here before.”

Goodyear Mayor James Cavanaugh, who took part in the ground breaking ceremony, agreed that the option is a good one for parents and that the new campus will be a positive resource in the community.  “This is a great ownership group and Montessori is a great teaching concept, so this is a terrific way for the two to come together.  I’m very supportive of this,” he said.

COME TOGETHER TO SUPPORT VICTIMS OF VIOLENCE

What:  Fundraiser and Advocacy Center Awareness Campaign
Where:  UltraStar Cinema, 13649 N. Litchfield Rd, Surprise AZ
When:  Thursday, May 20, 2010   – 4:30 – 9 pm

ONE DAY ONLY!
SEE FIRST HAND HOW OUR POLICE DEPARTMENTS KEEP US SAFE
4-6:30 pm  Demonstrations & Display of Police Enforcement Units:
K-9 Units
SWAT TEAM demonstration
Community Sponsor Booths/Trade Show
Celebrity Appearance

7 pm    Movie – “FURRY VENGEANCE”
All proceeds go to the SWFAC
$10 for Adults; $5 for Children.
Buy your tickets now as this show will sell out quickly!

Call 602-622-3004 or 623-333-7900 to reserve/purchase your tickets.

RAFFLE TICKETS
$2 each gets you a chance to WIN GREAT PRIZES!!!
If you bring in any donated item from the wish list you get one extra Raffle ticket FREE!

WISHLIST
Gift cards to area Grocery stores (Target, Wal-Mart, etc.), Journal/Dairies, Small toys for the children, New stuff animals.

Your donation will assist the Southwest Family Advocacy Center in continuing to provide a safe and child-friendly location for victims of sexual and physical abuse.

Thank you UltraStar Cinema for hosting this event!

Thank you to Avondale, Buckeye, Goodyear and Surprise Police Departments!

For more information on donations or supporting this event call 623-333-7900

Randy Peetz joined the Fit to Fabulous competition to make significant changes to his health. Randy, an IT director at Banner Del Webb hospital, started the competition with a main goal of weighing less than 200 pounds. Randy met his goal and lost 27.4 pounds.

Being a smoker and diabetic, Randy entered the contest with major health challenges. He wanted to make a change in order to live a healthier, longer life. Randy said his main motivations were his wife and daughter.

“It helped knowing I wanted to be there for my 19-year-old daughter,” he said. “I wanted to extend my life to see her wedding and children. I wanted to be there for my wife as well. Those were the motivations that kept pushing me through everything.”

Randy’s wife, Mary Peetz, won the Biggest Loser competition last year. Both husband and wife competed against each other this year in the Fit to Fabulous competition. According to Randy, competing with his wife was a huge support to him.

“I saw the amazing results my wife got from the first contest, and I thought I would try it,” Randy said. “It really helped to have her guidance when it came to food, and I enjoyed planning and cooking meals with her.”

Randy also felt the length of the program was one of his biggest challenges. Initially, he had difficulty with being mentally prepared for the six-month duration.

Randy soon found a workout that helped him with this difficulty.

“I really enjoyed running,” Randy said. “I’ve never been a runner before but I’m finding that I’m liking it. It’s a challenging workout because you have to talk yourself into it. At any given time it’s easy to stop and walk. So to run and not stop was a huge accomplishment for me.”

Throughout the competition Randy participated in two 5K runs and shaved four minutes off his mile time. He started at 12 minutes a mile and at the last assessment he ran a mile in 8 minutes and 34 seconds.

This physical accomplishment gave Randy the confidence to quit smoking after more than 30 years.

According to fitness coach Stephanie Fogelson, Randy has become a totally new man.

“He went from Mr. Quiet to an amazing, outgoing class clown,” Stephanie said. “He literally rolls up his shirtsleeves so we can all get a good look at his guns. People at the hospital he works at are so inspired and now look to him for tips and advice.”

When his name was announced as winner Randy was in complete surprise.
“I had no clue I was going to win,” he said. “I was going to be excited either way. Just knowing that I made it through the six months is great and I am better for it today. My health has improved dramatically.”

Randy said he will participate in West Valley’s Biggest Loser 3 starting this April.
“I would say, give it a chance and don’t let your mind talk you out of what you can do.”

When Esther Connealy entered the Biggest Loser competition her goal was to lose between 40 and 50 pounds. Esther, a childcare clubhouse attendant at Bashas grocery store, exceeded her goal and ended the contest with a total weight loss of 65 pounds. Her biggest challenge when entering the contest was finding a balance between work, working out and home.

“The difficulty for me was that in order to participate in the program I had to take all the weekend shifts at work,” she said. “I missed all the contest events, sponsored events and missed time with my family.”

This challenge did not discourage her from reaching her initial goal. Esther remained consistent to four workouts a week and kept her eye on the prize.

“I kept reminding myself that the reason I joined was to lose the weight,” she said. “If you’re joining for the monetary prizes, you’re joining for the wrong reasons. You’ve got to do this for yourself and push as hard as you can. Anything else is sugar on top.”

After six weeks Esther began to see results. She was able to do simple things such as a push-up or sit-up. She also ran her first 5K in 43 minutes.

“I got a lot stronger,” she said.  “I thought if I can do this, I can do anything. Emotionally I feel stronger, like I can take on any challenge.”

Another factor that helped Esther to stay on track was variety in the workouts. Included were the Hour of Power at Fitness 1 gym, weight training, boot camp training and swimming. Swimming was her favorite workout.

She was excited and happy to learn that she had won the Biggest Loser contest, but she also felt satisfaction with the fact that she had reached her personal goal.

“It feels great to be the winner. It also feels good because I know I accomplished something I set my mind to,” she said.

Esther plans to stay at her current weight by continuing her workouts and changing the diet, not only for herself, but for her family as well. Currently, Esther is working out six days a week and is keeping variety in her workouts. She is doing water aerobics, gravity classes and is trying yoga for the first time.

According to fitness coach Stephanie Fogelson, Esther was on board with this program 100 percent from day one.

“She took on tasks such as making us healthy snacks, giving us daily motivational quotes and she kept us in the loop for healthy food sales at Bashas,” Stephanie said. “Her journey was so consistent, she just kept doing exactly what was asked of her and great things came of it.”

Esther stated she would recommend this competition to anyone needing to make a healthy change in his or her life.

“If your heart wants to be healthy, then do it for yourself,” she said. “Don’t compare yourself to other people. What they lose is different from you. Keep focused, stay on a straight path, and you’ll get there.”

The Biggest Loser 2 contest came to a conclusion March 6th at the Surprise Baseball Stadium when the two winners were announced prior to the start of the Texas Rangers and Kansas City Royals spring training game.

The competition, which consisted of two categories, Biggest Loser and Fit to Fabulous, kicked off September, 2009 and lasted six months. Eight contestants vied for the Biggest Loser title and 11 contestants competed for the Fit to Fabulous title. A total of 311 pounds were lost. The contestants participated in group workouts at Fitness 1 with West Valley’s Biggest Loser coaches, Stephanie Fogelson and Mike Logan. Several sponsored events were held throughout the six months to motivate the contestants, such as the NASCAR fitness challenge at Phoenix International Raceway, weight lifting competitions at Fitness 1 and two 5K runs.

By  Esther Martinez, Photos By Katie Lacy

WVBL2 Top Contestants
With West Valley’s Biggest Loser 2 coming to a close soon, it’s members voted on who they felt are the best in their program. After the votes were in and counted, eight members were recognized.

MOST IMPROVED – CHRISTINA FIGUERO

Wow! “Most Improved”

Everyday, each and everyone one of us is out there, pushing ourselves, not only physically, but mentally. I can assure you that every one of us has “SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVED” since Sept. 14, 2009. We are all working “HARD”. I have not been working any harder than anyone else. I am pushing myself to do what I am capable of doing and they are pushing themselves to do what they are capable of doing. We are busting our butts.  Some are just able to do it a little faster or a little better than me. It’s the same workout and we are doing it to the best of our ability.  We all are IMPROVING!

Being a part of the West Valley’s Biggest Loser has greatly impacted my life. Had I been told I would be involved in such a program, I would have smiled, made a joke, and just walked away. In the beginning I knew this was a weight-loss program. I recall Stephanie’s words the day of my audition, “all you have to do is show up, and I will take care of the rest”.  So in my head, I’d show up, work out and go home.  I never imagined the effect it would have on my life emotionally. I knew I was the biggest contestant. That was hard for me to accept. Because of it, I wanted to walk away, say “whatever”, make excuses and find fault in the program itself. I was setting myself up to fail.

I have come to accept that I have more weight to lose than some of the others. That does not make me any less of a person. This is my journey and these wonderful individuals are along the ride with me. Each person who is out there on a daily basis is an inspiration. We all have made a commitment to ourselves and to the person who is next to us.   I look at others who are transforming, they are inspiring and motivating. To look up and see everyone working out hard, I know I too can achieve–that is extraordinary. To be able to see changes that people are making right before my eyes, that is PRICELESS. To see changes that people have made by making a commitment to themselves is the greatest gift one can give.  Gifts don’t have to be material objects.  The greatest GIFT one can give is just being present. To all the Biggest Loser’s and The Fit 2 Fab’s, “Thank You” for showing up and being present, for being that additional encouragement and for the extra pats on the back when needed most.

Not only do I want to change my physical appearance, want to become healthier and to make better choices for myself but I also want to get the “ugly” out. This program has helped me look within myself to challenge and change myself within.  I want to work on issues that have put me where I was when I started this program-that wasn’t working out so well! With the help of our trainers, Stephanie and Mike and friends I’ve made along the way, I’ve learned to take care of the core of my being. If I don’t, I will find myself back at square one. It’s not about working on your physical appearance but about working on the entire package, physically, emotionally and spiritually. I am working and wanting to become a better person inside and out.  Looking inside is not always pretty.  It’s about believing in yourself enough to do the work.  No matter how hard the battle is, never give up and always move forward. The best is yet to come!

WVBL 3 Here I come!

WVBL2 Top Contestants
With West Valley’s Biggest Loser 2 coming to a close soon, it’s members voted on who they felt are the best in their program. After the votes were in and counted, eight members were recognized.

MOST INSPIRATIONAL – MARY PEETZ

This program has been an amazing experience. I have learned so much from the trainers, Stephanie and Mike and all the contestants.  They have taught me the importance of a healthy body, mind and spirit.

I am honored to be chosen as the most inspirational, especially by this group.  There are so many contestants that have touched my life in so many different ways and helped me through this program.  We are all an inspiration to each other.