Community Connect: Vol. 3 Issue 1

Puppy Love

Meet Onyx, a therapy dog at Canyon Ridge School that’s providing emotional support and a whole lot of smiles for students.

Inspiring Literacy Through the Outdoors +

Calendar of Events for the Fall! +

4 6 8 10 16 18 20 26 28 34 38 40

Local Teacher Takes to the Skies

Student Voice: Why We Love the Arts

CONNECT communi community

OCTOBER 2021 • Vol. 3 Issue 1

15802 N Parkview Place Surprise, AZ 85374

Editorial Staff

Renee Ryon

Ryan McGinley

Carly McVay

Ambria Brown

Puppy Love: The Story of Onyx

Inspiring Literacy Through the Outdoors

Local Organizations Step Up for History

Feature Story: Shooting for the Stars

Spotlight: Metal Memories Feature: A Special Goal Feature: Right on Target

Parent Perspective: Middle School

Community Capture Artwork

Contributing Writers

Corgan Atkins

Aidan Ramirez

Brylee Cuthbertson

Stephanie Leon

Lisa Moberg

Senna James

Contributing Artists and Photographers

Senna James

Lisa Moberg

Advertising

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The Community Connect Magazine offers full page, half page, and quarter page options for each issue. Contact us at publicrelations@ dysart.org for more information on pricing and deadlines or visit dysart.org/CommunityConnect.

Story Ideas?

The Community Connect is always looking for story ideas and contributing content. If you know of an idea or person that should be featured, please feel free to reach out to us at publicrelations@dysart.org.

About Us

The Community Connect Magazine is a publication aimed at telling the stories of students, staff, and community members who make extraordinary contributions to our community. The magazine has one of the largest circulations in the Northwest Valley. The mission is to provide a publication for the community, about the community, through the support of community business advertisements.

ON THE COVER

On the Calendar: Career and College Expo

Janelle Henry poses in the hallway with Onyx, a therapy dog at Canyon Ridge School.

Career and College Expo

Learn about Career & Technical Education (CTE) programs in Dysart Schools, WestMEC programs, talk with colleges and universities, and learn more about military opportunities. All parents and students are welcome, but the expo is great for 6-11th graders in the community!

October 28, 2021

5:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. Dysart District Office

Fall Harvest Festival

The City of El Mirage is thrilled to bring back a community favorite, the Fall Harvest Festival! Bring your neighbors, family, and friends to Gentry Park and enjoy inflatables, crafts, costume contests, entertainment, food, and vendors!

October 29, 2021 from 5 p.m. - 9 p.m.

Clue: The Musical

Clue The Musical, put on by the Valley Vista High School Theatre Department, is a musical with a book by Peter DePietro, music by Galen Blum, Wayne Barker and Vinnie Martucci, and lyrics by Tom Chiodo, based on the board game Clue. The plot concerns a murder at a mansion, occupied by several suspects, that is solved by a detective, while the ending is decided by the audience.

November 4-6, 2021

The Vista Center for the Arts

Band Jamboree

Come watch marching bands from Dysart, Shadow Ridge, Valley Vista, and Willow Canyon High Schools battle it out on the football field at Valley Vista High School in a band jamboree!

November 1, 2021

6 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. Valley Vista High School

Events Notice:

All calendar events are subject to date, time, and location changes and/or cancellation. Please check with the hosting venue and/or organization for the most up-to-date information on the event.

Count Basie Orchestra

The Count Basie Orchestra is traveling the world and continuing the excellent standards in swinging and shouting the blues with precision, and continuing to be “The Most Explosive Force In Jazz.”

November 13-14 at 7 p.m.

The Vista Center for the Arts

Veterans Day Parade

Join the City of Surprise for a parade honoring the service and sacrifice of our Veterans. A pancake breakfast will be available for purchase from 7:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.

November 11, 2021 at 10 a.m. at the Surprise Recreation Campus

Class Action Performance

The Fall Play Class Action will be an evening of short scenes and monologues performed by Dysart High School thespians.

November 12-14, 2021 at 7 p.m.

Surprise Party 2021

Celebrate with the City of Surprise at the 20th Annual Surprise Party! Friday and Saturday will include a Balloon Glow (weather permitting), sky divers, tree lighting ceremony, car show, food, live music, and fireworks!

December 3-4, 2021 at the Surprise Recreation Campus

Winterfest & Parade

The City of El Mirage presents their annual Winterfest & Parade. The community can enjoy a visit from Santa, food, crafts, snow, carnival games, vendors, and Adventures in Candyland!

December 4, 2021 from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Shadow Ridge Theater: Sherlock Holmes

Join the Shadow Ridge High School Theater Department as they perform a rendition of the famous character, Sherlock Holmes for the community.

December 10, 2021 at 7 p.m. SRHS Auditorium

Surprise Day of Service

Show your community pride by participating in a day of service. Volunteers will meet at 8 a.m. at the Surprise Senior Center, 15832 N. Hollyhock St., before venturing out to various cleanup projects across the city.

December 11, 2021

8 a.m. to 12 p.m.

PARENTS

FAMILY

Poetry Slam at WHAM

This event features open mic night for poetry, free verse, and storytelling! All are welcome to participate as performers and/or listeners.

December 17, 2021 at 6 p.m.

Local Teacher Takes to the Skies

Luke Elementary School iExplore Teacher, Christina Tormollan, recently got a once in a lifetime opportunity to ride in a Cessna 172Nxi aircraft for a discovery flight with the United States Air Force (USAF) Civil Air Patrol as part of the Aerospace Education Member Program.

“It allowed me to see my school from a different perspective,” said Tormollan. “This state is no longer just a desert but rather an oasis of opportunities!”

Tormollan flew with Major Ron Marks, a pilot in the Civil Air Patrol since 1989, who also flies as a professional pilot for FedEx. They traveled at around 150 miles per hour at an altitude between 1,500 and 3,000 feet above the Northwest Valley.

The purpose of the Aerospace Education Member Program is to provide teachers with these opportunities so they can share it with their students and get them interested in aviation and aerospace.

Luke Elementary School will tie aeronautical opportunities into their iExplore program through a partnership with Northern Arizona University (NAU) and the Civil Air Patrol. They will provide opportunities for students to be involved in drone technology as well as robotics and coding. Tormollan and Luke Elementary hope these partnerships for the students will help them transition to high school with the district’s Career and Technical Education programs such as Network Technology, Engineering, and Coding.

MAYOR’S

Art Exhibit

The inaugural Surprise Mayor’s Exhibit: A Tribute To Our Heroes, marks the 20th anniversary of the tragedy of 9/11 and aims to reflect on how the heroes of this day have shaped, and continue to shape, our nation into one of support, togetherness, and collective endurance.

The exhibit opened September 3, 2021 at The Vista Center for the Arts, 15660 N. Parkview Place in Surprise, and will coincide with performances to be held at this location through November 11, 2021.

Why we love the

ARTS

By Corgan Atkins, Aidan Ramirez, and Brylee Cuthbertson, Willow Canyon High School

Art has been a paramount staple of humanity, dating all the way back to the Lower Paleolithic when rocks were our only canvases. Now, stages, desolate train cars, mannequins, whiteboards, and even iPads play as our canvases. This development of art and what we define as art has affected culture and society by changing opinions, assembling people, and engendering communities that last a lifetime. Music, painting, literature, and other such forms of art preserve what historical records can’t. Here at Willow Canyon High School, we appreciate the arts for this exact reason.

Why are the arts important to establish in schools? Not only do they promote innovative learning skills but they also help teach us motor skills, social skills, and other qualities useful in day-to-day life. The arts also give us

the opportunity to express ourselves when we might not get the chance to at home. Arts education is crucial in schools, and we believe that to some extent, it should be required. There are several positive connotations linked to the practice of the arts, and if we want children to grow up as creative, risk-taking, high achievers, then we need to start implementing and normalizing the arts in modern education.

As students involved in theatre, the arts are very important to us. A student here at Willow Canyon explained to us perfectly her experience in the arts.

“When I was younger, I went to a school that did not offer any fine arts classes. No choir, no theatre, no band. The closest thing someone could get to singing and acting was being on the morning announcements. I remember how

crazy it felt, being swarmed by science and engineering classes, pushed into a job path I wasn’t so sure about. When I switched out of that school and found a school with the arts, I had never felt more confident in what I wanted to do in the future. I got involved in plays, festivals of the arts, and so much more. I discovered my love for acting, singing, and taking part in all parts of theatre. Theatre changed both my perspective on my own life and the overall perspective I took on the world. Not only that, but theatre provided me with friends and connections that made me a thoughtful, more confident person. I know that I have been influenced by the artistry and ardency that the arts hold.”

Overall, the arts are an inspiring thing. It allows us to converge and to stand out in a way we never knew we could. It makes a vigorous community with all those sharing the same kind of excitement. The arts can connect people of different interests, hobbies, cultures, and so much more. The arts change people as individuals and communities.

Without music, without theatre, the world would be greatly divided and destitute of personality and color. Anyone can express themselves through art, not just actors and musicians. That’s the attraction of the arts, and that’s what makes them so important to us.

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PUPPY love

It’s not everyday you can walk into a classroom and are immediately greeted by a friendly puppy smiling back at you. For one sixth grade classroom at Canyon Ridge School in Surprise however, that is quite the norm. Onyx, a four and a half year old Australian Shepherd, has found himself at home at Canyon Ridge School and was easily welcomed by students and staff as a part of the family.

Students pet Onyx, a classroom therapy dog in Mrs. Peterman’s class at Canyon Ridge School.

Onyx, unlike most ordinary dogs, is a certified therapy dog. He comes to school with his owner and handler, Stacey Peterman, who is a sixth grade teacher at the school. Though Stacey is Onyx’s owner, the initial idea to have a therapy dog on campus came from Canyon Ridge second grade teacher, Jennifer Klein. Jennifer has always had a love for animals of all kinds, and even thought she would become a veterinarian someday, before deciding on education as a career path. After reading an article on therapy dogs, her interest on the topic piqued. She delved herself into more and more research and found increasing evidence on the effectiveness therapy dogs can bring to a school setting. Based on her findings she became interested in bringing a therapy dog to her school. “There’s a lot of research out there about therapy dogs and how they can be especially beneficial to kids in school,” said Klein.

Through her research she came across ample evidence that shows how therapy dogs can enhance children’s psychological development, improve social skills, and increase self-esteem. They can also help teach responsibility, compassion, and respect for other living things.

In a classroom setting specifically, therapy dogs have shown to be effective in helping gain various skills such as reading enhancement, stimulating memory, and problem-solving

skills. Interaction with a therapy dog also has many physical benefits such as reduced blood pressure, assistance in pain management, providing physical stimulation, and motivation to move and walk. In addition, therapy dogs are also highly effective in contributing to emotional and relational development. The presence of a therapy dog can help promote greater selfesteem and well-being, calm fears, reduce anxiety, and can lift overall moods.

Once her research was complete, Jennifer presented the idea to Canyon Ridge Principal, Jill Hoppe, who was on board with the idea right away. “I’m pretty much a ‘yes’ person,” she said. “So teachers will come to me with ideas, and I tend to say yes because if we have some research that it’s good for the kids, then let’s give it a try.” All that was left in the process was the approval of district leadership, so Jennifer wrote up a proposal that included much of the research and data she came across, to submit to district leadership. The proposal was ultimately approved, which now meant it was just a matter of figuring out the fine details of how this program would be implemented into the school, and the process of finding a dog that would be a good fit for the role.

Once the idea turned into reality, and the program was set to be implemented, Stacey Peterman knew she had a dog that would be a perfect fit for the role.

In order to become certified as a therapy dog, the dog must possess certain characteristics, some of which include patience, gentleness, friendliness, a sense of calmness, and the ability to adapt well to change. Stacey’s dog, Onyx already carried these characteristics, though it wasn’t necessarily an easy process to get there. Onyx was rather difficult and troublesome as a puppy, so Stacey knew right away that he needed extensive training to learn how to channel his energy and behave in certain situations.

“Australian Shepherds are very bright; but they also have to have a job,’’ Stacey said with a smile. “If they don’t have a job, they will get themselves into trouble.” That is

Students work on a lesson as Onyx looks on at Canyon Ridge School.

what she started to see with Onyx when he was a puppy. “He was a very difficult puppy. I needed to start his training immediately so we could make sure he was a good dog in the end,” she added. Onyx loved his training so much that she decided to just continue on with it, and continue to find new ways he could be challenged. Once Stacey heard of the possibility of adding a therapy dog at Canyon Ridge, she knew it was a great opportunity for Onyx to continue his training and learn new skills. Stacey did all of Onyx’s training herself, as she also works as a dog trainer on the side. She teamed up with the local dog training company that she works for when it came to obtaining the necessary certifications for Onyx.

In order to earn the title of an official therapy dog, Onyx had to go through intense testing to first earn the American Kennel Club (AKC) Canine Good Citizen Certification, as well as the AKC Community Canine Certification. The AKC Good Citizen Certification requires the dog and owner be tested in a simulated environment, in order to prove the dog has mastered basic skills such as good manners and obedience, as well as responsible ownership and a strong bond between the dog and owner. The AKC Community Canine Certification is the advanced version

of the Canine Good Citizen, and requires the dog’s skills be tested in a more natural real-world setting, rather than in a controlled, simulated environment. “The test is pretty intense,” describes Stacey. “They bring out many different scenarios to see how the animal will react.”

When all was said and done, and Onyx completed all the required certifications, he ended up earning the highest rating a therapy dog can receive, which means he is allowed into any facility that will have him.

Certified therapy dogs visit many different settings such as schools, hospitals, daycares, nursing homes, retirement homes, and many more. Therapy dogs have a very specific job in which their mission is to provide support, comfort, affection, happiness, and calmness to a variety of situations. Certified therapy dogs are not the same as service dogs, who typically provide specific services to those with a physical disability. Rather, therapy dogs assist in everyday stressors, anxieties, frustrations, and overall to just provide comfort and ease to those around them.

Having a certified therapy dog requires a licensed handler, which is usually the dog’s owner. Stacey, being Onyx’s certified handler, means he has to be with her everywhere she is on campus. Whether she is in her

You can see as he wanders the room, he traverses and goes up to different students. He’s very aware of who needs him at a certain time.

- Stacey Peterman

A student poses with Onyx in a classroom at Canyon Ridge School as she participates in a lesson.

classroom, or outside on recess duty, Onyx is there with her. When Onyx is on campus however, the majority of his time is spent in the classroom where he is able to wander around and approach different students. “You can see as he wanders the room, he traverses and goes up to different students. He’s very aware of who needs him at a certain time,” said Stacey. Onyx is usually able to tell when a student is struggling or is feeling anxious, and time with him helps the students catch a little break and refocus before getting back to their work. “When he wants to, he comes to you and comforts you to make you feel safer and more comfortable doing work. He also helps you focus,” said Lily, a sixth grade Canyon Ridge student. “It’s been really cool to see the impact that he’s had on some of our students,” Stacey added.

Other students outside of Stacey’s classroom are also able to benefit when Onyx is on campus. “There are times in a student’s day where they might just be feeling so overwhelmed that they shut down,” said Principal Jill Hoppe. “They put their head on their desk, they won’t work

or participate, or maybe even start crying. Those are the times where it’s important to take some time to sit with and pet Onyx so they can reset and get back to class.”

Though the students are Onyx’s primary focus, the staff at the school have also been able to benefit from him being there. “Everyone’s face lights up when he comes in in the morning,” said Jill. “The whole entire staff knows him. He goes to meetings after school with us, our office staff have little treats in their desks for him. Our staff is also able to find such joy in him.”

The staff at Canyon Ridge is excited to see the growth of the program on their campus. They currently have plans to add additional therapy dogs, with Stacey Peterman currently training another one of her dogs to bring to campus, as well as Principal Jill Hoppe training her own dog to become certified. The process is quite lengthy however, and ensuring the right dog is trained and certified is essential, as not every dog may be a good fit for the role. “It is an extensive process and we want to make sure that we do it right so that we can continue and that everyone is

Onyx lays on the carpet as students around him participate in a lesson at Canyon Ridge School.

safe. That is obviously our first concern,” said Stacey. “It’s not a job for every dog. It requires a lot of work and a lot of training to be able to bring them to school,” she added. With all the different things the dogs see throughout the day, and all the scenarios they may find themselves in, it is important to be able to ensure the dog has the proper certifications in order to ensure the dog’s safety, and most importantly the student’s safety. “We take it very seriously. Making sure everyone is taken care of is really really important,” said Stacey.

The hard work and dedication by the many involved in making this program a reality does not go unnoticed. Principal Jill Hoppe states that she is especially grateful for their hard work, as the impact Onyx has had at the school so far is definitely noticed. “I’m so proud of my staff,” Jill exclaimed. “It’s also great being in a district that is supportive of these initiatives and trusting that we’re putting the students first and foremost at all times.”

The positive impact Onyx has made at Canyon Ridge

is evident. He brings an infectious joy and calmness everywhere he goes on campus, as Jill adds, “Overall he is fun, he brings joy, and all he has to do is be himself. If we can bring more joy to our school every single day, why not do it?”

A student smiles and pets Onyx during a lesson at Canyon Ridge School. Onyx is a fully certified Therapy Dog who had to go through rigorous testing.

Inspiring Literacy through the

By Lisa Moberg, Sixth Grade Teacher at Sunset Hills Elementary School and National Board Certified Teacher

Asthe monsoon ebbs away and the summer heat dies down, it’s time for Phoenicians to shake off their summer slumber, get out of the house, and enjoy the great outdoors!! It’s also a wonderful setting to help your child discover or sustain their love of literacy. As literacy is one of the biggest focus areas in education, teachers hope their students develop a love of reading and writing. Instilling this lifelong appreciation of literacy can be challenging when not all students enjoy being indoors and sitting still. This is where parents can help out- taking their children outside to read and write in an Outdoor Literacy Project.

What materials are needed for your Outdoor Literacy Project? A backyard or neighborhood park, paper/ composition book, pencil, crayons, and an imagination! Buy-in from the children is preferable, and usually more attainable when a snack and outdoor adventures are communicated first. There are literacy projects for all ages; let’s start with the youngest examples of activities for children.

ABC Rocks

For the Preschoolers/ Kindergartners, creating ABC Rocks helps them identify the alphabet and sounds of the

letters. Pick up some nice smooth rocks (always wear gloves and check the submerged areas for little critters) and wash them off. Then using tempera paint and fine-tip paintbrush (which can be found at the dollar store), help your younger child create a letter of the alphabet on each rock. (If this fine-motor skill is too challenging, using a Sharpie would work as well.) It is recommended to focus on the letters of the child’s name or the letters of short words (C-A-T, D-O-G, B-A-T, etc.). After the paint dries, you can rearrange the ABC rocks to make the words. Practice saying the letters and their corresponding sounds together to blend into words!

Outdoor Alphabet Book

As the children learn their alphabet, they need to observe the pattern of the beginning sounds of words, especially in the early primary grades. Creating an alphabet book with outdoor images is always fun!! Go for a walk around the neighborhood, through a park, or in the desert, and look for objects in nature that begin with a specific letter. Your child can draw or take a photo of the object to create a collage for the matching letter. This helps them internalize how words start with specific letters and sounds, which increases their phonemic awareness.

Lisa Moberg

Haiku Poetry

Let’s move on to the older elementary students, and there are so many opportunities for Outdoor Literacy Projects! Creating Haiku poems is always fun- it’s only three lines about nature! Each line has a specific amount of syllables (5 syllables, 3 syllables, 5 syllables), which helps children understand the significance of identifying syllables in multisyllabic words. (What’s a “syllable?” It’s every time your mouth moves to say a specific sound.) After creating the Haiku poem, it’s always fun to share with the community! Cut out the poem in a shape, attach a string as a loop, and tie it around a branch of a tree in a park. This encourages children to understand the significance of “audience” and how to share their writing with others.

Leaf Adjective Pictures

Another fun Outdoor Literacy Project is Leaf Rubbings. Find some interesting leaves throughout the backyard and neighborhood and press them against a hard surface. Lay a lightweight piece of paper over the leaf and rub a crayon over the paper. You will see the leaf pattern emerge!! Then take time to find adjectives to describe the leaf, using an online/paper thesaurus. Encourage your child to use specific words that include the five senses to describe the leaf. This is also a great opportunity for your child to practice good handwriting skills as they write the words around the shape of the leaf.

Nature Journals

Nature Journals are always a great way to record observations of the great outdoors. Using a composition notebook or folded pieces of paper, children can just sit down in one spot of their backyard or neighborhood park to find something to focus on. It could be the sky, grass, a flower, tree, insect, bird, etc… Encourage your child to use as many senses as possible to observe this part of nature and write down a paragraph about their observations. Remind them that a paragraph should include a topic

sentence, supporting details, and concluding sentence. Sitting down with your child and modeling this as a parent is always a powerful way to encourage children to do their best.

Scavenger Hunt

Going on a camping trip or hike with your older children? A Scavenger Hunt with riddles is a great way to invest your child into nature. Creating teams promotes collaboration and communication, and having rewards for the winners inspires a sense of urgency. Using riddles to find the desired objects encourages your child to draw conclusions by using their prior knowledge to make connections. Creating the riddles is almost as much fun as watching your children participate in the Scavenger Hunt!

The outdoors is a great avenue to enjoying reading and writing together as a family! Taking the time to observe nature and having conversations encourages quality time spent together. Having meaningful conversations creates an appreciation for listening and speaking skills. Promoting a healthy respect for nature in your child will positively impact our future world!

Local Organizations Step Up to Bring HISTORY TO LIFE

“The Many Faces of George Washington,” a nationally acclaimed traveling exhibition that examines the multidimensional, real-life man behind the myth, opened at Canyon Ridge School on Constitution Day. Produced by curators and researchers at George Washington’s home, Mount Vernon, in conjunction with the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, this exhibit highlighted the many different facets of Washington’s leadership through dazzling color graphics of paintings, photographs, and iconic objects.

The seven sections of the exhibitions were: Virginia Childhood, Risk Taker, Realistic Visionary, Wise Decision Maker, Impassioned Learner, Visionary Entrepreneur, and At Home at Mount Vernon.

The seventy foot long exhibition was made possible by

a generous grant from the F.M. Kirby Foundation and the financial support of local patriotic partners in the Arizona Sons of the American Revolution, Veterans of Foreign Wars, and Arizona Daughters of the American Revolution. Their time, talent and generosity made this single Arizona appearance of the exhibit a reality.

Patriots from these groups, along with volunteers from the Liberty Ladies of Sun City West and Sun City Grand, served as tour guides and presenters for this program. Every visiting student was provided a free copy of the United States Constitution by the Liberty Ladies and had the opportunity to sign greeting cards and a homemade flag; provided by the Blue Star Moms of the Southwest Valley, for our brave men and women serving overseas in the United States Armed Forces.

(Left) Mike Fisch, President of Arizona Sons of the American Revolution Saguaro Chapter and (Right) Ed Dalley, a member of Arizona Sons of the American Revolution talk to children about the Many Faces of George Washington Exhibit.

FOOD SERVICE STAFF

Oscar Murillo vists a replica of the Saturn V at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center while attending a meeting at the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center.

SHOOTING FOR

THE STARS

Workingfor NASA is something that countless children dream of and even adults are intrigued by space. For Oscar Murillo, that childhood dream became a reality, and today he is living that dream and helping others realize their own dreams.

Oscar Murillo has fond memories of school. Math and science were always his two favorite subjects, and he excelled in them - quickly working through his lessons to get ahead. He remembers wanting to be an astronaut when he was very young, but a shocking and high profile incident made him question that choice.

“I have vivid memories of the Challenger (space shuttle) explosion. I remember crying at home after that and telling my mom ‘I don’t want to be an astronaut anymore.’ ”

While clearly impactful, Oscar was not deterred from finding his passion, and in high school his path became more clear.

“I would say Freshman year in high school I had decided I wanted to be an aerospace engineer and I really wanted to work for NASA. My best friend in high school, Ramon Encinas, and I would geek out talking about space and astronomy, so I knew that I wanted to do it. I figured out the best path forward was to go to MIT.”

Aside from his studies, Oscar was involved in the Key Club, Future Business Leaders of

America (FBLA), JROTC, Cross Country, and Golf at Dysart High School, where he and his parents and brothers all attended, as well as many extended family members. However, if Oscar were to achieve his dream, he would be the first in his immediate family to receive a bachelor’s degree.

The teachers all knew his family, and his mom and aunt also worked in the district, which made it difficult to get away with anything, as they had eyes and ears everywhere. Although a selfproclaimed “geek”, one of his fondest memories in high school was in 1998 when he and his friends decided to do a senior prank.

“We didn’t want to be destructive, but wanted it to be known that we did something. We got up early one morning and went to the high school campus and tp’d the trees and spray painted ‘98 on the grass. Nobody ever snitched on us.”

Aside from the prank, which somehow he got away with despite his family’s connections, Oscar remained focused on his goal. With the help and encouragement of some of his teachers, he applied to Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and was thrilled when he got accepted. He thought he was a fairly smart kid, and only had a brief glimpse at how things after high school might get harder when he took a calculus class at Glendale Community College as a senior.

My best friend in high school, Ramon Encinas, and I would geek out talking about space and astronomy, so I knew that I wanted to do it.

“

- Oscar Murillo

“When I was at MIT the classes got hard as I progressed to junior and senior year. In high school, I just got it, but when I got to college my brain wasn’t working that way anymore, and I had to figure out how to study. I think the vast majority struggle when they go from high school to college - it’s just a different mindset.”

Looking back, Oscar wishes he had known how to ask for help and realizes there were others in the same boat and many willing to help. Luckily he persevered, and graduated in 2003 with his undergraduate degree in Aerospace Engineering, and the first bachelor’s degree in his immediate family. While at MIT he attended the NASA booth at a career fair and was accepted into a co-op program where he was an intern while pursuing his degrees. It was just a foot in the door, but a very important one.

The X38 was the first project he got to work on at NASA as an intern. It was an experimental aircraft that was being looked at as a crew rescue vehicle for the International Space Station. While the project was cancelled for budgetary reasons, it was Oscar’s first foray into space.

After MIT, Oscar remained focused on his goals and

continued his education at Iowa State University, obtaining his Masters in Aerospace Engineering, and in 2010, his Doctorate. It was that same year that he became a permanent employee at NASA Dryden Flight Research Center (now Armstrong Flight Research Center). Oscar had made it to NASA, and now the real fun would begin.

Since the X38, Oscar has gotten to work on numerous projects, including research on a hypersonic vehicle, which was what much of his PhD work was focused on. He also worked on a program to modify control systems on a former Navy F/A-18 aircraft modified by NASA, as well as Orion, a capsule that will be on the next rocket flying since the Space Shuttle program was retired.

As you would expect, many of the projects Oscar gets to work on at NASA are quite unique and always complex. For example, the X59 Low Boom Flight Demonstrator is a uniquely-shaped vehicle with the purpose of doing supersonic flight faster than the speed of sound, but creating a softer “boom” than traditionally heard when breaking the sound barrier. The X57 is an all-electric airplane that will allow NASA to provide data to aerospace companies on how to build and fly efficient electric aircraft.

Oscar Murillo (center) works with colleagues to manually launch the PRANDTL-2 for flight research on fuel efficient wing designs.

Not every project NASA works on comes to fruition, but the research and work brings futuristic ideas one step closer to reality. One such project is an autonomous system for “urban air mobility,” which is essentially a vehicle that can move four to six people short distances in the air. Perhaps one day such vehicles will be commonplace, and not just in futuristic movies.

Oscar is always looking for ways to encourage people to work in engineering and STEM areas, so it’s no surprise that he jumped when he was presented with the opportunity to work with NASA’s Office of Education managing grants with universities.

“One of the nice things about working with college students is when they have their first opportunity to come out and work, they kind of get that giddy feeling that I had when I first walked out and started working as an intern, and so that helps kind of ground me and makes me realize how cool it is to work for NASA.”

Interestingly, his work with students is where he has found the most fun. Through a project titled PRANDTL, Oscar worked with interns on researching and testing aerodynamic wing shapes.

“We’re still on the ground floor to figure out what all the data means, but we hope to be able to put a dent into a new way to build an airplane. That is probably one of the

most exciting things I’ve gotten to be able to be a part of.”

With two young daughters, Oscar and his wife, Amy, have plenty of opportunities to be mentors at home too, for their children - Amelia (age 8) and Neala (age 3).

“My two daughters see NASA everywhere so they definitely know the little emblem whenever they see it…”

They call it the NASA “meatball” - a phrase that everyone

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Oscar Murillo (at left) conducting a “moment of inertia” test of the PRANDTL-2 unmanned aerial system.

at NASA uses for it because of the shape of the icon.

Oscar urges students that are pursuing their dreams to keep their mind open.

“I think a lot of times we look at those things as things that are outside of our reach, and I don’t think they are. I was definitely a nerd growing up, but outside of that I was just any other student that decided that’s what I wanted to try to do, and I did try to do it. Keep your mind open and don’t be afraid to try the hard stuff.”

Nowadays Oscar splits his time between technical and supervisory work as a Deputy Branch Head, recently moving from Lancaster, California to Williamsburg, Virginia to oversee aeronautics work in the Dynamic Systems and Control Group at NASA Langley Research Center.

When asked what the best thing about working for NASA is, Oscar says it’s the people.

“I get to interact with some of the smartest people in

the world. It’s kind of humbling to be able to interact with them… It’s always cool to bump into astronauts, but we’re not a main space center, so they are few and far between, so it’s always impressive to bump into one. But the people I interact with on a day-to-day basis are brilliant. It’s like being able to see the behind the scenes of how it happens.”

After 20 years with NASA, Oscar is proud of his work and knows that he is a part of something special that is shaping the future.

“One of the things I’ve been fortunate to be a part of are discussions about where to take NASA in aeronautics research and which areas we want to take it in. On a dayto-day basis it’s not that impressive, but when you look back at what you’ve been able to accomplish because of those day-to-day interactions it’s always kind of neat. It’s not until you look in the rear-view mirror and notice that it had a huge impact.”

The PRANDTL project team poses with the PRANDTL-1 vehicle before it is sent to the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum along with a technical paper they co-wrote about what they learned about improving wing design. Picured from left to right: Robert “Red” Jensen, Christian Gelzer, Albion Bowers, Oscar Murillo, and Brian Eslinger.

O UAZ CAMPUS CONSISTS OF 240-ACRES SURPRISE RECREATION CAMPUS INCLUDING:

OUR MOST POPULAR MAJORS

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OUAZ IS COMMITTED TO HELPING STUDENTS:

Develop intellectual, spiritual, physical, artistic, financial, familial and vocational dimensions of their lives.

Surprise Stadium, world-class championship tennis courts, racquetball, pickleball, O’Dell Center (Recreation Center, Spirit Field, Faith Arena), Union (Hetrick Spirit Canteen, OUAZ Fan Shop), Scholars Hall and Founders Hall. @OttawaUniversityAZ

LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR GROWING CAMPUS

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METALMEMORIES

Everything happened so fast. Too fast. So fast that the wind was howling. The next thing that happened was almost as if it were in slow motion. There was no room for an immediate stop. The next best idea that came to mind: jump. That’s where everything went wrong. Something caught his foot, spinning too many times to count before landing. The landing was a hard thud onto the solid grass. Snap, that was heard by everyone there. Silence filled the air. He was immobile and confused, attempting to get up from the ground and failing. The kid with the #2 jersey was lying on the field in excruciating pain and unable to move. The kid in the #2 jersey, Daniel Cooper, waited for the ambulance to take the pain away.

Cooper learned that “...sprinting head first into things isn’t always necessary.” He also learned to appreciate things he has taken for granted. Unfortunately, it was learned the hard way when he broke his collarbone during a soccer game.

In eighth grade, Cooper played in a middle school

soccer game for Sonoran Heights Elementary School, which resulted in a devastating injury. Cooper attempted to gain possession of the ball by sprinting, as the goalie on the other team did as well. The goalie ended up getting to the ball before Cooper could. Cooper didn’t want to run into the other player so he decided to jump, except his foot got caught on the goalie’s shoulder. Cooper ended up spinning in the air and landing on his collarbone, causing it to snap.

The game ended early due to the fact that Cooper couldn’t move, “It was my most painful experience so far. If I were to put it on a scale, I’d say 10/10,” said Cooper. It took the paramedics 30 minutes to move him into an ambulance where he was rushed to the Banner Thunderbird Medical Center. Luckily the paramedics kept him as distracted as they could on the way to the hospital. “The nurses and doctors at the hospital were very nice,” said Cooper. He stayed the night at the hospital and took many X-rays of his collarbone.

Story and photo by Senna James, Shadow Ridge High School Journalism student

Daniel Cooper holds up the metal plate that held his collarbone together for 2 years. He turned it into a necklace as a reminder of the experience.

Cooper headed home in a sling and was told that he had an extreme break of the left clavicle. This meant his left collarbone broke off where it connected to his shoulder bone, it shifted up and almost broke through the skin. Doctors instructed him to get surgery in two weeks yet his parents decided to switch doctors because they believed the best thing to do was have surgery right away. They switched to the doctors at the 56 Fighter Wing Orthopedic Surgery Department at Luke Air Force Base. Dr. Barnes, Cooper’s new doctor, told him to have surgery a few days after the break. When that day came Cooper had a metal plate and seven screws bolted into his collarbone to keep it in place, and it would stay there for two years.

For the next six months Cooper would focus on recovering in a sling. The ability to lift items with his left arm was no more and he could barely hold a milk jug. One of the worst parts was not playing soccer. “It sucked missing soccer, I felt like I was letting down my team,” said Cooper.

Not only was Cooper forced to stop club soccer, but also missed around two weeks of school. When he was able to go back he stayed cautious and away from large crowds so he wouldn’t be bumped in the shoulder. “I would wait in my class while other people switched from their classes and then I switched after everyone else so I could avoid them,” said Cooper.

As a result of six months of recovery everything was almost normal. Cooper was back in club soccer however not everything was the same. His doctor had given him a pretty serious warning, “Basically he warned me, he said there is a slight chance that if the ball hit my shoulder the right way with the right amount of speed then the plate could pop off my bone,” said Cooper.

In addition, it would also be painful to get hit by the ball in the left shoulder. From eighth grade to sophomore year Cooper would have panic attacks during soccer games if he was knocked down or landed on his shoulder. The first time he was knocked down was the worst. “I landed on my shoulder and then the moment when I broke my bone replayed in my head. I freaked out and I thought it was broken again, I was overwhelmed,” said Cooper.

Fortunately after two years of healing and having a metal plate in his shoulder, Cooper would receive surgery to have

the metal plate removed on May 16, 2019, sophomore year. “I was excited to be back to normal, as normal as I could be since it happened. The plate got annoying after a while,” said Cooper. He would now not have to deal with the nerves reconnecting, the plate sticking out in his shoulder and the metal plate becoming hot or cold in certain weather. The metal plate was so close to Cooper’s skin that the temperature of it was different from the rest of his body. “During fire drills every time I had to go outside, and since I live in Arizona, my left shoulder would get hotter than the rest of my body,” said Cooper.

Cooper would have to recover from the successful surgery but not for as long as last time. His doctor let him keep the metal plate and his friend, Jordan Brumskill, had suggested making it into a necklace. He now wears it as a reminder. “It is a reminder of the whole experience. It reminds me that I have people who care about me and that I am not invincible,” said Cooper. He wears the necklace as much as he can because it is special to him.

The metal plate may be out and Cooper’s shoulder and his collarbone may be healed, yet it still left a mark. Cooper’s nerves are still slowly reconnecting, and he is left with a scar on his shoulder. Yet this wasn’t the only thing the injury left behind, as his perspective had changed. “I am a lot more careful about what I do whether it is on the field or off the field. I don’t always run head first while playing now, and I am more cautious,” said Cooper. All of his memories, reminders, and his new perspective is what makes his necklace meaningful.

He still runs as fast as he can. He still puts forth his best efforts. However the next time he wouldn’t be on the ground in agony. He learned from that. Instead of doing unnecessary things, he worked the hardest towards what counted. He is still the kid with the #2 jersey who was once laying in a field with a broken collarbone. Except now he’s a senior playing for the boy’s varsity soccer team at Shadow Ridge High School and is a starter for his club team. He is like this now because he survived through the surgery, six months of recovering, the struggles with a metal plate for two years, more surgery, more recovering and the aftermath of the injury. And he ended up with a new perspective on what he cares about.

“

“

- Daniel Cooper

[The plate] is a reminder of the whole experience. It reminds me that I have people who care about me, and that I am not invincible.

If you’ve never heard of Floorball, you wouldn’t be alone. It has barely a footprint in the United States. But to countries such as Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden, and Switzerland, it’s one of their most popular sports. It was invented in the late 1960s and official rules were first written down in 1981. The United States didn’t recognize Floorball as an official sport until 1994, and it still struggles to gain popularity in America today. Like many of her friends and neighbors, Julie Rodriguez, the Unified Sports coach at Shadow Ridge High School, knew nothing of the sport. So when the Special Olympics came to her and asked her to put together a Floorball team to compete at the Special Olympics World Winter Games, she naturally said yes. “It just sounded like an awesome opportunity,” she said.

The Shadow Ridge High School Unified Sports Floorball Team poses for a picture in their gym during a practice session. The team is aiming to compete at the Special Olympics World Winter Games in Kazan, Russia.

Rodriguez got the word out, scheduled tryouts, and put together a team of students from Shadow Ridge, many of whom also didn’t know much about floorball. They set out with the monumental task of learning the sport, training, and winning the Floorball event at the Special Olympics World Winter Games in Sweden in 2020. As Jackson Moran, a senior at Shadow Ridge High School and member of the team says emphatically, “Number one, that is always the goal. Always shoot for number one.”

Floorball is essentially a type of floor hockey with five players and a goalie on each team. Rodriguez, who has been coaching all types of Unified Sports for the past four years, grew up as an avid hockey fan and had taught floor hockey before, so she had some foundation to work with. Floorball has similarities to floor and regular hockey, with some minor rule differences and equipment differences.

Rhys Johansson, a senior at Shadow Ridge High School and one of the players on the team puts it a little more succinctly. “It’s like hockey but not as violent,” he said. “You play on a floor instead of an ice rink. You have a goalie who moves with their knees but not with their legs. The sticks are the same but not wooden. And you use a ball instead of a puck.”

Johansson decided to try out for the team because he was already in Unified Sports. He has competed in basketball, badminton, volleyball, soccer, and track and field for Unified Sports. “I love sports because they help me build friendships, and they help me communicate better with people,” he said. He also thinks joining the team will help inspire people to try new things.

For Jackson Moran, he decided to try out and play because of his love of ice hockey. “I love that sport so much, why not play it on the basketball court,” he said with a smile. “It’s such a great opportunity to be a part

of something bigger than myself.” It also benefits his hockey game training on new techniques. “Floorball is fast,” he exclaims. “You watch the sport and think, yeah I could totally do that. But on the court it is a totally different story. It requires a lot of skill. In hockey I rely a lot on my physical ability. In this sport you can’t hit, so it’s a lot of playing smart, focused and fast.”

Being the Unified Sports coach at the high school, Rodriguez knew that she could take kids who had these passions for other sports and translate that to Floorball. She finds ways to connect sports like basketball by taking the guarding and defensive aspects of the game and aligning them it with this new sport.

But since it was a completely new sport for her, and there were so few resources out there with information on the sport, she took to Facebook to seek out help. She found a Floorball group based in Chandler and asked if anyone was interested in coming out to help. Olli Honkkila, who was born in Finland and now lives in the Valley, reached out and offered his services. He grew up playing the sport and had quite the talent for Floorball. “My athletes were astonished by his skills, skills I don’t have, with being able to handle the ball and do impressive tricks,” she said.

“It’s amazing because he grew up with it, and he knows so much more about the sport,” said Moran. “He teaches us these things like bending the stick to get more speed and ways to position yourself. It’s like learning science from Albert Einstein.”

There are three things that have been hurdles for Rodriguez and the team in preparing to compete at the world level. The first was learning the sport, training, and getting the practice needed to compete at such a high level. “It’s going good,” said Moran. “We’re improving. At the start we were a little inexperienced.” For Johansson, it was learning the more intricate details associated with

A bag of Floorball gear sits on the gym floor of Shadow Ridge High School. The equipment is similar to floor and regular hockey.

Caden Harrison takes a shot on goal during a practice session for the Shadow Ridge High School Floorball team, as defender Jackson Moran tries to swipe the ball away.

the game. “I think our biggest struggle has been the communication and recognizing the plays that we need to run,” he said. But through it all, they are there for each other and recognize the importance of working through this challenge together. “These boys are really supportive of each other,” Rodriguez said. “It’s really awesome to watch.”

Another struggle with the practice aspect is being able to scrimmage. As you can imagine, there aren’t many teams around the West Valley that can give the Shadow Ridge team some much needed game experience. So they’re working on recruiting people in the community to come out and play against the team at a high level.

“We’re hoping to host a scrimmage before the Olympics where people can come and watch them play, and see what these kids can really do,” said Rodriguez. “I think that there is a stigma with the Special Olympics thinking that this is a low level of play. These kids go hard and they go fast, and it looks no different than any other team.”

The second major hurdle in preparing for the Wold Games has been fundraising. The team needs to

Rhys Johannson, a senior, streaks down the court toward the goal during a practice session at Shadow Ridge High School, as coaches watch and cheer him on.

raise enough money for equipment, uniforms, transportation, and more. As you might imagine, traveling with a team overseas to Russia can be quite expensive. The team has worked to get the word out about needing community support to realize their dream, and the response has been overwhelming. The team is still in need though, and those interested in contributing to support the team can go to their website at soazfllorball.org.

“I think it’s important for people to recognize that these are your neighbors, these are the kids in your community, these are the people that are soon going to be the young adults going into the workforce, and they have so much to offer everyone and so many abilities,” said Rodriguez. “I hope that people recognize what these kids are really putting into this, they are true athletes that deserve this opportunity, and I am hoping that we can get the support from the community for them.”

The final hurdle the team has faced is one everyone can relate too - COVID-19. When this all started, the games were scheduled for Sweden in 2020. The team learned that those games were canceled, and they would have to wait until 2022. So Rodriguez assembled a new team as some of the players wouldn’t be able to compete in 2022. They’ve been working hard the past few years training to compete in Kazan, Russia in January 2022.

Sweden in winter is one thing, but Kazan, Russia was a whole different story. “The kids know that there is going to be a lot of snow on the ground,” said Rodriguez. “So that will be a big adjustment for these athletes. A lot of them have never seen snow, and we’re expecting Rocky IV like conditions.”

“I love the cold, which is ironic because I live in Arizona,” said Moran. “It feels so magical. I’ve never been outside the United States, so it would be really exciting to go somewhere.”

But then the unimaginable happened. On September 3rd of this year the Special Olympics

officially postponed the games once again, citing the Delta variant of COVID-19 spreading around the globe, and an abundance of caution for the health and safety of athletes, volunteers, staff, and fans. Rodriguez and the team were deflated. They had been working so hard the past few months getting ready for the games, only to have the goal post moved once again. But in true Unified Sports spirit, they picked up their heads, and began to set their sights to the future. It was another year to plan, another year to fundraise, another year to practice and prepare for the games. The games were rescheduled for January 2023 in Kazan, Russia, and the Shadow Ridge team was going to be ready to win.

“I’ve coached sports in one capacity or another for over 20 years, and I find more joy out of doing the Unified Sports more than anything else,” said Rodriguez. “I love volunteering for Special Olympics and seeing these kids all work together for a common goal.”

Unified Sports brings together students with and without intellectual disabilities on the same team. It was inspired by a simple principle: training together and playing together is a quick path to friendship and understanding. For Rodriguez, this means that they are all one. “There is no identifying someone as anything other than an athlete,” she said emphatically. “They’re all athletes. They all work really hard.”

“I have this idea of the whole meaning of life,” she continued. “And for me it’s trying to make other people’s lives on earth as good as I can. When I see these kids playing, and I see them bonding and helping each other out, and the relationships that they are building, it just fills that warm spot in my heart. I hope that people recognize what these kids are really putting into this, that they are true athletes, and they deserve this opportunity.”

“

“

- Julie Rodriguez

I’ve coached sports in one capacity or another for over 20 years, and I find more joy out of doing the Unified Sports more than anything else.

Olli Honkkila, a community member from Finland, demonstrates stick handling techniques to Shadow Ridge High School Floorball players during a practice session.

RIGHT ON

TARGET

Eric Bennett, Engineering and Physics Teacher at Shadow Ridge High School, is no stranger to the world stage. The Paralympian has competed in the last four Paralympic Games in both recurve and compound archery competitions. He has fourteen years of international competition under his belt.

Bennett began shooting archery as a young child at the age of seven. His father was a bowhunter and taught him how to shoot and encouraged him to practice archery in the backyard. The end goal was to begin hunting with the family as he honed his skills as a boy. An injury derailed those plans and made him leave the sport at the age of fifteen when he lost his arm in a rollover accident.

Fast forward 10 years and Bennett revisited the sport with a method introduced by his Dad. “My Dad wanted me to start bow hunting with the family and I did not think it would be possible,” said Bennett. Bennett’s father encouraged him to get back into the sport when he saw a hunter shooting his bow with his feet. “It worked and I was able to shoot again and go with the family but I wanted to do it better than that.”

Eric looked for resources to perfect the shooting technique and discovered a local shop, Corner Archery. Rhonda Crabtree, the owner had been to several shows and met disabled archers and she herself had a daughter who was disabled. Rhonda shared resources with Bennett on how to begin the adaptive shooting method. “I knew I could do this with my feet but once I got started again, I asked myself, is there a better way?”

This was in the late 1990’s and the wealth of information on the internet was not readily available. Bennett tracked down a group called the Disabled Bow Hunters of America. The materials he found were limited to photocopies with content and VHS tapes from the group that had footage of disabled archers shooting bows with their feet and a new variation where the archers used a mouth tab. “I watched every minute of it and gleaned as much information as I could, ” said Bennett. He initially used a standard bow with a mouth tab attached to the string similar to those he viewed in the videos. Bennett, who studied Physical Science at Northern Arizona University, utilized his engineering and physics background to make modifications on his own and fabricate a mouth tab to suit his needs.

The custom-made mouth tab of his own design is constructed out of leather and sewn to the bowstring. In order to shoot, he had to bite down on the tab with his back teeth to pull back. Because he is using his mouth, he can’t pull back as far or with as much force compared to an athlete using both hands. “The resulting arrows are slower compared to most so I have to

Eric Bennett poses on the practice field of the 2020 Paralympic Games in Tokyo, Japan. Bennett placed 9th at the games with his eyes set on Paris in 2024.

aim higher,” said Bennett. He also created a custom draw check or “clicker,” a device that clicks at full draw, since his arrows sit differently on the bow. “I’ve had to make modifications to what I do and invent ways to make my setup as competitive as possible.”

Bennett, equipped with his self-created gear, began shooting at state and local 3D bow hunting tournaments. His first big competition in the early years was the Bow Hunter Happening hosted in Northern Arizona with more than 1,000 archers. “It was quite prestigious to compete in and I did not win the first few times,” said Bennett. He persevered and continued competing in subsequent years. “It became an incredibly important goal for me and I won four years in a row,” shared Bennett.

He was not pursuing Olympic goals or the outdoor target discipline but that all changed in 2006 when he found out a Compound Bow class was being added to the 2008 Beijing Paralympics. “That has been my singular focus for the last 14 years,” said Bennett. He made his Paralympic debut in Beijing and earned an impressive ninth place. He placed in the top ten in the next two Paralympic games, and became the first American to compete in two different disciplines (Compound and Recurve) at two different Paralympic

Games.

After the 2016 Rio Paralympic games, he almost left the sport altogether in 2017 and intended to retire. “The demands for training and competing and traveling are really high,” said Bennett. Bennett is a husband, a father to two children 15 and 12, and he wanted to focus on his family and his full time job as a teacher at Shadow Ridge High School. But he missed the sport that brought him so much joy and knew he could still shoot at a high level. He made a deal with his wife, Rachel, who is a fellow educator. “I promised to minimize the impact on my family and basically do it for fun.”

He cut back on travel and training but was still able to make the team and participate in the 2019 World Archery Para Championships hosted in ’s-Hertogenbosch, Netherlands. Bennett received gold in a dramatic fashion with a last minute shot that clinched the 6-0 victory over Russia for him and his team. Bennett also received a silver medal in the Open Men’s Individual Recurve. With his victory at the World Championships, he qualified for the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics.

His journey to Tokyo to compete in the 2020 Paralympic Games was delayed due to COVID-19 with the games beginning in August of 2021. The extra time was definitely a benefit to dedicate to train and improve his craft, but the postponement put extra pressure on him. “For some reason, it meant more.” Bennett has a large contingent of family and friends who followed him, encouraged, and supported him along the way. “I wanted to win for me, but I also wanted to win for them as well, and I didn’t want to let anyone down,” Bennett shared.

Bennett and the USA Pararchery team were a part of the 139 archers and nearly 4,400 athletes in total at the games. The archery events were hosted over the course of nine days at Yumenoshima Park. “The amount of effort the hosting city put into the venue is nothing short of outstanding. The colors, the signage, it is pretty spectacular to walk into the top notch venue,” said Bennett. “The atmosphere was tense but exciting. I always love the

“ “

Eric is one of the longest standing, and most experienced members of the team. He leads by example and his work ethic and steady demeanor, even in intense competition, keeps the team on track.

- George Ryals

Eric Bennett on the practice field at the Tokyo Paralympics.

energy of competition days!”

Bennett shot 72 arrows in the ranking round and 15 arrows in the elimination round to a nearly empty venue. “By far and away this was the biggest change. One of the coolest things about going to the Games is shooting in front of the crowd,” he explained. Normally the crowds at the Paralympic Games are near three to four thousand attendees in the stands. “I play to the crowd. I generally have the crowd in my favor. It plays to my strengths and gives me confidence, gives me an advantage.”

While he did not have fans in the stands, his loyal friends and family tuned into the livestream to watch him on the world’s stage. “One of the most important things to me is the support I received from my family, friends and work community,” Bennett said. The archery community rallied around him and fundraised for the equipment cost and to compete at the games. Michael Hawkins, Shadow Ridge High School Principal has been especially supportive. “He’s been my principal for the last three games, and he worked closely with me so I was able to find a good substitute and leave with confidence and know that my students were taken care of,” Bennett explained.

Bennett returned from the games this Fall and was celebrated by staff and students with a welcome sign as he entered the classroom. “Most of my older students were very excited and interested,” said Bennett. “I share my experiences in class to help educate and expose students to the world of disabled sports.” During unit one, which focuses on product development, his students develop

prosthetic devices. “Additionally, I use some of the devices I created as examples of inventions and product testing,” he explained.

Bennett ended up finishing ninth in the 2020 Tokyo Games. “Although I finished ninth, if I could take back three arrows, I could change the entire outcome of the tournament,” said Bennett. As with any sport, it always comes down to that last minute final shot or a hail mary pass to clinch the win. Bennett faced soaring temperatures during the ranking round and rain in the elimination round. “The conditions were extreme,” said George Ryals IV, Bennett’s coach. “Eric is one of the longest standing, and most experienced members of the team. He leads by example and his work ethic and steady demeanor, even in intense competition, keeps the team on track,” shared Ryals. Bennett’s future goals include the World Championships in Dubai in 2022, the Czech Republic in 2023, as well as Para Pan Am Games in Chile in 2023 in order to make the team for the 2024 Paris Paralympic Games. “I’m going to approach Paris in the same way as Tokyo- continue training and shooting and doing it for fun and going to the tournaments I can go to,” Bennett said. “If I can still keep the same scores and be competitive, I’m going to keep going.” Going for gold.

Shadow Ridge High School Engineering teacher Eric Bennett aims his bow and arrow during the Individuals at the 2020 Paralympics in Tokyo. (Photo courtesy of World Archery)

Eric Bennet poses for a photo during the Opening Ceremonies of the 2020 Paralympic Games in Tokyo, Japan. He will compete next at the World Championships in Dubai in 2022.

Why I’m excited about MIDDLE SCHOOLS

By Stephanie Leon

In 2020 when the school district my children attend announced that they were thinking of moving toward combining some elementary schools to form an actual middle school, I was all for it. When I think of middle school I think of pre-teens, six different teachers, and kids from different schools merging into one. As a child I remember how excited I was to go to middle school. It was a transition that made me feel like a young adult. I felt like I was growing up. I knew that I would have six classes now and had to be responsible for changing from class to class while making sure I was on time. Although I was nervous, I felt like it was going to be an adventure. The middle school I attended transitioned three elementary schools into one school. I remember tons of new people and making new friends. There were so many new social groups, personalities, and activities that I would get to experience. I grew up in a small town with only six elementary schools, two middle schools, and one high school. Coming from a small town where everyone knew everyone and two middle schools fed into only one high school, I was not worried about the changes high school would bring.

In May of 2018, my husband and I decided to move our family to Arizona. We moved our children, two boys

ages 10 and 11, from the school they had attended since kindergarten to a new school and state. We were worried about finding the right school and our kids making new friendships like the ones they left behind. We found Sonoran Heights Elementary School and loved it! For my boys who attended a charter school in California, which was K-6 with only one teacher, Sonoran Heights was a drastic change for them. My oldest son Eli started school at Sonoran Heights in 6th grade, so he was technically considered ‘a middle schooler.’ Eli had only one teacher in the past, but now he would have four teachers and must transition from class to class throughout the day. My other son, Kael, would now have two teachers that would divide his classes. It took them a little while to get used to the schedule, but eventually they were comfortable and happy in their new school.

Over the summer the announcement was made that our district would merge schools together and form actual middle schools. Sonoran Heights was chosen to transition into one of the middle schools. My youngest who was to start 8th grade heard the news and was a bit nervous. I explained to him how the change in schools would also be beneficial to his academics. Not only would he get to focus on each subject in a different class, but his teachers would

also be able to give him the same focus. Each teacher would be able to develop an expertise in their content that they would be teaching during that class time. Not only did middle school bring new teachers and the addition of more classes, but it also brought new electives or specials. This year my son was able to enroll in Spanish class, which was not previously offered in his school. Also, this would give him the chance to make new friendships.

He was nervous about meeting new kids and about having to change to so many classes throughout the day. I saw just how nervous he was when we attended back to school night. He seemed very overwhelmed while we met all six of his teachers in the order of his class schedule. I could not help but see the worry in his face walking through the halls and seeing many new faces. He admitted to me that he was worried about the new students and meeting new friends.

Then, the start of the school year finally arrived! The first week of school was hard for him, making sure he knew his schedule and teachers, but making friends in each class with the new kids on campus was easy for him. What a relief! With new and old friends, he was able to grow his social circle and introduce new friends to old friends. In the past few months, I have noticed more maturity and responsibility from him. The new classes are shorter in time, so he has more homework than he has had in the past. This has given him the opportunity to learn more time management at an earlier age. This is something that my older son, who is now a freshman, had to get a better concept of starting high school this year. The shorter class time allows for only the lesson of the day and some questions, and then it is time to move to the next period.

This year when my oldest son Eli started high school, he was not only nervous about meeting new friends, and seeing old friends, but also having six different classes and teachers. He did not have the same middle school experience that Kael is now getting to have with 6 different classes and teachers, no recess, just lunch and academics. During Eli’s 8th grade year he had four classes with four different teachers and plenty of time to complete assignments in groups with help from the teachers. There has been somewhat of a learning curve in time management for success with the start of high school. The first few weeks were rough, but he eventually adjusted. Eli did mention to my youngest that high school was going to be easier now that he has had so many classes throughout the day. Some of the hardest adjustments Eli has had to make was getting used to the multiple classes and teachers, not being able to finish his homework in class, and often not having his same friends in all his classes throughout the day. Although both of my sons were able to adapt to these changes, I think that had they both experienced a middle school environment from the start of 6th grade, they would have developed a different level of maturity, responsibility, and time management needed for high school success. This wonderful middle school experience has allowed our youngest some much needed pre-teen development. So many social groups, personalities, and activities have formed since the transition into middle school. I think it is great to take the initial ‘shock’ of high school out of the way and lessen the surprise of the transition. All in all, I have seen a great amount of growth and maturity from my ‘middle’ school son that I can attribute to the middle school experience that our school has provided.

I think that had [my sons] both experienced a middle school environment from the start of 6th grade, they would have developed a different level of maturity, responsibility, and time management needed for high school success.

- Stephanie Leon