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Anasazi PE teacher wins more awards

BY KRISTINE CANNON

Progress Staff Writer

After winning the Arizona Heath and Physical Education Innovative Teacher of the Year award in 2019, Anasazi Elementary physical education teacher Kyle Bragg has not one, but two more awards to add to his ever-increasing collection of achievements this year.

He earned the Shape America Western District Elementary Physical Education Teacher of the Year, and Shape America National Elementary Physical Education Teacher of the Year.

“It means a lot,” Bragg said. “It’s a great time for advocating for getting the word out about the importance of developing the whole child.”

The awards recognize outstanding teaching performance and the ability to motivate today’s youth to participate in a lifetime of physical activity, Shape America’s press release states.

Celebrating his 10th year of teaching – his fifth at Anasazi – Bragg is a national board-certified teacher who integrates both technology and social emotional learning (SEL) into his PE program to create developmentally appropriate lessons.

“We’re doing a lot more than just the physical skills,” Bragg said. “We’re learning social-emotional learning, problem solving and things that can be transferred in other settings. So, I’m really proud of our kids.”

Named among six other educators across the country as 2021 Teachers of the Year in Physical Education, Adapted PE, Health and Dance, Bragg said what sets him apart as an educator is his ability to teach and develop the “whole child.”

“We’re constantly integrating content standards, like math and reading,” Bragg said.

He prides himself in ensuring the kids feel not just physically safe but also emotionally safe in and out of the classroom.

“So, when they come in, regardless of how talented or skilled they are at sports or activities like that, they’re going to feel comfortable and loved – and they’re going to do their very best,” he said.

This is social-emotional learning.

It “enhances the students’ ability to succeed in school – and beyond – by teaching them how to self-regulate their emotions, problem solve, make responsible decisions, maintain positive friendships, and more,” Bragg explained.

For example, instead of praising a student for hitting a baseball far into the outfield, Bragg will praise the student for their eye contact or their ability to stay positive.

Kyle Bragg, a PE teacher at Anasazi Elementary School, is the 2021 SHAPE America National Elementary PE Teacher of the Year. (Pablo Robles/Prog-

ress Staff Photographer)

seeBRAGG page 22

Coronado High students emulate Rotarians

PROGRESSS NEWS STAFF

Coronado High School Interact Club students may have set the record this year for the largest number of successful community service projects in the shortest period of time.

At the start of the second semester in January, the Interact Club had no members and had not been active for four years. Interact is the high school aged club sponsored by Rotary.

Despite pandemic restrictions, Coronado students led by ESL teacher Ian Stephan re-activated the Interact Club in February.

“This in itself is a commendable achievement,” said Max Rumbaugh, past Scottsdale Rotary president. “Students and teachers have been overbusy coping with hybrid education models, using on-line schooling, limitations on classroom participation and curtailment of student clubs.” The renewed club’s first project was to refresh the Papago Rotary Park in southern Scottsdale. On Earth Day, new flowers were planted, the paint of the park sign was touched up, retaining walls were repainted, and the playground was raked.

With that success under their belt, the students began two collection drives involving their school mates.

One was the gathering of used, but usable shoes, for disadvantaged students in Scottsdale’s sister city, Alamos, Sonora, Mexico. Boxes and sacks of shoes were amassed during April and May.

Showing off some of the shoes collected by Coronado High’s Interact Club are, from left, Rotarian Max Rumbaugh, Interact Club Sponsor Ian Stephan, Interact President Xavier Preciado, Rotarian Rene Bermudez, Yuliana Armenta and the two

“Those are the things that people really appreciate,” he said. “So, whenever they come, they’re ready emotionally versus, ‘Oh my gosh. I’m worried that I might not be as good.’ Because we’re a team here, and we accomplish things.”

The pandemic proved challenging, at first, for Bragg, who had to pivot to online learning during quarantine.

“We had to obviously get out of our comfort zone,” he said.

After turning to Twitter, however, he was able to collaborate with fellow educators all over the world to exchange ideas on how they can work smarter, and not harder, as a distanced P.E. teacher.

“We’re all willing to help each other,” he said.

During online learning, Bragg utilized plenty of apps, like Flipgrid, Edpuzzle and Jamboard, that allowed the students to take part in interactive lessons and at their own pace.

“For example, with Edpuzzles, they pause every minute or so to answer a question and then they’ll do it. So, let’s say they’re trying to learn how to catch.

“The question might be, ‘Where should your hands be positioned when you’re catching and then they would type it in and then they would practice it and come back and press play again?’ It’s really cool and interactive.”

Bragg got creative with his lessons, too.

He’d ask the students to use anything around the house, like bedsheets or cups, to help them stay active and maximize their activity time.

And when the students returned to inperson learning, Bragg was still challenged with coming up with ways to keep them active in a socially distanced, hands-free way.

Instead of playing foursquare with a ball, for instance, the students would count down and run to a new corner.

Instead of playing tag, where you’d traditionally touch the other person, the students would “tag” each other’s shadows.

“It’s just trying to be creative and active without any equipment,” Bragg said.

The Anasazi students may be back to in-person learning, but that doesn’t mean Bragg ditched the lessons he taught or the technology he utilized amid the pandemic.

Instead, he said, he’ll use them to help keep physically absent students involved and engaged from afar.

“What I’m really proud about is I have four months’ worth of lessons that are distance learning or online learning lessons,” Bragg said.

“So, if students can’t get to school, whether their parents are taking them out of town or whether they have doctor’s appointment, they might be missing the actual lesson in person, but I can post these online lessons [and] they’re still able to do exactly what we’re doing,” he said.

Bragg credits the pandemic for not only pushing him outside of his comfort zone, but for also helping him grow professionally. “It also made me reflect on my teaching and talk about what’s working, what’s not,” he said. “And every time you reflect, you grow as a teacher. And that helps our students.”

Kids used a variety of apps to take part in Bragg's classes in interactive lessons and at their own pace.

Scottsdale Leadership class completes project

BY KRISTINE CANNON

Progress Staff Writer

Last Wednesday morning, members of Scottsdale Leadership’s Class 35 Project Lead it Forward gathered at the bottom of the steps of Family Promise’s southern Scottsdale shelter.

This small gathering marked the culmination of six months’ worth of hard work for both Project Lead it Forward Team, Raising Hope and local artist Laura Thurbon to gift the nonprofit’s Scottsdale site with a new, vibrant mural.

“This is a blessing of enormous magnitude to us, and it’s going to be here a long, long time — not just for families, but for volunteers, for donors, for friends,” said Ted Taylor, Executive Director of Family Promise-Greater Phoenix.

As part of the Core Program of Scottsdale Leadership, members form teams to implement meaningful, sustainable community service projects. Through these projects, members demonstrate community stewardship.

Team Raising Hope was assigned the project to beautify the stairs for Family Promise-Greater Phoenix in January.

“Family Promise is just such an integral part of our community, that we were delighted to choose them and have our group work with them,” said Lee Ann Witt, executive director of Scottsdale Leadership.

For Team Raising Hope member Michael Baer, the project was first and foremost for families – especially the children.

“We knew that we wanted to do something with these steps, and we had to find a way and figure out a way to [create] something sustainable on these steps that would show hope and love and safety,” Baer said. “And even more than that, evoke a little kid’s imagination.”

Thurbon created a painting depicting the silhouette of three children sit-

Scottsdale Leadership’s Class 35 Project Lead it Forward unveiled a new mural on the front entrance steps of Family Promise in southern Scottsdale. The mural was

designed by local artist Laura Thurbon. (Pablo Robles/Progress Staff Photographer)

23 Dog’s ordeal a lesson in paw protection

BY DAVID M. BROWN Progress Contributor

The life of 7-month-old Tigger, a soft-coated Wheaten terrier, almost ended months after he was born, but the generosity of a cadre of residents and breed supporters from outside the state has apparently saved him.

Tigger’s former North Scottsdale owners took him for a walk through a path in the desert, and the pup stepped on a cactus spine.

Days later, the family veterinarian in Scottsdale recorded his temperature as high as 105°F and tried unsuccessfully to reduce that. By the following week, his right hind limb was swollen.

Through the following days, the swelling progressed and his foot started to turn black. Tigger’s owners brought him to an emergency veterinary hospital and he was diagnosed with a clot in his paw. The choice: aggressive medical management or remove the leg.

For the owners, though, euthanasia or surrender seemed the only options. They chose the latter. Even worse, he was in terrible pain and had no one to pay for the care he required.

Then Tigger’s story became a mission.

Pat Bajoras works with Dermatology for Animals, which is in the same building as the emergency room in north Scottsdale. A dog lover since she was a child, she is a long-time Wheaten terrier breeder and has entered her dogs in AKC shows.

“The doctor who was treating Tigger knew of my love and passion for the breed, and she came to me for help. I saw Tigger come in and was concerned about his medical situation from the start,” Bajoras recalled.

Bajoras also called animal rescue organizations and friends. Wheaten breeders, pet owners and friends posted on social media requesting donations to the nonprofit Wheatens in Need (WIN) for Tigger’s continued care.

The group was founded 20 years ago

Tigger's ordeal began when the dog stepped on a cactus spine, providing a lesson for owners to protect their dogs' paws when walking outside.

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Students in Alamos will be invited to write a short note to their teacher describing their need for shoes and agreeing to plant a tree in their village. The shoes collected at Coronado High School will be available to the Alamos teacher to fulfill the needs of his students there.

Some of the classrooms at Coronado were challenged to collect the most canes, walkers and wheel chairs, vying for the prize of a pizza and ice cream party on the last day of school prior to finals.

Enough medical mobility items were collected to fill a large pickup truck. These will go to Kenya and to Mexico to give better mobility to handicapped citizens.

Teacher Justin Slover’s class was the winner. Second place went to the combined classes of Dawnn Wojcik and Patricia Getsla. The winning classroom of students enjoyed their winners party while students in Wojcik’s and Getsla’s classes enjoyed doughnuts.

As a school year-end project, a campus-wide essay contest was held the first two weeks of May. Students were invited to write on, “Is it important for high school students to volunteer to give service to their community or should this be left to adults.” “The subject was chosen to re-awaken the need for high school students to undertake community service projects after the limits placed by COVID-19 are reduced,” Rumbaugh said, adding it also reflected Rotary mottos of “Service Above Self” and “People of Action.”

In the end, 32 essays were reviewed by 20 Rotarians and two professional authors in the community.

First place went to Aylin Garcia Lugo, a graduating senior. Angel Castaneda captured second place with his poem entitled, “Young Ambition.” The third place award went to Marley Lincoln.

After reading student essays, one of the judges commented, “I am pleased to see there are plenty of youthful volunteers ready to pick up the baton as some of us begin to ‘age out’ of active community service.”

In less than four months, the club was reactivated and the students conducted four successful community and international service projects.

The Coronado Interact Club has already selected next year’s officers and should be well prepared for full year of community service starting in August.

MURAL ���� page 22

ting against an orange sherbet-hued sunset as piano keys, opened books, music notes, and purple and blue butterflies swirl above them.

Thurbon hopes it will inspire the children.

“And that they know they’re coming to a place they’re protected, and they will be taken care of, and they’re in a place full of hope and fun, too,” she said.

“This project will show through art the healing and journey our families experience while at Family PromiseGreater Phoenix,” Taylor added.

Family Promise-Greater Phoenix is a nonprofit that provides emergency shelter and social services to help families move toward independent housing and self-sufficiency.

In April alone, the nonprofit graduates four families into their own homes with steady employment and savings in the bank.

“We’re successful 70 percent of the time,” Taylor said, “which means my heart is broken at least 30 percent.”

The goal of each Scottsdale Leadership Project Lead It Forward team is to identify a community need and develop a project that positively affects that need while also gaining hands-on experience as community leaders.

For Raising Hope member Maureen Aldrich, Scottsdale Leadership was her way to give back to the community.

“I’ve always heard great things about Scottsdale Leadership, and it’s a time of my life now where I have time to volunteer and do those things,” Aldrich said.

Taylor is also familiar with the program: He’s a graduate of Class 26.

“I was told that when I became the executive director about 11 years ago, that I was going into Scottsdale Leadership. That wasn’t an option,” Taylor said with a chuckle. “And now I know why: Because it’s a community of game-changers – people who want to change the world. And I believe, in my case, I’ve been blessed to be able to do that through Family Promise.”

Taylor chose to highlight the staircase because it’s the first thing families see when they arrive to Family Promise in Scottsdale.

“Those stairs are really important,” Taylor started. “When we invite them in, the first thing they’re going to do is walk up these stairs. We want their children and their parents to see something different. We’re not here to walk in front of them. We’re not here to walk behind them. We’re here to walk with them, beside them in this journey back to self-sufficiency.”

Witt hopes the muraled staircase will relay to families that they’re in a safe and hopeful place.

“Families in this position don’t choose to be; it’s just a series of unfortunate circumstances, and so, there’s a lot of feelings that go into it,” Witt said. “But to have somebody walk beside you up the steps, I think this just brings a little bit of peace.”

The Scottsdale Leadership Class 35 graduation takes places June 11 at The Homestead at DC Ranch. Tickets are $30 per person.

“We’re here because we are a gamechanger in this community. Scottsdale Leadership has made it possible for us to grow, to connect to more resources in this community,” Taylor said.

Information: familypromiseaz. org, scottsdaleleadership.org

TIGGER ���� page 23

by Texas resident Gwen Arthur. Also contacted were members of the Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier Club of America.

“When we reach out to each other through emails or Facebook posts, we reach not only members but also to people that our puppies have been placed with,” said Bajoras.

WIN agreed to cover all medical expenses, recognizing that this could exceed $12,000. With funding in place, Dr. Jessica Sullivan, an associate with Southwest Veterinary Surgical Specialists, performed the surgery.

During the procedure, Tigger required a transfusion because of excessive bleeding.

After the operation, the Scottsdale vet – whose name cannot be published under his employer’s policy – cared for Tigger at home through the first critical days. “Without both doctors and the Wheatens in Need rescue, Tigger would never have had the opportunity to get to where he is today,” she added. To find a temporary foster home, WIN member and Carefree resident Sandy Scott connected with Arlene and Tom Heck.

Both from animal-loving families, the Hecks have been fostering Tigger since April and will continue until he is fully recovered and is matched by WIN with the perfect family. The group is continuing to pay the medical and care expenses.

“Although we have fallen in love with Tigger and it will be heartbreaking to say goodbye, we will not be adopting him,” Arlene said. “Tom and I want nothing more for him than for him to be loved, cared for and part of a family.”

Bajoras said, “Tigger is recovering fabulously and is back to being a normal dog, from running to playing. He should be able to lead a very normal life as a Wheaten terrier – just as a tripod dog, on three legs instead of four.

“Wheatens are social dogs,” Bajoras added. “They are meant to be with their people, a true part of the family.”

“Tigger will face hardships for the rest of his life due to an overlooked danger in the desert,” Bajoras said.

She recommended that owners put dogs in booties before going on walks on established desert trails or on the pavement, especially during the summer months.

Also, they should monitor their pet’s surroundings on walks and check paws and between their pads carefully. “When something starts out as a minor injury, it can quickly escalate into a disastrous situation if not closely monitored,” she explained.

Fortunately, Wheaten terrier lovers worldwide and two Valley veterinarians helped save the puppy, she added, remarking, “Happiness in a veterinarian’s life is seeing situations like Tigger’s change from potential tragedy to fairytale.”