July 2012

Living here in Arizona, in the Glendal Homes for Sale area, we have all become accustomed to having to pay for our high electric bill, especially in the summer months.  Our air conditioners are running constantly, along with all of our other appliances.  If you have a pool, add on that to your expense! If you have a home, here is some energy saving tips that you may have over looked.  Check with your electric company, they have plans to save money by using your appliances like dishwashers and washing machines during their “saving” time periods.  This can really help if you stick to running your loads of laundry or dirty dishes during these time slots.

Living in Arizona, we are spoiled by having such beautiful, sunny weather almost all year round.  With that, homes here in the Valley of the Sun tend to have pools.  We Arizonans love our backyards and the recreation that comes with it.  However we have to be ever mindful of the dangers owning a home with a pool can have. The majority of homes in the Glendale Homes for Sale area do have pools, but do we check regularly to make sure that safety checks are in place for our pools?  Here are some disturbing facts that you may not be aware of.  A child is 10 times more likely to die at home with a pool than at a home with a gun.  Must young kids drown because they have wandered outside and fell into the pool.  Drowning is the number one accidental death for kids under age 5 (reference).  These are just a few of the frightening statistics. There are things we can do to help prevent these scary facts.

We humans are always looking for ways to get exercise or get the kids to play outside, but we also want our four legged friends to be able to play outside with their other four legged friends. There are three dog parks located in the Glendale Homes for Sale area the Foothills Dog Park, Northern Horizon Park, and Sahuaro Ranch Park.  The Foothills Park is located just off of Union Hills and 57th Avenue.  The dog park is located just next to the ball fields and library parking lots.  Dogs here can play in the grassy area, jump and get exercise in the agility course, and just hang out with their furry buddies.  There is even an area for smaller pooches so they won’t feel intimidated by the big guys and gals.  There are plenty of shady areas and benches for the owners to keep a watchful eye over their “kids” and of course water.  It is fully enclosed so dogs can run around without their owners worried about them escaping.  This particular park is closed on Wednesdays but otherwise hours are from 6:00am-10:00pm.

If you happen to live in the northwest part of town in the Glendale Homes for Sale area, or even if you don’t, there is a great sports league called the CCV Stars.  You may have heard of the CCV church and yes the sports teams are affiliated but you do not have to be a member of the church to have fun and participate on the teams.

The CCV Stars have teams for soccer, football, and basketball both recreational and competitive.  STARs or Striving To Achieve Real Significance on the field and in your home, has teams for children ages 4-17.

Legend Springs School, located in the Glendale Homes for Sale area, is headed by Principal Carol Butler.  This K-6 elementary school is an “A” rated school for the 7th consecutive year. Legend Springs was opened in 2000, and is home of the Leopards.  Children attending Legend Springs live in the community of Arrowhead Ranch, the boundaries for this school are 67th Avenue to Pinnacle Peak Road, 51st Avenue, south to the Loop 101.  However as with all schools in the Deer Valley School District, open enrollment to any school is available, but is on a space available basis and parents must keep in mind if their children attend school out of their boundaries, transportation is not available.

Stetson Hills School located in the Glendale Homes for Sale area, is part of the Deer Valley Unified School District.  This K-8 grade school is situated in the heart of the community of Stetson Hills just off of 39th Avenue and Happy Valley Road. Home of the Stallions, this school opened in 2001, and is currently headed by principal Amy Jorgensen.  An excelling school for 6 years running and an A+ School of Excellence, Stetson Hills School mission is “to empower our students to be successful in an ever- changing world”.

Las Brisas Elementary school, a grade K-6 school in the Deer Valley Unified School District is located in the Glendale Homes For Sale of the Northwest Valley.  Located in the neighborhood off of 55th Avenue and Happy Valley Road, children attending this elementary school live mostly in the Stetson Valley, Eagle Ridge community and the area South of Happy Valley Road between 43rd avenue and 61st Avenues and South to Pinnacle Peak Road. Las Brisas was opened in 1993 and is home of the “Stars”.  Las Brisas ( spanish for “the Breezes”) is headed by principal Patricia McAlarnen, the mission of this “A” rated school is “to equip students with the skills, knowledge, and decision-making abilities to positively shape their future and to develop students who are responsible, accountable, and committed to excellence”.  Classrooms here are arranged in pods around a Character Counts theme, in a two story building.

 

West Wing School, located in the Westwing Mountain Homes for Sale community of Glendale Homes for Sale is home of the Mustangs.  Opened in 2005, West Wing Schoolis a K-8 grade school and is headed by Principal Dr. Linda Price-Barry.  With about 1,100 students enrolled at West Wing, students are constantly encouraged to be challenged in a safe and nurturing environment, to help “meet and surpass academic expectations”.

Programs offered at West Wing include gifted clustering programs, special education, before and after school program, and of course extra-curricular activities.  Kids can take part in chorus, band, student council.  Sports (for 7th and 8th grade students) like softball, volleyball, baseball, and basketball are available. 

  Terramar Elementary, home of the Titans is located in the Glendale Homes for Sale  area of Terramar Homes for Sale and is a K-8 grade school. It opened in 2003.  It has a focused learning program in the Academy of Arts.  This specialized curriculum integrates arts instruction with academics, exposing children to the Orff/Kodaly music instruction and Pangrazi rhythmic movement strategies.  The Orff Method teaches kids about music in way that will incorporate learning through the use of music, singing, instruments and acting.  Lessons are often presented with a way for the student to play while learning and each student is encouraged to learn at their own pace.  Kodaly is a philosophy that the earlier you incorporate music into a child’s learning environment that all children will have the capacity to become musically literate.