Summer School … these two words can sound like a one- to two-month jail sentence for students in school.

Learning about the difference between wants and needs, students within the Kyrene School District learned the basics of finance and saving in a program through Bank of America.

The people of "Peeples" make a better impression than most collections of oddballs in the weary mold of comedies centered on meeting the prospective in-laws.

Ahwatukee resident Michael Feyrer subscribes to the philosophy that his life is like a pair of shoes — to be worn out in service.

In the United States the average kid (age 8-18) spends 7.5 hours a day in front of a screen or on the phone. To counter sedentary living patterns, national physical activity guidelines for youth have been developed. The guidelines call for at least 60 minutes of physical activity each day for children and teens. The guidelines are based on the amount of physical activity necessary to promote good fitness, health, and wellness. Only 29 percent of high school students meet the 60-minute daily guideline and 14 percent don’t do any physical activity that causes them to breathe hard or that increases heart rate on any day during the week.

At last year’s state track meet Mountain Pointe’s Travonn White was flying high, while Desert Vista’s Dylan Fischer picked the worst time to come up short.

With graduation just around the corner, Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton emphasized the importance of college and answered questions about city issues as he spoke to a classroom of seniors on Wednesday at Mountain Pointe High School.

Out on the grass between classroom buildings and the baseball field at Kyrene Centennial Middle School, a group of 7th graders were measuring indoor temperatures of their model homes for an urban heat island project last week.

Students in Kevin Willis’ brief calculus class are learning more than just numbers this year.

At a recent fundraiser in San Francisco, President Obama demonstrated his command of the great issues facing our country.

Debbie Groff remembers her daughter’s first basketball game as a member on the JV cheerleading team.

The Southwest Institute of Montessori Studies is hosting a teacher training program in Ahwatukee, and applications for interested teaching students are being accepted.

Three high school students submitted three big ideas to the Ahwatukee Chamber Charity Foundation with hopes of being selected for a brand new college scholarship. On Wednesday the foundation presented a $4,000 scholarship to Spencer Elliott of Mountain Pointe High School, and a $500 scholarship to Josh Greene and Emily Pawlik, both Desert Vista students.

Next week, we observe Earth Day. First celebrated in 1970, Earth Day has grown into an international movement whose goal is to raise awareness of the need to take action to sustain a healthy, sustainable environment. You can do your part through recycling and other measures, but you can also apply some of the lessons of Earth Day to your financial situation — and, in particular, to your approach to investing.

He has given standout performances in the likes of “The Big Lebowski,” “Crazy Heart” and “True Grit,” but Oscar-winner Jeff Bridges’ enormous talent doesn’t stop there. His illustrious resume runs the gamut from musician to author to humanitarian, which begs the question: Is there anything he can’t do?

Local animal shelters have enough camps to keep any animal lover engaged and learning this summer.

Recently deciding to collaborate with Canon in a Digital University partnership is just one of the steps Arizona State University is taking to maintain its goals to achieve higher sustainability. Implementing “Sustainable Printing” has decreased its number of printers by 32 percent, but is still easily accessible for students.

Kyrene del Milenio Elementary teacher Greg Broberg has been striking up education conversation lately, and hopes more teachers and parents can get involved.

Phoenix Children’s Hospital and the Phoenix Fire Department are already working to get kids ready for summer with reminders about staying safe around water.

Arizona high schoolers may soon be rid of having to pass AIMS -- or any standardized test -- to graduate.

Spreading a message to teens about the consequences of underage drinking, the Phoenix Police Department started a Public Service Announcement (PSA) contest for high school students around the Valley.

During his first track and field meet, Ahwatukee eighth-grader Joshua Bowden drew cheers and support from the crowd earlier this month.

The walls are white, the chairs are plastic, and the smiles are few. As you head down a hallway, cell blocks to the left and a gated recreation area at right, hearing bursts of laughter and lively chatter coming from a small room in front of you is slightly jarring, especially seeing as the boisterous classroom is inside Estrella Women’s Jail in central Phoenix.

Six Valley Christian student-athletes, including three Ahwatukee Foothills residents, earned All-Academic honors from Pros2Preps.

Desert Vista High School’s dancers invite young dancers to have fun while learning dance techniques at the Spring Dance Clinic on Saturday, March 23 from 1 to 4 p.m. Walk-in registration and pre-registration check-in begins at 12:30 p.m. The dance clinic is open to all students in grades Pre-K through eighth grade.