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Wee Blessings Preschool

Tuesday, August 28th, 2012, 1:56pm

My 3-year-old son Joshua started preschool at Wee Blessings on Queen Creek Road just south of the Chandler Airpark a few weeks ago. I was anxoiusly running through my head all the different senarios that could possibly happen the first day. And, to my surprise, none of them came to pass.

On the first day, once we walked into the school building, Joshua ran ahead of me, straight to the train table he saw displayed in the hallway, and I could barely peel him away. Once I got him to his classroom with Mrs. Deborah, he saw the toy bin and ran past the other parents and kids in line waiting to check in. Mommy's little boy didn't even notice when Mommy left. Sniff, sniff...

Then when I came to pick him up, he didn't even seem to care. Joshua is highly focused. Once we said "good-bye" to Mrs. Deborah, he ran straight back to the train table and was determined to fight for the #1 little blue Thomas train. I am so happy Joshua loves preschool.

When we come home Joshua carries his backpack around the house quite frequently and reminds me he is in "school, school, school" every so often. If I tell him he has to go to school tomorrow, he insists on sleeping with his backpack. (Thank you Dora song! "Backpack, backpack... loaded up with things and nick nacs too...")

Wee Blessings really has been a wonderful blessing for us and I highly recommend the school for any parent who is looking for a preschool. If you want more information about the school you can visit their website at: www.weeblessingspreschool.com or call them at 480-634-4788.

Read more: http://ocotillo.azcentral.com/news/schools/46585-wee-blessings-preschool#.UEefNHGAwNE.facebook

Preschool's supporters press Chandler for second vote

by Edythe Jensen - Nov. 4, 2011 02:00 AM
The Arizona Republic

A divided Chandler City Council denied their permit request but supporters of Wee Blessings Preschool aren't giving up hopes of moving to a vacant office building south of the municipal airport.

The upscale preschool that's using temporary space in a Methodist church had support from municipal planners and about 100 petition-signers before the council voted 4-3 to deny the zoning permit Oct. 27. Opponents said the airport site is too close to flight noise and a horse farm that uses fly spray. Now the school's owners and representatives are pushing for a do-over that could happen if one of the council dissenters brings it back to the table. City rules say only a member who voted against an agenda item that failed can ask for reconsideration and that must be done within 30 days of the original vote.

Rick Heumann said he plans to do that Nov. 14 because he has learned details about the state's preschool-permitting process and pesticide regulation that wasn't available before the vote. Flight noise wasn't one of his concerns when he voted to deny the permit. "I'd like to be able to help these people if I can," Heumann said, adding he now plans to vote for the permit. If a majority of the council votes to reconsider the case Nov. 14, it will be placed on a December agenda for a second permit vote.

Councilman Jeff Weninger voted for the permit last week and is hoping for a second chance. He considers the defeat a blow to property rights and blames it on pressure from an airport contingent that wants to lengthen the runway and doesn't want conflicting land uses to stand in the way. Critics of the center who said it's about flight noise and safety "are speaking in code," Weninger said. "It's really about wanting to lengthen the runway."

Councilman Matt Orlando voted against the permit and said he has consistently turned down plans that put homes, churches and schools beneath the flight paths that exceed certain noise levels.

"It's a good compromise between keeping a vibrant airport and keeping houses, churches and schools out of the 55 DNL," he said. He is referring to an area that averages 55 decibel average day-night noise levels, the Federal Aviation Administration's standard for measuring airport noise.

Councilman Kevin Hartke also voted "no," but said after the meeting that reconsideration is a possibility. Noise, pesticide use by the horse farm and economic-development implications of having a preschool so close to the airport were among his concerns.

Jon Willis, real-estate representative for the proposed location, lashed out at the council's decision in a lengthy e-mail. "I think the reasoning for your decision to vote against the school lacked common sense but was full of political protection," he wrote. A member of the Chandler pioneer family after which Willis Road was named, he went on to say the city is difficult to work with and the owners don't want to move the school north of Loop 202 "because that part of Chandler is a dump, we all know it."

The preschool, which operates out of temporary quarters at Chandler United Methodist Church on Chandler Heights Road, was preparing to move to the Airpark South Professional Village near Cooper and Queen Creek Roads so it could expand, according to city memos. The center's classes are full, and there's a waiting list. Wee Blessings charges $350 per month for half-day pre-kindergarten sessions four days a week and $230 a month for half-day preschool programs three days a week, according to the school website.

Charles DiRuzza, a real-estate broker who submitted petitions supporting the project, shares Weninger's belief that the council turned down the permit request so the airport can expand in the future. He said the site is ideal for Wee Blessings because the outdoor playground is not near a main street or busy retail parking lot and the school is close to customer homes.

Heavy traffic on streets around busy shopping centers where other schools are located and the potential for car accidents present more of a hazard than airplanes overhead, DiRuzza said.

He and others said they were surprised by the council's vote, given there are several medical uses in the same office complex, including a children's speech and language clinic that operates a special-needs preschool on-site. According to a city staff analysis, the special-needs school is classified as "medical," not a preschool because it addresses the youngsters' medical needs and is not open to the public.

Wee Blessings co-owner Phil Chavez said he has spent about a year looking for a site and was intending to lease then buy this vacant office building.

Councilwoman Trinity Donovan also voted against the permit; Mayor Jay Tibshraeny and Councilman Jack Sellers voted for it.

Chandler plans second vote on preschool use permit

by Edythe Jensen - Nov. 16, 2011 10:24 AM
The Republic | azcentral.com

A preschool will get a second chance to move into an office building near the Chandler airport.

The City Council voted 4-3 Monday night to reconsider Wee Blessings Preschool's use-permit request after voting 4-3 against it on Oct. 27. The latest vote was for reconsideration only; a second permit vote will be Dec. 15.

The school is using temporary space in a Methodist church on Chandler Heights Road and was preparing to move to the Airpark South Professional Village near Cooper and Queen Creek roads so it could expand.

The permit has support from municipal planners and about 100 petition-signers but was recommended for denial by the Planning and Zoning Commission. Opponents said the airport site is too close to flight noise and a horse farm that uses fly spray.

Councilman Rick Heumann, who had initially voted against the permit, brought the issue for reconsideration. He said new details about the state's preschool-permitting process and pesticide regulation came to light after the first vote.

Councilman Jeff Weninger voted for the permit last month and said he was hoping for a second chance. He considered the defeat a blow to property rights and blamed it on pressure from an airport contingent that wants to lengthen the runway.

Council members Matt Orlando Kevin Hartke and Trinity Donovan voted against the permit and against the reconsideration. Mayor Jay Tibshraeny and Councilman Jack Sellers voted for the permit and for the reconsideration with Weninger and Heumann.

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