J Blog

When I was first offered the marketing internship at the J, I was ecstatic. A summer job in my field of study? Yes, please. However, I did have one small concern: what were the people like? I attend a religious college where there, ironically, isn’t a very accepting and loving sense of community. I was worried that this would also be true at the J but, within the first week, I was gladly proven wrong.

In the 1920s, Joseph Pilates introduced his method of exercise to help injured athletes and dancers return to fitness and health. In today’s fitness world, many places offer Pilates, but may not appear to offer the foundation that J. Pilates had in mind. 

It is overwhelming with the number of studios, boutiques and formats to choose from. Pilates is for people of all ages, backgrounds, and is as much a mental workout as it is a physical one. Concentration is important, as is form while slowly repeating the movements.   

My son has graduated from Pre-K like his sister before him, and our seven years at BAS are coming to an end. I am overwhelmed with emotion at the thought that next year we won't be returning to BAS as a family.

That, as a part of the BAS community, we have experienced our very last drop off and pick up. That I can no longer take secret joy in absorbing all of the beautiful creations that decorate the walls of the hallway and the doors of the classrooms. That my children will no longer be protected by the loving arms of the people we have together trusted and loved, cried on and celebrated with. That we will no longer see those cherished faces that we have confided in and collaborated with.

When I was younger I enjoyed drawing horses and tried out watercolors and colored pencils at one point, but never really had the time to take classes and develop my skills. I’ve always enjoyed looking at art work and photographs of plants and animals and dreamed of creating beautiful images myself. Last fall I started in the Studio Painting class with Susan Wingfield as the teacher.

Seasons and celebrations always seem to have a relationship with food. With summer being the most popular season for BBQs, picnics, weddings, graduations and, of course, travel vacations, there are plenty of opportunities to make poor food choices and overeat.

Here are some tips to enjoy your summer while maintaining a healthy weight.

Volunteers like Michael Brown sustain the Meals on Wheels program at the J. With the summer here, many of our regular volunteers go on vacation, and our local homebound seniors still need their daily hot meal and a friendly face. We need regular volunteers just as much as we need a casual volunteer to come help once or twice each month.

Michael shares his rewarding experience about the program.

The slower summer months are the perfect time to try a new class or return to the dance classes of your childhood. Ballet and tap are two disciplines that many learned as children and now seek the opportunity to revisit as adults.

We offer beginner through intermediate/advanced adult dance classes. Join instructors Sofia Aranha for ballet and Dorena Battaglino and Cathy Marmolejo for tap.

Whose Side Will You Take to Get in Shape?
In the spirit of summer competition, our next fitness challenge, Trainer vs. Trainer, starts next week. Angela and Ulises face off in a challenge to get you in beach body shape in no time. Once you choose your team, either Team Angela or Team Ulises, you can choose to train with your group either once or twice a week for the duration of the challenge.

The educators never stop learning at the Bertha Alyce School! Much like the children they teach, these educators never stop spreading their enthusiasm as they make new discoveries and grow in their abilities. With a culture emphasizing continuous professional development and collaboration, it is a natural next step that the educators of Bertha Alyce will now be educating professionals from across the nation.

The term Circuit Training is used often in the fitness industry. Fitness magazines and websites are filled with articles that include a variety of circuit style workouts.

Circuit Training can play a role in your fitness routine regardless of whether your goals are gaining strength, adding lean muscle or losing weight. There are many additional benefits in utilizing this type of workout. Let's start by defining what Circuit Training is.