November Newsletter 2018
UPDATE FROM OUR GENERAL MANAGER
Dear Hills Members,
I'd like to personally thank all of you who came out for our Halloween Party this year. It was an enormous success and being a part of it for the first time, my expectations were blown away! My staff is amazing and the amount of preparation, planning and execution to provide so much to this event was absolutely remarkable. Thank you to all of them and to all volunteers for taking the time to make sure this event was a memorable one. If you haven't already, I encourage everyone to click this link to view an awesome highlight video of what transpired a few Fridays ago. I have to give a shout out to two members: Laura Plageman and Madelena Fleury (both pictured below) for their costumes. Laura won our adult costume contest and Madelena our kids costume contest. I think it is pretty obvious why the two of them won. What a fantastic party this year, I'm already trying to plot how we can make it even better next year and how I can step up my costume game.
Bob Randall has been a member of The Hills since 1979. He recently sold his membership to Teresa Cutter Nordenfelt (both pictured below) after he moved out of the area. It was so nice for both Teresa and I to hear Bob's story and how much The Hills played a valuable role within his family. I've said it before and I'll say it again, we really do have something special here at The Hills and I'm going to do everything I can to make sure we never lose that authentic community feel.
As we prepare for the winter months ahead, please be aware that there may be more debris flying into the pools and spas, as well as the tennis and basketball courts. We will do our best to keep all areas as clean as possible. Please feel free to let me know if you think an area has been neglected for an ample amount of time. Our cleaning staff works nearly around the clock, seven days a week, and they work diligently to keep this club looking good. This is a large property with many areas and a variety of places that need to be cleaned, but I wanted to give them some big-time recognition for all that they do.
I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving and I look forward to this Holiday season here at The Hills!
-Nick
UPCOMING EVENTS
November 9: JetBlacq Performance 6:30-8:30pm
November 12: Free Beginner/Novice Tennis Clinic 6-7pm
November 12: Intermediate/Advanced Tennis Clinic 7-8pm (Please call the front desk to sign up)
November 16: Sweet Indulge: A Tasting Event 6:30-8pm
Every Monday 11am: Pickleball on the basketball court
HOLIDAY CLUB SCHEDULE
November 21: Club closes at 8pmNovember 22: Club closed (Thanksgiving Day)
November 23: Club opens at 8am
December 24: Club closes at 6 pm
December 25: Club closed (Christmas Day)
December 26: Club opens at 8am
December 31: Club closes at 8pm
January 1: Club closed (New Year's Day)
January 2: Regular club hours (5am-10pm)
Aquatics
Swim Team
Pre-Competitive Swim Team Manta Rays and Tidal Waves - Fall 2018
Register here!
Classes meet on Wednesdays and Fridays
Member: $100 Non-Member: $115
Session 11 Nov 2-16 (Discounted short session)
Manta Rays (Pre-Swim Team) AGE 4 - 8 4-4:30pm
Prerequisite: Swimmers must be able to tread in deep water for 30 seconds. Swimmers must be able to swim unassisted. Swimmers will learn basic swimming skills of all four strokes. Team activity skills and group swim safety is introduced. Instruction will be conducted in and out of the water.
Tidal Waves (Novice Swim Team) AGE 6 - 10 4:30-5pm
Swimmers must pass the prerequisite for swim team: *50 yards of freestyle with side breathing *25 yards of back swimming *Treading water for 30 seconds *Streamline off wall for 5 yards. This group will prepare swimmers for the swim team. This class will incorporate on-deck coaching with minimal in-water instruction.
Competitive Swim Team
Full information about how to try out and join the year round competitive team is here!
Private Lessons
We have numerous instructors open to take private lessons. Bookings are done directly with an instructor. Much more information and info about instructors is here!http://hills.caclubs.com/aquatics/private-lessons
Pilates
Let Pilates and Reiki become your holiday stress busters!
Fall is an exciting time as most of us are hit with crazy schedules. With packed school curriculums, work speeding up, and holidays beckoning for our time, we can get high on being busy. The mindset of "I'm too busy" takes over, making it easy to let an exercise routine drop in our list of priorities.
Unfortunately, once things get too clamored, the negative side of the stress surfaces, and we often start experiencing mental and physical symptoms. This can include sadness, headaches, stomach problems, sleeplessness, and irritability.
What can we do to bolster our body and mind against stress?
The obvious solution is, of course, to try to control our schedules and reduce our commitments; however, this is not always possible. Instead, we need to find a way to become more stress resilient.
Physical exercise is one known and proven remedy against stress, and Pilates is particularly effective as a stress buster. The deep focus on breathing and mindfulness, combined with the rigorous movements, can chase out stress and leave us calm and energized. It also helps reduce stress-induced back pain by conditioning our deep core muscles and make us stand up taller.
Sometimes the most subtle things in life prove to be the most powerful. Reiki is just that: a gentle, subtle bodywork technique that will boost our "chi", our life energy, and help us combat stress and symptoms associated with it.
Here is an article that explains just how Reiki works and how it can help you:
https://schmidts.com/the-natural/how-reiki-helps-us-reduce-stress
Reiki and Pilates is available in our tranquil studio 7 days a week.
To schedule a Reiki treatment or to try a Pilates class or session, please contact us today:
[email protected]
To Your Health and Wellness,
The Hills Pilates Studio Team
Group X
For all of you fitness fanatics, class members, and late-night swimmers, we are pleased to announce that we are extending our childcare schedule, effective November 5th. Childcare is now available Monday through Wednesday, 9am-2pm. Our evening childcare hours have also been extended on Wednesdays and Thursdays to 8pm. We hope these additional hours will allow more of you to enjoy the group fitness activities.
New Childcare Schedule:
Mondays 9am-2pm/4-6pm
Tuesdays 9am-2pm/4-6pm
Wednesdays 9am-2pm/4-8pm
Thursdays 9am-1pm/4-8pm
Fridays 9am-2pm/4-6pm
Saturdays 9am-1pm
Sundays 9am-1pm
We value your feedback and are doing our best to accommodate requests. Feel free to contact our Operations Manager, Rosalinda [email protected] with questions/concerns.
Our evening classes are going strong, and we look forward to seeing even higher attendance this winter. It can be hard to motivate yourself to exercise in the evening, so take advantage of the group fitness classes. Grab a friend and try something new! If you haven't checked it lately, our evening schedule offers a little something for everyone, and we love first timers. We are also expanding our weekend class schedule with a new Sculpt and Stretch class on Sundays at 4:30 pm. Don't wait until January to start your new year's resolutions.
See you in class!
Peak Fit
It's been another beautiful month in the Peak Fit Studio. The views are amazing any time of day, and the workouts are always something different. Early morning classes are full and lively. If you have not had a chance to check out a class, register online or at the front desk to reserve your spot.
Our schedule through the month of November:
Mondays 9am
Tuesdays 9 am
Wednesdays 6am (TRX focus) and 9am
Thursdays 6am (no class on Thanksgiving-club closed)
Fridays 9am
Saturdays 8am
If you have questions, please feel free to contact Jennie Votel 510-316-3529 or [email protected]
Celebrate November Employee Birthdays
Please join us in wishing each of them a happy birthday and thanking them for all of their hard work!
Shad Wojtala, 11/07
Gabriela Palacio, 11/08
Claudia Gutierrez, 11/10
Sally Cole, 11/10
Virginia Pell, 11/13
Vanessa Gonzalez, 11/24
Tatiana Haddawy, 11/25
Jose Jimenez, 11/29
Employee Spotlight:
Noemi Arias
To tell somebody to do something can at times be received as being asked to do too much. But not for Noemi Arias, as she is willing to contribute in any way possible, which is why she is in our employee spotlight for this month.
Relatively new to The Hills Swim & Tennis Club staff, Noemi works at the front desk, café, and childcare. Born in the San Francisco Bay Area, Noemi and her husband, along with her 2 kids and their dog named Cindy, currently reside in Oakland.
Outside of work, Noemi keeps herself busy making scrapbooks or completing various arts and crafts projects. If you want to know anything about Mickey Mouse, Noemi is the person to ask, as she is a huge fanatic. As a family, you can find the four together watching movies, going to theme parks, and attending local sporting events.
When you see her at the club, please take a moment to congratulate Noemi for being in the employee spotlight for this month.
