News

Panama City Renaissance School kids perform ‘Where the Wild Things Are’

Apr 20, 2008

Outside the Box – Juliann Talkington For 20 minutes on Saturday April 19, KidFest went to the animals as the Panama City Renaissance School children performed a a special rendition of Where the Wild Things Are. It was amazing to watch costumed 4 – 8 year old children participate in a play – to sit quietly and wait their turn, recite their lines without hesitation, and to appear completely at ease in front of hundreds of strangers. Bravo to Mrs. Estes, the Panama City Renaissance School English teacher, who produced and directed the performance. After a short break, the children switched languages and sang Chinese songs under the direction of their Chinese language teachers Ms. Song, Ms. Wu and Ms. Yao. And after all the performances, the kids had a great time enjoying the KidFest activities....

Contemporary and Latin American Art, in Panama City?

Apr 15, 2008

Outside the Box – Juliann Talkington The Panama City Renaissance School, Griffin Design Firm and the Visual Art Center are sponsoring a Contemporary and Latin American Art Show Friday May 2 – Monday, May 5, 2008 at the Visual Art Center in Downtown Panama City.      The show will feature original works by well-known Latin American artists from Guatemala, Mexico and Ecuador including Carlos Merida (Guatemala) and Jose Luis Cuevas (Mexico). Other well known artists include Paul Brent (USA), Marco Bustamante (Mexico), Guillermo Canseco (Mexico), Kim Griffin (USA), Washington Iza (Ecuador), Rosy Revelo (Ecuador), Porter Thrower (USA) and Carl Webb (USA). Children from the Panama City Renaissance School also will exhibit works.   The opening reception is Friday, May 2 from 6:45 – 8:45 pm. This formal event will feature music by Gilligan Loves MaryAnn and will include hors d’oeuvres and beverages. For free admission to the reception, please call the school office at 215-8712 or send a request to info@pcrschool.org no later than 12 noon on Friday, May 2. The exhibition also will be open to the public on Sunday May 4 from 1:00 – 4:00 pm and Monday from 10:00 am – 4:00...

Math is critical: Don’t shortchange your kids

Apr 13, 2008

Outside the Box – Juliann Talkington  According to Nicholas Terrell, an economist with the US Office of Occupational Statistics, between now and 2014 there will be about 1.25 million new jobs requiring math expertise (engineering, science, math, technology).    In addition, carpenters and other trade people who have a strong understanding of arithmetic, geometry and algebra quickly move from minimum wage jobs to positions with excellent pay, sometimes well into the six figures. Lawyers aren’t exempt either. They must keep track of hours and handle billing, tasks that require arithmetic and algebra. Success in the art world demands considerable business savvy and the ability to handle arithmetic, geometry and algebra. One artist lost a lucrative commission, because he did not know how to use math to get the images of two paintings to line-up. The tragedy is kids are getting the wrong signals from our society. We are quick to tell a teacher there is too much homework when a child has to spend 20 minutes working on math problems. However, if a coach or dance instructor asks a child to spend an hour practicing a particular move, we are fully supportive. According to Emily Krauser in Athletes Balance Prospects of Professional Sports, Professional Careers, only about 13 in 10,000 high school athletes go on to a professional career. In addition, very few people make an adequate living in the performing arts. For those who “make it”, long-term success requires a good understanding of math as most earnings occur within a few years and must be allocated over a lifetime. If everyone needs math skills to succeed, what has...

Trane engineer teaches about machines

Apr 1, 2008

Outside the Box – Juliann Talkington In March, Dr. Kevin Liang, Principal Product Engineer at Trane in Lynn Haven, spent the afternoon in the first grade classroom. During his visit he taught the physics and engineeirng topic of machines. The kids loved having an afternoon with a “real world”...

St. Andrew Park Fun!

Mar 31, 2008

Outside the Box – Juliann Talkington Many families joined in the birthday festivities at St. Andrew State Park on Saturday. The kids splashed in the cool (cold) water; built sand castles; found crabs and shells; ate hot dogs, hamburgers and cake and broke open a pinata. What a wonderful way to kick off spring and enjoy the...