Outside the Box – Juliann Talkington

On Friday April 25, the PCRS preschool children spent the afternoon at the Sweatmore Strawberry Ranch. In addition to picking strawberries, the children held bunnies, learned about chickens and enjoyed the ranch wagon. What a fun way to spend the afternoon!

Outside the Box – Juliann Talkington

On Tuesday April 22, the PCRS children celebrated Earth Day with a muddy exercise. Each child placed dirt into a pot, planted seeds and added some water. Some children used traditional flower pots and other kids made paper pots from newspaper. The paper pot project added an additional learning opportunity for the children as the newspaper pots use waste paper and quickly disintegrate when placed in the ground.

Outside the Box – Juliann Talkington

The Panama City Renaissance School is looking forward to hosting its second annual contemporary art show and is excited about the partnership with the Visual Art Center and Griffin Design Firm. Each spring we try to do something a little different. This year we are comparing US and Latin American views on modern expression with original works from the US, Ecuador, Guatemala and Mexico. We hope the community will enjoy the event.

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 pm.

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.

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.

Outside the Box – Juliann Talkington

Outside the Box – Juliann Talkington 

 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 happened to our priorities? First, we believe there are many careers that do not require math for success. In the information age, this viewpoint is a fallacy. Second, we fear math and believe it is unreasonable to expect our children to learn it. 

Fortunately, math is not difficult. Like reading and athletics, it requires little but clear instruction, repetition and hard work. Most mathematical concepts, including algebra and calculus, can be taught in very simple, straightforward ways. So rather than trying to teach math theory, encourage your children to use math to solve everyday problems. 

Most importantly, don’t short-change your children. Please convey to them that math is important and make learning math a priority in your daily schedule. It is worth the extra time and focus. After all, good math skills are a prerequisite to a bright future.

Juliann Talkington is the Administrator of the Panama City Renaissance School (www.pcrschool.org). Reach her at jtalkington@pcrschool.org or 850-215-8712.

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” engineer.