Tuesday, November 1, 2005

2005 GAHPERD Annual Convention

Georgia Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance

"Back to the Basics...Move," is the theme for the 2005 GAHPERD Annual Convention. The convention is scheduled for November 10-13, 2005, at the Columbus Convention and Trade Center with special guest speaker, Shirley Ririe.

GAHPERD is a nonprofit organization for professionals and students in related fields of health, physical education, recreation and dance. GAHPERD is dedicated to improving the quality of life for all Georgians by supporting and promoting effective educational practices, quality curriculum, instruction and assessment in the areas of health, physical education, recreation, dance and related fields.

GPB Education Project Manager, Barbara O'Brien will be attending the conference and making a presentation in a session of the Dance Division. Barbara will be reporting on the collaboration between GPB, Brenau University Dance Department, and Richmond County Schools to record Georgia students and teachers as they participated in the two week residency with the Ririe Woodbury Dance Company.

For more information:
GAHPERD's homepage:

JapanFest 2005

JapanFest rocked at Stone Mountain, GA on Sept. 24-25, 2005. The weekend, a culmination of efforts by the Japan-America Society of Georgia, The Japanese Chamber of Commerce of Georgia, and the Consulate General of Japan in Atlanta, was the highlight of a month-long series of events designed specifically to promote understanding between Japanese and Americans in the Southeast. GPB's Irasshai staff celebrated in the cultural event, just one of many held across the country during the "2005: The Year of Languages!" campaign, by demonstrating the art of origami.

Former and current students put their Japanese language skills to good use with Irasshai's TV instructor and host, Tim Cook-sensei who was also present for the celebration. In addition to having their photo taken with Tim-sensei, students were able to watch traditional Japanese dances, martial arts demonstrations, participate in bonsai and calligraphy workshops, purchase knick-knacks, kimonos and handmade paper, and enjoy traditional Japanese cuisine. They also could view the products of more than 330 Japanese businesses located in Georgia that were on display. The five goals of the National Standards for Foreign Language Education (Communication, Comparison, Culture, Connection, and Communities) were all waiting to be met at this exciting event.

GPB November Staff Feature: Linda Johnson

We at GPB are fortunate and proud to have such an extraordinary staff. Because we have such amazing people working to provide you with the best educational resources available, we thought you might be interested in knowing about some of the incredible things they do.

This month we are featuring Linda Johnson, Elementary Education Project Manager, for her completion of the 2005 Portland Marathon. In preparation for the big run, Linda trained for eight months. Her training consisted of three to four runs per week (between 3-12 miles each time) and a long run on the weekend (starting at 6 miles and working up to 23 miles).

Time management and discipline were key factors in Linda's success, concentrating on staying well-rested, lifting weights, running, and making healthy eating choices. By the time Linda had completed her training, she had run over 800 miles.

When asked about the day of the race Linda said, "During the race, the first 13 miles were a piece of cake - I was very comfortable. At mile 15, the arch on my left shoe gave out and made the last 11.2 miles miserable." Even with unexpected challenges during the race, Linda pushed forward. "I highly recommend the Portland Marathon for anyone looking to run one - it was very well put together. I will never forget the feeling that came over me when the announcer at the finish line said, "And here comes Linda Johnson, all the way from Atlanta, Georgia!" and the crowd cheered me on."

We are so fortunate to have Linda on our staff, as she brings the same enthusiasm and dedication she has shown in her marathon training to GPB.