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.

Hurricane Katrina: How GPB is Helping

Over the last month people all over the world have felt the devastating effects of Hurricane Katrina. Those who were not directly touched by the hurricane have certainly heard the countless stories of displacement and loss from Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama leaving them wondering what they can do to help. We at Georgia Public Broadcasting also got together to discuss what we could do to assist our neighboring states and those who have relocated to Georgia as a result of the damage.

Since the hurricane Georgia's school system has opened its doors to over 5,600 new students with the promise of more evacuated children to enroll. For this reason GPB Education organized a building-wide school supply drive with an overwhelming response. As children displaced by the hurricane with little else but the clothes on their backs continue their education here in Georgia, we wanted to do our part to insure that they would not be left without the tools they need in the classroom. In the last month van loads of supplies have been delivered to local shelters from our building for distribution.

In addition to donating school supplies, GPB Education also organized a trip to the Red Cross to donate blood. With the drastic and sudden increase in our state's population, resources like that of local blood banks have been stretched very thin.

Irasshai's Family is Growing

This year's enrollment figures for Irasshai, GPB's Japanese language program, have been released for September 2005. GPB is excited to announce that the number of students registered for the program has increased by about 100 students over the last year. Registered students for the week of 9/2/05 totaled 513 (226 in state, 287 out of state), this is up from totals taken during the same week last year of 415 (168 in state, 247 out of state).

For More Information:
- Call the Irasshai Hotline at 1-800-883-7444 or 404-685-2811 in the Atlanta area.
- Visit the Irasshai website

Georgia Read More

It has been a year this month since the Georgia Department of Education implemented a literacy program aimed at 3rd graders entitled Georgia Read More. Since that time the series has proven to be a major success that is scheduled to continue for an additional year. Georgia Read More is a series of programs that promote literacy by having dignitaries and celebrities read a children's book aloud to a group of students. These readings are taped and broadcast on GPB Education Channel 430 for children and educators all over the state to view. The programs are also accessible for viewing via web casts, and DVDs distributed to Georgia's 1,200 elementary schools.

Guest readers include:
Kathy Cox
Mary Perdue
President Jimmy Carter
John Smoltz
Travis Tritt
Bill Elliott
Chief Justice Leah Ward-Sears

The Georgia Department of Education's Georgia Read More project is literacy initiative in collaboration with the Georgia Technology Authority and Georgia Public Broadcasting. Scholastic Books, Peachtree Publishers, and other publishing companies have provided books and copyright permission for this project.

Georgia Department of Education website

Download PDF flyer of Georgia Read More

Sing

How do squeaky-voiced eight-year-olds become amazing singers? "Sing!" focuses on the Los Angeles Children's Chorus, which has worked out of two rooms in a basement for 15 years to create extraordinary music under the guidance of artistic director Anne Tomlinson. The film follows a group of children nervously auditioning for the limited spots in the chorus and dramatically shows their transformation from shower singer into choristers of exceptional vocal beauty. Through it all, they are typical pre-teens who also appreciate art and music in their lives. "Sing!" was a nominee in this year's Academy Awards short documentary competition, and was written and directed by Academy Award-winner Freida Lee Mock.
Tune into channel 410 for this special 30 minute presentation of "Sing!" on Friday, October 7 at 3 pm.