Sizzling Science!

Event Date: 10/2/2009
Event Time: 4:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.
Description: It’s the Fourth Annual Sizzling Science! On Friday, October 2, GCCC and Bay District School teachers and students will display some of the wonders of science for ALL to enjoy. Sizzling Science begins at 4 PM in the science quad green space between the Science and Technology buildings of Gulf Coast Community College and will continue until 7 PM. The event is 100% FREE and open to the community .

Kids of ALL ages will be able to:
~ Walk through a life size cell
~ See rockets being launched
~ Dissect various specimens
~ Touch different marine organisms
~ Watch a chemistry magic show
~ and much more!

Come be a part of the FUN and discover just how exciting science is. If you have any questions or want to help, please contact Tammy Stundon at stundtm@bay.k12.fl.us or call Beverly Sapp at 769-1551, ext. 3851.

Zoobilee 2009

Zoo World on Panama City Beach is having Zoobilee 2009 this weekend, September 26 & 27
Admission is ONLY $1.00 per person (age 2 & up)
Gates will open at 9:30 a.m.
Last admittance will be at 4:30
The zoo will be closed at 5:00 p.m.

The Band of the US Air Force Reserve

Listen to the Band of the US Air Force Reserve Saturday, October 3 from 7:30 – 8:30pm at the Marina Civic Center. Tickets are FREE and available at the Panama City Marina Civic Center.

Fusion Athletics- Home School PE Sessions

Coach Steve Canfield is offering PE Sessions for Panama City homeschoolers:
Basketball, Volleyball, Dodgeball, Kickball, Capture the Flag, Cardio Conditioning, Wiffleball, Soccer, Field Games... and much MORE!
PE sessions are for all ages, girls and boys.
$10 per Session: 1st Child
$5.00 Each Additional Family Member
Training Sessions at Lynn Haven Recreation Center
Mondays 10:00 - 11:30
Projected Start Date: Oct 12, 2009

For more information, please see their flyer.

Contact Coach Canfield to sign up:
Home 850-784-1444
Cell 850-532-9193
scanfield75@msn.com

Museum Day, September 26, 2009

Smithsonian Magazine's Museum Day is Saturday, September 26, 2009. Recieve FREE Museum Admission for you and a guest by visiting their site. They have many participants in the Florida Panhandle, especially in Tallahassee and Ft. Walton.

Florida KidCare Contest

Florida KidCare, the state and federally-funded insurance program, is hosting an art/technology contest for students across the state of Florida, including home school students. Florida KidCare is asking students to embrace their creativity and technology to create a 30-second commercial or billboard to promote the importance of health care for children. The contest is open to students ages 12-18 who are in the 7th-12 grades across the state of Florida. It is an opportunity for students to express their creativity and win a $5,000 scholarship.

To download the entry form and contest guidelines and to view last year’s winners, visit www.actout4health.org.

For questions about the Act-Out for Health contest, please call Annie Jones, communications specialist for the Florida Healthy Kids Corporation at (850) 701-6114.

Contest entries must be postmarked or submitted online no later than Wednesday, December 2, 2009.

The Price of Art

The Price of Art
By Heather Parker

This Saturday, Sept 19, ArtCoop hosts its 4th Annual 50% Off Sale from 10am to 6pm. The sale allows visual artists in Bay County a ‘free day” to set up and sell their art to the public at half-off their normal price. ArtCoop does not charge the artists any fees to set up nor charge commissions on sales.

“This is a real benefit for visual artists and for their customers,” says Heather Parker, ArtCoop Creative Director. “Normally, in order for an artist to sell their art, they have to get gallery representation, pay a fee to set up in a festival, or pay a submission fee to display in a show. Some galleries take up to a 50% commission on sales and fees can add up. Those fees and commissions are reflected in the prices of art. The 50% Off Sale at ArtCoop allows artists, for one day, to cut their prices by 50% and pass the savings directly on to the customer.

Mary Ola Miller, matron of local arts and long time owner of the Gallery of Art on Beach Drive, said it like this- if you have your art in a gallery and the gallery takes a 50% commission, the artist shouldn’t take it out of the gallery and sell it the next day for 50% less. Keep the piece the same price and when the artist makes their own sale, the artist collects the commission on the sale. That is the best advice an artist will ever get on how to price their work- it is good for the artist and good for the galleries.

But, once a year, ArtCoop breaks the rules.

ArtCoop has been asked if the half off sale hurts sales throughout the year, and the answer is no, not a bit. The more exposure an artist can get, the better off they are- and this half off sale creates positive exposure. Buyers love to come meet the artists and hear the stories behind the art. It is a positive experience for everyone, even for the local galleries, because it helps the public to understand what goes into the price of a work of art beyond just the cost of supplies.

The price of art this Saturday? Half off.

This is not a scratch and dent sale. Customers will find original art of all styles and sizes, pottery, assemblage art, oil paintings, framed and unframed art, prints, cards, and more. Many artists take special orders for holiday delivery. Over 20 artists will be set up inside and outside at 535 Mercer Avenue, Downtown Panama City, just off 6th between Jenks and Oak. For directions, call 850-760-0608 or on the web at www.artcooppanamacity.com

ArtCoop, is a nonprofit art co-op for visual, literary and performing artists whose mission is to provide artists of all types a place where they can create, teach, and learn.

Teenpact Florida

Bay County homeschoolers are going to Teenpact Florida April 5-8, 2010.

TeenPact teaches the foundations of government with the legislative branch, beginning with a week-long session at the student's own capitol. Spiritually, TeenPact teaches Biblical principles of government and family, going hand-in-hand with the values of families who participate. Visit www.Teenpact.com to find out more.

If you are interested in registering for the One Day Class or the Four Day Class in Florida, email Helen by Sept. 22nd. If we have 10 or more new students for the same class registering together, we get the group discount of $20 per student! Also, if we register in Sept we get a double early bird discount of $30.

We will be working together to raise funds for this very valuable event in your child's/young adult's life. Act fast...last year one of Florida's two weeklong classes filled early. This one has the potential to do the same.

Safety Day at the Jr Museum

The Bay County Jr. Museum is having their 4th Annual Safety Day on Saturday, September 26th, 2009 from 10:00 a.m. till 2:00 p.m.
The event is free and you can receive $1 off the museum admission if you present this flyer!

Bay Patriots Presentation

The Bay Patriots will be presenting a live presentation called "The Constitution and You" to area home school groups on Monday, September 21 at 3:00 PM. This event is taking place at Living Word Fellowship on 19th Street near Hwy 231, next to Bay Credit Union. At the center of the presentation is a lively discussion between some of the Founding Fathers about how our constitution came about and why young people today should care about it. Come and learn at this enjoyable event.

Bay County Christian Youth Choir

What is it? An independent interdenominational Christian youth choir for 9th - 12th grades with some exceptions for 8th grade and early college.

What type and style of music does the choir sing? The choir sings a mixture of classical choral literature, traditional hymn arrangements, spirituals as well as contemporary praise and worship songs, and each choir member will have a speaking part during the tour program.

When does the choir meet? Sunday afternoons from 3:30 to 5:00 at the First Presbyterian Church Fellowship Hall (in downtown Panama City). The first rehearsal is October 4, 2009, and there will be an open house (dinner provided free of charge) at the First Presbyterian Fellowship Hall on Tuesday evening, September 22 at 6:00pm.

Why is there a new choir? The choir is an interdenominational choir that will attract youths from many different churches in Bay County, in particular those churches that do not have a touring youth choir. The choir has adopted the evangelical statement of faith published by the National Association of Evangelicals, and our prayer is that we will walk beside our local churches in assisting them to train the next generation to be worshippers of Christ.

How often will the choir sing? Is there a Tour? The choir will have a Christmas program, will sing in area churches and for civic functions every few weeks. The highlight is the Spring Tour after the School year; on tour the choir will travel on a charter bus, sing at churches, retirement homes and rescue missions, learn from Bible studies, meet people through concerts and evenings with "homestay parents" from churches, and have fun at historical sites, amusement parks, museums, etc)! The destination for the 2010 Spring Tour is San Antonio and Austin, Texas, and the tentative dates are June 9 or 10 (Wednesday/Thursday) through June 19 (Saturday).

What does it cost? The primary expense is the choir tour, and the estimated cost for choir tour is $300 to $600 depending on the destination. We will work with your local church to encourage them to assist choir members in paying choir fees and there will be a scholarship fund to provide supplemental funding for those that can not afford the fees.

Who are the directors? Nevin Zimmerman, Director; Jody Schnell, Vocal Coach; Gigi Zimmerman, Tour Coordinator. These three bring many years of choral and youth experience to the choir: Nevin and Jody have been music directors at their respective churches; Nevin and Gigi started the Covenant Presbyterian Youth Choir in 1992 and have worked continuously with it, and Jody is the choral director at Mosley High School, directs the Pro Arte Chorale.

What is the mission of the choir? The Bay County Christian Youth Choir experience teaches choir members (i) to speak and sing in public, (ii) the experience of homestays with "strangers" that are brothers and sisters in Christ, (iii) how to work together to achieve goals that can only be achieved collectively, (iv) the discipline of making a long-term commitment and the rewards of hard work,(v) how to "get along" with fellow choir members and (vi) skills that enable them to be what God has called us all to be: worshipers of Him.

To obtain more information about the Bay County Christian Youth Choir, Inc. contact Nevin at 850.215.6604 and/or nevin@nevinzimmerman.com.

ArtCoop’s 4th Annual 50% Off Sale

Saturday, September 19 from 10am to 6pm

Original Art by Local Artists- Featuring works by ArtCoop Directors Heather Parker, Zan Miller, Billie Bas’sette, Suzanne McDowell, Barbara Stevens, Kelly Duncan, and Helen Neal, and over 20 Panama City Artists!

All art is 50% off the tagged price!

Prices range from $5 to $1000- prices for every budget!

This is a ‘commission free’ day for artists (no set up fee, no commission on sales) so the artists can pass the savings on to you! Choose from originals, prints, cards, and more. Find out about art classes, workshops, and memberships. Artists are available for commissions.

ArtCoop
535 Mercer Avenue, Panama City Fl 32401
Just off 6th street between Jenks and Oak, around the corner from the Downtown Post Office
850-769-0608
info@artcooppanamacity.com
www.artcooppanamacity.com

Christian School closes, SALE

Panama City Christian School has closed its doors as of this year and is liquidating their materials. They are located at 1104 Balboa Ave, at the corner of 11th and Balboa, the same street as the Bay District Schools building.

The sale is this Saturday, September 5, from 7 AM to noon in their gym. They have desks, chairs, and computers, and from their daycare/preschool cribs and toys. There may be teachers desks and other stuff as well. Just imagine what a school would have that the church does not need!

They also have books, but you will have to ask to be directed to another "book room" to see those. In the past they used mostly Abeka books.

Character Training Homeschool Conference

Friday-Saturday, September 18-19th
Woodlawn United Methodist Church (please enter in building to the far right not the main entrance)
Hosted by Fellowship of Christian Teaching Homes.

Authors of "The Well-Trained Heart," as well as 3 language arts & writing curricula, you won't want to miss this phenomenal family speaking on a variety of topics (see brochure for details).

Pre-registration required for child care to ensure adequate number of workers. Please advise age of children when pre-registering.

Contact: Melanie McLaughlin with any questions or to register. Simply email name & number attending per session.

Classical Conversations Panama City Open House

Classical Conversations is hosting an Open House Thursday, September 10, 2009.

All homeschooling families are welcome to experience a day of Classical Conversations, free of charge. Your elementary aged children will participate in class with a science experiment, have an art lesson and learn several facts in a variety of subjects. Bring your middle schooler or highschooler to experience the Challenge class. A parent must accompany children for the day.

Date: September 10, 2009
Location: The Rock, 2413 Harris Ave, Panama City, FL
Time: 9:00 A.M. -12:00 P.M. for Foundations (Grades K4-6th)
1:00 P.M. - 3:00 P.M for Essentials (Grades 3rd -6th, Language Arts)
8:00 A.M. -12:00 P.M - Challenge (Grades 7th-11th)
Bring a pack lunch and stay for fellowship!

To reserve your spot and receive more information, please RSVP to
• Shonda Bush, bushsg@bellsouth.net, for K4-6th grades,
• Helen Holmes, Hholmes40@aol.com, for 7th and 8th grades,
• Johnny Gonzales, jgonzales96@gmail.com, for 9th-11th grades

Visit our website at www.ccpcfl.com to learn more about us!

Governor Charlie Crist's Hispanic Heritage Month Student Contests

September is Hispanic Heritage Month and Governor Charlie Crist has invited Florida students in kindergarten through 12th grades to participate in the seventh annual Florida Hispanic Heritage Month student contests. The contests are part of a month-long series of events planned to commemorate Florida’s Hispanic heritage. The theme for this year’s celebration is “Florida: Embracing Its Hispanic Roots While Looking to the Future.”

You can visit www.FloridaHispanicHeritage.com to read about Florida’s Hispanic heritage, as well as learn about the art, essay and podcast contests.

The contest deadlines occur on September 16. Contest winners will be notified the week of October 5, 2009. Awards will be presented at the Governor’s annual Hispanic Heritage Month celebration in Tallahassee in October.

All contest entries must be mailed to the Executive Office of the Governor, Attention: Hispanic Heritage Month Contests, 400 South Monroe Street, Suite LL-10, Tallahassee, Florida 32399. All contest entries must be by postmarked by September 16, 2009, and each student is limited to one entry per contest.

PSAT testing

Covenant Presbyterian School is offering PSAT testing on October 14, 2009 at 12:00 noon. The test will take approximately two and a half hours.

DEADLINE FOR SIGN UP IS THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 3!!!

The cost is $13 per student. Students 9th grade and up can take the test. 11th graders qualify for scholarships if test scores are high!

This test cannot be substituted for an evaluation or standardized testing to be sent into the school district.

Contact Jaymie Christmas at jaymiec@bellsouth.net.