The Town-Crier
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April 17 - April 23, 2015
Page 7
NEWS
RPB Ed Board Learns About Programs At Renaissance Palms West
By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report Sharon Brannon, principal of the Renaissance Charter School at Palms West gave a presentation to the Royal Palm Beach Education Advisory Board on Monday regarding the programs offered there. She was joined by school staff, parents and students. Renaissance Charter School at Palms West, located at the corner of Crestwood and Southern boulevards, opened in August 2013. The school is run by Charter Schools USA, which was founded in 1997 as one of the first charter-school management companies in the country. It now runs 58 schools in seven states. Brannon featured the school’s AICE (Advanced International Certificate of Education) program, designed to prepare its students for the high school AICE program. “When they get there, we are going to make sure they are ready,” Brannon said. “We began this year
with that program in the thirdgrade classes up to the seventh. It was so successful this year that next year we are going to expand it to our second grade through the eighth, so we hope that someday we will have an entire Cambridge program that will prepare students for the AICE program at the high school level, because we know that Royal Palm Beach High School has that program there.” Coordinator Kathy Colbert said the Cambridge program began at the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom. “Our program is basically developed from that university and, in particular, their examination program,” Colbert said, pointing out that Cambridge lessons are used in more than 10,000 schools around the world and is the world’s largest provider of international education programs and qualifications for 5- to 19-year-olds. The Renaissance Charter School at Palms West is the only elemen-
tary school in Palm Beach County that offers a Cambridge program, she said. “The Cambridge program prepares our students for life, helping them develop an informed curiosity and a lasting passion for learning,” Colbert said. The school currently offers Cambridge courses in language arts and science for grades three through seven. Students who remain in the program have an opportunity to eventually earn college credit for high school courses, and it prepares students for participation in high school Cambridge programs such as the AICE program at Royal Palm Beach High School. They will also be eligible for the Florida Bright Scholars program. “The focus is there to promote higher learning and promote higher education and to motivate students to go on to college and be successful and have career goals,” Colbert said. She pointed out that Cambridge
alumni include John Harvard, one of the founders of Harvard University; physicist and mathematician Sir Isaac Newton; author Michael Crichton; and Prince Charles, heir to the throne of England. Cambridge alumni include at least nine kings and queens and other royalty, she said. Students joined in the presentation, saying they liked the Cambridge program because it includes watching movies and discussing symbolism, planting seeds and studying their growth, studying anatomy using a human skeleton at the school, and taking field trips, including to Florida Atlantic University. The Cambridge computer program prepares students for testing and advancement to the next grade. Colbert said the FAU tours include presentations by the admissions department to explain the applications process, setting career goals and the different departments at the university.
Parents also commented on why they chose to send their children to the school. Melissa Haber said she was skeptical of the school at first but came to like the open atmosphere that encourages her son to try new ideas. “What I like about it is they make the students think outside the box,” Haber said. “It’s not your average gifted program where it’s just higher learning. He comes home with different ideas. Sometimes it’s off-the-wall ideas that teachers sometimes dismiss. They embrace it and let them go with it.” She said the school gets them involved with different cultures, such as having them bring in different foods and embracing different backgrounds. “The school is amazing, and he’s had no behavioral problems because he’s so engulfed in doing this program,” Haber said. “I’ve been very proud of him.” Marguerite Charles said her
daughter now enjoys going to school, but she was apprehensive beforehand. “She’s not bored anymore,” Charles said. “She used to be coming home not comfortable going back to school, but ever since the program, they keep her engaged.. She is focused; it challenges her every day.” Brannon noted that the Cambridge program is not just a gifted program but is for all children and focuses on inquiry and projectbased learning. “It allows them to explore and learn about things,” she said. “We encourage creativity and curiosity, and I think you can see that it does develop great learners and people who want to advance.” She said that about 30 percent of the students are in the Cambridge program and that it will expand as they train more teachers. More information about the Cambridge program is available at www.cie.org.uk.
‘ADDAMS FAMILY’ MUSICAL A HIT ON THE WELLINGTON HIGH SCHOOL STAGE
Wellington High School’s Performing Arts Department presented the musical comedy The Addams Family in the Wellington High School theater last weekend. The show was directed, designed and choreographed by Dennis Schaber with additional choreography by Emma Parssi and musical direction by Bradford Chase. Matthew Harter was the production stage manager. For more information, visit www.whsdramaclub.com. PHOTOS BY JULIE UNGER/TOWN-CRIER
The cast and crew of The Addams Family on stage.
Lurch (Vic Lucena), Grandma (Nysha Warfield), Wednesday (Emily Offenkrantz), Gomez (Zach Landress), Morticia (Emma Parssi), Pugsley (Christian Ledger) and Fester (Trey Fritz) open the show.
Earth Day
Special Events Planned
continued from page 1 shrubs as well as mahogany tree seedlings in 2-gallon pots. “Earth Day and Arbor Day have always been important to Wellington,” Garvey said. “We’re recognized as a tree city.” The concert, featuring the Jamie Mitchell Band, will be outside, so be sure to bring chairs or blankets to sit on and enjoy, she said. “It’s a great family event because we do have things for the children, plus the playground is right next door,” Garvey said. “You can listen to the concert, get a little education on things; we’ll have the animal adoption agencies, we also have a local chiropractor so you can get adjusted; you can
watch your children play. It’s just a nice family afternoon.” For more information about Wellington’s Earth Day/Arbor Day event, visit www.wellingtonfl. gov. Next weekend, on Saturday, April 25, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., the Okeeheelee Nature Center at Okeeheelee Park (7715 Forest Hill Blvd.) will host an Earth Day celebration with the Palm Beach County Parks & Recreation Department. Okeeheelee Nature Center Manager Callie Sharkey is thrilled to celebrate Earth Day at the event, which is co-sponsored by the Friends of Okeeheelee Nature Center. There will be guest speakers, vendors, games, raffles, crafts, guided nature walks, animal encounters, guest speakers and more. Some of the exhibitors include the Lake Worth Lagoon Initiative,
Morticia (Emma Parssi) dances with Death.
Lurch (Vic Lucena) helps Gomez (Zach Landress) plan a trip to Paris for Morticia.
Fester (Trey Fritz) sings about love. Florida Trails, the Palm Beach Pack & Paddle Club, the Palm Beach County Extension Service, Vermiculture Composting and the Artistic Blacksmiths. “The local woodturners group is also going to be doing an exhibition where they’re going to be using the lathe and making some of their beautiful woodworking projects while they’re here,” Sharkey said. “We also have, currently posted in our facility, work that is part of an art show that is being juried and judged. They’re announcing the winners on May 1.” The work from many local artists across different mediums will be on display. “We’re very excited. We just held a large event back in February, the Dark Sky Festival,” she said, “so we’re very happy to do an all-encompassing Earth Day event during the day, and it is for all ages. We love to give people the opportunity to come back and
see how we’ve grown over the past year.” Last year, more than 600 people came out to the park to enjoy the festivities. “This year, we’re also introducing something new — the animal clue trail. Kids, or grown-ups, can go out onto the trail and participate in a type of scavenger hunt or clue trail where they’ll find hints and they have to answer questions,” Sharkey said. The mix of indoor and outdoor activities is intentional, to give people the opportunity to learn while they have a great time. “We’re trying to get people in and out of the building, and it’s going to be very interactive,” Sharkey explained. The animal encounters will include snakes, alligators and turtles. “There are a lot of animals that are normally not on display for the regular public when you come and visit during our open hours,” she
Grandma (Nysha Warfield) explains potions to Pugsley (Christian Ledger).
Wednesday (Emily Offenkrantz) tortures Pugsley (Christian Ledger), which he thoroughly enjoys.
Alice (Lara Tessler) tells Mal (Zach Kent) how unhappy she is.
said. “This is an opportunity for people to see all of the animals that live here at the nature center.” For example, she said, on a typical day visitors may see Hootie, the screech owl. However, visitors might not see Alex, the large grey-horned owl, or the red-tailed hawk, peregrine falcon and other raptors. One of the special free presentations next Saturday is a raptor presentation. Craft projects will include seed feeders for outside creatures. A busy day has been scheduled for visitors. The Palm Beach County Woodturners will be with the vendors from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on the veranda. At 9:30 a.m., there will be a deer walk. Raffle tickets will be on sale until 2:30 p.m. There is a butterfly walk at 10 a.m., and from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., the Florida Artistic Blacksmiths will be on the east side of the nature center, where there will be soda, water, popcorn and snow cones
available for sale, face painting on the veranda, a kid’s corner with crafts, and an owl pellet dissection station at the Discovery Zone, in addition to the animal clue trail. At 11 a.m., there will be a manatee lecture by Dr. Tom Reinert in the auditorium before the PBSO Mounted Unit comes by at 11:30 a.m. At 1 p.m., there will be a raptor presentation in the auditorium and there will also be a nature walk. At 2 p.m. in the auditorium, Karen Lindquist will discuss how to attract birds and butterflies. The raffle drawing will take place at 2:45 p.m. by the gift shop, but you don’t need to be present to win. Lunch will be available from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.: $5 for a hot dog, chips and a drink, or $6 for a hamburger, chips and a drink. For more information about Earth Day at the Okeeheelee Nature Center, visit www.pbcparks. com/nature or call (561) 233-1400.