PARENTS AND CHILDREN

The latest family news and updates

Ballet dancers sought

The New Orleans Youth Ballet, a youth wing of the Delta Festival Ballet, will hold auditions for its 20th season on Saturday at the Giacobbe Academy of Dance, 6925 Veterans Blvd. in Metairie. Artistic directors Joseph Giacobbe and Maria Giacobbe are seeking dancers ages 10 to 18. NOYB members receive professional training and guidance, and participate in Delta Festival Ballet's productions in New Orleans and the surrounding region, including the annual "Nutcracker" with the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra.

Space is limited and registration is required. To schedule an audition, e-mail deltafestsballet@aol.com or call 504.888.0931 or visit www.deltafestivalballet.com.

The Wiggles will perform at UNO Lakefront Arena at Sunday, July 27, at 1:30 and 5:30 p.m.

Children have always loved sing-song rhymes and the popular preschooler pop concert phenomenon has them dancing in their seats.

The Wiggles have been at the forefront of this movement for 17 years, selling out shows in arenas worldwide. On Sunday, they perform two shows at the UNO Lakefront Arena.

"When I was growing up, a long, long time ago, you may have heard some nursery rhymes at home," said Jeff Fatt, known as the Purple Wiggle. "Essentially there was a guy with a woolly dog on his hand, you know a puppet sort of thing, nothing like this, nothing like The Wiggles and the concerts we play."

Sure, impatient drivers have undoubtedly cussed out Fielding Pierce.

He doesn't hold it against them, though. He expects to laugh all the way to the gas station.

"I used to be a speed freak," said Pierce, of Chelsea, Ala. "Now I'm a slow freak."

Illustration by Tony Champagne

With gas prices edging into the stratosphere, a number of drivers nationwide are embracing a practice called "hypermiling" -- the use of driving techniques to improve a car's gas mileage and reduce punishing trips to the pump.

At Honda-Tech.com, Honda and Acura's technical resource Web site, a poster identified as "KunipshunFit" trolled the site looking for ways to squeeze 50 miles per gallon out of a 2008 Honda Fit, which usually gets about 28 mpg in the city.

Thousands of students entered Google's "Doodle 4 Google" call for artwork made by artists in grades K-12. The worldwide search engine wants a doodle to post on their international homepage, and out of 400 national finalists, three Lusher Charter School students were honored for their creations.

Two of the selected students, third grader Pearlie Leaf, and 5th grader Yush Kukreja were chosen state finalists, and fourth grader Cameron London was selected as a state finalist and regional winner. Cameron and along with forty regional winners from throughout the country are now in competition for the national award.

Vote for the artwork of Cameron London, a fourth grader from Lusher Charter School, entry in Google's "Doodle 4 Google" contest.

Now the finalists will compete for one of four prizes: a $25,000 technology grant for the student's school and a $10,000 scholarship for themselves.

The student's will be selected based on public votes for the student's artwork. Votes will be accepted through Sunday, May 18. The winner will be selected on May 21 and within 24-hours their artwork will "go live" on the Google homepage. As a part of the contest, Lusher was selected to participate in a national commercial airing on the internet and select television stations publicizing the competition.

When someone tried to peg Nancy Star as a soccer mom, she didn't take it as a compliment.

Photo illustration by Kenny Harrison.

"It's an image of: 'You have no self left.' It's been taken away. Your kids' successes are taken as your own," said Star, 52. "When they asked if I was a soccer mom, I said, 'No, not really.' Then they said, 'Do your kids play soccer?' And I said, 'Well, yes.'

"Guilty!"

JOSHUA GUNTER/NEWHOUSE NEWS SERVICESJunior Clare Gallagher, 16, one of the students in a prep class for college entrance exams, takes a sample test at Magnificat High School.

Long after the end of the regular school day, light from a classroom streamed into a dimmed hallway at Magnificat High School in Rocky River, Ohio. Ten juniors, from Magnificat and several other schools, sat with workbooks and calculators while Charles Fuller, a teacher at Benedictine High School, made sure no one had unresolved questions or problems.

When he turned off the light to focus on a PowerPoint presentation, the students leaned forward attentively -- looking into their future, in one sense, as they searched for an edge in the competition for college.

THE TIMES-PICAYUNEDon Vappie is a regular at outdoor concerts. Catch him at Jazz n the Vines in May.

Step outside and listen closely in the coming weeks, and you might hear the sounds of fiddles, soulful jazz singers and wailing saxophones drifting through our parks, down streets and across bayous.

This week marks the arrival of April, the unofficial high point of the outdoor concert season, when the weather mellows and New Orleanians take advantage of these precious few mild days by two-stepping on nature's dance floor.

Here's a list of specialty camps for children in the New Orleans area, including the parishes of Orleans, Jefferson, St. Tammany, St. Bernard, Plaquemines, St. Charles and St. John the Baptist. Included are arts and drama workshops, theme camps, sports camps and preschooler camps. All are open to the public on a first-come, first-served basis. A listing of regular day camps were listed in Monday, March 17, Living section.

By Maria Montoya
Staff writer

Any parent wants her child to have a fun, as well as enriching, summer experience. But with the variety of camps being held nowadays, the process of choosing the perfect place to send Junior can be quite overwhelming. In today's Living section, there are hundreds of listings of summer camps being offered for local children, and more will follow next Monday.

STAFF PHOTO BY SUSAN POAGKayla Thornton,7, of New Orleans closes her eyes before letting go during an archery lesson with instructor Lori Antonik, during Girls First camp in June of 2007.

This calendar doesn't even attempt to include the thousands of residential camps being attended by many metro area children. This year alone, 12,000-plus camps are operating throughout the United States. Fortunately, thanks to the advances of modern-day technology, parents can use our guide along with the American Camping Association's Web site for parents, www.campparents.org, to see what's being offered and learn how to make the right choices for every child.

Here's a list of summer day camps for children in the New Orleans area, including the parishes of Orleans, Jefferson, St. Tammany, St. Bernard, Plaquemines, St. Charles and St. John the Baptist. All are open to the public on a first-come, first-served basis.

The regular day camps are listed today. A list of the specialty camps, including arts and drama workshops, theme camps, sports camps and preschooler camps, will appear March 24 in the Living section.

ACADEMY OF THE SACRED HEART SUMMER CAMP Mater Campus, 4301 St. Charles Ave., New Orleans. (504) 269-1230; www.ashrosary.org. Swimming, field trips, art, computers, dance, sports, ballet, musical theater, storytelling, talent show and more for girls ages 4-12. June 9-20, June 23-July 3 and July 7-18, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. $375 per session. Before care, 7:45-9 a.m., and after care, 3:15-5:30 p.m., available. $40 registration fee.

ALL THAT FOR KIDS SUMMER ENRICHMENT PROGRAM 6520 Second Zion Ave., Marrero. (504) 347-3112. Academic enrichment, sports, theater, creative arts for ages 5-15. June 9-July 25, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. $150. Before care, 7-9 a.m., and after care, 3-6 p.m., available.

What's so great about south Louisiana? Plenty

Read through the names of the fairs and festivals in Lagniappe's guide, and it is easy to see why we boast hundreds of gatherings that celebrate our food, culture and history.

As we're fond of saying, if you can eat it, play it, listen to it, read it or watch it, we've got a festival for it.

And, why not? In these pages are listings of community fun, beginning this weekend and continuing through the end of the year. Grab your calendar and mark down your favorites or make a resolution to try one or two new festivals this year.

You won't want to miss a bite, a note or a two-step.

By Maria Montoya
Staff writer

Most of the time, it's easy for her fellow New Orleans Hornets season-ticket holders to overlook Elisa Cossey. She sits unassumingly among the throngs of teal and gold, dressed unremarkably in a black Hornets T-shirt and jeans, quietly watching and waiting for her favorite players to pass in front of her ground-level, behind-the-basket seats.

But then, it happens.

STAFF PHOTO BY ELLIS LUCIAOklahoma City resident, Elisa Cossey, flies in to watch the Hornets play every home game. A long-time sports fan Cossey decided on a whim to purchase a season ticket when the Hornets returned to New Orleans last fall.

A Hornets opponent approaches the free throw line for a foul shot. From her chair, Cossey stands, positions herself within the field of vision of the player, and slowly lets loose a sound that seems to have been lifted from a horror-movie soundtrack -- part catcall, part yodel, all LOUD. It can distract the league's best, jolt fellow fans out of their seats and frighten young families.

"I try to warn the people sitting near me, especially if they're with small children," said Cossey. "Every now and again, I'll really throw the shooter off. I got Steve Nash at one game, shook him up real good! I figure it's my small way of helping the team."

By Maria Montoya
Staff writer

Talent isn't always the key to one's success, according to Dr. Matthew L. Davidson of the Institute for Excellence and Ethics. Tonight, Davidson will speak to local educators and parents on character and strategies for developing the pathways to success often followed by America's top athletes, academicians and businessmen and women.

On Tuesday, March 4, at 7 p.m., Dr. Matthew L. Davidson, shares tips for developing performance character and moral character in young people at St. Martin's Episcopal School, Solomon Theater.

"The premise of my work is to teach that there is power in character," Davidson said during a phone interview last week. "What we've learned is: Character is required for excellence. As parents, if you want the best for your child -- for them to have success in music, sports, academics -- there's often a belief that the power to succeed in such areas requires talent alone, and we know from our research it isn't pure talent or luck that makes a person successful. A person's hard work, perseverance and diligence, all traits of a person's character, are connected to their development."

Davidson's talk, which he said will be appropriate for parents of children of all ages, is part of the Michael Edward Wanek Memorial Lecture series offered through the faculty and family enrichment program at St. Martin's Episcopal School.

By Maria Montoya
Staff writer

The flavor, sights and sounds of Italy will come alive on Canal Street this weekend as the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra presents Festa d'Italia, a celebration of music and the rich Italian-American heritage of the city.

STAFF PHOTO BY CHRIS GRANGERThe LPO brings Italy to Canal Street with their Festa d'Italia, a celebration of music and the rich Italian-American heritage of the city.

"We've never featured a country or city or taken our music to the streets in such a way before, " said Sharon Litwin, the LPO's senior vice president for external affairs. "It's an unusual thing for a symphony orchestra to take on, but then again the LPO is an unusual orchestra.

The three-day event was hatched a year ago by Litwin and Allison Marshall, Rubensteins marketing director. The two approached area downtown merchants about the idea of a weekend event where families could enjoy the music of the LPO as well as cultural activities. The timing of the event was planned to coincide with the orchestra's annual ball, a seated dinner highlighted by a private concert, dancing and an extravagant silent auction slated for Saturday night.

STAFF PHOTO BY KATHY ANDERSONStudents at Louise S. McGehee School learn the basics of money in monthly marketplaces in the third grade. Financial literacy curriculm is in place at every grade level of the Garden District school.

By Maria Montoya
Staff writer

Louise S. McGehee School third-grader Lizzie Stockmeyer is only 9, but she's already tackled one of life's most painful lessons: To spend money, one must make money.

"Everyone likes chocolate cookies, and most girls love purses, that's why I am selling purses with cookies in them," Lizzie said as she held up a hot pink, fuzzy-fabric purse that she made after ordering the pattern off the Internet.

Classmates clamored to get a look at her merchandise. "I sold 14 purses quick!" she said. "My friends like that for $5 you get two things, not just one."