School Information

  • Perkins Elementary - Center for the Arts and International Studies Perkins Elementary - Center for the Arts and International Studies

    Address: 2205 18th Avenue South, St. Petersburg, FL 33712

    Phone: (727) 893-2117

    Fax: (727) 893-1113

    Pinellas County Schools Administration: (727) 588-6000

    Principal: Laura Kranzel

    School Hours: 9:15 AM  -  3:25 PM

    About

    The Center for the Arts and International Studies at Perkins Elementary emphasizes hands-on learning in fine and performing arts, challenging academic content, the study of cultures and foreign languages. Students are expected to achieve at or above grade level. Many visiting artists, touring companies and schoolwide activities make Perkins a family-oriented place to learn and grow.

    Students are exposed to many different learning approaches and art forms during their participation in this program.

    School staff, community partnerships, and involved families are an integral part of the magnet program.

    Perkins Elementary School is located at the intersection of 18th Avenue South and 22nd Street South in St. Petersburg, Florida. The campus is home to an $11 million facility especially designed for our program.

    Perkins is a Countywide Magnet School. Some of the special areas are:

    • A full-sized dance studio with dressing rooms
    • Two visual arts studios with kilns, potter's wheels, and a gallery
    • A theatre classroom and a theatre for performances
    • Four music rooms providing space for general music, a piano lab, band, and strings
    • A foreign language area including a kitchen, and an open space for dancing, music, and art, to enhance the study of other cultures
    • A newly renovated Library Information Center with a collection of over 10,000 books, plus audio CDs, videotapes, DVDs, audio-visual kits, and professional materials
    • A fully equipped TV studio where students produce the daily morning show
    • Our fully networked and Internet-ready classrooms, and the multimedia network give students many opportunities to integrate technology into their studies.

     

    Highlights

    Each week, students attend classes in music, dance, theater, art, and Spanish. 1st and 2nd graders receive violin instruction using the Suzuki method. Keyboarding classes are offered in 2nd grade. Students may choose band or strings in 3rd grade. After this exposure to the Arts, 4th and 5th graders are given a choice of ten “Focus Groups.” Perkins is home to an $11-million facility designed for the arts that includes four music rooms, a full-sized dance studio, two visual arts studios with kilns and potters’ wheels, an Art Gallery, a theater classroom, a 250-seat theater, and a foreign language area with space to enhance cultural studies.

     

    Points of Pride

    • Strong partnerships allow students to receive instruction from Art professionals
    • Students have appeared in commercials for the Museum of Fine Arts, The Eckerd Family Foundation, as well as St. Petersburg’s “Good Neighbor” video series.
    • Multiple teachers were finalists for the Outstanding Educator of the Year Award.
    • Perkins has been designated a Florida School of Excellence
    • Perkins has earned national recognition as a “Merit School of Distinction” by the Magnet Schools of America (2019, 2020)

     

    Vision: 100% Student Success

    Mission: Educate and Prepare Each Student for College, Career and Life

    The Perkins Song: (Words) or listen (MP3)