G-Star Top “A” Rated Charter School in Palm Beach County Graduates 97%!

Palm Springs, FL (12/19/14) – G-Star School of the Arts, with a graduation rate of 97%, is once again ranked academically as the highest performing charter high school in Palm Beach County, higher than 24 other public and charter high schools.  “The quality of cooperative workmanship of our faculty, administration and entire staff, we believe, cannot be outperformed by any other school in the County,” says school Founder/CEO Greg Hauptner.  “Our International Baccalaureate World School Program and our AP programs have had their highest test results this year.  Since the day our Principal, Mrs. Kim Collins, stepped into her position five years ago we have been an “A” school, named academically in the top 1.2% of all high schools in the nation by the Washington Post, garnered both the “Best High Schools in America Award” and the “Silver Award for Academic Excellence" from from the US News & World Report, and named “The Number One High School for Film in the World” in London by the Raindance Film Festival, Europe’s largest independent film festival.  The Florida Department of Education has given G-Star special recognition as a “High Performing School” for its academic achievements.  G-Star is third in the County in “Writing”(92%), “History”(94%); fourth in “Science”(86%) - and number one at a 100% graduation rate for “at risk” students.

 

Announcements 12/17/14

•  Thank you G-Star National Honor Society, Ms. Borden and the G-Star Family for bringing in 2,880 cans of food for Food for Families and 750 toys for Greenacres Elementary Holiday Project. We are very proud of you and grateful for your contribution to our community
• Reminder: Thursday - Block 4 and 5 exam

•                               Friday - Block 6 and 7 exam

•    Holiday Show Thursday 12/18 at 7PM in the Black Box. Tickets are only $5 so do not miss this Holly Jolly Production!

•  G-Star Talent Show Auditions are January 12-14 in room J107. Host auditions will take place January 15-16 in room J107.

•  Seniors applying for the Burt Reynolds' Filmmakers Scholarship make sure your formal request for your mandatory reference letter is in before winter break.

•  Seniors vote for senior superlatives Thursday outside the commissary at lunch if you did not vote on Wednesday. You may only vote once.

•  No School December 22 – January 5^th. Your first day back will be January 6^th and it will be a full odd day schedule.

G-Star Rocks School District Proficiency Scores!

Would you like a measure of how well G-Star academics are doing in comparison to the School District scores?  We’ll let the numbers speak for themselves!  We were higher in all our scores than the School District by the following double digits:

Reading    +24% higher
Math         +16% higher
Writing      +22% higher
Science    +26% higher
and in History we had the highest of all schools in the County at 94%!  We are very proud of our incredible Faculty, Staff, and Administrators.  Your children are in good hands.

We want to remind you that we are accepting students who wish to leave their present schools to come to G-Star this January in the second semester.  We have limited openings for 9th, 10th and 11th graders who wish to join us.  Please have them go on our website at WWW.GSTARSCHOOL.ORG and click on "Applications" to apply.  They can apply for our Traditional School or our International Baccalaureate World School.

Car & Bike Light Parade Postponed Until Next Year

We are really sorry to announce this, but the Holiday Car & Bike Light Parade show that was to take place on Wednesday, December 10th at the G-Star School of the Arts has been cancelled. We know many of you were looking forward to the event, but we started a bit late and didn’t have the necessary manpower to make it a truly successful event up to the standards that we like to do here at G-Star. We did have a lot in place including a national TV broadcast of the event, but we felt it best not to continue with the event this year. I want to thank our Title Sponsor, A&S Transportation, the Village of Palm Springs Police Department, Asphalt Angels Car Club, Enforcers MC, YMCA, Walgreens and the other companies that so graciously donated their time and efforts toward this event.

G-Star asks that you please donate to Honor Flight and Forgotten Soldiers Outreach this Holiday Season. They both do fantastic work with our veterans. We are very proud to be associated with them! Thank you everyone for all your support!

 

 

 

 

 

 

WE WANT YOU TO BE IN OUR

LIGHT UP THE NIGHT PARADE!

As you all know, the first annual G-Star School of the Arts Holiday Car & Bike Light Parade and Show is on Wednesday, December 10th at 7 PM. It’s fast approaching and we couldn’t be more excited! This is the only South Florida evening light parade for vehicles. Everyone is welcomed to come and be in the parade. All lighted and decorated vehicles of any kind are accepted. That’s right – cars, motorcycles, floats, bicycles, even walkers – all you have to do is light up with holiday lights! There are no entrance fees or any sort of fees at all! Admissions and registration is all FREE! If you would like to register for the parade go to this link: http://www.gstarschool.org/newsite/holidayparadeapp.html and fill out the form. It takes less than 2 minutes to complete it - or you can just register at the gate.

Join us at 2030 South Congress Ave., Palm Springs, FL at 5:00 p.m. to line up for the parade!

UPCOMING G-STAR HOLIDAY EVENTS

Greetings to all,

As the holidays approach – yes they’re coming waaay too fast – we have a couple of projects that we are involved in. Rather than deem these “X-Scream” projects, we would like to extend an invitation to any G-Star clubs, classes and organizations that might be interested in participating with us.

LIGHT PARADE

Most of you are aware that we (G-Star) are hosting a Holiday Light Parade on December 10th. This event will feature classic cars, motorcycles, floats and groups on a 2.5 mile route through Palm Springs, beginning and ending here on campus. The event will include vendors, live music, pictures with Santa and other activities. If your school club or organization would like to enter a float or vehicle or you would simply like to represent it by marching along – now is the time! The X-Scream Team will be working on our float immediately following the Thanksgiving break and will be doing so every day after school until the date of the event. If you would like to schedule your own build/decorating meetings at the same time, we will be there to help if needed and will share space in studio B to work in. Contact me if you have any questions.

PALM BEACH ZOO

The X-Scream Team has been asked by the zoo to help them design their Holiday displays. All components will be eco-friendly and show examples of how people can do so the same on their own while decorating for the holidays. As part of this project we are inviting all G-Star clubs and organizations to “adopt” a tree. These will be placed throughout the zoo and labeled with the appropriate “decorators” information. Each tree must be decorated using natural or recycled materials and LED lighting. The themes we will be addressing include a 19th century Pioneer House, South American area, early 20th century area and many others. We will go to the zoo after school on December 12th and apply the decorations to the trees which will be already placed in their locations in advance. If you would like to get involved, please contact me for additional details. In addition to Christmas there will also be Hanukkah displays.

Not only are these projects a great opportunity to “show off” a bit and exhibit a touch of G-Star pride but, it is an opportunity to provide your members with a fun project that they can be proud of while actually learning a great deal about design, production, recycling and how to accomplish it with (in the case of the zoo) a minimal impact on the environment.

I look forward to hearing back from you,

George Colavecchio
X-Scream Team Director

To: Parent and Guardians

RE: SY15 Progress Monitoring Plan (PMP)

From: Mrs. Collins

G-Star School of the Arts has a school-wide Progress Monitoring Plan. This plan is for students who are below grade level for reading, writing, mathematics, or science.  The below grade level status is determined by state testing during SY14. Please review our link for information concerning some of the school-wide academic strategies and interventions G-Star provides to assist our students.

School-Wide Progress Monitoring Plan

If you have any questions please contact Tonya Bellamy at 561-967-2023 ext. 1255.

Representative Dave Kerner to teach class at G-Star School of the Arts!

G-Star School of the Arts teacher Laura Salustri is pleased to announce the visit of State Legislator Dave Kerner who represents our own Palm Springs District 87. Mr. Kerner will visit the G-Star campus on Friday, November 21, 2014 to meet and explain the roles of local government to G-Star students. Mrs. Salustri, who teaches American Government, has arranged this visit to coincide with the curriculum and give our students a first hand experience to learn from and question our elected officials. Mr. Kerner will speak to the students regarding relevant local issues that the students are interested in. The students are excited about the visit and cannot wait to meet Mr. Kerner. G-Star prides itself on providing real world examples to their students and Mrs. Salustri has provided the perfect way to exemplify that.

Can your friends attend G-Star?  YES!

OPEN HOUSE THIS SUNDAY!

We have been asked by many students (and parents) if their friends can attend G-Star if they were willing to leave their school they are now enrolled in.  The answer is “Yes”.  Each year at the beginning of the second semester, G-Star has some openings in 9^th, 10^th and 11^th grades.  Students can transfer into G-Star in January or sooner.  If you know anyone who would like to attend G-Star, please tell them about our Open House this Sunday, November 16^th.  They can attend at either the 1 PM session or the 3 PM session in Sound Stage One.  We will describe our programs, answer their questions, and give them a tour.  So please let your friends know about our invitation to them to join us on Sunday!  Thanks so much!

Join G-Star School of the Arts for the Biggest Holiday Party of the Season!  Why light a holiday tree when you can light an entire airplane!

Parents, we’re asking for volunteers to help out on a major fundraiser for our new cafeteria. Here it is: On December 10^th, we are doing the first annual G-Star Car & Bike Light Parade!  Cars, motorcycles and floats will all be decked out in holiday lights.  On top of that, instead of lighting a Holiday Tree, we’re going to light our World War II airplane!  Tomorrow, Wednesday the 5^th at 10 AM we are having a volunteer meeting at the school in Mr. Hauptner’s office. We are also looking for sponsors, so if you own a business or the business you work for would like to be a sponsor for the Car & Bike Light Parade, please call the school and ask for Mr. Hauptner.  Thanks so much!

 

 

 

Announcements: November 3, 2014

Seniors with Senior Privilege! If you did not receive your yellow & white TD cards, write your name and student number on the list outside Mr. Weiss’s room, J-219 by November 7^th and we will order a new badge for you.

If you received your badge, make sure to wear it visibly every day. This is part of your dress code.
You will be delayed leaving campus if you do not have a badge and your senior privilege can be revoked.

G-Star is hosting a financial aid night on November 17^th at 6:00 PM in the soundstage. This is a free event and you and your family are encouraged to attend.

Juniors and seniors, Columbus College of Art and Design will be here for a presentation November 5^th and November 6^th. Please see Mrs. Sammarco to sign up. Students will not be able to sign up the same day as the presentation.

Do you like getting your hands dirty? Come join Adventure Garden Club! It’s Mondays after school and you can earn your community service hours. Please meet in Mrs. Rasha’s room.

Attention All G-Short Production Teams.

Your groups application, premise and treatment paperwork is all due by 3P.M. November 5^th.

The order you turn in your paperwork determines your position in the production equipment rental and editing sequence.

Turn in your paperwork as soon as possible and beat the rush and any disqualification problems. Read the application carefully, follow the instructions perfectly and let your imagination win.

If you had your photo taken during Spirit Week and would like to purchase a print on a commemorative template, stop by Room J-219 during lunch or after school starting on Monday. Prints are $3 each.

Are you interested in having your artwork featured in this year’s yearbook? Bring your best pieces to J-219 or scan/photograph and email them to swiess@gstarschool.org. Open to all grade levels, so don’t be shy.

G-Star students are you ready to grease up your dancing machine because it is about to go down on November 8^th as SGA presents a 50’s dance you won’t forget. Tickets are only $15 but will go up to $20 at the door. So don’t miss out and buy your tickets today.

Be ready to fight for your class this Friday. Field Day will be taking place on November 7^th to kick off the festivities, so be ready.

Attention all anime fans. The meetings on the 4^th and 11^th will be moved to the 6^th and 13^th during the first half of lunch in Mr. Kingwell’s room in A-113. On the 6^th, come dressed as your favorite anime character and for the rest of November, prepare your 3-D maneuvering sear, cause we are talking about attack on Titan.

Thursday, November 6^th there will be a CAS Club meeting during the 1^st half of lunch in the media center. IB students are encouraged to attend.

Attention District One Acts Crew. Today’s meeting has been cancelled due to low attendance. Watch the group Facebook page or await e-mails for the rescheduled date and time.

 

 

 

 

Near Extinct Butterfly Species Revived by G-Star Environmental Class!

 

Have you ever heard of the Atala Butterfly or the Coontie plant, the Zamia Pumila, which it lives on? We haven't either, but we recently found out that they were on the brink of extinction. That is until we discovered that one of our teachers, Mrs. Renee Rasha and her students, had been planting the native coontie host plant around our campus for years to attract the Atala Butterfly. Just a week ago they finally recruited the beautiful Atala butterfly to the G-Star Campus! That blew us away! It can be spotted around our enhanced G-Star Tropical forest (between Buildings J and K). Now keep in mind that this magnificent butterfly was believed to be extinct in the wild a few years ago, but now not only has it shown up on our campus, Mrs. Rasha and her students actually witnessed an Atala coming out of its chrysalis which was quite a beautiful sight to see. We now have many Atala butterflies growing in our garden!

 

Botanist Chris Lockhart verified the Atala butterflies, eggs, chrysalises, and herbivory on our native Zamias and alerted researcher Sandy Koi, a graduate student specializing in this butterfly at University of Florida.

 

G-Star is now on Ms. Koi research map and is interested in any more information, observations that we can tell her about our Atalas.

 

For the past two days, Mrs. Rasha and her students have tended to the Tropical Forest area, checked on the caterpillars, planted six Zamias, watered all newly planted plants, and raked leaves (using them as a natural mulch, smoothing them across the forest floor).

 

As you can see this is another occasion on which we have made history at G-Star School of the Arts. This is a very proud and momentous occasion for G-Star. To start a brand new ecosystem for a species of butterflies believed to be extinct and have them appear at our school is beyond words! We are very excited about this project and are fortunate to have students that care so deeply about this matter and our environment. That’s what we here at G-Star try to do! We hope to continue making exceptional achievements like this as we move on towards the future.

 

 

We’re Proud of our Anti-Bullying Record!

This week the Palm Beach Post printed an editorial stating, “Palm Beach County’s schools had the highest number of reported bullying incidents in the state, with 748 reported in 2012-13.”  They went on to state that the next highest number was Miami-Dade with 541 incidents.  G-Star School of the Arts is proud of our anti-bullying and anti-drug record.

Our G-Star School of the Arts for Film, Animation and Performing Arts has the strongest anti-bullying and anti-drug policy of any school in Florida.  We are in our 12th year and we have never had a fight at our school.  Our incidents of bullying are near zero as well as drug use, and those are dealt with immediately.  We follow Supreme Court case law and our methods have been observed by the Sheriff’s Department as well as local police departments.  We developed our own program that no one else has.  This program has made our school one of the safest in the nation.  As a result of not having to encounter the fear of bullying and drugs in our school, our students are polite, kind, and accepting of each other.  We thank our students and parents who appreciate the stand we take and the methods we use because in a safe environment such as G-Star School has, the students can excel in their education with freedom from fear of harassment.  

Please read our student and parent’s comments on this subject and others on this website.  Please click on “Main Menu” and then click on “Parent’s and Student’s Comments”. 

Announcements, October 27, 2014

 

Spirit Bracelets are only $1. Spirit Beads are also $1. Come out and support your class.

Do you like getting your hands dirty? Come join Adventures Garden Club! It’s Mondays after school and you can earn your community service hours. Meet in Ms. Rasha’s room.
Field Day and Class Colors day is being postponed until Friday, Novmeber 7^th due to conflicts with the testing schedule. But don’t worry, the competition is still on like Donkey Kong! Remember, Freshmen wear green, Sophomores wear yellow, Juniors wear red and Seniors wear blue. Get ready to prove who is the dominant class of 2015!

Field Day will be followed by the Rockin’ 50’s Homecoming dance on November 8^th. So get ready for two weeks of fun: Spirit Week and then Homecoming!

Spirit Week is finally here! Get ready to show your school pride by participating daily in the following fun themes: On Movie Madness Monday, celebrate cinema by dressing up as your favorite movie star or character.

Tacky Tourist Tuesday is your chance to break out your Hawaiian shirts, plaid shorts and fanny packs as we bring vacation to school.

On Sci-Fi Wednesday, dress up as your favorite cyborg, alien, space traveler or even Middle Earth character. Let your imagination take you where no person has gone before.

For Throwback Thursday, take your time machine back to your favorite era and strut your retro style.

Friday is Halloween! It is open season for any costume you choose. Just remember, dress code still applies; no masks, weapons or revealing outfits.

Make sure you’re “on flee’ for Spirit Week!

The Model UN Club will meet in Mr. Hoy’s room in A-108 after school on Tuesday, October 28^th. See you there.

The G-Shorts Student Film Competition needs a new logo. This competition is open to all G-Star students.

See Mr. McClory for complete details. The winning logo will appear at Public Events and G-Stars Social Media Pages. Put your Artistic Talents to work and WIN.

The G-Shorts Student Film Competition is now open. The theme this year is IMAGINATION. Get your Production Group together. Each production group must include at least one freshman. Pick up your G-Shorts Entry Form from Mr. McClory’s in K-104. Your imagination could make you a winner.

For all the boos out there, Prom Committee will be selling boo grams this week! Boo grams will be sold for 50 cents each and you can add a lollipop for just 50 cents more! We will be selling in front of the commissary during lunch. Be sure to buy some for your friends.

Sophmores, Juniors, and Seniors, if you are interested in dual enrollment for the Spring term please make an appointment to meet with your guidance counselor.

Hope you are ready to twist and shout November 8^th because SGA will be rolling out the rock and roll for this year’s homecoming. So don’t miss out on G-Stars first 50’s dance. Get your tickets for only $15.

 

 

 

X-SCREAM HALLOWEEN TONIGHT!

This year’s X-Scream Halloween event put on by our students in our motion picture studios Sound Stage 1 is the “Single Biggest Haunted House in Florida”, larger than any at Universal Studios or Busch Gardens!  Hundreds of our students have done a magnificent job with set building, costuming, prosthetic makeup, lights, sound and atmosphere.  It is spooky!  We have received nothing but raves about it with many patrons saying it is the best they’ve ever been to!  X-Scream Halloween continues Friday and Saturday, October 24 & 25, and next week on both Friday and Saturday, October 31 & November 1.  Check out some photos of our students in the show below:

 

 

G-Star will be at the Student Showcase of Schools tonight!

Each year the PBC School District puts on the Student Showcase of Schools featuring the elite Magnet, Choice and Charter School programs.  Approximately 15,000 people are expected to attend the event where top academic students in the County are able to meet, ask questions, and receive information from the persons operating the various programs.  G-Star School of the Arts is well represented at the event that takes place at the Fairgrounds on Southern Blvd. from 4 PM to 8 PM in the main convention hall.  We will be located in the end row to the left.  Please let anyone you know that may be interested in attending G-Star this year or next year to stop by our booth.  We will be doing “Hollywood Monster Makeup” on attendees by our student makeup artists from our X-Scream Halloween event at our school.  Lots of giveaways, so stop by!

G-STAR STUDENTS SHOOT DOCUMENTARY ON WWII VETERANS FOR TV SERIES

Their war was over almost 70 years ago.  Their mission: Save The World! And they did.  World War II is a fading memory, but not for these valiant warriors – it is as vivid and sharp as the day they made sacrifices for all of us.  At 4 PM on Thursday, Oct. 16, the students of the G-Star School of the Arts, a public charter high school in Palm Springs, Florida are shooting the first episode of a 13-part TV series of documentaries at G-Star Studios aimed for The History Channel or The Discovery Channel.  “These veterans have taught us that ‘Freedom Isn’t Free’”, says Associate Producer, Madison Lillard, a sophomore student.  “They are a national treasure.  Their lives may be fleeting, but our gratitude will never end.”  Last school year the G-Star School students produced their first WWII heart-wrenching documentary about five heroes from The Battle of the Bulge to Iwo Jima.  This year the production evolved into a combination of that format plus another student program started last school year titled “Adopt a Veteran, Fallen Hero or Holocaust Survivor”.  The production crew will be filming fellow students as they interview the veterans one on one, while going over their memorabilia and learning their first-hand combat stories.  This direct connection between 14 and 15 year old students and 90 year old veterans has never been documented before.  “With world events unfolding as they are today,” says educator and Executive Producer Gregg Suskin, “these veterans want our younger generation to be strong Americans who are willing to defend our freedom.  Over 400,000 young Americans of every race, religion and socio-economic background fought together and died to save the world – and they succeeded.  It is only right that we honor their ultimate sacrifice with this documentary series telling the story of local WWII veterans.”

 

Announcements: October 6, 2014

Just a Reminder: Students Diagnostic Testing will begin on Monday, October 6^th. Subjects we are testing are Algebra 1, Algebra 2, Geometry, Biology, US History, 9^th grade reading and 10^th grade reading.

Attention G-Star Students: Lets ride the Flavor wave…Make sure you save your $2, $3, or $4 bills! Prom will be selling Refreshing Kona Ice in front of Portables M and N this Friday. Look for the colorful truck with Hawaiian music. We have posters all around the school and tons of flavors to choose from!!!
Have A TropiKona Day!

Juniors and Seniors, UCF will be here October 8^th. Please see Ms. Sammarco to sign up. Students will not be able to sign up the same day.

 The GSA is going to be holding elections for officers on October 7^th anyone interested in running for President, Vice-President, Secretary or Treasurer should see Mr. Weiss in room J-219 by the end of this week. Also, next week on October 7^th they will be taking their yearbook picture.

Do you enjoy drawing, painting, or anything else that involves art? Come out and join us in K-109 every Friday from 2:40 – to 3:00 PM. Please bring any art materials that you have to work with.

Spirit Week shirts are still on sale for $12. Last day to buy will be October 10^th.

Spanish Tutoring: Spanish I – any odd days. Please see Mrs. Paro room J-213                                Spanish II, Tuesdays during lunch and after school. Please see Mrs. Fanego in Room J-211.               Spanish 3 and IB – Please see Mrs. Castro in room J209 on Wednesday during lunch and after school. Spanish IB/AB Intro – Thursdays during lunch and after school, please see Mrs. Branda.

Calling all writers! Calling all writers! Come to Creative Writing Club. We meet Wednesdays during the first half of lunch in Mr. Crews room J-210. Come share your work with others and grow to be a better writer.

Attention Freshman, Sophomores, Juniors and Seniors! It’s that time of year again to stop by the Theatre Departments Office and buy tickets for the One Act Festival! Every Man & WoMAN should be there October 20^th through October 23^rd, to be a part of H building history and enjoy our 1^st ever musical production, and a hilarious twist on a classic! $12 for students and $15 for general admission. Don’t forget TLE forms for the in-school performance for Friday, the 24^th.

Seniors, if you have turned in your quote terms, baby pictures and have taken your portraits you are eligible for a free lollipop courtesy of the yearbook. If you have completed these tasks by October 17^th you can stop by J-219 before school or during lunch to pick-up your prize.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             

 

 

 

 

Announcements, September 29^th - 2014

Do you enjoy drawing, painting, or anything else that involves art? Come out and join us in K-109 every Friday from 2:40 to 3:30 P.M. Please bring any art materials that you have to work with.

Attention freshman, sophomores, juniors and seniors!  It’s that time of year again to stop by the theatre department’s office and buy tickets for the One Act Festival. Every MAN & WOMAN should be there October 20^th through the 23^rd to be a part of H building history and enjoy our 1^st ever musical production, and a hilarious twist on a classic! Ticket prices are $12 for students and $15 for general admission. Don’t forget TLE forms for the in-school performance on Friday, the 24^th. 

Spanish tutoring has started. If you are in Spanish I please see Ms. Paro in J-213 any odd day during lunch. If you are in Spanish 2 please see Ms. Fango in J-211 on Tuesdays, if you are in Spanish 3 please see Ms. Castro in J-209 on Wednesdays, if you are in IB please see Ms. Castro on Wednesdays or Ms. Brands on Thursdays.

Students Diagnostic Testing will begin on Monday, October 6^th. Subject we will be testing on is Algebra 1, Algebra 2, Geometry, Biology, US History, 9^th grade reading and 10^th grade reading. Lists will be posted around the campus. If you have any questions please see Ms. Seifer or Mr. Martinez.

PSAT’s are just around the corner. Any 11^th grade student who would like to take the PSAT, please register with Mrs. Seifer. The fee is $14. Taking the PSAT puts you in the running for the National Merit Scholarship. Any 10^th grade students have already been pre-registered. Testing date is Wednesday, October 15^th. Student lists will be posted around the campus.

Calling all writers! Calling all writers! Come to the Creative Writing Club. We meet Wednesdays during the first half of lunch in Mr. Crews room J-110. Come share your work with others and grow to be a better writer.

The race to spirit week is getting close! Freshmen have almost tied the Juniors! Remember the class that buys the most shirts wins points for Spirit Week! Get your form from the board across from J-107. Shirts will be $10 until September 29^th.  Maybe this year will be another Junior upset? Watch out 2015!

Music Club will meet Friday, October 3, 2014 in room J-203.

Costume Club will be meeting every Tuesday and Thursday during the first half of lunch in Ms. Mathew’s room A 104.

Attention Prom Committee, there will be a meeting tomorrow 9/30 in I building during the first part of lunch. Our first major fundraiser will be this Friday!

Come join S.H.E.  Secular Humanist Ensemble. We will meet at lunch on the first and third Monday of every month in Mr. Lunsford’s portable O and Mr. Carter’s portable P, respectively.

 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             

 

 

 

 

Announcements, September 22, 2014

Parent Night 9/23/14 6-8PM Visit G-Star, follow your student’s schedule and meet their teachers.

9/25/14 No School

Attention G-Star students: The first ever volunteer club meeting will be held in Mr. Lunsford’s room, Portable O on Wednesday, September 24^th for the first half of lunch. We will be talking about upcoming projects that will earn you service hours! See you there.

Anyone interested in joining the Art Club, please come and join us! The first meeting will be this Friday, September 19^th from 2:40 PM until 3:30 PM. See you then!

If you are a club officer or adviser, please write the name of your club and a contact person on the club list, which is posted on the yearbook bulletin board, outside room J-219. Only clubs who sign up will be featured in the yearbook. The sign-up deadline is September 26, 2014.

Juniors and seniors, FAU will be here September 26^th for a presentation, please see Ms. Sammarco to sign up. Students will not be able to sign up the same day.

Costume Club will be meeting every Tuesday and Thursday during the first half of lunch in Ms. Mathew’s room, A-104.

SPANISH TUTORING – Spanish I – Any odd days, please see Ms. Paro in Room 213. Spanish II – Tuesdays during lunch and after school. Please see Ms. Fanego in room 211. Spanish 3 and IB – Please see Ms. Castro in Room 209 on Wednesdays during lunch and after school. Spanish IB and AB Initio  – Thursday during lunch and after school. Please see Ms. Branda.

Juniors and seniors, FGCU will be here to present September 24^th. Please see Ms. Sammarco to sign up. Students will not be able to sign up the day of the presentation.

Spirit week is only a month away and so far juniors have shown the most school spirit! The class that buys the most shirts wins points for Spirit Week! Get your form from the board across from J-107. Shirts will be $10 until September 29^th. So don’t delay, encourage your friends to buy! Maybe this year will be another junior upset? Watch out 2015!

Diagnostic Testing will begin on Monday, October 6^th.  The subjects we will be testing on will be Algebra I, Algebra 2, Geometry, Biology, US History, 9^th Grade Reading and 10^th Grade reading. Lists will be posted around campus. If you have any questions please see Ms. Seifer or Mr. Martinez.

PSAT tests are just around the corner.  Any 11^th grader who would like to take the PSAT please register with Mrs. Seifer. The fee is $14.00 taking the PSAT puts you in the running for the National Merit Scholarship. All 10^th grade students have already been pre-registered; the testing date is October 15^th. Student lists with the two locations will be posted around campus.

 

Principal's News

We are officially half way through our first quarter. Last week students were given progress reports from their teachers. Please review them with your student. If you feel your student is struggling academically, please make sure you communicate with their teachers through the teacher’s Edline email. Your students can also be proactive by using their planners to keep track of their assignments and attend tutoring during lunch and/or after school. If you would like more information about your student's classes please attend Parent Night this Tuesday from 6PM to 8PM. A note was sent home last week. Make sure your student filled out the schedule portion so you can follow their schedule. 

Standardized testing also began last week. Algebra I Retakes started and we are gearing up to start diagnostics for Reading 9-11, Algebra I and II, Geometry, US History, and Biology. Students are notified through announcements and schedules that are posted on campus. Parents can get additional information by going to our website, www.gstarschool.org, and clicking on Main Menu and then Testing/Assessments. Standardized testing is a useful tool that the teachers and administration use to assess the strengths and weaknesses of our students on an individual and class basis. We continually utilize this information to determine what benchmarks need to be stressed and reviewed. This first set of diagnostics is important because it helps us create our baseline. We also use common assessments to monitor student progress between diagnostics. Please encourage your students to get plenty of rest and to eat a good breakfast in the morning. Remember G-Star also provides breakfast every morning before school.  Together we can provide the best education possible for your students. 

Along these same lines this week the Florida Department of Health Palm Beach County and Healthy Schools, LLC is offering us an opportunity to provide a flu vaccine to our students. A form will be going home on Monday detailing all of the information you need. Students will only be able to receive the vaccine with parent consent. There is a section on the form for insurance information. Your insurance will be billed for the cost of the vaccine. If your student does not have insurance they are still eligible. Please read the forms for complete details. All forms must be turned in by Wednesday 9/24/14.  

Besides studying and doing homework our students have been very busy with extracurricular activities. One Acts is in rehearsal and will be ready for your enjoyment the end of this month. The student film is on a rigorous schedule and ready to start shooting. XScream is already building sets and getting ready to open in October. They are taking some time off to take a trip to Busch Gardens for their Hall-O-Scream Halloween event. Student Government hosted their first club fair during lunch. Our students had an opportunity to speak with club members that were hosting various booths. Club meeting times are announced in the morning. Morning announcements are also posted once a week on this blog. 

We will continue to keep you posted with any news as we progress through our school year. Please utilize our webpage, blog, and like us on Facebook 

I look forward to seeing you on Tuesday,

 

Mrs. Collins

 

Announcements for the Week of 9/8/14

Attention G-Star Students and seniors: If you are interested in helping plan prom for 2015, please come to the meeting this Friday, during the first part of lunch.

The Doctor Jones Society will begin meeting every Thursday except LTM days in K-104, “The Theatre of Pain.” The Doctor Jones Society is movie watching with wise crack jokes about the movie. Join in – If you are waiting for your ride – enjoy the air conditioning and the movie. The movie this week will be Indiana Jones – The Temple of Doom.

The G-Star G.S.A is back in session!  The 1^st meeting is this Tuesday, September 9^th, immediately after school in Mr. Weiss’ room, J-219. Come check it out as they discuss their plans for the 2014-2015 School Year. Hope to see you there.

Seniors, have you had your formal pictures taken yet at Prestige Studios? If not, don’t despair, Prestige will be on campus for two days on September 16^th and 17^th. Please sign up outside Mr. Weiss’ room, J-219, to make sure you do not miss out on this milestone of your high school career. Sitting fees are $20 and a sliding scale is available to those in need. Please see Mr. Weiss for more information and sign up soon.

Attention all student actors and actresses, auditions for this year’s student film cast will be held on Monday, September 8^th and Tuesday, September 9^th in the K-Building TV Studio. Sign-up sheets are posted on the K and H building callboards. You all have the potential to audition, see you there!

Are you in a club? Do you want more members? On Friday, September 12^th, Student Government is hosting its first ever Club Fair at lunch. So if you are a club, which is recognized by administration, please see Ms. O’Hara or Stephania Auguste to join the fair.