G-Star Graduates Largest Class Ever!

An audience of 1800 parents, family and friends attended the G-Star Graduation Ceremony in the beautiful auditorium of the Florida Atlantic University Theater in Boca Raton this week.  Each year the number of G-Star graduates increases.  This year’s class of 204 students was the largest class ever for G-Star.  Over 1200 students have graduated from G-Star with 97% going on to the finest colleges and universities in the world.  Also this year, 44% of the students had a 3.5 GPA or above, and 22% had a 4.0 GPA or above.  The history of the school was recounted by the school’s Founder offering the students valuable insight into opening their own business or school in the future.  G-Star school of the Arts opened in 2003 with 150 students and ten persons on staff.  Today the school has 1100 students and 104 employees.  The Founder introduced seven of the original ten staff members who are still employed at the school:

Mrs. Kim Collins, Principal
Ms. Diana Bonacci, Director of Admissions
Mr. Wilson Plumb, IB Film Department Head
Mr. Travis Hagler, Data Processor
Mr. Alan Benjamine, Faculty Member, Entertainment Law
Mr. Larry DeCarmine, Faculty Member, Film
Mr. Greg Hauptner, Founder

            Special awards were given to top performing students:

Founder’s Courage Award – Melvin Sproull
Collins Academic Award – Shelley Martin
Bower Acting Award – Kyle Douglas
Plumb Film/Animation Award – Arden Jurskis
IB Award – Sarah Monaghan

May 28, 2014 - Over 62,000 views of our G-Star Newsblog!

5,000 Attend G-Star’s “Celebrate Veterans Big Memorial Day Classic Car & Bike Show”!

Palm Springs, FL (May 27, 2014) – G-Star School of the Arts’ first annual “Celebrate Veterans Big Memorial Day Classic Car & Bike Show” attracted a huge crowd of classic automobile and motorcycle aficionados.  The show featured over 150 classic cars including the world’s fastest street car, the BADD Ford GT (283 MPH); the world’s fastest Corvette (250 MPH); the world’s most award winning show car, a 1954 Jaguar XK120; and fantastic cars from a 1929 Essex to a 1923 Ford bucket T to a 1939 Buick to a new Lamborghini super race car.  Also featured were new $40,000 motorcycles and vintage bikes including the show-stopping 1929 Indian 4 motorcycle with sidecar.  There were World War II exhibitions with memorabilia and dioramas of famous WWII battles that took up one half of the G-Star Studios expansive Sound Stage 1.  The exhibits were topped off by tours inside a 1941 WWII Douglas C-47 Dakota Skytrain airplane that flew in D-Day at Normandy.  The Memorial Day dedications to the men and the women of the Armed Forces were hosted by the Village of Palm Springs Mayor, the Honorable Bev Smith.  Mayor Smith introduced speakers Florida Representative David Kerner, and County Commissioners Mary Lou Berger and Shelley Vana, who drew from personal experiences and reminded the audience of the sacrifices our men and women of the US Armed Forces have given for our freedom and our duty to support our troops into the future.  State Attorney Dave Aronberg visited also.  “We had 5,000 people in attendance who were deeply moved by our wonderful guest speakers,” stated the show’s Founder and Director, Dawn Hauptner.  “The Color Guard presentation by the US Navy Sea Cadets with The National Anthem sung by Cecilia Lauren shined.  Cries of ‘God Bless America’ were heard throughout the crowd; and then we did the Pledge of Allegiance.  And we can’t thank our show sponsors enough.”  The show was sponsored by Gordon & Doner Law Firm, Richard S. Bernstein & Associates Insurance, SeaSide Bank & Trust, Walt Disney Resorts, and the Adult & Geriatric Health Center.  G-Star partners in the event were Asphalt Angels, Honor Flight, Enforcers MC, Nam Knights MC and Vintage Iron Club.  Country recording stars Cecilia Lauren and the Ocoee River Band and Grayson Rogers Band performed.  Over 40 Raffle items were won including trips to Disney World and a ride in the BADD Ford GT.  Funds raised are for G-Star’s new cafeteria and a portion of the proceeds were donated to Honor Flight for the WWII Veterans.

 

May 16th - Over 59,000 views!  In honor of the completion of our 11^th year we thought, from time to time, we would bring you some random historical perspective on our school titled:

 

AMAZING G-STAR FACTS:

 

I.              The G-Star School property belonged to Palm Beach County from the 1950’s up to 2004 when we bought the property from them.  In 1970 the Palm Beach County Water Utilities Department (WUD) moved onto the property.  The WUD has been responsible for the quality of Palm Beach County’s drinking water.  The WUD had 500 County employees on the property for over 30 years.  The amazing fact is that the WUD always had this property’s water service through the Village of Palm Springs Water Department.  Palm Springs Water Department has a modern reverse osmosis water system, which is the purest drinking water level there is.  This system produces an even higher quality drinking water than most bottled water.  When G-Star bought the property we inherited uninterrupted the reverse osmosis quality water in our drinking water.  For 11 years G-Star has had the purest drinking water to be found anywhere!

II.            The Pathfinder Awards are the top Palm Beach County student awards in various categories from all of the high schools.  The criteria is simply, “The Best of the Best”.  The amazing fact: G-Star students have won the Best Acting Award two out of the last three years!  Two of Palm Beach County’s finest actors have come from G-Star.  They are Nia Benjamin and this year’s Best Actor, Kyle Douglas!  The truth is that this is not an amazing story at all.  We have a tremendous acting department with Department Head Jill Carr and her teachers Mr. Edgecomb, Mr. Olsen, Ms. Gangalof, and Mr. Sherman - combined with our wonderfully talented students – you have a winning formula for success.  Congratulation to them all!

ANNOUNCEMENTS

May 9, 2014

 - The first John, Palestrini Scholarship will be awarded to  Film students who exhibit a passion for film making, achieve academic excellence and are accepted to an accredited College or University. Two $1500 scholarships will be awarded. See Mr. McClory in the Film department or Mr. Suskin in room J104 for details.

- Guidance requests that all outstanding course selection sheets be completed and submitted to Guidance immediately. Failure to submit completed course selection sheet will result in courses being selected for you which will not be changed. If you are not returning to G-Star next school year, you must inform your Guidance counselor now.

- Buster Bynum Scholarship: Awarded to a deserving student whose parent/guardian works in school transportation, must have a 3.0GPA. Deadline to apply is June 10, 2014.

- Palm Beach County Alumni Chapter of Bethune-Cookman University Scholarship, 2.5GPA and personal interview required. Deadline to apply is June 7, 2014.

- Attention Juniors: RIT(Rochester Institute of Technology) is offering a two day summer college and careers program. Students will explore academic and careers options working with RIT students and faculty using state of the art facilities and technology.

- See Mrs. Moore in Guidance for applications and information on the above three scholarships.  Attention Students: Earn college credits while attending High School. See your counselor for information about dual enrollment at Palm Beach State College. You may enroll in Summer and Fall courses.

- X-Scream will have a work team meeting on Tuesday the 13^th from 2:50-5:00. Meet in front of Studio B ready to work.

 

 

G-Star Shines in Florida Trend Magazine May Issue!

    Florida Trend Magazine is the State's premier business magazine.  The entire May 2014 issue features the best of Palm Beach County's businesses, services, and cultural institutions.  G-Star School of the Arts is proud to announce that we are the only company that received a full two-page spread in the magazine.  It can be viewed at (please copy & paste):

http://www.pageturnpro.com/Florida-Trend/57703-Fl-Trend-Palm-Beach-County-Portrait-May-14/index.html#48

    The G-Star School of the Arts is honored to be recognized among the esteemed powerhouse Palm Beach County businesses that Florida Trend assiduously chose to cover in categories such as, health care, corporate headquarters, biotech/life sciences, tourism, maritime industries, banking/financial/professional, real estate, sports, equestrian, research parks, airport, port & rail, travel & dining, and agriculture industries.  The entire magazine issue can be viewed at (please copy & paste):

http://mandrillapp.com/track/click.php?u=30174355&id=cb2783368fde495f902708e834d72a14&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.bdb.org%2Findex.php%3Fcid%3D1077554%26forward%3D1529%26curlid%3D3101&url_id=0d072531a746df7838c3131392fccc8532f0507b   

    Florida Trend was impressed with G-Star's accomplishments in education including being an "A" rated school, named in the top 1.2% of all high schools in the USA in academics by the Washington Post, honored with "The Silver School Award" by the US News & World Report, its International Baccalaureate World School Programme, and the fact that it is the only arts school to own its own movie studio and sound stage where our students work with major stars and famous producers and directors.  It is also the safest school in the nation - no bullies, no drugs, no fights, no gangs.  In London, G-Star was named "The Number One High School for Film in the World" by the Raindance Film Festival, Europe's largest independent film festival. 

ANNOUNCEMENTS

May 3, 2014

- Attn. Seniors – Caps and gowns are here!! Please come to Mrs. Collins office and they will be distributed as follows:

Last Name: A-L – Thursday, May 1 during the first half of lunch.

Last Name: M-Z – Friday, May 2 – during the first half of lunch.

 - The yearbook has been having a great sales year and there are only 100 copies still available. They have already been printed and will be shipped soon. If you buy your book now you can take advantage of the current $60 price and you will be invited to the distribution party and get free ice cream! Stop by room J219 with cash or checks or find a yearbook staff member for more information.

- AP teachers and students – Signs have been posted outside your AP classrooms with AP test dates, times and test locations. AP teacher pre grid registration materials are due back to Mrs. Seifer at 2:40 today.

 IB Teachers and students – Signs are being posted this morning outside your IB classroom with IB test dates, times and locations.

EOC Biology starts on Monday. Signs have been posted outside Biology classrooms with testing dates and locations.

Thank you to the US History teachers and students – We tested 100% on the EOC US History.

- The first John, Palestrini Scholarship will be awarded to  Film students who exhibit a passion for film making, achieve academic excellence and are accepted to an accredited College or University. Two $1500 scholarships will be awarded. See Mr. McClory in the Film department or Mr. Suskin in room J104 for details.

- The following universities will be holding an “Exploring College Options” student/parent information session. Duke, Georgetown, Harvard, Penn, Stanford – Tuesday, May 13 @ 7:30

Please see your guidance counselor for more information.

 

Saturday Academy Tutorial Schedule
 

 

All of of the Tutorials below are from 8:30 - 12:00
    May 3 Algebra EOC Tutorial
May 10 Geometry EOC Tutorial and Algebra I EOC Tutorial