Graduation 2012!

The graduation ceremony for the Dreyfoos Class of 2012 will be at 12:00 on Tuesday, May 22, at the South Florida Fairgrounds.

Here's the senior week schedule:

• Wednesday, May 16th: Senior Awards Night
• Thursday, May 17th : Day at the Palm Beach Zoo
• Friday, May 18th: Brunch at Bradley’s
• Monday, May 21st: Graduation Practice, followed by senior barbecue (PA Grill), and matinee film at CityPlace (probably the Avengers)
• Tues, May 22 Graduation, noon at South Florida Fairgrounds

Important note: because of graduation, there will be no school on May 22. Classes resume on May 23.

Save the Arts

Vital time for supporting our school

The Save the Arts fundraising campaign lasts until the end of May. Every dollar donated to the School of the Arts Foundation will be matched up until May 31st. Budget cuts have hit arts education yet again this year, so it’s up to the Dreyfoos family to fill the gap. The SOAFI funds pay for our Artists in Residence and other crucial expenses. Click the SOAFI link for information on how you can donate. School of the Arts Foundation website.

Awards and Recognition

Dreyfoos students and faculty shine

• Science teacher Stephen Anand won the Dwyer Award in the high school teacher category. Anand, a finalist for the Dwyer awards in 2006 and 2008, won the prestigious award from the Economic Council of Palm Beach County and the Education Foundation of Palm Beach County, which honor exceptional public and private school teachers every year.

• Congratulations to debate teacher Angie Weber for recognition at the National Forensic League. Ms. Weber was awarded a 3rd Diamond, which recognizes a professional career that combines excellence and longevity.

  On June 14, 2012, Ms. Weber and other recipients from across the country will receive special recognition at the Lincoln Financial Group/NFL National Speech and Debate Tournament in Indianapolis, Indiana. Each year, the tournament draws more than 5,000 students, coaches, and parents from across the nation. Congratulations to Ms. Weber!

• Theatre Dean Beverly Blanchette has been named a Directing Fellow in the 2012 Directing Workshop for Theater Educators to be held at The Juilliard School, Monday, July 23–Friday, July 27. Ms. Blanchette is one of 15 theatre educators — high school and college — from across the United States to win this award.

  The workshop is entitled “Hands-On Shakespeare” and the selected Fellows will be working under the guidance of professional mentors: Rebecca Guy, Artistic Director, Drama Division Faculty, Juilliard; Ralph Zito, Artistic Director, Professor/Chair Syracuse Univ. Dept. of Drama; Rob Bundy, Directing Mentor, Adjunct Faculty, Syracuse (directing credits from Juilliard, Stages Rep. Theatre, & Houston Shakespeare Festival).

  Ms. Blanchette, who retires from her 35 year public education career in June of this year, had this to say about this outstanding award, “I am very excited about this opportunity. I am looking forward to learning new techniques for directing/teaching Shakespeare (which, of course, will help me direct anything) and that I will bring back to use right here at home in Palm Beach County! Although retiring from the public school system, I plan to continue to teach in workshops, studios, colleges, and universities. I also hope to act and direct professionally & believe this workshop will boost my credentials. And maybe … after a year … I'll return to the public school system. I am a lifelong learner/educator.”

• Long time Dreyfoos employee Nancy Dann retired on Monday, April 30th. Ms. Dann had been with Dreyfoos from it initial days as Palm Beach County School of the Arts, startting out as the bookkeeper. When the school transitioned to this campus, Nancy became an office receptionist, and was for years in charge of substitute arrangements. Dr. Atherley celebrated Nancy's servoce with a cake and coffee reception for faculty and staff in the conference room. Later in the week, Nancy was honored at a faculty party at a private home. Parents, teachers and students will miss Ms. Dann, but wish her well in her new career — retirement!!

• Pathfinder winners! Six Dreyfoos seniors won scholarships in the annual Palm Beach Post Pathfinder Awards:

  Communications: Rachel Anderson, first place
  Foreign Language: Madeleine Kaye, second place
  Forensics/Speech: Pamela Mora, third place
  Music/Vocal: Madison Mills, first place
  Music/Instrumental: Alyze Rabideau, second place
  Science: Zachariah Moustafa, fourth place

• More student awards: freshman Jacqueline Chen and junior Christopher Wan were both awarded first place in their divisions at the Palm Beach County Music Teachers Association (PBCMTA) Piano Competition on April 14, 2012.

• The results are in for the 2012 Annual Character Counts recognition, and this year’s High School Top Honoree selected is Dreyfoos Senior Rodney-Jeremiah Romano was selected the High School Top Honoree for the 2012 Character Counts award. He was recognized for being not only an outstanding student, but also for his ongoing volunteer efforts and unselfish acts of kindness in the community.

• Christian Marrero, a senior in the Alexander W. Dreyfoos School of the Arts band department and a standout on trumpet in the jazz band has been selected as a member of the 2012 Jazz Band of America.

  After submitting a recording and participating in the audition process, Christian was selected from entries from all over the country for this elite ensemble. Members of the applied music faculty from some of our country's leading universities evaluated the recordings.

  Christian will be a part of the prestigious 2012 Jazz Band of America and will travel to Indiana on March 14–7, 2012 to rehearse and perform with the ensemble. At Dreyfoos, Christian studies under the tutelage of jazz band director, Pedro Hernandez.

• Five of our upperclassmen creative writing students placed in the Florida State Poets Association Annual Student Poetry Contest. The students’ poems will be featured in the FSPA’s 2012 anthology, and their work will now be eligible for the Manningham Trust Student Contest!

  1. Josie Graham: 5th honorable mention
  2. Kara Bell: 3rd honorable mention
  3. Melanie Bail: 2nd honorable mention
  4. Elizabeth Chapman: 1st honorable mention
  5. Lauren Mee: First place

  Please help congratulate sophomore Camille Sanches, who submitted a winning essay to The World Affairs Councils of America.

  The National High School Essay Contest topic was on the Republic of Azerbaijan, and Camille is one of 10 winners selected across the United States to travel to Azerbaijan this summer.

• In March, 10 of our music students (band and string) performed on a Side-by-Side concert with the New World Symphony at the New World Center in Miami Beach.

  The student musicians in the group came from Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach Counties. There were a total of 33 high school students in the orchestra sitting side-by-side with the New World Symphony members.

  This opportunity was a competitive event, similar to, but on an even higher level, than the yearly All-State music convention in Tampa.

  Please congratulate the following DSOA student musicians who participated:

  Ericsson Hatfield, violin
  Arian Shaw-Obasogie, viola
  Emma Silberstein, flute
  Mary Fortino and Michael Zuckerman, clarinet
  Nicolette LaBonte, french horn
  Judy Gaunt and Zachary Montague, trumpet
  Murphy Aucamp, percussion
  Michelle Villar, harp

• The Muse won the top award in the Palm Beach Post’s 2012 High School Journalism Awards, earning the number one spot in General Excellence. Muse staff also placed in other categories:

  Cartooning / Illustration
  Third Place: Kyle Bell

  Entertainment Writing
  Second Place: Laura Pitts

  Feature Writing
  First Place: Rachel Anderson and Kelly Berger

  News Writing
  First Place: Daniel Milstein
  Honorable Mention: Rachel Anderson and Camille Sanches

  Page Design
  Third Place: Nicole Hamilton

  Photography
  Honorable Mention: Aubrey Levin

  Sports Writing
  Second Place: Rachel Anderson

  General Excellence for Newspaper
  First Place: The Muse, Alexander W. Dreyfoos School of the Arts
  Second Place: The Bronco Beat, Palm Beach Central High School
  Third Place: The Tomahawk Times, Santaluces High School
  Honorable Mention: The Pharcyde, The Benjamin School

New Parent Group

Dreyfoos Parents Association forming

TA group of Dreyfoos parents has formed to help support the school by coordinating parent volunteer opportunities, providing hospitality events for teachers and staff, and other activities. Parents interested in learning more about the DPA should contact Judi Lenz at 561-371-6486, or email dsoaparents@gmail.com.

Last Perfomances of the Year

There’s still time to see some great performances at Dreyfoos before the school year ends.

• On Thursday, May 10, the Chamber Winds Recital takes place in the Brandt Black Box at 6:00.
• On Friday, May 11, the final Chorus Concert of the year is in Meyer Hall at 7:00.
• On Friday, May 18, the Band Concert will be in Meyer Hall at 7:00.
• Also on Friday, May 18, in the Brandt Black Box, the Theatre Department’s Theatre Collective will present an original, student-generated work, Project Captivity, at 7:00.

Project Graduation

Parent volunteer Sue Campbell is looking for help with Project Graduation on the night of May 22. This fun event helps to keep our newly-minted grads safe and entertained.

Please contact Sue if you can volunteer your time or donate some food items: pg2012.dsoa@gmail.com or call 561-420-9405.

This newsletter is a quarterly publication of the A. W. Dreyfoos School of the Arts. If you have any questions or suggestions, please email parent volunteer Lori Rozsa at penright08@gmail.com