Alexander W. Dreyfoos School of the Arts | 501 S. Sapodilla Ave, WPB, FL 33401

THE MUSE
New Lunch Policy Limits Student Access to Buildings
Holding up their copies of "The Barn: The Secret History of a Murder in Mississippi," senior Student Government Association officers pose with author Wright Thompson. Each officer received a personalized message inside their book as a thank-you for attending. Photo Courtesy of the Forum Club of the Palm Beaches.
[BRIEF] Guest Speaker Wright Thompson Spoke to Senior Student Government Association (SGA) Officers at the Forum Club of the Palm Beaches
Speech and Debate Students “Sweep” at first local tournament of the season
Speech and Debate Students “Sweep” at first local tournament of the season
Giving directions to a driver exiting the campus, Mr. Koronec, the school monitor, surveys the parking lot during the students’ lunch hours. As part of keeping the campus safe, Mr. Koronec makes sure every driver is accounted for. “If I don't recognize you, you're supposed to stop,” Mr. Koronec said. “I ask you who you are, they tell me who they are, then I proceed.”
Feeling the Heat
Outlining application requirements for the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Admissions Manager Shanelle Harrison engages with digital arts and photography senior Magdalene Mika and other students.
College Visits Provide Insight into Admissions and College Culture
Speaking into the microphone, school counselor Olga Middleton discusses the LAUNCH event’s agenda with attendees. The LAUNCH event (Linking Access, Unity, Networking, Collaboration, and Higher Education) was held in Meyer Hall and the cafeteria on August 27.
The LAUNCH to College
Holding hands, theatre freshmen Sofia Carbone and Kayla Brown perform their musical theatre piece, “Who Will Love Me As I Am” by Henry Krieger and Bill Russel.
Welcome to the Final Show
Graphic by Maja Milovanovic
The Art of Testing
Jumping into the air and kicking his legs out, theatre freshman Devin Jackson, playing the character Mike, explains his backstory.
‘One Singular Sensation’
Dance junior Arielle Montopeirous poses during the finale of the in-school performance of “Be Our Guest.”
Springing Onto the Stage
Performing an 80’s style dance routine, dance senior Parker Sheehan participates alongside other senior dancers during Generations Day.
A Step Back In Time
Visual senior Angelina Gustafson reflects on her journey in the visual arts department and the impact of drawing on her social life. “I've always had a love for illustrations and everything like that,” Gustafson said. “It's always just been something that I cared about and liked doing. Being surrounded by so many people who are also my friends, it's hard to even think of them as competition. I always find myself rooting for them and hoping for their success.”
4 Years in the Making
Turning up the Heat
Turning up the Heat
Politics is BRAT
Politics is BRAT
Located at the back of the beach, the lifeguard tower at Ocean Reef Park oversees visitors both on land and in the water. Lifeguards on this beach work for the Palm Beach County Ocean Rescue division, which is USLA (United States Lifesaving Association) certified. USLA’s website reports that the “chance of drowning while at a beach protected by USLA-affiliated lifeguards is 1 in 18 million.”
Finding the Perfect Palm Beach
Holding up “Ws,” the class of ’25 cheers and celebrates after winning the Mario Kart game.
Terrifically Themed Teams
Illustration of Liliana Kirby surrounded by book pages.
We’ve Lost the Plot
We Have No Shock Left
We Have No Shock Left
Huddling up, digital media senior Joshua Molnar communicates game plans and strategies with the boys volleyball team. “The most challenging part this year was finding ways to stay connected and motivated when we hit a slow patch mid-season or end season," Molnar said. "We weren’t clicking as a team for a while…I tried to help by setting the tone in practices, bringing the energy even on the off days and making sure no one felt alone in the struggle.”
Serving Up for Senior Night
Tennis Team's Senior Night
Tennis Team’s Senior Night
Crossing the ball between his legs, dance junior Zackary Chodor plays basketball as one of the members of the recreational sports club. The club, led by band senior Drew Arfa and theatre senior Kenneth Quinter, meets monthly to play sports.
Lunch League Of Their Own
Patel, Pacheco, and Burgess pose for a photo. While they all discovered basketball at a young age, Patel and Pacheco began their journey playing recreational basketball throughout elementary and middle school. Burgess started playing her freshman year on the team but grew her skills over the years with the help of her teammates.
Dribbling Through Time
Jumping toward the net, girl's basketball coach and math teacher Joshua Millstein attempts to dunk the ball.
King of the Court
Surrounded by players, tennis coach and Spanish teacher Marina Ratchford talks about pre-practice plans, upcoming games, and match-ups between students in determining game-day lineups for both the boys and girls teams.
‘Keep Your Head in the Game’
Posed headshot of Summer Wadleigh.
A New Season of Support
Hosting a lunch study session, math teacher Joshua Millstein explains how to calculate equations to his students. Outside of class time, Millstein hosts study sessions for students during lunch, in which he targets their shortcomings.
Where the Classroom Meets the Court
Between School and Sky
Between School and Sky
Patel, Pacheco, and Burgess pose for a photo. While they all discovered basketball at a young age, Patel and Pacheco began their journey playing recreational basketball throughout elementary and middle school. Burgess started playing her freshman year on the team but grew her skills over the years with the help of her teammates.
Dribbling Through Time
Band junior Anderson Spellman poses with his tenor saxophone.
Spellbound by Jazz
While participating in a lunch practice for Powderpuff, juniors put their hands up as a part of their choreographed dance.
Powderpuff: A Different Rhythm
Musele: 9/29/25
Musele: 9/29/25
Musele: 9/22/25
Musele: 9/15/25
Musele: 9/15/25
Musele: 9/7/25
Musele: 9/7/25
Musele: 9/1/25
Musele: 9/1/25
Musele: 8/25/25
Musele: 8/25/25
Artist Market Recap
Artist Market Recap
WHEN RECYCLING DOESN'T WORK
WHEN RECYCLING DOESN’T WORK
PEP RALLY DAY 2019 RECAP
PEP RALLY DAY 2019 RECAP
ST. BALDRICK'S 2019 RECAP
ST. BALDRICK’S 2019 RECAP
MAKING A MONOTYPE
MAKING A MONOTYPE
HOLIDAY SPIRIT WEEK 2019 RECAP
HOLIDAY SPIRIT WEEK 2019 RECAP
Muse Talks: Backstage Access
Muse Talks: Backstage Access
Muse Talks: Love Through the Lens of Culture
Muse Talks: Love Through the Lens of Culture
Muse Talks: The Ivy Illusion
Muse Talks: The Ivy Illusion
Muse Talks: Lovesick or Sick of Love
Muse Talks: Lovesick or Sick of Love
On the Double: His Class is like a Movie
On the Double: The Race for No.1
On the Double: The Race for No.1
Musele: 9/29/25
Musele: 9/29/25
Musele: 9/22/25
Musele: 9/15/25
Musele: 9/15/25
Musele: 9/7/25
Musele: 9/7/25
Musele: 9/1/25
Musele: 9/1/25
Musele: 8/25/25
Musele: 8/25/25
Photo courtesy of islandrecords.com
The Summer 2025 Soundtrack
Turning up the Heat
Turning up the Heat
Photo courtesy of Tribune
Why Some Movies Last Forever
Photo courtesy of Pix4free
All I Want for Christmas: A Holiday Gift Guide
Nestled behind trees, the storefront of Maman in the Square, located at 473 S Rosemary Ave.
Not Your Maman’s Coffee
Yelling into his microphone, country musician Noah Hunton performs at SunFest as part of his mini south-Floridian tour, across venues from West Palm Beach to Key West.
Tuning Up SunFest
Standing in third position, theatre sophomore Sophia Caputo smiles toward the audience in the theater. From April 9-12, the musical’s showings took place in the Kravis Center Helen K. Persson Hall theater. “My favorite part of being in ‘A Chorus Line’ was all the rehearsals and learning all the choreography,” Caputo said. “It was so fun being able to put on this amazing show, with an amazing story, with all of my friends. And I just love doing it so much, especially in theatre performance.”
Photo of the Week 4/10
Holding each other’s hands, theatre senior Guilbrhea Pacheco and communications junior Micaela Suage dance together at Prom. Hosted by the junior class council, the 2025 Prom was held at the Palm Beach Convention Center. The theme for the dance was “A Party at Gatsby’s” based on the novel “The Great Gatsby.”
Photo of the Week 4/5
Attending the communications department film event Streaming Canvas, visual sophomore Marcalix Lemene watches a silent film titled “Return of Silence” created by communications senior Isabella Ward and starring communications seniors Daniela Peñafiel, Jason Monaco, and communications junior Carter Dytko. The event took place Friday, March 14 with students, staff, and family in attendance to watch student-made films on the big screen in Meyer Hall. “It was really cool to see this kind of work from the communications department,” Lemene said. “The event brought light to their hard work and dedication.”
Photo of the Week 3/14
Yelling into the microphones, communications freshmen BellaDonna Petersen and Monica Chirolde perform their speech “Playground” at the Figure of Speech showcase on March 6. In this speech event, called Duo Interpretation, participants base their performance on a previously written piece of work of their choosing.
Photo of the Week 3/6
The rock band "The Interlude" — featuring communications sophomore Carly Cantor as the vocalist, visual freshman Emmy Harkin as the bassist, visual sophomore Christina O'Grady as the guitarist, theatre freshman Callahan Fernandez as the drummer, and founder of the band and vocal senior Isabella Besin as the keyboardist — practices the Arctic Monkeys’ song "505" in Principal Blake Bennett’s office. Besin had established the band as a club this year. “I’ve always had a love for performing and listening to live music,” Besin said. “So I wanted to give students at Dreyfoos the opportunity to perform (in a band). (Principal) Bennett loved the idea of putting a group together and offered us the front office to practice whenever we needed (it).”
Photo of the Week 2/28
Being held in the air by ensemble members, theatre seniors Melanie Simmons and Shane Rainsburg look at each other while performing the Greek tale of Ceyx and Alcyone in the spring play “Metamorphoses.” Opening night took place Feb. 21 in Meyer Hall, and the show portrayed Greek myths and legends such as those about King Midas and Erysichthon and his Mother. “I love it (the show) so much,” ensemble member and theatre junior Kylie Mraz said. “Portraying (the) magic of Greek gods and goddesses into lights and sound was so difficult but so worth the effort.”
Photo of the Week 2/21
  • Plumosa School of the Arts 8th grade Dreyfoos tour: Sept. 30
  • Field Trip for Spanish FPL Visit: Oct. 1
  • Yom Kippur: Oct. 2
  • Muse Fun Friday (Lunch): Oct. 3
  • Orchestra Concert (6-8 p.m.): Oct. 4
Alexander W. Dreyfoos School of the Arts | 501 S. Sapodilla Ave, WPB, FL 33401

THE MUSE
Alexander W. Dreyfoos School of the Arts | 501 S. Sapodilla Ave, WPB, FL 33401

THE MUSE

Valentina Saenz-Daza, Content Team Editor

Valentina Saenz-Daza is a second-year staffer and a content team editor on The Muse. She enjoys participating in speech and debate, listening to pop music, and trying new foods. Aside from this, Valentina is excited to see what this upcoming year holds for the publication.

All content by Valentina Saenz-Daza
Participating in icebreakers, rising communications freshmen play a game of bingo as a way to get to know each other. Bingo questions varied from finding someone who has “starred in a short film” to "proficiently plays an instrument.” “You get to see what Dreyfoos is about and it's so far been really fun,” said communications freshman Arjun Kuturu.

[Photo] First Steps into Something New

Natalie Vidal and Liliana Kirby
August 13, 2025
Jumping into the air and kicking his legs out, theatre freshman Devin Jackson, playing the character Mike, explains his backstory.

‘One Singular Sensation’

Keegan McLendon and Valentina Saenz-Daza
April 24, 2025
Looking down, theatre sophomore Sophia Caputo and theatre senior Adam Picariello-Heighes dance to “At the Ballet.” Caputo and Picariello were one out of three partnering duos for the ballet performance, although the production dance styles ranged from jazz to tap. “‘A Chorus Line’ was a really fun experience because I've been doing ballet my whole life, and it just felt really fun and natural to me, like I was going back to my roots,” Caputo said. (Valentina Saenz-Daza)

[Photo] Chorus Line

April 24, 2025
Standing in third position, theatre sophomore Sophia Caputo smiles toward the audience in the theater. From April 9-12, the musical’s showings took place in the Kravis Center Helen K. Persson Hall theater. “My favorite part of being in ‘A Chorus Line’ was all the rehearsals and learning all the choreography,” Caputo said. “It was so fun being able to put on this amazing show, with an amazing story, with all of my friends. And I just love doing it so much, especially in theatre performance.”

Photo of the Week 4/10

Valentina Saenz-Daza, Photographer
April 20, 2025
Reaching for a graduation cap, dance senior Lilly Foster and strings senior Vincenzo Serra hold their pointe shoes and violin, respectively. According to Foster, getting to graduation has been “a challenge” because of her extracurricular commitments. “After school, I go to the dance studio, and I'm also (part of my studio’s) dance company,” Foster said. “It's both of those things together, attending (dance) classes at school every day and going to the dance studio (right away) from (4 p.m.) to (9 p.m.) most nights, (that) is really difficult.”

[Photo] Brushstrokes, Burnout, and Balance

Giselle Fernandez-Perez, Writer
April 10, 2025
Smiling at the crowd, vocal junior Gabriela Loveland sings in the junior class’ Battle of the Bands performance. Loveland was a backup singer for the songs in the medley with songs including “Hawaiian Roller Coaster Ride” by Mark Kealiʻi Hoʻomalu and “Amber” by 311. “It was a little scary, but it was really fun to be up there,” Loveland said. “The energy from the crowd, the energy from the junior class, everyone knowing the songs and singing along, and having my friends with me made it a lot less nerve-wracking.”

[Photo] Spirit Week Goes Full Volume

London Franklin, Writer
March 19, 2025
Dancing to the song “Flex” by Cupid, digital media freshman Sophie Jones and other students participate in the Black Student Union (BSU) field day on Feb. 10. BSU Spirit Week is an annual event that allows students to celebrate Black History Month through music, dance, and other activities. “Music unites everybody in the club because we all know a bunch of songs from growing up, so once we hear a song that we recognize, (we) all come together,” Jones said.

Photo of the Week 2/10

Valentina Saenz-Daza, Photographer
February 17, 2025
Visual senior Thomas Diaz shows Principal Blake Bennett around the art gallery where his pieces are being displayed. Principal Bennett visited the gallery Jan. 10 during lunch along with other guests, including his friends, teachers, and administration. “I went on Monday after school when his whole family came to the exhibit and I got to meet his grandmother, who is pictured in many of the paintings, and that was really special,” Principal Bennett said. “To see her next to the paintings, he is so spot on, and I am so proud of that.”

[Photo] ‘A Romanticism of the Mundane’

Giselle Fernandez-Perez, Writer
January 23, 2025
Speaking with Principal Blake Bennett, visual senior Thomas Diaz explains the meaning behind his artwork. On Jan. 10 during lunch, Diaz had his art pieces exhibited in a solo show in the Building 9 gallery in recognition of his creations throughout the year. “It makes me feel very proud of myself because I work really hard, long hours after school,” Diaz said. “It also makes me inspired and hopeful that other people would do the same and want to show their own work. I think there's a lot of very amazing artists in the department that would really benefit from doing a show like this. It really just makes me feel connected to the community.”

Photo of the Week 1/10

Valentina Saenz-Daza, Photographer
January 14, 2025
Bringing Christmas to South Florida: On Nov 2. The Ben Marriott Autograph Collection opened South Florida's first outdoor skating rink. From the hotel's top floor, there is a view of the hundreds of people who visit throughout the day to participate in this winter activity.

[Photo] West Palm’s Winter Wonderland

Milo Stamp, Writer
December 8, 2024
Smiling at her students, English teacher Carmen Gallardo hosts a class discussion about the AP exam. It is one part of the routine that Ms. Gallardo has to ensure that students learn and understand the subject matter. “She gives us a schedule at the beginning of every quarter that breaks down what we're going to do each class.” strings junior Kayci Estelle said. “I think her sticking to such a regimen not only reflects her navy training but who she is as a person.”

[Photo] A Salute to Veterans

Milo Stamp, Writer
November 13, 2024
Looking at the phlebotomist, dance junior Finleigh Townsend gets blood drawn for her first time. On Oct. 16, National Honor Society (NHS) held its blood drive in the school parking lot. Oneblood Donation and its Big Red Bus visited the school campus to find volunteers for blood and plasma donations. Their mission is to replenish and maintain a healthy blood supply in the community. “It makes you feel really good to have had an impact on so many people by doing something that didn't take much time and didn't hurt me at all,” said Townsend.

Photo of the Week 10/16

Valentina Saenz-Daza, Photographer
October 19, 2024
Dancing together in the Brandt Black Box Theater, the “Drowsy Chaperone” cast members practice their routines. This production incorporates numerous dance numbers with the entire cast. “There are so many of us in the cast, (so) it's important for all the dancing to look very specific and sharp,” ensemble member and theatre senior Erin Duran said.

[Photo] Bringing a Show to Life

Milo Stamp, Writer
October 17, 2024
Adjusting her poster of the theater department from Boca Raton High School, musical theatre teacher Stephanie Nixdorf wants to approach her new position at Dreyfoos by embracing what she already knows. With previous theatre teaching experience from LeMoyne College, Suncoast Community High School, and Boca Raton High School, Ms. Nixdorf has had a life dedicated to supporting and coaching the arts. “I just think that having these classes and being able to work with these kids (...) is really enjoyable because the work we do in the classroom, the work we do on these smaller pieces of repertoire, will really help them grow.”

[Photo] Theatre Department Gets a Fresh Face

Milo Stamp, Writer
September 12, 2024
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