Academics
Curriculum Overview

GSS Scholars & Experiential Trips

Pursuing Interests with Greater Depth

Launched in 2025, the GSS Scholars Program gives 8th Grade students the opportunity to pursue specialized academic interests beyond the traditional curriculum. Through focused coursework, project-based learning, and engagement with professionals and community organizations, students explore subjects that interest them while discovering how their learning connects to the real world.

Each student selects a course based on individual interests, giving them the opportunity to engage deeply with a subject, collaborate with others, and develop skills that prepare them for high school and future academic pursuits.

Program Overview

GSS Scholars courses take place during the school day and include 12 required sessions from November through January.

All courses are graded and appear on student report cards and transcripts. Students who successfully complete the program receive a special stamp of recognition on their diplomas. There is no additional fee to participate.

Attendance at all sessions and completion of a capstone project are required.

Preparing Eighth Graders for High School

The GSS Scholars Program reflects Gulf Stream School’s commitment to meaningful, challenging, and personalized learning. Through advanced electives and a required capstone project, eighth graders grow as thinkers, creators, communicators, and leaders—ready to take the next step with confidence!

Course Offerings

List of 3 items.

  • Creating Digital Narratives: Intro to Digital Communications and Filmmaking, with Dan Gvozden

    Dan Gvozden joins the GSS Scholars Program as an adjunct member of the faculty. Mr. Gvozden and I worked together at Severn School (MD), where he initiated and developed filmmaking courses in the Upper School. He holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Cinematography and Film/Video Production from NYU, a Masters in Film/Cinema/Video Studies from UCLA, and graduate certificates in Screenwriting and Cinematography from UCLA and USC. Mr. Gvozden will teach his course both in person and virtually; when online he will join us from Baltimore, MD where he is an Adjunct Professor of Electronic Media and Film at Towson University and the owner of The Backlot, a private film school and digital media company. 
     
    Course Description: In this hands-on course, students will gain practical experience in the production process of making a short film. Through exercises in film theory, writing, planning, production, and editing, students will learn to hone their voices and use sophisticated filmmaking tools to express themselves onscreen. 

  • Entrepreneurship, with Ms. Cooper

    Course Description: Students will step into the shoes of real-world problem solvers and innovators. The challenge? Identify a need in their community and invent a product or service that makes a meaningful impact. From brainstorming and sketching to building a prototype, students will take their idea from concept to creation. Students will develop a full business plan, design a marketing strategy, and pitch their invention in a Shark Tank-style presentation to a panel of “investors.”

  • Speak Up: Mastering Speech & Civil Discourse, with Ms. Ready

    Course Description: Partnering with U.S. Courts, Southern District of Florida, this dynamic public speaking course will develop confidence, clarity, and creativity as they learn the art of effective communication. From persuasive speeches and storytelling to debates and discussions, students will practice using their voices to inform, inspire, and influence. This course empowers students to speak up with confidence, listen with empathy, and become leaders in their communities and beyond.

Learning Beyond the Classroom

Overnight field trips are a distinctive part of the Middle School experience, giving students opportunities to extend their learning beyond the classroom while building independence, teamwork, and leadership alongside their classmates and teachers.
  • Marine Lab – Grade 5: A science-focused trip to the Florida Keys featuring marine exploration and water activities such as snorkeling.
  • St. Augustine – Grade 6: An immersive experience centered on the history and educational significance of America’s oldest city.
  • Pathfinder – Grades 6–8: An outdoor education experience designed to strengthen teamwork, leadership, problem-solving, and collaboration.
  • Everglades – Grade 7: An Everglades field study where students explore the wetlands – navigating mangrove tunnels and observing native wildlife – and discuss the interconnected habitats and importance of conservation.
  • Grand Canyon and Beyond – Grade 8: An unforgettable trip marking the culmination of the Eighth Graders' GSS journey takes students out West to explore landscapes of the Grand Canyon, Zion, and Bryce national parks.

Preparing Stingrays for What Comes Next

Through GSS Scholars and experiential learning opportunities, students put the qualities of a Stingray into practice—exploring with curiosity, leading with confidence, and developing the character and independence that prepare them for high school and beyond.

Main Campus: PK4 - Gr. 8
Gulf Stream Campus

3600 Gulf Stream Road
Gulf Stream, FL 33483
Phone: 561.276.5225   Fax: 561.276.7115

DBC: PK1, PK2 & PK3
Delray Beach Campus

2515 North Swinton Avenue
Delray Beach, FL 33444
Phone: 561.278.7735