| South Carolina Governor's School for Science and Mathematics | |
|---|---|
| Established | 1988 |
| Type | Public boarding school |
| President | Dr. Murray Brockman |
| Students | 128 (approx) |
| Grades | 11-12 |
| Location | Hartsville, South Carolina, United States |
| Mascot | Eagle |
| Website | www.scgssm.org |
The South Carolina Governor's School for Science and Mathematics (GSSM) provides advanced educational opportunities for highly successful high school students who demonstrate interest and talent in pursuit of science and mathematics. The flagship residential program offers the most academically able students of this state a unique learning environment that strengthens their ability to think critically, stimulates the joy of learning, and fosters the excitement of discovery through scientific research.
GSSM leads the full development of her students, combining a curriculum that challenges across the full spectrum of the humanities as well as science and mathematics, with a strong emphasis on character and ethics. GSSM is an educational resource, serving South Carolina as a model for academic excellence, enhancing science and mathematics education throughout the state through partnerships with public schools and school districts.[1]
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When GSSM started in 1988, the school had 70 students. Every year after that roughly 64 juniors are accepted to complete the full enrollment of 128 students. The student body is split into halves of 64 boys and 64 girls. Each year, some juniors do not return to become seniors and their spots are filled by incoming juniors; so the class sizes vary, but ideally, there should be equal numbers in each class.
In 2003, GSSM moved to its own campus with the goal of eventually increasing its population to 300. Currently, its building still houses a maximum of 128 students.
Admission to GSSM is by application and open to any resident of South Carolina in his or her sophomore year of high school. More than 200 students apply each year for the coming junior class, with about 64 accepted (varying from year to year so that the student body size at the start of each year is 128).[2] The remaining students are placed on a waiting list, which is pulled from should any of the originally selected students decide not to accept.
Applications are normally due by February before the school year in which the students will begin attending. It should be noted that a score on one of the following standardized tests is required for admittance: PSAT, SAT, or the ACT.
Previously, attendance to GSSM was completely free to students, and the cost would be covered by the state as it would be for any other public school. However, the budget for GSSM is covered by both the state and private support, so recently the school had to institute a $1,125 fee (for meals) to avoid cutbacks. Students are not prevented from attending if they are unable to pay, and a sliding scale system is employed that allows students to afford SCGSSM. This scale allows families that can not afford the entire sum to pay at least a portion of it.
GSSM has 14 faculty, 10 with doctorate degrees, and substantial teaching experience at both the secondary and college level.
A student at GSSM has a schedule containing typically 7 classes as a junior, and 6-7 as a senior (any more than this is referred to as "overloading"). The courses are essentially at college level, and the class schedule meets like college classes. Even though only a few courses strictly follow AP guidelines, many of the students successfully take and pass AP exams for a large number of their courses. Juniors are required to take a year-long Junior English course, A.P. U.S. History if they have not already, one math course, two laboratory science courses, an elective (typically a foreign language) and a course entitled "Life and Leisure" which teaches study skills, good health habits and time management. Being a school that emphasizes science and math, all students are required to take a math course each semester, and are required to take a year of chemistry, physics and biology, as well as electives.
Juniors and many seniors are required to participate in QUEST (Quality Uninterrupted Enforced Study Time). This takes place every Sunday through Thursday evening before a class day from 8 to 10 pm. Students in QUEST are required to be either in their rooms or some other study environment (the cafeteria is a popular location) during these hours. During Finals Week, it becomes ConQUEST (Concentrated Quality Uninterrupted Enforced Study Time). While this does not mean that all students must be constantly studying and may stop only to take exams, it does mean that the QUEST environment, such as a minimum noise level, is to remain in effect at all times. Lights-out policy is suspended for studying during ConQUEST.
The school follows a two semester model (August-December, and late January-May) with a three week "interim" session in early January, where students take a single class. A few of these courses involve trips out of the country - in January 2007 there were courses in Costa Rica and Paris/Munich.
Each summer after the junior year, students are required to participate in a six week long summer research project ( called the Summer Program for Research Interns - SPRI). These usually take place at college campuses (most commonly University of South Carolina, Clemson, and MUSC) or corporate research centers. Although students may live at home during the project if they are near the research site, most students live in residence near the research site. The research is at the college level, and the students are required to present their results at a yearly scientific conference held at the school called Colloquium. Sometimes the work is also published in professional journals. In addition to presenting their work at Colloquium, students are required to present research at the South Carolina Junior Academy of Science (SCJAS) before a panel of scientific judges.
The original dormitories used during the 1988/89 year were in the newly renovated Susan Stout Coker Memorial Hall. The boys were mostly on the second floor with an additional six more on the first floor while the girls were on the third floor. The computer lab was on the first floor and laundry rooms were located on the second and third floors. There was a single lounge on the third floor for all students and it also served double duty as the meeting room. The lounge was mostly devoid of furniture except for a ping pong table, a TV and a few chairs. Most of the rooms were for two people but a few had three. The room contained a bed, desk and armoire for each student. The bathrooms and showers were located at the end of each floor. One small common room on the first floor had a phone that students could use to make phone calls.
From 1989 to 2003 GSSM students were housed in the Richard and Tuck Coker Residence Hall which was wholly used by GSSM. The Dorm was four stories tall and split in half into a boy's and girl's side on the top three floors. Each of these floors contained twelve two-person rooms, one of which was housed by a single floor Resident Assistant who was responsible for the students. The end of each floor contained a common room with furniture and a tv. The bottom floor of the building contained a main desk a RA was usually stationed at, along with informal mail boxes that doubled as small open lockers. Additional rooms were located along the outside of the building. These included three classrooms, assembly room, computer lab, language lab, Handicap room, and a dual use laundry/activity room.
The new campus building is very similar and also four stories tall (although the fourth floor is and will remain unused until expansion of the student body.) The dorm room arrangement is quite similar to the old facility, but each floor now contains several more rooms, two RA rooms (housing Coker College students employed as RAs) and a Residence Life Coordinator apartment (housing a full-time residence hall staff member). The lowest floor contains the classrooms, offices of staff and faculty, the cafeteria, and lobbies.
Student rooms house two persons, and each pair of rooms share a common bathroom. There are two computer LAN ports in each room, as well as a sink, two beds (which can be arranged in bunk form), two desks, two dressers, and two bookcases.
On nights before classes, students are required to be on their floor by 10:30 pm. The period between the end of QUEST at 10 pm and the 10:30 curfew time is known as "Happy Half" and students often get together during that time for socialization. When the curfew time was previously 11:00pm, the socialization time was denoted "Happy Hour." Curfew is at midnight on Friday and Saturday nights.
So basically, It's like a very relaxed prison with unrivaled educational opportunities.
About every four weeks the school closes down for a "long weekend". Students are required to go home on Thursday afternoon after classes, and return Sunday afternoon.
The culture of the school is unique from year to year as half the student body turns over, however there are some common elements. In general new students go from being one of the top of their classes at their previous schools to being just like every one else at GSSM. While this is disconcerting academically it is enjoyed socially as there is more of an interest overlap among students, and in a way each student suddenly has over 100 probable new friends. The relatively small size of the school allows for most students to at least know everyone else even if they do not commonly hang out together.
There are several traditions that mark student's time at GSSM.
All students at GSSM are required to participate in physical activity (such as working out at the YMCA - all students have memberships there) two hours per week. Participation in interscholastic sports is allowed as well for the physical activity requirement (during the season for each sport).
Current varsity sports (1A division) include basketball, cheerleading, cross-country, soccer, swimming, tennis, track, and volleyball.
In the past, volleyball won the Region VIIA championship (2004 and 2005). Girls' tennis won the Region VIIA championship. Additionally, the swimming team had ten students compete in the state championship.
Boys' cross-country competed in the state championship, finishing in the Top 15. In 2007, Boys Cross Country captured 3rd place in the state, while also having the 9th and 10th place individual finishers. Track had four individuals make it to lower state championships in 2007. GSSM also boasts the boys' state one-mile and two-mile champion. Soccer won the Region VIIA championship, losing in the state semi-finals.[3]