News for Parents
News for Parents
Parent eNews February 2010
Welcome to the GSSM Parent eNewsletter
Welcome to the first edition of the GSSM Parent eNewsletter. Now you can find important information, reminders and web links in one convenient location. If you would like to receive this as an email, sign up here. Enjoy!
Club News
The Model United Nations Club has been invited to represent Nigeria and Saudi Arabia at this year's conference March 24-26 at Winthrop University. The students are preparing to represent these countries as Political and Security, Legal and Humanitarian committee members and as delegates to the Security Council.
The FTC Robotics team, the Awesome Possums, are remodeling their robot for the World Championship April 14 -17 in Atlanta’s Georgia Dome. Mr. Bob Brown, CEO of Integrated Systems, Inc., a robotics integration firm in Darlington County, visited the group recently to examine their design and pass along tips.
Any parent interested in providing engineering input is invited to contact Mrs. Bunn to arrange a visit with the team.
SPRI News
Randy La Cross, Vice President of Outreach and Research, will be working on SPRI placements for juniors throughout the month of February and first week of March. La Cross plans to finish placement assignments by mid-March. As part of the process, each student will conduct a phone interview with his/her prospective mentor and discuss the specifics of the upcoming research. The research topic/project is not solidified, however, until students report to the research sites in June. Students have been informed of all 2010 SPRI deadlines. Any important upcoming dates are listed on the 2010 SPRI Calendar sent to parents in late October. Stay tuned to hear from your student where he/she will be placed this summer!
Research Exchange Scholars Program (RESP) News
Last year, GSSM students conducted research in the Biology Institute at the University of Karlsruhe, one of the top universities for science and engineering in Germany.
This year, because the Institute will be undergoing renovations, select students will perform research at the world-renowned German Cancer Research Institute in Heidelberg. The Cancer Research Institute is world-renowned. Two years ago, the head of the Institute, Prof. Harald zur Hausen, won the Nobel Prize in medicine for his discovery of the cancer-causing property of the human papillomavirus, and of the vaccine against the virus. He won the prize along with Francoise Barre-Sinoussi and Luc Montagnier, whom GSSM students met at the Medical University of South Carolina four years ago.
The commute on public transportation to Heidelberg is about the same as the commute to Karlsruhe. Like last year, GSSM students will stay in the homes of Johanna Wittum Schule students in Pforzheim.
Randy La Cross will complete the selection of RESP students soon.
Townes Award Dinner Reminder
A Note from Dr. Brockman
March 3, 2010
7 p.m.
Marriott Columbia
Mark your calendars for March 3 and come celebrate with GSSM faculty, students, alumni and supporters at the 18th Annual Townes Award Dinner as we blast off into a new stratosphere of academic excellence.
Last year we celebrated our 20th anniversary, where we highlighted two decades of challenging classes, laboratories and research experiences that give GSSM students remarkable mastery of science, math and the humanities.
This year, the Townes Dinner will celebrate the inauguration of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Economics and Finance Institute at GSSM. We will add a practical bent to our science and mathematics studies so that interested students can explore the world of economics and study how to move advanced technology into the world of business. We want our graduates to have the opportunity to invent the future and create wealth at the same time. We know that high-tech business is the key to prosperity in South Carolina, and we want GSSM alumni to have the opportunity to lead the way.
Join us for our kick-off celebration, as we commemorate an "Evening of Firsts." Our celebration involves the very best our state has to offer; just like GSSM represents the very best education our state has to offer. It’s what the nation has come to expect of GSSM.
--Dr. Murray Brockman
Tidbits, etc.
Senior Gift Campaign News
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| Senior Gift Campaign Co-Chairs Shane Farmer and Lily Elsner make the first donations to the fundraiser. |
On Feb. 11, GSSM's Class of 2010 launched the first-ever Senior Gift Campaign. This new fundraising effort will run through the end of April, and funds raised will be used to purchase an item for future GSSM students to enjoy. The ultimate goal of the campaign is 100 percent participation by the senior class.
Three possible gifts have been selected by the Senior Gift Campaign Co-Chairs, Shane Farmer and Lily Elsner, and depending on money raised, one will be purchased. The gift options include:
- a gazebo for the area behind the school ($3,000)
- a garden area with benches, bushes, and flowers ($1,000)
- the opportunity to paint a mural on a wall in the new gym ($500)
Stay Tuned …
Student News
Congratulations to senior Alice Sudlow who was recently awarded the G
old Award by the regional Girl Scout Council! Alice and her fellow Gold Award recipient worked diligently over a 13-month period to create back-fastening, custom-fitted coats for six quadriplegic students in Columbia and Florence. These unique coats are specially designed to be easy to put on in a wheelchair with limited mobility. In addition to spending many hours on the project last summer, Sudlow spent most of her free time on long weekends and breaks cutting and sewing. The Gold Award is the Girl Scouts’ highest and most prestigious award. Less than 6 percent of eligible Girl Scouts obtain it. Great work Alice!
Athletic News
The 2010 Soccer Schedule is now online! Check it out here!
Parent Survey
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Popular Links
Academic Calendar
Student Handbook
Student Weekend Leave Form
School Store
Important Contact Information
President: Dr. Murray Brockman
Registrar: Ms. Jane Etta Bryan
Nurse: Ms. Denise Atkinson
Director of Athletics: Mr. Tully Pate
Director of Student Services: Ms. Emily Pettit
