GSSV Gazette

Our students spent months planning and preparing for our annual Outreach event where we invite gifted and advanced students in grades 3-5 and grades 6-8 from our feeder schools to visit GSSV.

The Keysville site held its Outreach on October 12 and 13 with Toy Story: The Science of Toys as the theme. Students created booths that dealt with a variety of topics -- motion, ecosystems, circuits, fossils, planets, gravity, motion, figurative language, anatomy, word parts, and maps. Visiting students spent time moving through the booths actively learning about the different topics.

The Alberta site held its Outreach on October 20 and 21 with Wreck-It Ralph Breaks the Internet. Students entered the arcade with their tickets to visit all booths. They were welcomed by Ralph, Felix, Vanellope, and the gang who, after breaking into song and dance, explained the goal of the day. The students then worked their way around the gym learning about motion, ecosystems, circuits, energy, viruses, money and bartering, chemical reactions, and macros.

Learning was extra fun these days for the visiting students and the GSSV students!

GSSV students had the opportunity to hear from three GSSV graduates in early October. Monte' Foster, Toby Schiffer, and Laura Simpson spoke with our students about their non-profit Primate Studies organization, which is an extension of work they began while at The Governor's School 25 years ago. Students were able to learn about their non-profit and able to see how some of the experiences and connections they are making at GSSV now can possibly impact them long-term. None of these former students work full-time for Primate Studies, but it is a passion of theirs that they dedicate time to outside of their careers.

Visit their website to learn more about Primate Studies.

Congratulations to GSSV and Cumberland Senior Taylor Hughes whose design was chosen by her classmates to be the new GSSV logo!

We are in the process of setting up an online store where GSSV apparel can be purchased. We will start with t-shirts and sweatshirts and may add more types of GSSV clothing. Keep an eye on our Facebook page and our website since the store will open in November.

During the unit on gases in chemistry, Keysville STEM juniors built hot air balloons at home to test at school. Before flying the balloons, students measured the radius, which was a challenge, and the mass of the balloons. From this data, students were able to calculate the payload of the balloon by using the volume of the balloon (assuming spherical) and the density of cold air displaced versus the density of hot air in the balloon. This gave them a calculated hypothesis of if the balloon would fly. Some hypotheses were supported and some were not. The farthest flying balloon landed on the roof of the next building!

See Important Dates for November

November 2 -- All Seniors to Blackfriars to view The Tempest

November 8 -- No School (Election Day)

November 16 -- Keysville STEM Seniors' trip to Liberty University's School of Medicine

November 18 -- Alberta Shadowing Day for Prospective Students

November 22 -- Annual Talent Show

November 23-25 -- Thanksgiving Break

Mrs. Tara Beck -- tara.beck@southside.edu

Mrs. Kristen Beekwilder -- kristen.beekwilder@southside.edu

Mrs. Katherine Clatterbuck -- katherine.clatterbuck@southside.edu

Mrs. Sarah Fenwick -- sarah.fenwick@southside.edu

Mrs. Wendy Kidd -- wendy.kidd@southside.edu

Mrs. Ann Moore -- ann.moore@southside.edu

Mrs. Lori Moore -- lori.moore@southside.edu

Mrs. Leslie Poling -- leslie.poling@southside.edu

Mrs. Chelsea Thorpe -- chelsea.taylor@southside.edu

Ms. Connie Tucker -- connie.tucker@southside.edu (Administrative Assistant)

Mrs. Wesley Swain -- wesley.swain@southside.edu (Director)