GSSV Gazette

All GSSV students read HG Wells's The War of the Worlds, and the book study culminated in a special day of labs and creative art sessions. While this was supposed to be a full school event, it ended up being only a site event. It was a day of physics, chemistry, painting, biology, social media projects, and a lot of fun, learning, and fellowship.

Mrs. Beck’s world literature students have been studying The Tattooist of Auschwitz, a novel based on a real-life survivor of the camp, and Left to Tell, the autobiography of a survivor of the Rwandan genocide of 1994. Classes held Socratic seminars to deeply discuss the two. In seminar, the teacher takes the backseat and elects student leaders to moderate the discussion. Students prepared questions and discussion topics beforehand, and over coffee and hot tea, they held truly humbling, honest discussions of the books and their connections to current events. Seeing the students in the driver's seat of their learning and discussions is what it's all about!

Alberta STEM seniors had the opportunity to visit Liberty University College of Osteopathic Medicine at the end of February. Students spent time in the model room exploring the relationship between the structures and functions of various human organs. Dr. Swanson spent time explaining how the structures in the ear are able to help us hear and maintain our balance and posture. Students were then able to spend time interacting with various animal lungs before having a lesson in the Gross Human Anatomy Lab where they were able to observe specimens including brains, hearts, and a cadaver. This trip supported student learning in the unit on human organ systems in Biology 102.

GSSV and Central High School junior McKenzie White-Bisek has been chosen to participate in this year's Youth Tour to Washington, D.C. sponsored by Southside Electric Cooperative. The group will be in D.C. this summer. As part of the Youth Tour, McKenzie and the group will get to see many iconic sites in D.C., go to a Nationals baseball game, experience a theater performance, meet with legislators, tour an electric cooperative, eat at some delicious restaurants, and lots more. We are excited McKenzie has been selected for this wonderful opportunity. Congratulations, McKenzie.

Graduation

The SVCC Graduation page is gradually being updated. Please note that graduation will be Saturday, May 11, at 9:30 a.m. at the Joan Perry Brock Center at Longwood University. Bookmark this page and refer to it as information is updated.

Caps and gowns will be available for payment and pick up in the SVCC Bookstore by March 15. You do not need to preorder these online. The cost has not been announced yet. As soon as they are in, the students will be notified.

Washington, D.C. Trip

The final $100 payment for the Washington, D.C. trip is due next week, March 4 - 8. Please bring cash or check (made out to GSSV) by Friday, March 8.

The Governor's School of Southside Virginia has an English instructor opening on the Christanna Campus in Alberta for the 2024-2025 school year. Applicants must hold a current Virginia Teaching License and have a Master's Degree in English or Master's Degree in another area with 18 additional graduate hours in English course-work and have a minimum of three years of teaching experience. Please complete the application on the Cumberland County Public School's website if you are interested.

If you have any questions or would like more information, contact the director, Wesley Swain, at 4340736-2086 or wesley.swain@southside.edu.

If you would like to be added to the parent email distribution list from Mrs. Swain and have not already completed the Google Form, please take a moment to do so. If you cannot access this form, please email Mrs. Swain with your email address and child's name to be manually added.

See Important Dates for March

March 8 - Renaissance Faire in Alberta (all seniors)

March 29 - The Gatsby Gala at Estes Center in Chase City (all juniors)

April 1 - 5 - Spring 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)