Maine School of Science and Mathematics
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Maine School of Science and Mathematics | |
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| Established | 1995 |
| Location | Limestone, Maine, USA 46°54′28″N 67°49′43″W / 46.9078°N 67.8285°WCoordinates: 46°54′28″N 67°49′43″W / 46.9078°N 67.8285°W |
| Mascot | Penguin |
| Website | www.mssm.org |
The Maine School of Science and Mathematics (MSSM) is a magnet high school in Limestone, Maine.
Students from all over the state, as well as some from other states and international students are enrolled in MSSM. Students at MSSM are offered a variety of courses that would not be offered at the schools in which they were previously enrolled. The MSSM is a boarding school with a dormitory for students.
In 2008, U.S. News & World Report ranked MSSM #12 on its list of "America's Best High Schools," a ranking of public high schools in the United States. The school is a member of the National Consortium for Specialized Secondary Schools of Mathematics, Science and Technology (NCSSSMST).
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[edit] Admissions
MSSM students are admitted on the basis of an application, including an essay; the SAT, SSAT or PSAT; teacher recommendations; and transcript analysis.
Students from Maine are required to pay only for room and board ($7,800 for 2009-10). Students from outside of Maine pay full tuition ($31,000 for 2009–10).
[edit] Courses
MSSM has four departments: Mathematics; Science; Humanities; and Computer Science and Information Technologies. Each contains its own faculty, both full-time and adjunct, with some teachers crossing over departmental boundaries. The faculty is drawn from within Maine as well as across the country.
Courses at MSSM focus on math and science, but the school offers a broad range of college-level humanities courses. A number of courses are also designated as Advanced Placement. Foreign language courses include Spanish, French, and Mandarin Chinese. Courses are scheduled in the evening in addition to the standard school day.
Math courses at MSSM include Intermediate Algebra, Advanced Math, Before Calculus, Calculus, Linear Algebra, Statistics, Differential Equations, and, formerly, Real Analysis.
Science courses include Physics, Chemistry, and Biology — all of which have honors and advanced placement levels — as well as Astronomy, Anatomy & Physiology, Genetics, Geology, Environmental Science, and AP Psychology.
Computer Science courses include Introduction to Programming and Algorithms, Data Structures, Comparative Programming Languages, Web Design and Implementation, Directed Studies, and Computer Science Seminar. Computer Science Seminar students, researching in Computers and Human Interaction (CHI), coauthoring with their instructor, have presented refereed papers to professional, International conferences in New York City, NY, Washington, D.C., Barcelona, Spain, Honolulu, HI, Quebec City, Canada, Las Vegas, Nevada and San Diego, CA. Over a six year period, eleven conference papers have been successfully submitted and presented. These have included thirty-six student co-authorships.
College-level Humanities courses vary from year to year, but there is an English focus in preparation for college. History courses are standard. Electives have included psychology and sociology.
A growing Fine Arts program includes theater, jazz band, and chorus with very successful student participation in regional and state competitions.
Although not all courses at MSSM are Advanced Placement courses, students can request an AP test for any subject which they feel able to test out of. Some MSSM students have tested out of two years of college courses in a given subject.Citation?
[edit] Teachers
The teaching load at MSSM is shared between both full and part-time faculty, some of whom are cross-appointed at other institutions such as the University of Maine at Presque Isle. Although not required to have a teaching certificate, most teachers have previous experience instructing at the high-school or college level. Teachers at the MSSM come from business and industry, the military, the professions, public and independent secondary education, and higher education. Many have garnered awards and recognition on the state, national, and international level.
The teachers at MSSM often go beyond what would be expected, to ensure their students are able to get the help they need, academically or otherwise. It is not uncommon to see a teacher in the dormitory on a Saturday night, and some can even be found talking to students over instant messenger. On field trips, many teachers help the Residential Intern staff (similar to a college Resident Assistant) by acting as chaperones and/or drivers.
[edit] J-Terms
Another characteristic of MSSM unlike other high schools is the "J-Term", which is short for "January term." In J-Terms students are able to engage in several academic activities, such as internships, trips, and classes. Some typical J-Term class are Organic Chemistry, Geometric Adventures and Epidemiology. In the 2007–08 school year, one offering was a trip to France.
J-Term courses are requirements for graduation from MSSM — all students must complete one per year of attendance. Past trip locations have included the Galapagos Islands, Ireland, China, and Costa Rica[citation needed].
