GSSV Gazette
October 2023
Extending Classroom Learning
Virginia Fine Arts Museum
Keysville seniors spent a day at the VMFA to expand on the concepts they were learning about in the classroom. They had a scavenger hunt around the museum to identify different types of art media, styles, features, and techniques. They also were to select a piece of art and articulate personal connections with that work. Lastly, they analyzed the relationships of art to various cultures, historical events, religions, and time periods as they toured the different areas of the museum. At the conclusion of the day, the students enjoyed a picnic lunch in the park outside the VMFA.
Creative Writing seniors from the Alberta campus attended Longwood's Virginia Children's Book Festival earlier this month. While there, they listened to authors and artists who shared their works, their writing process and routines, as well as their experiences with book publishers and with film and TV producers. Students who will be writing and creating original children's stories or graphic novel structures appreciate the advice and recommendations for their own works.
Edgar Allan Poe Museum and St. John's Church
Alberta and Keysville juniors participated in their first joint site trip this month when they visited Richmond's Edgar Allan Poe Museum and St. John's Church as a review of historical speakers such as Patrick Henry and a preview of the classes' study of Romanticism, Gothic literature, and especially Poe and his works. Following these two tours, the students enjoyed hanging out together and getting to know each other while having a picnic lunch at Patrick Henry Park.
Outreach in October
"The treehouse spun faster and faster. Then everything was still. Absolutely still."
Keysville Outreach in October was last week, and our students turned the gym into Frog Creek Woods with our Magic Treehouse-themed event. The students were in charge of planning and organizing the engaging activities and decorating the gym and their booths for our feeder elementary and middle school gifted/high achieving students. Each senior group chose a book from the series and created hands-on experiences for our guest students while aligning the activities with the state SOLs. We had ninjas, mummies, knights, ancient Greeks and Romans, and dinosaurs teaching about math, science, history, and language arts.
Never Too Old to Dress Up
Our winners are as follows:
Alberta
First Place: Cameron Shriver as the Alien from Toy Story
Second Place: Abby Moseley as The Lorax, Kai Coronas as Once-ler, and Blair Dickens as Aloysius O'Hare
Keysville
First Place: Charlotte Richmond as Wednesday Addams
Second Place: Kayne Wooten as Napoleon Dynamite
Fall Community Service Project Reminder
More information can be found at https://www.samaritanspurse.org/what-we-do/operation-christmas-child/.
Senior Trip Information
Parent Advisory Committee
Our first meetings have been scheduled.
-- Alberta Campus - Monday, November 13, 2023, 5:00, campus location TBD
-- Keysville Campus - Thursday, November 16, 2023, 5:00, campus location TBD
These meetings will be in-person meetings. We will also hold one joint PAC meeting where parents from both campuses will meet together to discuss the growth of the program as a whole. If you are interested in serving on this committee, please complete the PAC Google Form or email Mrs. Swain (wesley.swain@southside.edu).
Parent Emails
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.
Upcoming Events
November 2 and 3 -- Alberta Outreach
November 7 -- No School
November 9 -- All Senior trip to Blackfriars Playhouse
November 13 -- Alberta Shadowing (Alberta juniors work virtually)
November 16 -- Keysville Shadowing (Keysville juniors work virtually)
November 21 -- Joint Site Event in Alberta
November 22 - 24 -- Closed for Thanksgiving Break
November 29 -- Keysville STEM Seniors to Liberty University School of Medicine
STAFF CONTACT INFORMATION
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)