Maine School of Science and Mathematics
Encyclopedia
The Maine School of Science and Mathematics (MSSM) is a residential magnet
high school
in Limestone, Maine
.
MSSM serves students from all over the State
of Maine, as well as youth from other states and international student
s. It is a high school for students in grades 9-12, and its summer program is for boys and girls from grades 5-9. The MSSM is a boarding school
with a dormitory
for up to 140 students.
Chartered and funded by the Maine State Legislature, MSSM opened with a pioneer class in 1995. At that time, it was only the eleventh statewide residential magnet school specializing in mathematics and science education in the United States and the only school of its kind in New England. Both remain true today.
MSSM graduates attend leading colleges around the country. In 2011, U.S. News & World Report
ranked MSSM #56 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).
, SSAT
or PSAT; teacher recommendations; and transcript analysis.
MSSM is a public school, so tuition is free for residents of Maine; however, families are required to pay an annual fee of at least $500 for room and board
and associated costs such as dorm supervision and weekend activities. In 2010-11, the maximum R&B fee of $7,900 was paid by approximately 60% of student families. Depending on their family income, the other families paid as little as $500 for room and board. The fee for students from outside Maine was $38,750 for 2010–11, which includes tuition
as well as the R&B fee.
The incoming group of students in 2010 came from the following Maine counties: Androscoggin (6%), Aroostook (11%), Cumberland (20%), Franklin (3%), Hancock (6%), Kennebec (3%), Knox (6%), Oxford (3%), Penobscot (9%), Sagadahoc (6%), Washington (3%), and York (18%). In the incoming 2010 class , there were no new students from Lincoln, Piscataquis, Somerset or Waldo Counties. International students were six percent.
The annual deadlines for admissions are December 15, February 15 and April 15. After April 15, applications are accepted if spaces are still available.
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
and Mandarin Chinese. Courses are scheduled in the evening in addition to the standard school day. There are no Saturday classes.
Math courses at MSSM include Advanced Math, Before Calculus, Calculus, Linear Algebra, Statistics, Differential Equations, and Real Analysis. Starting in the 2010-11 school year, all applicants had to place into Advanced Math as Intermediate Algebra was no longer offered.
Science courses include Physics, Chemistry, and Biology — all of which have honors and advanced placement levels, with the exception of Biology, which only has two levels: Introductory and AP — as well as Astronomy, Anatomy & Physiology, Genetics, Environmental Science, and AP Psychology.
Computer Science courses include Introduction to Programming and Algorithms and Data Structures. Other computer science courses such as Programming Languages, Web Design and Implementation, Directed Studies, etc. are being offered. 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 San Diego, CA and Penang, Malaysia. Over a seven year period, twelve conference papers have been successfully submitted and presented. These have included thirty-eight 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 for Maine high schools. Electives have included psychology and sociology.
A formal Fine Arts program includes musical ensemble
, art history, watercolor painting and chorus. Other activities are done at the club level. The school also offers intramural sports and several interscholastic teams in partnership with other schools and programs in the area. Students also can train at the Maine Winter Sports Center, an internationally recognized center for Nordic skiing and biathlon.
The Siemens Awards for Advanced Placement are awarded each year to the male and female student in each state with the greatest number of scores of 5 on the AP math and science exams, and in 2010 both winners were from MSSM. Although not all courses at MSSM are Advanced Placement courses, students can request an AP test for any subject. In addition, some courses are cross-listed with 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.
It is not uncommon to see teachers in the dormitory on a Saturday night, and some can even be found talking to students over Google Talk
. One math teacher, Pete Pedersen, is particularly gifted and was recognized as one of the best math teachers in the US. On field trips, many teachers help the Residential Intern staff (similar to a college Resident Assistant) by acting as chaperones and/or drivers.
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. Non-science programs are also offered, such as a Learning to Quilt, Contemporary Issues & Debate and Literature Course on Harry Potter. Locations for off-site J-terms include Bahamas, China
, Costa Rica
, Galapagos Islands
, Ireland
, Italy
and Spain
.
Topics for summer exploration in 2010 included: A-“Mazing” Labyrinths, Astronomical Adventure Tour, Math History's Mysteries, Biological Breakdowns, Mathematical Music, Energy of the Future, Physics of Projectiles, Forensic Chemistry, Robo-Vision!, Kemistry in the Kitchen, and Video Games Made Easy.
The combined graduating classes of 2009, 2010 and 2011 are attending the following institutions of higher education: Allegheny College, Alfred University; Babson College (2); Bentley University; Boston University (2 alumni); Bowdoin College (3); Carnegie Mellon University (2); Case Western Reserve University; Castleton State College; Clarkson University (2); Colorado State University; Columbia College; Connecticut College (2); Creighton University; Daniel Webster College; Drexel University (2); Elizabethtown College, Harvard College, Johns Hopkins University; Lehigh University; Leslie College; Maine Maritime Academy; Massachusetts College of Pharmacy & Health Services; Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Moravian College (3); Mount Allison University (2); Mount Holyoke College; New College of Florida; Newmont University, Northeastern University (6); Oxford University; Queens College; Reed College; Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (4); Rhodes College; Roberts Wesleyan College; Rochester Institute of Technology; Russell Sage College; Rutgers; St. John’s University; St. Lawrence University; SUNY Farmingdale State College; Tufts University; Tulane University; United State Military Academy at West Point; University of Central Florida; University of Maine at Augusta; University of Maine at Farmington (2); University of Maine at Orono (10); University of Massachusetts at Amherst; University of New England; University of North Carolina Wilmington; University of South Florida; University of Southern Maine (3); University of Sussex; University of Vermont (2); Wentworth Institute of Technology (3); Wesleyan University; and Worcester Polytechnic Institute (4).
An internet search in 2010 identified the types of jobs held by alumni. The diversity of their jobs shows the impact of the school on Maine children, families and communities. Some alumni serve as "ambassadors" of the State of Maine by working in other states and demonstrate the quality of MSSM education by way of their success in the national labor pool.
Magnet school
In education in the United States, magnet schools are public schools with specialized courses or curricula. "Magnet" refers to how the schools draw students from across the normal boundaries defined by authorities as school zones that feed into certain schools.There are magnet schools at the...
high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
in Limestone, Maine
Limestone, Maine
Limestone is a town in Aroostook County, Maine, United States. The population was 2,314 at the 2010 census. The town is best known for being the home of the Loring Commerce Center...
.
MSSM serves students from all over the State
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Maine, as well as youth from other states and international student
International student
According to Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development , international students are those who travel to a country different from their own for the purpose of tertiary study. Despite that, the definition of international students varies in each country in accordance to their own national...
s. It is a high school for students in grades 9-12, and its summer program is for boys and girls from grades 5-9. The MSSM is a boarding school
Boarding school
A boarding school is a school where some or all pupils study and live during the school year with their fellow students and possibly teachers and/or administrators. The word 'boarding' is used in the sense of "bed and board," i.e., lodging and meals...
with a dormitory
Dormitory
A dormitory, often shortened to dorm, in the United States is a residence hall consisting of sleeping quarters or entire buildings primarily providing sleeping and residential quarters for large numbers of people, often boarding school, college or university students...
for up to 140 students.
Chartered and funded by the Maine State Legislature, MSSM opened with a pioneer class in 1995. At that time, it was only the eleventh statewide residential magnet school specializing in mathematics and science education in the United States and the only school of its kind in New England. Both remain true today.
MSSM graduates attend leading colleges around the country. In 2011, U.S. News & World Report
U.S. News & World Report
U.S. News & World Report is an American news magazine published from Washington, D.C. Along with Time and Newsweek it was for many years a leading news weekly, focusing more than its counterparts on political, economic, health and education stories...
ranked MSSM #56 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
National Consortium for Specialized Secondary Schools of Mathematics, Science and Technology
National Consortium for Specialized Secondary Schools of Mathematics, Science and Technology is an alliance of specialized high schools in the United States whose focus is advanced preparatory studies in mathematics, science and technology....
(NCSSSMST).
Admissions
MSSM students are admitted on the basis of an application, including an essay; the SATSAT
The SAT Reasoning Test is a standardized test for college admissions in the United States. The SAT is owned, published, and developed by the College Board, a nonprofit organization in the United States. It was formerly developed, published, and scored by the Educational Testing Service which still...
, SSAT
Secondary School Admission Test
The Secondary School Admission Test, or SSAT, is an admissions test administered by the Secondary School Admission Test Board to students in grades 5-11 to help determine placement into independent or private junior high and high schools....
or PSAT; teacher recommendations; and transcript analysis.
MSSM is a public school, so tuition is free for residents of Maine; however, families are required to pay an annual fee of at least $500 for room and board
Room and board
Room and board describes a situation where, in exchange for money, labor or other considerations, a person is provided with a place to live as well as meals on a comprehensive basis...
and associated costs such as dorm supervision and weekend activities. In 2010-11, the maximum R&B fee of $7,900 was paid by approximately 60% of student families. Depending on their family income, the other families paid as little as $500 for room and board. The fee for students from outside Maine was $38,750 for 2010–11, which includes tuition
Tuition
Tuition payments, known primarily as tuition in American English and as tuition fees in British English, Canadian English, Australian English, New Zealand English and Indian English, refers to a fee charged for educational instruction during higher education.Tuition payments are charged by...
as well as the R&B fee.
The incoming group of students in 2010 came from the following Maine counties: Androscoggin (6%), Aroostook (11%), Cumberland (20%), Franklin (3%), Hancock (6%), Kennebec (3%), Knox (6%), Oxford (3%), Penobscot (9%), Sagadahoc (6%), Washington (3%), and York (18%). In the incoming 2010 class , there were no new students from Lincoln, Piscataquis, Somerset or Waldo Counties. International students were six percent.
The annual deadlines for admissions are December 15, February 15 and April 15. After April 15, applications are accepted if spaces are still available.
Courses
The link for the Fall 2011 course schedule is at the bottom of this entry. (external links)MSSM has four departments: Mathematics
Mathematics
Mathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
; Science
Science
Science is a systematic enterprise that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe...
; Humanities
Humanities
The humanities are academic disciplines that study the human condition, using methods that are primarily analytical, critical, or speculative, as distinguished from the mainly empirical approaches of the natural sciences....
; and Computer Science
Computer science
Computer science or computing science is the study of the theoretical foundations of information and computation and of practical techniques for their implementation and application in computer systems...
and Information Technologies
Information technology
Information technology is the acquisition, processing, storage and dissemination of vocal, pictorial, textual and numerical information by a microelectronics-based combination of computing and telecommunications...
. 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
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
and Mandarin Chinese. Courses are scheduled in the evening in addition to the standard school day. There are no Saturday classes.
Math courses at MSSM include Advanced Math, Before Calculus, Calculus, Linear Algebra, Statistics, Differential Equations, and Real Analysis. Starting in the 2010-11 school year, all applicants had to place into Advanced Math as Intermediate Algebra was no longer offered.
Science courses include Physics, Chemistry, and Biology — all of which have honors and advanced placement levels, with the exception of Biology, which only has two levels: Introductory and AP — as well as Astronomy, Anatomy & Physiology, Genetics, Environmental Science, and AP Psychology.
Computer Science courses include Introduction to Programming and Algorithms and Data Structures. Other computer science courses such as Programming Languages, Web Design and Implementation, Directed Studies, etc. are being offered. 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 San Diego, CA and Penang, Malaysia. Over a seven year period, twelve conference papers have been successfully submitted and presented. These have included thirty-eight 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 for Maine high schools. Electives have included psychology and sociology.
A formal Fine Arts program includes musical ensemble
Musical ensemble
A musical ensemble is a group of people who perform instrumental or vocal music. In classical music, trios or quartets either blend the sounds of musical instrument families or group together instruments from the same instrument family, such as string ensembles or wind ensembles...
, art history, watercolor painting and chorus. Other activities are done at the club level. The school also offers intramural sports and several interscholastic teams in partnership with other schools and programs in the area. Students also can train at the Maine Winter Sports Center, an internationally recognized center for Nordic skiing and biathlon.
The Siemens Awards for Advanced Placement are awarded each year to the male and female student in each state with the greatest number of scores of 5 on the AP math and science exams, and in 2010 both winners were from MSSM. Although not all courses at MSSM are Advanced Placement courses, students can request an AP test for any subject. In addition, some courses are cross-listed with the University of Maine at Presque Isle.
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 IsleUniversity of Maine at Presque Isle
The University of Maine at Presque Isle is part of the University of Maine System. Located in Presque Isle, UMPI offers studies in social and life sciences, business, recreation, education, and natural sciences. Its campus radio station is WUPI....
. 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.
It is not uncommon to see teachers in the dormitory on a Saturday night, and some can even be found talking to students over Google Talk
Google Talk
Google Talk is a freeware voice over Internet protocol client application offered by Google Inc. The first beta version of the program was released on August 24, 2005...
. One math teacher, Pete Pedersen, is particularly gifted and was recognized as one of the best math teachers in the US. On field trips, many teachers help the Residential Intern staff (similar to a college Resident Assistant) by acting as chaperones and/or drivers.
Residential Magnet School
MSSM is a residential magnet school, with dormitory space for about 125 students. The dorm is co-educational by hall. Facilities include pool, gymnasium, exercise room, auditorium and sport fields. Students can use the library and other facilities at the University of Maine in Presque Isle, and they also can participate in the internationally acclaimed biathlon/Nordic ski program run by the Maine Winter Sports Center.J-Terms
Another characteristic of MSSM which distinguishes it from many other high schools is the "J-Term", which is short for "January term." J-Term courses are requirements for graduation from MSSM — all students must complete one per year of attendance.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. Non-science programs are also offered, such as a Learning to Quilt, Contemporary Issues & Debate and Literature Course on Harry Potter. Locations for off-site J-terms include Bahamas, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, Costa Rica
Costa Rica
Costa Rica , officially the Republic of Costa Rica is a multilingual, multiethnic and multicultural country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the southeast, the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Caribbean Sea to the east....
, Galapagos Islands
Galápagos Islands
The Galápagos Islands are an archipelago of volcanic islands distributed around the equator in the Pacific Ocean, west of continental Ecuador, of which they are a part.The Galápagos Islands and its surrounding waters form an Ecuadorian province, a national park, and a...
, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
and Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
.
MSSM Summer Camp
Since 1999, MSSM has run a highly successful residential summer camp for grades 5-9. The camp uses all school facilities. The program is single sex, with independent week-long sessions for boys and girls. Tuition is $550/week.Topics for summer exploration in 2010 included: A-“Mazing” Labyrinths, Astronomical Adventure Tour, Math History's Mysteries, Biological Breakdowns, Mathematical Music, Energy of the Future, Physics of Projectiles, Forensic Chemistry, Robo-Vision!, Kemistry in the Kitchen, and Video Games Made Easy.
MSSM Alumni
In recent years, MSSM has been graduating 30-40 students per year, and the total number of alumni is 752 (the graduating classes of 1996-2011). The 36 seniors in 2011 accepted $854,800 in merit-based scholarships to help pay for their four-years of college.The combined graduating classes of 2009, 2010 and 2011 are attending the following institutions of higher education: Allegheny College, Alfred University; Babson College (2); Bentley University; Boston University (2 alumni); Bowdoin College (3); Carnegie Mellon University (2); Case Western Reserve University; Castleton State College; Clarkson University (2); Colorado State University; Columbia College; Connecticut College (2); Creighton University; Daniel Webster College; Drexel University (2); Elizabethtown College, Harvard College, Johns Hopkins University; Lehigh University; Leslie College; Maine Maritime Academy; Massachusetts College of Pharmacy & Health Services; Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Moravian College (3); Mount Allison University (2); Mount Holyoke College; New College of Florida; Newmont University, Northeastern University (6); Oxford University; Queens College; Reed College; Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (4); Rhodes College; Roberts Wesleyan College; Rochester Institute of Technology; Russell Sage College; Rutgers; St. John’s University; St. Lawrence University; SUNY Farmingdale State College; Tufts University; Tulane University; United State Military Academy at West Point; University of Central Florida; University of Maine at Augusta; University of Maine at Farmington (2); University of Maine at Orono (10); University of Massachusetts at Amherst; University of New England; University of North Carolina Wilmington; University of South Florida; University of Southern Maine (3); University of Sussex; University of Vermont (2); Wentworth Institute of Technology (3); Wesleyan University; and Worcester Polytechnic Institute (4).
An internet search in 2010 identified the types of jobs held by alumni. The diversity of their jobs shows the impact of the school on Maine children, families and communities. Some alumni serve as "ambassadors" of the State of Maine by working in other states and demonstrate the quality of MSSM education by way of their success in the national labor pool.
- Math teacher on Vinalhaven, ME
- Math Faculty at the High Mountain Institute in CO
- Production manager at Sappi, Westbrook, ME
- Software Development Engineer, Microsoft, Redmond, WA
- Executive Director, MSSM, Limestone, ME
- Stability & Control Engineer, The Boeing Company, Seattle WA
- IS Manager at Hammond Lumber Company, Maine
- Computer Programmer at Emery Waterhouse, Portland, ME
- Quality Control Technician at Siemens Healthcare in Boston, MA
- Software engineer at AccuRev in Boston, MA
- Software engineer at BAE Systems, Massachusetts
- Design engineer at GE Lighting in Ohio
- Business Process Analyst at Cambridge Trust Company
- Assistant Planner at Windham Regional Commission, Springfield, MA
- Software Development Engineer at A9.com, San Francisco, CA
- Systems Administrator at Sunshine Suites Realty Management in New York, NY
- Benefits Analyst at Intelsat, Washington, DC
- Mechanical Engineer II at Northrop Grumman Corporation, San Antonio, TX
- Data Analyst at Bank Of America, Jersey City, NJ
- English Teacher at Hanyang University, Seoul, South Korea
External links
- Official MSSM Website
- Summer Camp Website
- MSSM Parents Association Website
- MSSM Alumni Association Group on Facebook
- Maine Statute establishing the MSSM
- US News's report on Best High Schools
- Fall 2011 Course Schedule
- http://education.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-high-schools/rankings/gold-medal-list?page=3