Upcoming Events
Today
- College Preparatory Seminar5/27/2013
5/30/2013
5/31/2013
6/1/2013
District Announcements
Our thoughts and prayers are with the children and families touched by the tragedy in Oklahoma.
Announcements
Governor's School Senior Ceremony - June 1, 2013
The Governor's School will hold our 2nd annual ceremony for seniors on Saturday, June 1, 2013 in the Verizon Auditorium of Occoquan Building on George Mason University Prince William Campus. Seniors will receive guest tickets on May 31.
Summer Opportunity - Computer Game Design
The Summer Game Institute, offered by the George Mason University Computer Game Design Program, offers courses in the fundamentals of Game Design, 3D Game Design, Art and Animation, App development for iOS and Android, C++ programming, Java, and just for fun – learning Java through Minecraft modding. Some courses will be eligible for credit within the Mason Game Design Program.
Students can gain hands-on experience using state-of-the-art technology, participate in team-based activities, and learn about the career opportunities in serious and entertainment game design and mobile app development.
Each course above is one week long, Monday – Friday, 9:00AM-4:00PM, starting June 24th - August 9. The cost per course is $575.00, and extended hours are available for an additional $75.00 per week. Students can sign up for a single class, or as many weeks as they wish.
Summer Game Institute alumni will be invited to all special events, conferences, workshops, and guest lectures held at the Mason Game Design Program throughout the academic year.
To learn more, or to register, visit: http://potomacacademy.gmu.edu/Summer/GameDesign/GameInstitute.html Or www.PotomacAcademy.org. For questions, please contact:vlichten@gmu.edu.
Summer Opportunity for Students
Register for "Earth 2100 Conference" July 27-28, 2013 at George Mason University: "Effecting change, Defining our futures, and Healing Earth".
Participants will learn what's happening to the planet, create an alternative Youth Plan, and act to effect change in their lives and other's! You will interact with representatives from the United Nations Environment Programme and four key environmental think tanks.
Early registration ends April 30th, and cost is only $35.00.
Visit http://www.ourtask.org/earth_2100_conference for more information, or register at http://earth2100conference-registration.eventbrite.com!
Julia Ross College Preparatory Seminar - May 22
Students and parents are encouraged to attend this informative seminar at no cost to families.
Location: Verizon Auditorium of Occoquan Building, George Mason University, Prince William Campus, 10900 University Boulevard, Manassas, VA 20110.
Time 7:00 - 9:00 p.m.
Topics addressed will include how to identify colleges that meet the individual needs of students - including academic, social, athletic, and financial needs.
Parents and students will learn tips for confidently navigating the college application process, including ideas for:
* Drafting a professional, stellar student resume;
* Requesting and obtaining impressive recommendations;
* Writing strong college essays;
* Simplifying choices relating to Early Decision, Early Action, Rolling and Regular Admissions Plans;
* Developing sharp interviewing skills that will leave a lasting impression.
Attendees should park in Occoquan, King or Discovery Lot and pay the $1/hour parking fee at the Kiosk located at the entrance of Occoquan Lot. Please note your parking space number to do so.
Location: Verizon Auditorium of Occoquan Building, George Mason University, Prince William Campus, 10900 University Boulevard, Manassas, VA 20110.
Time 7:00 - 9:00 p.m.
Topics addressed will include how to identify colleges that meet the individual needs of students - including academic, social, athletic, and financial needs.
Parents and students will learn tips for confidently navigating the college application process, including ideas for:
* Drafting a professional, stellar student resume;
* Requesting and obtaining impressive recommendations;
* Writing strong college essays;
* Simplifying choices relating to Early Decision, Early Action, Rolling and Regular Admissions Plans;
* Developing sharp interviewing skills that will leave a lasting impression.
Attendees should park in Occoquan, King or Discovery Lot and pay the $1/hour parking fee at the Kiosk located at the entrance of Occoquan Lot. Please note your parking space number to do so.
Governor's School Celebrates Earth Week April 21 - 27, 2013
In observance of Earth Week which is April 21-27, 2013, students from The Governor's School @ Innovation Park have planned the following activities:
Monday, April 22- All students are requested to wear orange. Special gifts will be distributed in efforts to assist our students with being more environmentally friendly
Tuesday, April 23 - All students are requested to wear green. A guest speaker (GMU Professor) will address the junior class at 8:30 am on environmental friendliness
Wednesday, April 24 - All students are requested to wear yellow. During break, students will offer a delicious taste test of organic vs. non-organic foods as well as information about the nutritional differences
Thursday, April 25 - All students are requested to wear blue. Gifts will be distributed to encourage a more eco-friendly environment.
Friday, April 26 - All students are requested to participate in our "Patriot Day" by wearing yellow, green, and white. A fun dessert will be provided during break as part of our gearing up for Saturday's eventSaturday, April 27 - All students are encouraged to participate in our "Innovation Park Team" Spring Occoquan River Clean-Up event. The event will be held at Bull Run Marina, 12619 Old Yates Ford Road, Clifton, VA 20124
Congratulations to our "PortaJuice Team" State Finalists of the 2013 Siemens We Can Change the World Challenge
Congratulations to our "PortaJuice Team" members Jiaming (Jimmy) Zhao, Justin Rivera and Michael Machado (pictured) who have been recognized as State Finalists in the 2013 Siemens We Can Change the World Challenge.
The team worked under the guidance of Mr. Sami Nefissi, a faculty member at The Governor's School @ Innovation Park. Their project focus was how today's society water usage creates much waste water, waste that has the potential to be reused. This waste water does not need major sewage or filtration treatment, commonly known as "gray" water. The student's propose methods to reclaim this water and use it in a viable manner.
The team worked under the guidance of Mr. Sami Nefissi, a faculty member at The Governor's School @ Innovation Park. Their project focus was how today's society water usage creates much waste water, waste that has the potential to be reused. This waste water does not need major sewage or filtration treatment, commonly known as "gray" water. The student's propose methods to reclaim this water and use it in a viable manner.
Governor's School Students Attend ExxonMobil's Minority Student Business Awareness Day
Congratulations to Eric Agyemang-Dua, Miles Franklin, and Alexander Meyer for representing The Governor's School @ Innovation Park at the 2013 ExxonMobil Minority Student Business Awareness Day (MSBAD). MSBAD is designed to encourage miniority students to pursue higher education in the areas of science, technology, and business, as well as provide them with exposure to what a career in Corporate America would be like. Miles Franklin (pictured), a senior at The Governor's School and Forest Park High School, received an Honorable Mention award for the essay he submitted as part of the application process to attend MSBAD.
Governor's School Students' Research Recognized at Virginia State Science and Engineering Fair
Students from The Governor's School @ Innovation Park received several awards from the 2013 Virginia State Science and Engineering Fair held at the Virginia Military Institute in Lexington.
Mitchell Gillin, who also attends Battlefield High School, and partner Maddie Guyant, who is also a student at Forest Park High School, won first place for their Environmental Science project, “Algae: A Blooming Fuel Source.” Their project relates to determining which taxonomic category of algae might give the highest yield as a source of biodiesel. The team conducted their experimental research under the guidance of Jenny England and Elizabeth Romano, faculty members at The Governor’s School @ Innovation Park.
Chandler King and Zachary Chapman placed third with their biochemistry project “Hair Pigmentation: The Link Between Cats, Cancer, and Spiny Mice.” King also attends Osbourn Park High School and Chapman is also enrolled at Battlefield High School.
Aleco Reynolds, who also attends Battlefield High School, placed third in the Engineering: Electrical and Mechanical category for “Super-Resolved Iris Recognition.”
2013 Regional Science Fair Winners
For the second consecutive year, students from The Governor’s School @ Innovation Park made a dramatic statement by capturing several top prizes at the Prince William County-Manassas Regional Science Fair held on March 16, 2013.
Mitchell Gillin, who also attends Battlefield High School, and partner Maddie Guyant who is also a student at Forest Park High School were awarded the Senior Division Grand Prize and multiple certificates for their Environmental Science project, “Algae: A Blooming Fuel Source.” Their project relates to determining which taxonomic category of algae might give the highest yield as a source of biodiesel. The team conducted their experimental research under the guidance of Mrs. Jenny England and Mrs. Elizabeth Romano, both of which are faculty members at The Governor’s School @ Innovation Park.
Adding additional emphasis, each student entry from The Governor’s School @ Innovation Park garnered an award at this year’s Science Fair, several of which were recipients of first place awards in their category. Zachary Chapman, also a student at Battlefield High School, and team member Chandler King who also attends Osbourn Park High School received first place recognition in the Biochemistry category as well as multiple certificates. Working under the guidance of their mentors from George Mason University, these students were able to impressively portray their novel findings that a particular protein may be linked to hair regeneration. Such findings could have implications for cancer patients experiencing hair loss due to chemotherapy and radiation treatments.
Mitchell Gillin, who also attends Battlefield High School, and partner Maddie Guyant who is also a student at Forest Park High School were awarded the Senior Division Grand Prize and multiple certificates for their Environmental Science project, “Algae: A Blooming Fuel Source.” Their project relates to determining which taxonomic category of algae might give the highest yield as a source of biodiesel. The team conducted their experimental research under the guidance of Mrs. Jenny England and Mrs. Elizabeth Romano, both of which are faculty members at The Governor’s School @ Innovation Park.
Adding additional emphasis, each student entry from The Governor’s School @ Innovation Park garnered an award at this year’s Science Fair, several of which were recipients of first place awards in their category. Zachary Chapman, also a student at Battlefield High School, and team member Chandler King who also attends Osbourn Park High School received first place recognition in the Biochemistry category as well as multiple certificates. Working under the guidance of their mentors from George Mason University, these students were able to impressively portray their novel findings that a particular protein may be linked to hair regeneration. Such findings could have implications for cancer patients experiencing hair loss due to chemotherapy and radiation treatments.
Aleco Reynolds, who also attends Battlefield High School, earned first place in the Engineering category and multiple certificates for his “Super-Resolved Iris Recognition Project” which has practical applications to both the security industry and everyday life.
Olivia Carros, also a student at Manassas Park High School, along with team members Shreya Raman and Jason Zhang who also attend Osbourn High School and Osbourn Park High School earned first place in the Medicine and Health Sciences category and multiple certificates for their project “Determination of Tumor Heterogeneity n Primary Cell Culture of Renal Tumor.” These students also worked under the guidance of George Mason University faculty.
Mohammad Hossain, also a student at Freedom High School, and team member Nader Maharmeh who is also a student at Patriot High School earned second place category award and multiple certificates for their project “Near Earth Object Discovery.” Working under the guidance of The Governor’s School faculty member Dr. John Gardner, this team’s undertaking led them to successfully discover and name multiple new asteroids through their research which is currently awaiting verification at the national level.
Mohammad Hossain, also a student at Freedom High School, and team member Nader Maharmeh who is also a student at Patriot High School earned second place category award and multiple certificates for their project “Near Earth Object Discovery.” Working under the guidance of The Governor’s School faculty member Dr. John Gardner, this team’s undertaking led them to successfully discover and name multiple new asteroids through their research which is currently awaiting verification at the national level.
Caroline Gellene, who attends Battlefield High School as well as The Governor’s School, along with team member Justin Rivera who is also a student at Osbourn Park High School earned third place in the Chemistry category as well as multiple certificates for their “Green to Burn” project. Caroline and Justin worked under the guidance of The Governor’s School faculty member Mrs. Jenny England to determine which methods are most efficient for converting various taxonomic strains of algae to biodiesel.
Elijah Anderson and Deeksha Jain, both students at Freedom High School as well as The Governor’s School, received honorable mention and multiple certificates for their project in which they worked under the guidance of George Mason University faculty to molecularly identify strains of a particular virus that are more likely to cause illness than related strains.
Manjot Nagyal, who also attends Manassas Park High School, earned honorable mention in her category as well as multiple certificates for her project in which she worked under the guidance of George Mason University faculty on “Characterization of Gut Mucosal Microbiome using Laser Capture Microdissection.” The findings of this project are likely to lead to techniques that can be used to more easily detect and identify bacterial strains leading to colitis.
The Governor’s School Director and faculty members are very proud of these students’ achievements and grateful for the hard work and dedication put forth by the students and mentors.
Elijah Anderson and Deeksha Jain, both students at Freedom High School as well as The Governor’s School, received honorable mention and multiple certificates for their project in which they worked under the guidance of George Mason University faculty to molecularly identify strains of a particular virus that are more likely to cause illness than related strains.
Manjot Nagyal, who also attends Manassas Park High School, earned honorable mention in her category as well as multiple certificates for her project in which she worked under the guidance of George Mason University faculty on “Characterization of Gut Mucosal Microbiome using Laser Capture Microdissection.” The findings of this project are likely to lead to techniques that can be used to more easily detect and identify bacterial strains leading to colitis.
The Governor’s School Director and faculty members are very proud of these students’ achievements and grateful for the hard work and dedication put forth by the students and mentors.
FIRST Robotics Virginia Regional Competition Winners
Two Governor’s School @ Innovation Park students, Adam Baillie who also attends Forest Park High School, and Melissa Thai who is also a student from Stonewall Jackson High School competed in the FIRST Robotics Virginia Regional Competition held March 14 through 16 as part of Team SuperNOVA, 4472. The team finished with a ranking of 11 out of 65 competing teams. The team won the "Highest Seeded Rookie Award" as well as "Rookie All-Star Award” which qualifies them for the World Championships to be held April 25-27, 2013. Congratulations team!
Students Selected to Participate in Cyber Aces Event
Congratulations to Nikita Torosyan, also a student at Battlefield High School, and Joe Mehr who also attends Forest Park High School for being selected to participate in the Cyber Aces Governor's Cup Event on March 2, 2013. These students were selected based on their high national rankings in the Virginia Governor's 1st Annual CyberChallenge earlier this year.
Capitol Day 2013
Congratulations to our students Carleigh Fisher, Chandler King, Jesse Dews, and Sarah Counter (pictured) who attended Capitol Day at the Virginia State Capitol on Tuesday, February 19, 2013. (pictured) represented The Governor’s School @ Innovation Park as they visited with local legislative representatives including to talk about the opportunities awarded to them through The Governor’s School @ Innovation Park and thank them for continuing to support Virginia’s Academic-Year Governor’s Schools.
Congratulations to Our Ocean Bowl Team
Congratulations to our Ocean Bowl Team Caroline Gellene, Maddie Guyant - Team Captain, Avi Montanez, Mitchell Gillin, (pictured) and Ami Patel for their outstanding performance on Saturday, February 23, 2013. Our team placed 2nd in their Division and 4th overall in the competition.
Congratulations to Our CyberChallenge Team
Congratulations to our CyberChallenge Team for their outstanding performance once again in the Module 3 competition and cumulative scores. The national rankings for our students are below:
Nikita Torosyan: School Rank #1, National Rank #20
Joe Mehr: School Rank #2, National Rank #23
Melissa Thai: School Rank #3, National Rank #99
Abbas Idris: School Rank #4, National Rank #117
Justin Rivera: School Rank #5, National Rank #277
Caroline Gellene: School Rank #6, National Rank #441
Krish Danielle Mirambel: School Rank #7, National Rank #661
A Letter on STEM Education to America's Parents (Center for the Study of the Presidency and Congress - CSPC)
On the morning of Thursday, December 6th, CSPC released "A Letter on STEM Education for America's Parents" at the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) to an audience of STEM education professionals, community leaders, and policymakers. The panel discussion was co-chaired by the Honorable Norm Augustine, former Senator Bill Brock and former Governor Roy Romer and moderated by Dr. Shirley Malcom, the Head of the Directorate for Education and Human Resources Programs at AAAS.
Governor's School Student attends the International Space Olympics for Second Consecutive Year
For the second consecutive year, a student at The Governor's School @ Innovation Park was one of five Virginia students selected to attend the International Space Olympics in Russia. Piper Sigrest, a student at both The Governor's School and Osbourn Park High School, attended the International Space Olympics in Russia in Fall 2012. See more about her experience at http://pwcstv.com/vidembed.php?fileref=1578.flv.
2012-13 Class Schedule
Class of 2012 University Acceptance List
Congratulations to our first graduating class for their outstanding achievements leading to acceptance in top universities.
Congratulations 2012 Seniors
On Saturday, June 2, 2012, the first class of forty-four seniors received certificates for completing the two year program at The Governor’s School @ Innovation Park. The multi-colored caps and gowns provided a festive atmosphere for the ceremony and dinner banquet which followed, and also allowed students to proudly display their base school colors.
The ceremony was held at Prince William County Public School Division Kelly Leadership Building for seniors, their families, faculty and staff, as well as representatives from the three participating school divisions, Manassas City Public Schools, Manassas Park City Public Schools, and Prince William County Public Schools.
The keynote speaker, Dr. Alan Merten who is retiring from his position as President of George Mason University this June, reminded students of their responsibility to thank everyone who has played the role of a “teacher” in their lives, as well as their responsibility to put themselves in the role of “teacher” so that they will give back to others what they have been so lucky to receive. Alexandra Johnson also provided a touching address to her fellow classmates.
Members of the original planning committee for the program were also in attendance, as well as representatives from the leadership teams of all 3 participating school divisions.
Siemens We Can Change the World Challenge National Winners
Congratulations to The Governor’s School students Samantha Hughes, Stacie LoVullo, Chandler King, and Kitty Nguyen who were the third place national winners for the high school level 2011-2012 Siemens We Can Change the World Challenge. The competition challenged teams to become active agents in environmental change by learning and taking responsibility for the environment. The Governor’s School students, working under the guidance of their faculty mentor Karen Wolfson, investigated the current level of plastics recycling at George Mason University Prince William Campus. They measured recycling levels as a function of placement of recycling and trash bins and a punishment / rewards system. Their project did increase awareness of recycling opportunities amongst their peers, and the team hopes that their findings will continue to improve recycling rates on the campus.
Congratulations to Ha Young Shin - ISEF Winner!
Congratulations to Ha Young Shin who participated in the 2012 Intel International Science and Engineering Fair and received 4th place Grand Award of $500 in the Microbiology Category. Ha Young was selected to attend ISEF 2012 when she received first place award for her science project on archaebacteria at the Manassas City, Manassas Park, and Prince William County Public School Divisions Regional Science Fair 2012.
Ha Young was amongst the more than 1,500 young scientists, mathematicians, and engineers who were selected to compete in ISEF 2012. Her project, Can Haloarchaea Replace Potassium for Cesium, was unique amongst competitors in that the research focus was on archaebacteria. Ha Young worked under the guidance of her mentors Dr. Carol Litchfield and Dr. Pat Gillevet, both of which are Professors at George Mason University.
