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Parent testimony and robotics demo highlight GSSM student supports and competitive success
Summary
A parent praised the school's nonacademic supports (nursing, counseling, residential staff) while students showcased robotics achievements, including state championships and world‑championship participation; teams described outreach to younger students and per‑robot costs around $5,000.
Trustees heard a parent testimonial and a student robotics demonstration that illustrated both the Governor's School for Science and Mathematics’ residential supports and the scope of student STEM work.
Parent Christine Laru described concerns before her son Griffin enrolled—medical needs, distance from home and homesickness—and said school staff (nursing, counseling and residential life) and monthly family check‑ins helped turn concern into confidence: "They create a community and Griffin found his people," she said, adding that in two years her son required urgent care only twice.
Students and coaches then presented a robotics demo. Student speakers described building multiple competition robots (each estimated at about $5,000 in parts) and using outreach to start FIRST teams at local schools. Team members said they won state competitions and attended the world championship, where they also received help from international teams. They described technical work—custom plate frames, swerve drives, and physics models to tune flywheel speed and shooter angle—and said outreach activities and judged portfolios are essential to awards that evaluate design, programming and community engagement.
Why it matters: trustees saw concrete examples of how residential supports and extracurricular STEM programs combine to form student development, outreach and college‑preparation outcomes. The robotics teams also cited grant support and foundation help as key to offsetting costs.
What’s next: trustees recessed for a robotics demonstration and noted the program’s growth (multiple FTC teams and an underwater robotics effort) as part of the school’s broader outreach and experiential learning agenda.
