Spotswood High School Challenge Program
Louise Liddle, M.Ed. - High School Challenge Coordinator,

Informational Downloads for Parents and Students
Seminar Websites Information

Mrs. Liddle's office is room 10 close to the Large Commons.  She's at SHS on Odd days (except Friday) to meet with students or parents on anything about the program or college prep, college selection and/or plans.

You've noticed that the Challenge Program changed as you moved from elementary to middle school. There are even more changes as you get to high school; its all about identifying opportunities and making choices. There are no high school classes designed exclusively for Challenge Students. ALL academically-strong students are encouraged to stretch themselves by choosing honors and AP courses, foreign language courses, and challenging electives. College admissions offices stress the importance of choosing the most demanding courses, especially in the areas of your academic strengths.

Our Spotswood Guidance Counselors, Sarah Lam, Pam Elmore, and Lynn Briggman are wonderful resources to assist you in identifying appropriate courses. Listen to what they have to say: they have a good bit of experience and know what will make you the most competitive when its time to apply to college.

Here are some of the activities that you should be considering during your time here as a Spotswood Challenge student:

Destination Imagination - This is creative problem-solving at its best! Create or join a team and compete with other high school students from Virginia, the U.S. and the world. Check out the DI website: http://www.idodi.org/

Massanutten Regional Governors School -  This competitive program is an outstanding college-prep opportunity for gifted juniors and seniors in Rockingham County, as well as Harrisonburg, Shenandoah County and Page County.  With an environmental science focus, students spend part of each school day at the site in Mt. Jackson, in a interactive and collaborative learning experience, doing hands-on research, earning college credits and working with outstanding faculty members and students from outside their division.  They return to their home school to complete their afternoon classes.

Summer Residential Governor's School - This very competitive program identifies the most talented students in the commonwealth to participate, at no charge, in a 3-week summer experience. This is open to current sophomore and junior members of the Challenge Program (as well as other gifted and talented programs throughout Virginia )and, it is a one-time only experience for students selected. We, as a school division, are allowed a limited number of nominees. The process begins when a student completes an application and turns it in to me in the Counseling Office. Our nominees are selected by means of a point system which takes into account such items as GPA, scores on standardized tests, extracurricular activities, recommendations, and an application essay.

Students applying for Governor's School in the Visual and Performing Arts may choose:
There is an adjudication process in Richmond, in January. The results are sent to me and they become part of the decision-making process for determining our nominees.


Students applying for Academic Governor's School choose from:
    Humanities
    Mathematics, Science & Technology
    Medicine and Life Sciences
    Mentorships in Engineering and Marine Science
    Foreign Language Academics in:
1.    *French
2.    *German
3.    *Spanish
4.    *Latin
5.    *Japanese
6.    *Russian

There is a wealth of information online about Governor's School.
Please start at http://www.pen.k12.va.us/VDOE/Instruction/Govschools/ and follow the links to specific information that you seek.

Valley Ridge Governor's School - This is an outstanding opportunity for immersion into environmental science in an 11-day, hands-on experience at JMU, Shenandoah National Park and The Chesapeake Bay. Participants meet and work with top-notch faculty and researchers, participate in current research, use state-of-the-art hardware and software, and interact with peers from Rockingham County, Harrisonburg, Augusta County, Staunton, Waynesboro, Shenandoah County, and Page County. This is a highly competitive program. Applications are accepted from current Freshmen, Sophomores and Juniors and former participants are eligible to reapply.

College Night - This is your opportunity to join other students and families in this part of the valley, on an evening in late September or early October, to stroll among displays and visit with representatives from more than 90 colleges, universities and academies, in our region of the US, as well as the armed services, and to consider your many post- secondary options.