CORE VALUES AND BELIEFS ABOUT LEARNING
The Marine Science Magnet High School is a safe, respectful, and nurturing environment. The MSMHS Family believes that effort creates ability and that all students can succeed. Our learning community is committed to innovative instruction that promotes effort and ensures academic rigor through a curriculum responsive to our diverse student body. Furthermore, the MSMHS community collaborates with all members to prepare students for post-secondary education by supporting the personal, academic, and career goals of every student. MSMHS inspires students to develop the mindset and character needed to be active stewards of the ocean and contributing citizens in a global community.
The vision of the Marine Science Magnet High School community is that
all graduates will achieve proficiency in the following competencies:
Academic, Civic, and Social Competencies:
- Read and write effectively for a variety of purposes;
- Speak effectively with a variety of audiences in an accountable manner;
- Make decisions and solve problems independently and collaboratively;
- Apply scientific knowledge and concepts to a variety of investigative tasks;
- Contribute to a positive learning environment with respect and responsibility.
About The School
History of MSMHS
In
the 1970s, Connecticut’s State Board of Education (CSDE) authorized the
development of four regional marine high schools in the state. Two such
schools were built: New Haven’s Sound School in 1980 and
Bridgeport’s Aquaculture School in 1993.
In 1998, three school
districts in southeastern Connecticut proposed other aquaculture
schools. Then-Commissioner Ted Sergi requested that the three districts
work together with LEARN, the Regional Educational Service Center (RESC)
for southeastern Connecticut, to submit one proposal. An additional
district came on board in 1999, and the four districts worked
collaboratively with LEARN to develop a proposal. A Magnet School
Operations Plan was submitted in December of 2000; a final revision was
submitted to SDE in May of 2001 that included a full day curriculum.
The
Governance Committee of the Marine Science High School of Southeastern
Connecticut began in 2000 to diligently research sites for the new
school. Through working with community leaders and the Town of Groton, a
site for the Marine Science Magnet High School was established at 130
Shennecossett Road in Groton. The newly constructed school opened its
doors on September 1, 2011.
MSMHS was awarded the 2013 School of
Distinction Award for the Highest Overall Performance, by the
Connecticut State Department of Education. MSMHS’s first graduating
class, the Class of 2014, achieved the highest CAPT scores among all
the high schools in Connecticut in the areas of writing, reading, and
science according to SPI data. In 2012 and 2013, MSMHS ranked second and
tenth respectively in overall CAPT performance in all four areas of
mathematics, science, reading, and writing.
In June 2014, MSMHS
held its first graduation at the University of Connecticut Avery Point
campus. Twenty-three students from the Class of 2014 received the
first-ever MSMHS high school diploma in the presence of LEARN Executive
Director Dr. Eileen Howley, USCGA Rear Admiral Sandra Stosz, and MSMHS
Principal Dr. Nicholas Spera. One hundred percent of the graduating
class went on to secondary education.