I'm currently a senior in MSSD, and this is my second year there. Basically, every school is…read moredifferent for everyone, but I CAN point out what the pros and cons of MSSD are, with full neutrality.
The cafeteria is wonderful. Of course, not everyone likes the same food, but that is exactly what makes the cafeteria so awesome. They always offer a vegetarian version of the meals they're offering, so vegetarian people don't have to suffer. The way the serving of their food works is you line up, grab a tray and your silverware, and then as you see the food (which will contain of few different trays of food) you point to which you want. For example, a regular breakfast one day would consist of pancakes, sausages, eggs, and hash browns. You can choose only pancakes, or hash browns with eggs, or sausages and pancakes. It's up to you. If none of the food that they're serving that time of the day appeals to you, there is always a deli available (completel with many different kinds of bread like regular sandwich bread, irish bread, bagels, etc) with all the possible condiments you could think of, as well as meats and cheeses. There's a salad bar, as well. Also, there are several cereals available all day, so you could have a bowl of Lucky Charms for lunch if you want, but caution: Lucky Charms run out pretty quickly. Last but not least, the drinks are awesome: water and juice available for breakfast and lunch, and then an addition of soda for dinner.
Currently, the principal and vice principal are, in my opinion, very good. Jessica Sandle, the vice principal, is always guaranteed to be walking around during lunch or around the campus. She is one of the most helpful people on campus and although she may appear quite threatening at first impression, she is actually very committed to making MSSD the best place for students and for providing them with the resources they need. She was a huge help to me for skipping junior year, and without her I couldn't have done it. She referred me to an online school, worked it out with another woman who communicated with the school, and then as I completed all necessary courses was able to confirm that I completed a year of high school. Melinda Failing, the principal, is a very sweet person and is always a great help. She may not be seen as often as the vice principal, but that is because she actually does her job, and is constantly busy.
MSSD is a very helpful advocate to a successful future for us students. The teachers, vice principal, and principal as well as staff make it clear how important education is to us and our future. They make it clear what is expected of us in the short term and long term. I know what is required for graduation: one semester of internship (one full day every week), 36 hours of community service, passing of the swimming test, senior portfolio, and the completion of courses as said in the degree you wish to graduate from. There are three different graduation diplomas available: Merit, Standard, and another that I can't remember the name of....
Merit: the highest level diploma. This means that the student graduating with a Merit Diploma took four years of everything- english, math, history, and science. At least two years of electives are required, and only half a semester of PE. A reading level above the 10th grade (I think) is critical in order to graduate with this.
Standard: 4 years of English, 3 years of math, science, and history.... unsure about the rest. Reading level: above 5th grade??
I'm not sure about the latter, but it's basically similar to a GED.
Just like any deaf school, there are different levels of each class depending on a majority of the learning abilities of the student body. There are AP classes available for English, psychology, U.S. History, Biology, and I believe pre-calculus? Those are available for juniors and seniors, depending on how they do on their placement test. Each new student must take a placement test the first year they enroll in MSSD to determine their abilities, and it is the scores from the placement test that decides which class the student belongs in. For each grade, there are several levels of classes, such as AP, standard, and so on. For freshmen and sophomores, Honors classes are available for just about everything from algebra to World History. MSSD is home to a variety of teachers with different personalities, methods of teaching, signing skills, ages, and backgrounds. From my experience, the teachers I had were very good teachers. Some teachers go easy on the students, and others find ways to challenge the kids in their class. Again, it's a huge variety of teachers. MSSD is very serious about completing assignments and following rules, which may be a pain in the neck, but what would the world be like without any? Each teacher has different assignment procedures, of course. Just do your homework, and you'll be fine.
