scoring changes for next year

The Board of Regents approve scoring changes to grade 3 to 8 Math and English tests. Essentially, they have decided the tests and scoring are too dumbed down. State scores have been going up while the scores on the NAEP National Assessment of Educational Progress have remained flat.

"Senior Deputy Commissioner John King said, 'The data shows that schools responded to the assignment they were given – they worked hard to help students achieve standards as measured by the state tests that were being given at that time. And more students did, in fact, pass those tests. The problem is that those exams didn’t sufficiently test students’ abilities – the bar was set too low. But we are changing that now. It’s time to end the annual debate about whether our tests have become easier and to put to rest questions about what it means to achieve proficiency in New York.'” - NYSED press release

School, district and state results will be released July 26. I assume that the students will get their results in August as predicted.

"Cut scores classify student proficiency into one of four performance levels based on their test performance; currently, the levels are defined as follows: Level 1, not meeting learning standards; Level 2, partially meeting learning standards; Level 3, meeting learning standards; and Level 4, meeting learning standards with distinction."

tips from the audition/screened workshop

The Screened/Audition workshop for public high school choice at Brooklyn Tech this week was pretty short and sweet considering the weather and the wealth of subject matter. You can find the great, detailed audition advice as a pdf file under the July event date.

Here is the take away and some answers to interesting questions that I stayed to the bitter end to record:

The interview/audition panel is not trying to trick you. They are truly interested in you and what you have to present and they want to see your best and understand your interest or passion.

This is not American Idol or So You Think You Can Dance. You are auditioning for a conservatory not a production. They want to see technique or potential in anything you do. That means a pretty traditional approach.

• no costumes, props, feather boas, spangles, bare midriffs, ruffles or florals. Anything that distracts from you and your real talent is a turn off. Be modest and simple in your attire, and age appropriate in your prepared piece (no King Lear).

• no R&B, rock or pop tunes when you sing. If you are trying for musical theatre sing only classic Broadway (look to Rogers and Hammerstein, or Lerner and Lowe, etc., not the rock musicals)

• If you are trying for a vocal program, the same advice stands. If you can sing a song in a foreign language convincingly it is great. They are looking for long melodic lines to really hear your voice (rock and popular songs are more about the rhythm and that is not what they want).

• you can audition for different talents (instrumental, dance, art) and if you play more than one instrument you need to check with the school to see if you can audition on more than one.

• If you play a large instrument, bring your mouth piece, sticks, etc., they should have one that you can use (I would double check with the school though)

• instrumentalists: it is important for you to be able to read music. The sight reading will be important. It is not as crucial for a singer, but a plus.

• visual artists: if you do cartoons or graffiti or anime, you may include one example but they want to see how you handle formal elements, not style. Can you draw? handle color? experiment with materials? understand something about composition? If you don't have anything that shows that - start working on some pieces particularly for your portfolio.

• if you have 3D pieces you may include some photographs of them in your portfolio, but they should be clear and it helps if you put in something for scale (a ruler, a hand) and if you have large canvases and they can be rolled it is better to bring the originals than photos of them. 

• your portfolio doesn't need to be expensive, but it needs to protect your work and show that you respect it enough to keep it safe, neat and clean

• they are interested in an artist's process, bring your sketchbook or notebook if you keep one regularly

• take time to experience and talk about your art form. Practice talking about your artwork with someone. Think about the artists in your discipline that you admire and talk about why. Do you go to museums or galleries as an artist? Do you go to dance, or concerts or plays? Practice talking about how you feel about what you see and how it influences you.

• dancers: you may have real proficiency in salsa, African, tap, hip hop or other forms but ultimately you need to have some grounding in ballet and modern. If you don't have experience in the classical forms, you better start now.

• often the auditions overlap. Don't worry - let your guidance counselor know as soon as possible and the schools will accommodate with an alternate date. Do not try and audition at two schools on one day.

• it may be a long day. Bring water and a snack. Get a good night's sleep. Be professional and polite the minute you walk in the door (you never know when an auditioner is taking a break to go to the bathroom or walk around)

• Are the arts schools good academically? These programs all have AP and honors classes. These are not "easy" schools. Students are expected to go the extra mile and excel academically as they would in a regular program.

• take time at the High School Fair to ask how each school weighs the audition (at some schools they give more weight to academics than to the audition). Do they want you to show creativity or traditional technique? First, read each school's detailed audition instructions in the directory and then come with your specific questions to the fair.

high school research on insideschools.org

If you don't know www.insideschools.org and adore them (perhaps you are an independent school parent who is just dipping your toe into the icey waters of public high school) they will soon become your new best friend - after me of course.

Some helpful hints to get the information that you need.

• sign up for their email alert newsletters - you will never miss a deadline

• look up the school page within their site and click "more school data" on the upper level of the review and "read our full review" to get all the good stuff

• the information on the upper panel of the review is current, even if the review might be a couple years older

• if you have trouble finding the school by name, don't get frustrated typing the name a million different ways, immediately go to "location and level" and enter the zip and "high school" or do an advanced search and list the same, zip and level it works EVERY time!

• they are also more than reviews; the blog, news articles and forums are all chocked full of great information

• remember that they are a non profit and they need your help to keep doing the impressive work that they do, send them a little gift, they deserve it!

Greene Hill School

I got a little note from the Greene Hill School this morning and I thought that I would pass it on.

"Greene Hill School is thrilled to announce that we have found a truly spectacular permanent home for the school at 39 Adelphi St. The school building -- which has been in continual use as a school for more than 100 years -- has large classrooms with floor to ceiling windows, a library, an auditorium with a stage, and an outdoor play space. We are so pleased to be able to stay in the neighborhoods that inspired Greene Hill and invite you to contact us to learn more about out program for the fall.

More about Greene Hill:

Greene Hill School is a newly established progressive elementary and middle school located in Fort Greene/Clinton Hill Brooklyn. Conceived by neighborhood parents and educators, Greene Hill is an engaging, supportive and socially responsible community of active learners. In September 2010 GHS will offer small classes for children ages 4-8. Greene Hill School is currently accepting applications for children 4-8. If you are interested in visiting the school, please email us at info@greenehillschool.org or call 718.230.3608 to set up an appointment. www.greenehillschool.org"

I can't wait to see the new space. I would also like to add that they have a progressive focus, very knowledgeable directors, rich classroom environments and now that they have a space of their own, I think that they will really take off. Did I mention that they are among the Independent school bargains?

gifted and talented waitlist (i just said that to get hits)

There is NO waitlist for gifted & talented and NO appeal. So you may ask (and you have been asking!), what happens if families decline their offers and there are extra open seats?

Here is the answer. The DOE "over-offers". They do this at all levels of gifted programs (middle school as well as the Specialized HS) with the expectation that there will be a certain number of families that will opt out. Over the years they have a pretty accurate idea of the numbers. If fewer families opt out, the classes will be a little larger. If more families opt out the very few left over seats in highly popular programs are filled by the children who test in the summer. There are a number of families who move into the city from outside after the request for testing is filed in the fall, and they can request a summer test date. If the new students score high enough they are offered the leftover seats. Don't be too jealous of them - the seats are few and far between and they are biting their nails with no back ups in sight right through the summer. Occasionally siblings may also take the left over slots. If a student has a sib currently attending a school and the younger sib scores high enough to qualify for a seat in the school, occasionally they fall through the system. The very occasional empty seat enables the DOE to rectify this situation.

On a different waitlist matter:

The Daily News and the NY Times both have reports on PS 163 on the west side that had way too many g&t offers and the school has instituted a waitlist for parent's registering for the seats that have been offered. It appears that there will be an additional class added to accommodate the overflow.

So, families who have been offered a citywide or districtwide g&t seat, you should decide on whether you are accepting the seat or not and register. If you don't and you haven't already registered at your zoned school, charter, magnet, etc. you will be left without a seat. Remember, the DOE honors the last registration, so if by some crazy fluke you get word that you are offered a seat in some other random school over the summer, the last school that you register at, is the one that your child will attend.

high school parent coordinators

NY 1 reported that School's Chancellor, Joel Klein, will allow high "school principals to lay off parent coordinators and abolish the position as a way to combat the city's money woes." This policy only affects high school parent coordinators. The budget situation is extremely serious and it is seen as a way to give principals move room to adjust their budgets. "A spokesman says the Department of Education feels high school parents may have less of a need of the services provided by parent coordinators."

No one wants to see teachers laid off or budgets slashed, but on a purely personal level I know in my heart that my daughters success in two large public high schools was due in large part to the efforts of their parent coordinators. In a million ways, they have given our family crucial support and now that we are heavily into the college search, their efforts have greatly enhanced the talented but limited resources of the schools' college office. I just sent off two very heartfelt letters to the principals of my daughters' schools. It is the least that I can do in thanks for service above and beyond the call of duty.

middle school letters

Well, at least the waiting is over. I will say congratulations to those of you who are happy with your choices. For those of you that are interested in an appeal, you should talk to your guidance department right away. If your child got one of their top few choices an appeal will very likely be futile. The DOE will rightly argue that if your child placed the school high on the application and they gave it to your child that there is no reason to appeal. If your child got their fifth or sixth ranked choice or they were placed in a school that they didn't rank or they were given no choice at all, you should appeal. There will be some movement even in the most popular programs. Parents will opt for a "school based application school", a private or charter program and that will leave a few seats for a student making an appeal.

Now that you are not elementary school parents anymore, I recommend that you check out the blog parentsofnyteens.blogspot.com and join the fabulous yahoo group of the same name. This incredibly caring group of mostly Brooklyn parents (tell your "otherborough" friends because they are welcome too) is the support group we all need - answering questions about Axe deodorant, alcohol use, school reviews, coed sleepovers, places to buy prom dresses, tutors, testing and all things college.

State test scores will be out in July

The New York State Board of Regents approved a recommendation to move the release date of scores on the Grades 3 - 8 ELA and Math tests from the origional date, June 24 to the week of July 26, 2010.

"School districts and teachers were notified last spring that the tests would change this year and, in the case of math, address more material.  Students took the exams this year in late April and May, after many more weeks of instruction than in previous years...

The additional time spent in the analysis of the assessments will also allow student performance on this year’s revised assessments to be appropriately incorporated into the state’s 2010-2011 school accountability determinations."

musical chairs for private school heads

St. Ann's has a new headmaster, Vincent Tompkins, the deputy provost of Brown University. The New York Times, mcbrooklyn, and the Brooklyn Eagle each have their own spin on the story.

The former head of St. Ann's, Larry Weiss, is moving to Brooklyn Friends just down the street where he began his career in the 70's. In the intervening years he was the Director of Chinese Studies at Sidwell Friends School and Head of the Upper Division at Horace Mann in Riverdale.

PS 133

I went on a tour the other day (this blog is starting quietly enough). I saw a lovely school that is being temporarily housed for 3 years in a former parochial school on 8th St. and 4th Ave. in Park Slope. PS 133 has a relatively new principal (former teacher at 29, former VP at 11) who is full of energy and ideas, particularly to develop their science program with an urban ecology focus. The school is small and comfy (two classes on a grade one of which is CTT). It has wonderful expressive artwork, a full piano lab, a class full of new guitars. I watched a Studio in the Schools dance class and a school wide reading celebration. They will move in 2012 to a brand new 935 seat school that is being built on Butler and 4th Ave. at the edge of District 13.

I also went to a meeting this morning about the future of PS 133. It was sponsored by the 5th Ave. Committee. The Office of Portfolio Planning, SCA, Community Board 6, the Butler/Baltic Block Assoc., the 78th Precinct, the PS Civic Council, Councilman Steve Levin and other local government reps including D13 CEC members and representatives from PS 133 were in attendance. They discussed construction issues that will impact local residents and then the DOE rep announced that PS 133 would remain a single school community in the building. The school population would be made up of students from the current 133 zone and 2/3 of the population would be from a rezoned section of District 15. The school will be administered by District 15. This did not go over well with the representatives from District 13 and Mr. Levin who felt that this was new information that had not been previously discussed. Mr. Levin asked that the Office of Portfolio Planning revisit this decision. I just condensed a two hour discussion to a paragraph.

There will be another meeting to follow up on these issues on Mon. June 21 from 6:30 to 8:30pm. Contact the 5th Ave. Committee for confirmation and location.

So, this is an issue in flux, but a very important one for local parents. Watch this space for more information. I am curious what the District 15 CEC thinks of this? I imagine this issue will shortly be at the forefront of many D13 and D15 parents' minds. However this turns out, I recommend that any interested parents tour 133. Call their Parent Coordinator, Ahmed Dickerson 347-563-5321 to find out the date of their next open house. You may really like what you see.

new schools, new locations

Private School:

The Greene Hill School has been incubating at Irving and Putnam in Clinton Hill with the Coop School, but they have found a new long term space in the neighborhood at 39 Adelphi. They are a progressive Independent program - growing to 8th grade - that is priced for middle class families. They will be having a 3/4's program in September. (If you have been shut out of a threes program you might give them a call!) They will be offering classes for children aged 3 through 8 in Sept. If you are interested in visiting the school contact them to set up an appointment: 718 230-3608 or info@greenehillschool.org

They will be holding a fundraiser, The Greene Affair, on Apri 26 at Galapagos Art Space in Dumbo. Contact them for information.

Public School:

There is a new "Common Application" for all charter schools in the city. You need to deliver or mail an application to the charter schools of your choice by April 1. Insideschools has an updated list of new charter programs opening in the fall.

Insideschools also reports about new programs, "some schools are opening to ease overcrowding in existing neighborhood schools while others are targeting families looking for choices beyond their zoned schools, sitll others are replacing schools that are closing. Several schools will occupy newly constructed buildings."

District 17: The New American Academy an "open classroom" trilingual (English, Spanish and French) program will open with a K and first grade in Crown Heights.

District 20: four new schools in new facilities in new zones. PS 310, PS 971, PS 264, PS 748 will accept students from across the district.

District 13: a new middle school, Ft. Greene Prep opening in the PS 46 building, has already been proven to be very interesting to 5th grade parents across the district.

new school option proposed for district 13

I heard a rumor and it has been confirmed by Allison Gaines Pell, Principal at the wonderful Urban Assembly Academy of Arts and Letters Middle School in Ft. Greene that they have applied to the DOE for a grade extension to become a K to 8 program. It is just an intital application. The DOE has to analyze space and feasibility, but they are hopeful to create a new and vibrant educational institution for the whole community. If approved to move forward, the expansion would begin in the fall of 2011, and there will be a lot of ways for the community and families to be involved in the process. There is no "official" information yet, and there probably won't be until early summer, but questions can be sent to Principal Alison Gaines Pell at apell@uaaal.org  I am in contact with her and I will also post updates here. 

Here is a statement from the school, “At Arts & Letters, we believe that the purpose of public education is to raise young people -- in collaboration with parents-- who are strong, flexible, and deep thinkers, as well as thoughtful, caring, responsible, and productive members of a vibrant, democratic society. We are committed to the notion that that through a public education, we can and will develop creative, confident, courageous people who will, through their rich and challenging questioning of the world, find and carry out our world's next great discoveries and traditions. In school, we can find our selves, our passions, and our talents. In school, we can learn how to listen, to challenge, to defend, to succeed and fail. In school, we can learn that answering hard questions and meeting big challenges is interesting and engaging, and that nothing is greater than mastery of something that you never thought possible.

To do this right, we need more time with every child and family. Over these past four years, we have watched our young people-- your children -- grow through young adolescence, working with them during a powerful, but brief, window of time. As you know, young people come to us in 6th grade from all different schools, from which they bring a variety of habits and attitudes towards learning. We have just a three-year window with them, and it takes almost all three years to develop the habits of mind and heart that we know they must have to fulfill our mission. It also takes almost all three years to develop relationships with young people and their families that enable deep support and understanding of each unique child. We believe that we need to begin working with families and children much earlier. Through a seamless nine-year sequence, beginning in Kindergarten and ending in grade eight, and the multiple opportunities for interage learning and routines that this affords, we feel sure that we can teach and nurture the thinking, listening and problem-solving skills necessary for a successful upper level educational experience including high school and college, as well as a vibrant democracy. We feel sure that this will allow us time to develop the kinds of people who learn their whole lives long, who truly embody courage, confidence, clarity, creativity and compassion, and who will grace the covers of newspapers and magazines (if digitally!) as "ones to watch."

In our early childhood program, our classrooms will be places of exploration and experiential learning. We will maintain our focus on higher order thinking skills: reasoning, problem-solving, interpretation, precision, and research, and our students will look deeply at big questions about our world and our communities each year. We will utilize the best of the resources our local community has to offer, including arts and cultural institutions, but also Fort Greene park, a natural place for exploration and scientific inquiry. And of course, we will continue to recruit and develop the best teachers in New York City, as we know that this is the most important factor that has contributed to our success thus far.”

prek application update

I have been talking to a lot of families in brief phone consults about the PreK applications and the strategy of a Round 2 application is coming up a lot.

I just want to give you a heads up about the Second Round paragraph in the instructions:

"Round 2 will take place in July 2010; if you apply in Round 2 after having received a placement in Round 1, your application will only be considered after new applicants and applicants from Round 1 who did not receive an offer. We will use your Round 1 application choices during the Round 2 process. Additional details for the Round 2 application process will be available in the Round 2 directory which will become available in July 2010.

If you wish to appeal your Round 1 match, you must fill out the form which will be located online at

http://schools.nyc.gov/PreK. Appeals will be considered based on factual errors that may occur during the application process. Appeal forms will be available after Round 1 offers are made in June 2010."

They don't want a lot of people trying to game the system. Put down your choices according to your preferences and keep the lottery priorities in mind. If you get a seat, that is great but it would serve you to take it because in the second round you will be at the end of the cue for being picky.

News for twins:

The online application and the paper app are different, in that there is no place online to enter that the first child is a mulitple. This is what the DOE told me today:

"If you are applying for twins online, you should first complete one child's application, and then click on the 'Submit Application for Another Child.' You will then be able to enter the second child's application. The two applications will automatically be linked."

nyc prek, upk and cbos

It is almost March 1! - time for the public prek applications.

UPK stands for Universal PreK - government subsidized fours programs. Your child must have been born between 1/1/06 and 12/31/06 (4 years old this year) and reside in NYC. These are programs available to everyone (not based on need). Unfortunately, there are not enough seats available for everyone. You can find them in public schools (full 6+ hours for five days) or in different private preschools around the city. The programs that are located in the public schools are free.

What is a CBO? They are Community Based Organizations. These are various preschools and daycares that have applied for UPK funds. Many of these are private for fee programs (some neighborhood preschools that you may recognize). You apply for them in the regular way (whatever applicaton, touring or interview/playdate that they normally require). The difference is that in the fours "preK" year the tuition will be cheaper than the threes tuition because of the UPK subsidy (usually a couple thousand off). It won't be free though.

The Prek directories are coming online to the DOE site on Monday, March 1. You can download the pdf or pick up a hard copy at your borough enrollment office. You will find the preks in the public schools listed in the front of the book, as well as an application. The back of the book will have the CBO's listed for your convenience, but you need to go to the individual school to apply.

On March 8 you can pick up a directory at your local Elementary school if they have a prek program.

Applying:

The application period for the preks in the public schools is from March 1 to April 9 and it is a lottery process (not first come first served, so don't go nuts trying to download the directory at 4am on Monday). The date of your application definitely does not matter as long as you get it in before April 9.

To apply to a CBO, just contact the school and follow their procedures. They are not part of the lottery.

To apply to a public prek, study the directory and list up to 12 choices on the application. I I recommend using the online app. which enables you to recieve an email receipt of the app and email notifications as well as by snail mail. There are many more ways for error with the paper app. If you do the paper app. I recommend hand delivery and make sure that you get a receipt, or send it in plenty of time in the envelope provided, so that it doesn't go missing. Also, make a copy of the app. and keep it in a safe place.

There is a priority to this lottery:

First siblings of children attending a school

Then children zoned for the school,

Then children outside the zone with no prek program in their zoned school

Then children outside the zone but within the district

Then children outside the district but within the borough

and on...

There will be information sessions to explain all of this:

3/8/10 Brooklyn Tech HS 29 Ft. Greene Place 5:30 - 8pm

check the DOE's website for other dates.

Schools will continue conducting tours through March. Check the school's website or contact their parent coordinator for information.

You will not hear about placement in the public prek programs until Memorial Day.

There are no waiting lists but there is a second round and most schools have at least a tiny amount of seats still available. I will explain this in further posts.

Helpful hints:

They love the drop down menus, so before you call me saying that you can't find something, actually answer the question. You will find that when you give specific answers a drop down may appear to take further information, like if you have twins.

If you will have a kindergartener attending your zoned school in 2010 you need to have preapplied to that school to get the "inzone sibling preference" in the lottery for your preschooler.

I can help you. If you want some insight into your prek application, I do 15 minute and half hour phone consults. Just call and I am happy to help. 718 781-1928

more on lefferts gardens

The blog Hawthorne St. did some more great reporting on the ongoing plans for the Lefferts Gardens Charter School. They covered the meeting concerning housing the Charter in PS 92 and the subsequent loss of three of their Board members.

This is important reading if you are considering this school or you are interested in the process of starting a new Charter program. It is not always a straight path.

what is up with downtown?

It has always been the case that parents in northwest Brooklyn have looked to lower Manhattan and the east side as possible options when their neighborhood schools didn't serve. Recently the old elementary standbys like the Earth School have not been able to take students from outside their districts much less their boroughs.

District 2 has long been the Holy Grail of progressive education but aside from I.C.E. it is closed to outside middle or high school students.

When the DOE announced that there were new schools opening in lower Manhattan to help ease the overcrowding there, I inquired about whether there might be a spot or two open for Brooklyn families in either PS/IS 397 The Spruce St. School or PS/IS 276. The report was not encouraging. The projections show that they are probably already over capacity. It never hurts to inquire, but don't count on finding a placement.

There was better news at the Manhattan Charter School, the only K-5 charter below Houston. They give priority to District 1 students but they often move onto their waiting list as many charters do. A significant percentage of current students are from Brooklyn and the school is very convenient to the F train - a couple blocks from the Delancy St. stop. This school which has been open for 6 years has had a rocky beginning with a total of 3 principals since its founding, but the current principal, Genie Depolo, seems to be there to stay and the classrooms are bright and focused. They are particularly interesting for their French and music enrichments. Definitely worth a tour.

Frank McCourt HS, Murray Hill Academy and others at the New School Fair

There were some brand new and nearly new programs at the New HS Fair this weekend. Many of these schools are having open houses or informational meetings. Contact the schools for more information.

The Frank McCourt High School is a screened program that will be open to all NYC students. They will be located on the Brandeis HS Campus, W. 84th St. in Manhattan. They will review students' transcripts, test scores and attendance, but they will rely heavily on the interview. They are focusing on communication, collaboration and community service. email: fmhsnyc@gmail.com 718-935-4095.

The Global Learning Collabortive is also in the Brandeis Campus on W.84th St. It was a new school fall of 2009. They have a partnership with the Asia Society. For a small school they are offering a wide variety of languages; Chinese, French, Italian, German, Japanese and Spanish. There are also opportunities for overseas travel.

The transfer schools are primarily for older students but there is  a new option for 9th graders who are not finding their way in their current school. Murray Hill Academy (111 E. 33rd St. in Manhattan) is accepting 8th graders and 9th graders who have less than 7 credits and are less than 16 years old. Contact: Anita Manninen-Felix amannin3@schools.nyc.gov 718-935-4089.

Frances Perkins Academy in Brooklyn is an interesting option. The students work several days a week in professional internships. They are focused on college prep and real world personalized experiences. fpaltic@gmail.com 718-388-7721. They are moving this year and will be located at the Bushwick High School Campus.

Sunset Park High School opened fall of 2009 in their beautiful 4th Ave. facility. They are having an open house on Monday, Feb. 8, 6-8pm. 718 840-1900.

The Urban Assembly School for Criminal Justice is a very interesting all girls 6-12 program that is accepting their first class of 9th graders. This schools is aiming high for their girls. Check out their open house: Tuesday, Feb. 23, 5-7pm room 427. Contact: Ms. Cazeau 718 438-3895 x463

It is a bit of a haul from Brooklyn, but if you are close to the 6 train, The Cinema School in the Bronx is a compelling program. For more information: Dr. Maryann Dickar mdickar@thecinemaschool.org 718-620-2560.

Letter Day 2010

This Thursday, Feb. 4 is letter day. The day that 8th grade students who took the SHSAT will receive word on their placement. If they did get a seat in one of the specialized high schools they will also get word about their placement in their "1 in 12" school. Envelopes will be distributed in the public schools. Families will have about two weeks to make their decisions. There are usually specialized high school tours set up early the following week to enable students to take a look and help them decide.  Private school families may have to wait a day or two depending on the efficiency of the distribution.

Students will be instructed to wait until they get home to open the letters, although most can't stand the temptation to rip them open the minute that they step outside the school building.Talk to your 8th grader and try and make the case for waiting until they get home, or at least find a private moment to open the letter. This is what they think is going to happen, "I'm getting into the school of my dreams and all of my friends will be as excited for me as I will be." Of course what happens is always different from our expectations. Often the news is great, but because it may not be what they expect there is disappointment. Their friends are so worried about their own situations everyone feels awful no matter what the outcome. There can be crying, or lying to save face and the students who are really thrilled can't show it without feeling like they are rubbing it in others faces. This sounds awful doesn't it? If they come home they can scream with delight or feel disappointed without humiliation, and you can hug them and give them perspective. Then, when they are composed they can call everyone and be their best selves. It can be an emotional day, good and not so good. It is not a bad idea to be ready for it.

If you have the option, you will need to make the decision in a timely manner. Before you return it to the guidance counselor, make a copy of the letter with your choice and keep it in a safe place.

If you are going to be waiting for your news in March, check out

The New School Fair on Saturday, February 6 and Sunday, February 7

10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

Emigrant Savings Bank Hall, 51 Chambers Street, New York, NY 10007

You will have an opportunity to see the new programs that are opening in the fall and submit a new application with a new programs included in the list. The Frank McCourt High School will be among them.

New high school choice forms and Specialized Round student decisions are due back to guidance counselors on Feb. 23