Boys wearing bow ties and cummerbunds milled around near a storefront sipping sodas. In the mall parking lot, spaces were at a premium, and a car patiently waited for one space as a student and her father loaded a cello in the trunk of their car. Music, conversation and laughter filled the air at a school booth in front of The Children’s Place shop.
It was all part of EBR Mania held Saturday, October 17, at Cortana Mall. About 5,000 people attended the event to pick up applications for magnet programs at various school booths scattered in the mall’s promenade and to visit gifted/talented booths to learn about the gifted/talented screening process. The annual event is held to recruit students and launch the magnet school application period and to promote gifted and talented programs. This time, applications are for the 2010-2011 school year at all East Baton Rouge Parish School System (EBRPSS) elementary, middle and high schools with Magnet Programs.
At the event, each school provided a basic showcase of its specialized program, ranging from academic magnets to programs offering specialized themes, such as medical and pre-engineering programs. School staff manned the individual booths and talked to parents – sometimes with the help of students enrolled in a gifted/talented program like fifth grader Jeanne Smith (first photo, right) at Brownfields Elementary School’s booth. She assisted Gifted and Talented teacher Melissa Jackson (left). The event also showcased talent from the magnet schools, including students like violinist Bridgette Smith (second photo) of the Baton Rouge Magnet High School’s orchestra.
Although parents may obtain an application for the 2010-2011 school year at each magnet school, each magnet and gifted and talented school also will host its open house for parents and the community through October 23.
The district’s period for accepting magnet school applications for the next school year is through January 8, 2010. For more information, please contact the EBRPSS Office of Innovative & Specialized Programs at (225) 922-5443 or (225) 929-8642 or log on to www.ebrschools.org.
