Magnet School Applications for Next Year Being Taken Online
There were musical performances, artwork, informational sessions, booths, giveaways, robots, games and even free candy. This year’s EBR Mania was a big hit Saturday, October 15, with about 5,000 people turning out at Cortana Mall to get more information about the Magnet, Gifted and Talented programs and schools in the East Baton Rouge Parish School System.
Booths like the colorful one about Westdale Heights Academic Magnet School (WHAM) were housed by student ambassadors like WHAM’s Walker Weindorf, Kaitlyn Kelly and Malik Abraham (left to right), as well as teachers and administrators.
The annual event is organized to recruit students and launch the magnet school application period. This time, applications are for the 2012-2013 school year at all EBRPSS elementary, middle and high schools with Magnet Programs. It also promotes the School System’s Gifted and Talented school programs (20 schools total in EBRPSS). The Gifted & Talented Program has about 2,800 students.
At the event, each school provided a basic showcase of its program, ranging from academic magnets to programs offering specialized themes, such as medical and pre-engineering programs. Parents and prospective students also participated in demonstrations and hands-on activities in science, math and technology.
Each magnet and gifted and talented school also will host its open house for parents and the community during this week. The district’s period for accepting magnet school applications online for the next school year is through December 13.
Magnet programs are specialized, often accelerated programs which offer students an opportunity to explore an enhanced curriculum such as visual and performing arts, Montessori, Foreign Language Immersion, engineering, medical and academic models with a strong focus on science, technology and math.
All magnet programs are application-based; which means applicants must apply within a specific time-frame and qualify for the program. In some cases, especially at the elementary level, the initial process is only an application. However, all elementary magnets (except Baton Rouge Center for Visual and Performing Arts and the Montessori Programs) require applicants to go through a screening process if they are selected to determine final eligibility.
Applicants who apply for middle and high school programs (with the exception of Centers of Excellence) are required to have a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.50 for the last two years and have a proficient score in math and English Language Arts on their last standardized assessment.
The Gifted Program is an educational program for students identified as gifted in grades Pre-K–12 and enrolled in the East Baton Rouge Parish School System. Classes provide a high degree of complexity and extend beyond the prescribed curriculum offered in regular classes. Classes are taught by teachers certified in Gifted Education and have a reduced class size in order to individualize each student’s educational program.
The Great Scholars Academy, a gifted program, also is an accelerated program that offers a rigorous curriculum for middle and high school students. This innovative program parallels the Gifted curriculum and is taught by Gifted certified teachers.
For more information, contact the EBRPSS Office of Innovative and Specialized Programs at (225) 922-5443 or (225) 929-8642 or log on to www.ebrschools.org, where you can apply for Magnet school attendance for the next school year online.
