by Tanya Anton | GoMamaGuide.com
Between now and December 16th, getting in that Magnet application choice is on many of our minds…
Which Magnet should I choose, how many points do I have, how many points gets you in, what’s the best way to bank points, what are my odds, am I trying to get in, am I trying to NOT get in, what if I do get in, what if I don’t get in, what if… So. Much. Angst!!!
Take a deep breath and trust you’ll get through this. The Magnet lottery is the first in a series of public school options one can apply to with its application window opening November 1st for the following fall. (Charter and other applications typically become available after the new year.) The hard part is you only get to choose ONE magnet school to apply to, and after that, there’s nothing you can do but sit back and wait to see how you did.
New for 2012 – The Choices Highlight Reel
The Magnet/Choices applications are (finally) online! Some old-school paper applications were sent to local schools and some public libraries, however most parents are encouraged to apply online. It’s fast, it’s easy, it’s paperless! And did I mention that it’s online?!
Deadline to get that application in is Friday, December 16, 5pm. After that, most LAUSD schools will close for a 3-week Winter Break.
Magnet tours are happening now folks, so get out there and tour!
Your child must be 5 by November 1, 2012 to enter Kindergarten in Fall 2012.
Remember, LAUSD’s Fall 2012 school calendar will now start on August 14, 2012.
Overcrowded points are becoming virtually extinct. Only 2 schools (Del Olmo EL and Cahuenga EL) will remain on a concept 6 (3 track) calendar by 2012, making those students the only ones eligible for the additional 4 Overcrowded points. For everyone else, it means the most points we could possibly accumulate is: 12 Waitlist or 12 Matriculation + 4 Phbao + 3 Sibling = 19 points max. A more even playing field.
According to the new brochure, “students may be contacted regarding an opening up through the first month of school.” (Used to be the first 10 days of school.)
Any LAUSD resident can apply to a regular Magnet program but for Gifted/High Ability or Highly Gifted Magnet programs one must meet eligibility requirements either through being tested or identified prior to application deadline. If applying from a charter or private or pre-K school, the verification process can be found here. (It’s different than if currently attending an LAUSD school.)
Some Basics
Must be a resident of LAUSD.
You only get to choose ONE program (Magnet or NCLB PSC or PWT if eligible).
You only get to choose ONE Magnet school.
No early applications – apply in the winter before the fall of age-appropriate enrollment.
It’s a weighted lottery so the more points you have the better your chances are.
If you are offered a spot and turn it down you lose all your accumulated wait list points.
If you are currently attending a Magnet school, you don’t need to re-apply each year unless you are matriculating or wish to enter the lottery for another magnet school (from EL to MS, MS to HS, or to switch to another magnet program.)
It’s a random lottery so anything can happen.
For NCLB-PSC or Public School Choice – you must be currently enrolled in a PI school to take advantage of that program.
Transportation is available if you live outside a 2 mile radius from the magnet school’s attendance boundary for K-5, or 3 mile radius for grades 6-12.
Stumped on all this Magnet talk? Come to my last-minute seminar, Navigating The School System: Know Your Public Options, Sunday, December 11th at 5p in WLA and we’ll go over all this and more.
Is your child testing boundaries, talking back to you or showing signs of self-serving behavior at the expense of others? One way to temper these eruptions is to get them involved in team sports where they will have a safe space to channel and release their pent-up feelings and stresses through regular physical exercise. In addition to the obvious health benefits, children will also learn discipline, goal-setting, good sportsmanship, teamwork and respect for the coach, the game, and other players. Hopefully they will build new and lasting connections to their teammates, and gain a sense of confidence and accomplishment as they grow throughout the season.
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