LPAS Middle School Choices Jam 2021

The JCPS Middle School Online Application window is open from November 1 - December 15th 2021. With Lincoln being a magnet, many families are interested in choosing another magnet (often a school offering performing arts). But there are a lot of Middle Schools to choose from - with a lot of different offerings, cultures and attitudes. PLUS some middle schools offer benefits to getting into some high school magnets (e.g. first audition, similar magnet tracks, etc) So, the choice can be pretty heavy (and you thought choosing a LPAS was hard in preschool!)

How to make the right choice?

When my oldest child was leaving fifth grade (2019), we were plunged back into the dizzying array of choice that is JCPS. By visiting the JCPS Showcase of Schools, attending middle school tours and - most importantly - chatting with other middle school parents, we made our choice.

With most middle schools not offering in-person tours this year - and knowing how much other families’ experiences helped us, I wanted to share that experience with our current crop of outgoing 5th Grade LPAS families.

Along with the LPAS PTA, I put together a casual, virtual meetup where LPAS alumni families and outgoing LPAS families could meet and chat: The LPAS Middle School Choices Jam 2021.

Here’s the announcement, which spells it out pretty well:

Choosing a middle school is hard! Luckily, the LPAS community can help! To help our outgoing families make the best choices, the LPAS PTA in conjunction with LPAS alumni families are putting together a MIDDLE SCHOOL CHOICES JAM to share LPAS-focused experiences and information you might not have gotten from the Showcase of Schools or a (Virtual) Tour. Hosted by SBDM Parent Representative (and Cross Country coach) Ben Wilson, this informal “jam” will feature parents of LPAS alumni giving quick, 5-minute “lightning talks” covering their experiences, impressions and “I wish I would have knowns” from their student’s middle school. This will be held via GOOGLE MEET on Thursday, November 18 at 6PM - 8PM, and will be available on YouTube after.

I put together a quick form to find out what schools and topics our LPAS families were interested in and who might be interested in speaking on behalf of a school.

Here’s the responses the 7 families had:

Interests

• Culture
• School Day-to-Day Stuff
• Admin/Leadership
• Magnet Programs

Schools

• Noe Middle School
• Highland Middle School
• Western Middle School for the Performing Arts
• Wesport (Montessori)
• Thomas Jefferson Middle Schools

We met on November 18th 2021 via Google Meet, and had folks representing Highland, Noe, Western and Middle Schools.

With the permission of the attendees, I recorded the event and posted it to YouTube. It’s casual and two hours long, but covers all the topics and schools above - plus more.

I hope it helps you make your decision!

If you have questions about how to apply or more details on other schools, I highly recommend contacting the counselor at your school. At LPAS, that’s Ms. Nannette Jones - she’s the best!