MDMS & MDHS: A Tour of High School
By Melor Suhaimi, MD Programs Manager
Photos by AALEAD Staff
Transitions can be tough and with the end of the school year coming to an end, many of our AALEAD youth are transitioning from middle school to high school. This past week, AALEAD’s MD high school programs at Einstein and Blair High School offered a tour of their schools for our youth at Newport Mill, Eastern, and Argyle Middle Schools. The tour kicked off with an opportunity for middle school youth to share what they think high school will be like. Answers varied from, “it will be hard to get to class in such a big school,” “I will meet new friends,” to “more homework!” Even with a bit of anxiety, our MD middle school AALEADers were still excited to get a tour of what could possibly be the next school that they attend.
At Einstein High School, AALEADers stopped by an art classroom to meet and get more information from Ms. Jane Walsh about Montgomery County Public School (MCPS) Visual Art Center. Visual Art Center “is a nationally recognized countywide advanced art portfolio development ‘special program’ supported by MCPS.” A few of our Einstein AALEADers are a part of the program, so they were able to share their insight about it, too. An art portfolio is created in this program to provide youth with an opportunity to apply for scholarships that partly or fully cover tuition of a four-year college or university. Many Visual Art Center graduates go on to study fine art and other various fields at prestigious art colleges, liberal arts colleges, and even ivy leagues across the United States. With more information about the program, our artistic and talented middle school AALEADers were intrigued about it and it encouraged them to put Einstein as one of their high schools that they apply to in the future.
As the tours wrapped up, our middle school AALEADers had the chance to see a few classrooms, check out the cafeteria and gym, stop by the counseling offices, and most importantly hear stories and advice from their high school peers. It allowed our middle school AALEADers to get a sneak peek of the school that they could potentially be attending in the next year, two years, or even three years. No matter how long they may have until they transition over into high school, the tours provided our middle school AALEADers an experience that they’ll always remember, especially when they begin applying for high school. Special thank you to our Einstein and Blair AALEADers who led and shared insightful and memorable tours!
Source: http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/schools/vac/