Applications and Academic Choices Available at Three New VBCPS Academies Applications are now available for the Virginia Beach schools' newest special interest academies - Bayside's Health Sciences Academy, First Colonial's Legal Studies Academy, and Plaza Middle's International Baccalaureate Academy - and staff members at each school are poised to start signing students up. Students can pick up applications at their schools or download them from the school division Web site at www.vbschools.com. Applications are due on Friday, March 29, so interested students need to act quickly to complete an application for the school of their choice and meet the deadline. A packet of information about the Health Sciences and Legal Studies academies was recently mailed to all rising ninth graders while rising sixth graders received information about the Middle Years International Baccalaureate Program at Plaza Middle. In the packet was a letter explaining the program, a brochure about the academy, and a flyer detailing dates for upcoming open house meetings at the schools. Mary Ann Burritt, director of gifted and academy programs, points out that the new academies are designed to accommodate the learning styles and interests of a variety of students, not just those who are identified as being gifted. The point of creating such schools-within-schools is to offer students additional academic choices while still providing them with the core courses they need for Standards of Learning tests and graduation requirements. Students may choose the academic level best suited to their needs and abilities. Each of the three academies will accept 100 students for school year 2002-2003. These students will be chosen from applications submitted from students across the city. Each academy has a specific curriculum designed around a particular theme and will accept students who have a talent for and deep interest in the school's focused curriculum. Should more students apply than there are places available, students will be placed on a waiting list. Acceptances will be mailed out in mid-April and students must notify the school of their decision to attend by April 30th. For more information about the academy programs, please contact the Office of Gifted Education and Academy Programs at 563-1255, or visit the Web site at www.vbschools.com and click on What's New: Academy Programs. ###