Peers & Families

Talk to students who attend schools you might be interested in. An excellent resource is our own PA. Many families have children in public and private middle schools and will be happy to share their experiences with you.

Guidance Office

Whether you apply to a public, charter, gifted or independent school, we will offer information to shepherd you through the process. We cannot tell you which school is best for your child or provide one-on- one counseling. Your job is to work with your child and find the best fit based on your child’s abilities, interests and temperament. Once you have read through published materials of middle schools, schedule a tour for the schools that interest you and talk to other families and students about their experiences.

BGES MS Updates

As we receive information regarding the middle school process, we will send it on to all our 5th grade families. These updates may include new announcements, broadcast any new tours from middle schools, ask for RSVPs, and offer gentle reminders.

Please make sure that your contact information; email, phone number, and home address are updated throughout the year. If you have moved, this change needs to be made through the main office with proof of address - just like when you registered your child for Brooklyn Gardens. It is not sufficient to just change it on the BGES database.

Important Considerations

All students are eligible for admission to middle schools in the district where they are zoned to attend middle school and in the district where they attend a NYC public elementary school.

District 19’s Middle School Choice program allows your child to attend a school other than the one for which he or she is residentially zoned. Your child may apply to other schools in the district as well as a few schools outside the district.

Important Considerations

All students are eligible for admission to middle schools in the district where they are zoned to attend middle school and in the district where they attend a NYC public elementary school.

District 19’s Middle School Choice program allows your child to attend a school other than the one for which he or she is residentially zoned. Your child may apply to other schools in the district as well as a few schools outside the district.

• When gathering information on middle schools, these are the questions you want to discuss as a family:
• What school would be best for my child? Instead of what is the “best” school?
• What are my child’s interests (sports, computers, art, math)?
• What kind of temperament does he/she have (self-directed, unmotivated, intro/extroverted, etc.)?
• How diligent is my child-- and how likely is he/she to buckle down and complete homework assignments without being nagged (very likely, not very likely)?
• How well does my child deal with social pressure?
• Will he/she feel comfortable being surrounded by academic superstars?
• What about social pressure?

There is no one set answer for our students. On one hand, a large, highly selective school might stifle a shy, sensitive student. On the other, if your child has many interests, a large school may be the best option because of the number of opportunities it offers.