Dear Families of Worthington 6th graders:

Phoenix Middle School is one of our 5 Worthington Middle Schools and it's open to all Worthington students! We only host 7th and 8th grade students, and we do things a little differently. Trust us, it's worth learning a little more.

We're excited to open the application window for our 2025-2026 7th grade class! Below, you will find a list of dates and information about our program should you choose to learn more for your 6th grader. You will also find where to seek more information about our school so you can review with your family as you look to make a decision about the next two years of your student's academic career.

- Soph

Recent Phoenix students describe our program and what makes Phoenix different from other schools.

Every 6th grade classroom will be receiving information and experiencing a classroom visit to discuss Phoenix Middle School. Our goal is to provide every 6th grade student in Worthington with all of the details about our school before they apply to enter the lottery to become a 7th grade student with Phoenix in the 2025-2026 school year. This information will also be posted on our website and made available for families to review with their students outside of class.

We believe one of the best ways to experience Phoenix is with friends. We invite your students and their friend group to join our events together! Our Discovery Night is especially gears towards groups of friends learning about many experiences that make Phoenix the perfect place to develop and strengthen lifelong friendships. For more information, please check out some of our testimonial videos in this newsletter.

Phoenix Middle School is an option for families in Worthington Schools, and we invite all parents of current 6th graders to learn about our school and see if it will be a good fit for their children. Below are recommended opportunities to learn about Phoenix Middle School.

Attendance is highly encouraged for those parents whose children are interested in applying.

• Student/Parent Information Meeting

• Thursday, February 20 (6:30-8:00 PM)

• Location: Phoenix Middle School (In Person - Recording Link to Be Shared After)

• Target Audience: Parents (students welcome)

• Staff will lead prospective students and families through an overview of the program.
  
  

• Phoenix Discovery Night and eSports Tournament
• Wednesday, March 6 (eSports 5:00 PM; Discovery Night 6:00 PM - 7:30 PM)
• Location: Phoenix Middle School
• Target Audience: Students
• Following the eSports Tournament, current students will lead student-centered activities including club exploration, team-building activities, and interactions between current and prospective students to learn about the Phoenix experience. Free snacks will be provided at this canteen-like evening!
  
  

• Open House for Prospective Families

• Saturday, March 15 (10:00 AM - 12:00 PM)

• Location: Phoenix Middle School

• Target Audience: Whole Family

• Staff, current students, and parents will be available for personal tours and conversation.
  

• To apply to be a Phoenix 7th grader for the 2025-2026 school year: students must complete the current Phoenix Middle School Application (currently available at https://phoenix.worthington.k12.oh.us/) and submit it to the website no later than Tuesday, March 18, 2025, at 4:00 pm.

• Students who have submitted applications on time will be entered into a lottery that will be held at the Worthington Education Center on Thursday, March 20, 2025.

• The Phoenix Middle School lottery is conducted at the district level; not the school. All questions about the lottery process should be referred to Sue Withers, Administrative Assistant to Emilie Greenwald, Director of Secondary Education, at 614-450-6015.

• Students will be drawn from the lottery by neighborhood school.

• To be eligible, students must be residents in the Worthington Schools when school begins Fall 2025.

The lottery will be live-streamed.

Students are NOT required to be present at the lottery on drawing day.

• Due to our unique daily schedule, we allow current Phoenix families with a student who is in the 7th grade (moving to 8th grade in Fall 2025) to have automatic admittance for an incoming 7th grade sibling through the application and lottery process. IMPORTANT: Even if the 6th grader has a sibling who is a current Phoenix 7th grader, the student MUST complete and submit an application. Students without applications WILL NOT be entered into the lottery, regardless of whether their sibling is in the current Phoenix 7th grade class.

• The children of Phoenix staff can be a part of the new class after an application is submitted. The Phoenix staff’s child does NOT take a seat in the lottery pool.

Looking for more information? Our website details our school, programming, and all of the unique benefits of a Phoenix education: https://phoenix.worthington.k12.oh.us/

Below, you will also find our information packet and a video with testimonials from former Phoenix students.

- Jocelyn

The video above is a compilation of former Phoenix eighth graders responding to frequently asked questions.

• After the lottery has been completed, families will be sent an offer email with directions for accepting their seat at Phoenix Middle School.

• Once we have confirmed our new 7th grade class for 2025-2026, we will host the new students at Phoenix MS for an Orientation on the morning of May 8, 2024. Parents will need to provide transportation to Phoenix that morning. More information will be provided to students who are selected.

• We will also hold individualized New Family Advisory Meetings during the month of April. More information will be provided to those whose names are drawn in the lottery.

• If you have any other questions about the Phoenix Middle School program, please email Sean Flynn (sflynn@wscloud.org) or Robert Estice (restice@wscloud.org).

• If you have any questions about the Phoenix Middle School lottery, please email Sue Withers (swithers@wscloud.org).

We look forward to meeting you and your 6th grade students during our application process this spring!

With appreciation and enthusiasm,

The Phoenix Middle School Staff

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