Middle School LM vs. Sanford? (Lake Mary, Seminole: house, neighborhood, magnet school)

[movinonuptotheeastside]

Hi Lake Mary/Sanford people! My son is about to enter middle school, which I'm terrified about and trying to choose between two, Millenium and Greenwood Middle.

My son is in the arts so going to Millenium definitely makes sense, also we've actually heard great things about it from [SIZE=3]acquaintances. We took a tour of both.[/SIZE]

And yes, I have checked out greatschools to read reviews on both.
I'm just wondering if any of you have children that have been to either if you have any opinions, I think you Miss Beckycat are in this area and have children older than mine, which did they go to, any thoughts?

I really appreciate any feedback the good, bad, and definitely the ugly...

Thank You!

[beckycat]

Originally Posted by movinonuptotheeastside

Hi Lake Mary/Sanford people! My son is about to enter middle school, which I'm terrified about and trying to choose between two, Millenium and Greenwood Middle.

My son is in the arts so going to Millenium definitely makes sense, also we've actually heard great things about it from [SIZE=3]acquaintances. We took a tour of both.[/SIZE]

And yes, I have checked out greatschools to read reviews on both.
I'm just wondering if any of you have children that have been to either if you have any opinions, I think you Miss Beckycat are in this area and have children older than mine, which did they go to, any thoughts?

I really appreciate any feedback the good, bad, and definitely the ugly...

Thank You!

My kids attended Greenwood Lakes Middle. I was happy with the school. It was a mile from our house in a good area.The only thing was they didn't have many extra curricular activities. My kids kept busy with Pop Warner, so that took care of that.

I looked at Millenium Middle too. They have more extra curricular activities and if your son is into the arts, it's a good school. Millenium has a mixed group of kids from all races which is not a bad thing. If your son sticks to the Arts program and doesn't get involved with certain students, it will be fine. The only other thing I don't like is that the school is not in the best part of town in Sanford.

Hope this helps!

[boy3365]

You'll be good with either school as far as the arts are concerned.

[Cigarboo]

My neighbor girl goes to Millenium and loves the school. She goes for the violin program. She is a top notch player and at the school, she has violin everyday. She's a great student and hangs around other serious students like herself. From what she's told me, all the pre-IB kids pretty much hang around together. I think she even mentioned that they are in a whole different floor than the rest of the kids. However, they do take some electives like gym together and have lunch periods mixed in with the rest of the school.

She is very happy at her school and has elected to continue HS at Seminole instead of returning to the local school. So, you can look at this as possibly a negative thing, if you wanted your child to return to the local school for HS. My neighbor has made a group of friends who are really tight, because they are like minded in the arts and also academics. They want to stay together, so their only option to stay together is to all attend Seminole HS to continue with the IB program, rather than get split apart if they all return to their respective local HS. Making a decision to go to a magnet MS, may inavertantly become a decision to also go to the magnet HS.

From what I hear, it is becoming more difficult to get into a magnet school. This might be specific only to Sanford MS, which is one of the more popular ones. This year, out of the 5th graders that I know, that applied from our elementary school, the only kids that got accepted were the ones who had siblings currently attending the magnet school. The other kids I knew who applied were denied admission. It's a lottery system and this year, there were just too many kids that wanted to go. I don't know if it's the same situation at Melinium. It doesn't hurt to apply for the magnet school and decide later.

Greenwood seems like a fine school, so I don't think you can go wrong with either. If your son has strong opinions about what he wants to do, then maybe Melinium would be much more exciting for him. But it's also nice to just go to the neighborhood school that is safe and close by.

Good luck with your decision. I'm going to be in the same boat.

[movinonuptotheeastside]

Originally Posted by beckycat

My kids attended Greenwood Lakes Middle. I was happy with the school. It was a mile from our house in a good area.The only thing was they didn't have many extra curricular activities. My kids kept busy with Pop Warner, so that took care of that.

I looked at Millenium Middle too. They have more extra curricular activities and if your son is into the arts, it's a good school. Millenium has a mixed group of kids from all races which is not a bad thing. If your son sticks to the Arts program and doesn't get involved with certain students, it will be fine. The only other thing I don't like is that the school is not in the best part of town in Sanford.

Hope this helps!

Thanks so much for the info, the area doesn't thrill me and I wouldn't even consider it if I hadn't heard good things about it and if my son wasn't in the arts, ugh...this is like choosing where to live and you wish an arrow would just appear over the right choice,
thanks!

[movinonuptotheeastside]

Originally Posted by Cigarboo

My neighbor girl goes to Millenium and loves the school. She goes for the violin program. She is a top notch player and at the school, she has violin everyday. She's a great student and hangs around other serious students like herself. From what she's told me, all the pre-IB kids pretty much hang around together. I think she even mentioned that they are in a whole different floor than the rest of the kids. However, they do take some electives like gym together and have lunch periods mixed in with the rest of the school.

She is very happy at her school and has elected to continue HS at Seminole instead of returning to the local school. So, you can look at this as possibly a negative thing, if you wanted your child to return to the local school for HS. My neighbor has made a group of friends who are really tight, because they are like minded in the arts and also academics. They want to stay together, so their only option to stay together is to all attend Seminole HS to continue with the IB program, rather than get split apart if they all return to their respective local HS. Making a decision to go to a magnet MS, may inavertantly become a decision to also go to the magnet HS.

From what I hear, it is becoming more difficult to get into a magnet school. This might be specific only to Sanford MS, which is one of the more popular ones. This year, out of the 5th graders that I know, that applied from our elementary school, the only kids that got accepted were the ones who had siblings currently attending the magnet school. The other kids I knew who applied were denied admission. It's a lottery system and this year, there were just too many kids that wanted to go. I don't know if it's the same situation at Melinium. It doesn't hurt to apply for the magnet school and decide later.

Greenwood seems like a fine school, so I don't think you can go wrong with either. If your son has strong opinions about what he wants to do, then maybe Melinium would be much more exciting for him. But it's also nice to just go to the neighborhood school that is safe and close by.

Good luck with your decision. I'm going to be in the same boat.

Hi, thanks for your thoughts, this is so confusing. I feel like Mill. is the best choice for him, only thing that bothers me is the area and the fact that when he's done, like you said he will return to LMHS which may be hard.
Thanks though.

[beckycat]

Originally Posted by movinonuptotheeastside

Hi, thanks for your thoughts, this is so confusing. I feel like Mill. is the best choice for him, only thing that bothers me is the area and the fact that when he's done, like you said he will return to LMHS which may be hard.
Thanks though.

What part of the Arts is your son interested? If it's playing an instrument, they do have band at Greenwood.

[movinonuptotheeastside]

Originally Posted by beckycat

What part of the Arts is your son interested? If it's playing an instrument, they do have band at Greenwood.

Before anything he's an actor, he's also a drummer, artist, likes filming, photograpy, writing, and is just now getting into hiphop tap. I know Millenium is the better choice right now, but I guess my worry is when he's done and returns to Lake Mary High, basically being a new kid which could be aweful for a teenager. Right now he say's Oh, mom I don't mind being a new kid, I love meeting new people. He's a very worry free happy kid, but it's not him I'm worried about, it's other kids being open. And we definitely want him to return to LMHigh, I've heard aweful things about the other one. Oh, what to do, what to do...

[beckycat]

Originally Posted by movinonuptotheeastside

Before anything he's an actor, he's also a drummer, artist, likes filming, photograpy, writing, and is just now getting into hiphop tap. I know Millenium is the better choice right now, but I guess my worry is when he's done and returns to Lake Mary High, basically being a new kid which could be aweful for a teenager. Right now he say's Oh, mom I don't mind being a new kid, I love meeting new people. He's a very worry free happy kid, but it's not him I'm worried about, it's other kids being open. And we definitely want him to return to LMHigh, I've heard aweful things about the other one. Oh, what to do, what to do...

Don't take this the wrong way. Honestly, I think that you are more worried than your son about returning to LMH. You have to remember there are many kids that are new to the high school every year. It is a bunch of middle schools colaborating into one, not to mention all the new kids that move to the area. If he's outgoing, he'll meet friends. If he has it in his heart to go to Millenium, I'd let him. From what you said, he's really into the Arts and it would be a great opportunity for him. I know you're worried about high school, but that is 3 years away. Just my 2 cents.

[movinonuptotheeastside]

Originally Posted by beckycat

Don't take this the wrong way. Honestly, I think that you are more worried than your son about returning to LMH. You have to remember there are many kids that are new to the high school every year. It is a bunch of middle schools colaborating into one, not to mention all the new kids that move to the area. If he's outgoing, he'll meet friends. If he has it in his heart to go to Millenium, I'd let him. From what you said, he's really into the Arts and it would be a great opportunity for him. I know you're worried about high school, but that is 3 years away. Just my 2 cents.

Wow, never thought someone on city-data could make me cry...
Thank you so much, wow are you right about me being worried, and I surely won't take it the wrong way, in fact I needed to hear it. I did the same thing when he started elementary school, actually went into depression I was so scared. You are totally right-Thank you so much!!!