October meetings are scheduled at all five middle schools in the Northeast Consortium to help eighth grade students and their families decide which high school they'd like to attend for the 2000-2001 school year.

Students from those five schools can choose from among three consortium high schools and their signature programs:

James Hubert Blake High School - fine arts and humanities

Paint Branch High School - science and the media

Springbrook High School - information technology in the global society and International Baccalaureate

The Preferred Choice information meetings are:

Benjamin Banneker Middle School

Thursday, October 7

8:15 a.m. and 7 p.m., Media Center

Briggs Chaney Middle School

Wednesday, October 13

3 and 7 p.m., Cafeteria

White Oak Middle School

Thursday, October 14

8 a.m., Cafeteria and 7 p.m., Media Center

William H. Farquhar Middle School

Tuesday, October19

3 and 7 p.m., Cafeteria

Francis Scott Key Middle School

Wednesday, October 27

8:30 a.m. and 7 p.m., Media Center

In addition, a special Preferred Choice information meeting for ESOL families in the Northeast Consortium area will be held November 3 at 7 p.m. at Broad Acres Elementary School. For information, call Tuyet Tran in the Department of ESOL/Bilingual Programs at 301-230-0675.

Open houses will be held at each consortium high school for students who will be participating in Preferred Choice this year. They are scheduled at:

Springbrook High School

Thursday, October 21

Paint Branch High School

Thursday, October 28

James Hubert Blake High School

Thursday, November 4.

All three open houses will be from 7-8:30 p.m.

For more information, call Northeast Consortium counselors Thelma Jackson or Barbara Purdie at 301 649-8010.