education in brief

Magnet School Openings

The county school system is accepting applications for elementary magnet school programs.

The programs are for students entering kindergarten through fifth grade in the fall at Bailey's Elementary School for the Arts and Sciences and for those entering first through sixth grades at Hunters Woods Elementary School for the Arts and Sciences.

Selection for the magnet schools is by lottery. To be eligible, students must be working at or above grade level in language arts and math and must demonstrate good behavior with others and at school.

For Bailey's Elementary, students entering kindergarten should have attended preschool during the 2005-06 school year.

An information session will be held for families interested in the program at Bailey's at 7 p.m. Feb. 9; the snow date is Feb. 16. Bailey's is at 6111 Knollwood Dr. in the Falls Church area.

The Hunters Woods information session is at 7 p.m. Feb. 7; the snow date is Feb. 15. The school is at 2401 Colts Neck Rd., Reston.

For more information or to obtain an application, visit http://www.fcps.edu/news/magnet.htm .

Applications must be postmarked by March 1 and submitted to the Fairfax County Public Schools' Office of Elementary Instruction and Administrative Services, 3705 Crest Dr., Annandale, Va. 22003.

Planning for Special Needs

The county school system's Office of Special Education will hold two career and transition services sessions for students with disabilities.

The sessions will be from 7 to 9 p.m. Monday at Chantilly High School (snow date Tuesday) and from 7 to 9 p.m. Feb. 1 at Edison High School (snow date Feb. 7).

The purpose of the sessions is to showcase services that support students with disabilities as they prepare to make the transition from school to adult life. Students and their families will receive information to help with transition planning before scheduling courses for the next academic year.

Information will be available on career assessment, employment and transition services, job coaching services, work awareness and transition, office technology and procedures, career academy and procedures, academy support, career centers, and technology support services.

Representatives from the state Department of Rehabilitative Services and the Fairfax-Falls Church Community Services Board's Mental Retardation Services division will also be available to answer questions.

Chantilly High is at 4201 Stringfellow Rd. Edison High is at 5801 Franconia Rd. in the Alexandria area. For more information, call 703-876-5223 or send an e-mail to ann.cook@fcps.edu .

-- Compiled by DIANE MATTINGLY and STEPHEN C. FEHR