Information meetings planned on Olympia middle school options

The Olympia School District will host the first of two Middle School Choice Program Information Nights at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at Marshall Middle School, 3939 20th Ave. NW.

The second event will be at 6:30 p.m. March 10 at Washington Middle School, 3100 Cain Road SE.

The information nights, which are open to families with students entering grades 6-8 next school year, will highlight the following programs:

▪ Jefferson Accelerated Math and Science (JAMS) at Jefferson Middle School, 2200 Conger Ave. NW. “JAMS engages students in math and science problem-solving through engineering design challenges and the use of technology,” according to a school district web page.

▪ Alki, a multi-age program, at Reeves Middle School, 2200 Quince St. NE. The program features more field trips and a higher level of parental participation than a traditional middle school program. Its sixth grade portion was slated to be suspended due to low enrollment last spring, but parents organized an effort that resulted in the Olympia School Board reversing the administrators’ decision. Alki also will hold its own information night from 6 to 7:30 p.m. March 8 at Reeves.

▪ The Citizen Science Institute at Marshall Middle School. CSI began last fall, and combines science, research and community service activities. It replaced the longtime Marshall Alternative Program, or MAP.

For more information on the programs, contact individual schools or call the district’s Community Relations office at 360-596-6104.

This story was originally published February 29, 2016 at 4:25 PM with the headline "Information meetings planned on Olympia middle school options."