I had to apply and be accepted into my high school, but it was a boys private college prep school which my parents sacrificed many things to send my unappreciative (at the time) loser ass to.

I think the public schools you just show up and tell 'em who you are.

Did you get 'trashed"

I think now there has been a reversal of power...my daughter is a senior and yesterday, first day back, two freshman girls told her she couldn't sit at a particular lunch table.
I better warn her she may be in for a trashing if she goes near that lunch table again.

Go to the website for the local school system, it will tell you which school you are in the zone for. If a child is moving up to that school the classes for the first year of high school will be picked in the spring of 8th grade. Our school system also has "academies" at various high schools, such as IT, IB, and medical. These are for kids already taking a very specific path and transportation is available no matter where you live in Virginia Beach. Be careful, there are deadlines for applying. You might be able to get a waiver if you do not like the school you are zoned for, but you will have to provide transportation. In this area parents have moved to another school zone or faked an address there with friends or family if a particular sports programme is good. This is because they may get a scholarship to college for that sport.
If the website doesn't clear it up ask the school, I'd ask now because you can take high school credits in middle school here in some subjects.

<gasp> The NERve! Freshmen talking to a Senior like that? What IS the world coming to.

I think we'd better teach your little Miss how to execute the trashing!

I never did get 'trashed'. I think it was mostly for boys anyway.

It's like jail, though, isn't it? On the first day, you have to find the biggest, coolest kid of your gender, walk up to them, and punch them in the face as hard as you can? Otherwise people just think you're a chump.

This always worked for me in all of the fifteen high schools I went to, and in most of the county jails.

I remember telling my boys they would need to get into a fight, it didn't really matter if they won, they just needed to be seen as a person who would not back down. Horrible thing to have to tell your kid, but it worked both times.

I'm also in California and you will find that procedures can vary from place to place, even within the same state.

What may happen is during the course of your childs 8th grade, she will be given paperwork regarding the HIgh School she will follow on to, she may also have a field trip to that school, she will have to decide what classes she wants to take and if she wants to be included in any special programs.

IF she has been in a special advanced program during Middle School, that may change which High School she may follow on to.

It can be VERY confusing !

Feel free to e-mail if you want any help. My son will be starting High School next week and just sorting all the stuff regarding a darn LOCKER was bad enough.

Elaine

In some school districts in California, registering a student as early as possible (at the beginning of open enrollment) is very important especially if the school district overall is ranked very high or your local schools are ranked higher than most of the other schools in the district.

Usually students are assigned to a school in the local attendance area but if the schools in that area are very highly ranked, parents outside that attendance area or even from outside that school district may use counterfit papers to enroll their children in those schools. If the schools fill up prior to you registering your children in the local attendance area, your childred will be assigned another school in the school district (usually not as highly ranked and further from your home).

So the only advice that I can give you is find information about your school district including rankings of different schools and prepare to register you children as soon as open enrollment is available.

So, I called the school district and the High Schools come into the Middle schools in April next year. However if I want to apply for another school in the district, then I have to apply during 'open enrollment' which usually happens in March. Sorted. Thank you all

Do some background work before then.
See just how good the HS is that your daughter would be going to and then check others in your area.
IF the High School has fallen below a certain % for tests scores, you can also use another method to get your daughter into a different school in your area and that may put you higher on the list for your daughter to have a better chance of getting in, than just open enrolement.
I've learnt a lot by my mistakes and I actually got my son into a different Middle School than the one he should have been going to, but, because i didn't do a certain type of transfer he was not allowed to go on the school bus that would take him to the school, all because of a stupid form !