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Julia, Howard Middle School Student: Welcome to Mondays with Maria. Here's our superintendent, Dr. Maria Vazquez

Announcer: Presented by Addition Financial Credit Union. Here's OCPS Superintendent Dr. Maria Vazquez.

Dr. Vazquez: Hi everyone. Thank you for that wonderful introduction. It's that time of year, the magnet application period is about to open for the 2026-27 school year. Are we really talking about 26, 27? Back with me today, Nancy Alvarez, one of our incredible guest appearances, and Michelle Thomas from our school choice office, and an important topic of conversation. Right? We are we're our magnet program. People think, 'Wait, that happens.' We start talking about magnets later in the year. So we have over 40 magnet programs to choose from. And Nancy, you have explored some of them, haven't you?

Nancy Alvarez: I have, yeah. My family is Hillcrest Elementary school grads. Both my children went there for kindergarten through fifth grade, and that is a foreign language magnet for people who may not know there's a Spanish track and a French track. Hi Maria. My kids took the Spanish track to learn Spanish in school, even though we speak Spanish at home. I mean, their grandma doesn't even speak English. Okay. And I have told them Spanish is cool since they were born, but they had to go to Hillcrest to really learn that and have that sink in. So it's okay. But it was a wonderful experience. That school is really part of our family still to this day, even though both my kids have moved on. I think, you know, when I talk about the benefits of attending a school like that, it was Yes.

Nancy Alvarez: It's, you know, the language tracks you; you pick up some of the language, but it's also it's just such a diverse community there. At Hillcrest Elementary. We have families that come from all over to be a part of that program. I mentioned to you, we do an international festival every year at that school. And I mean, you guys, it is, you have to see it to believe it. It's incredible. Dozens and dozens of countries are represented. You know, the Japanese family comes in, you know their clothes from their country, they serve their food. We have Indian, French, British, Scottish, everybody comes. It's incredible. My family did Cuba one year. Oh. And then we did Italy the other year to represent, you know, my husband. Because there's some Italian there too, in the family. So, any, it's just an incredible education, you know? And, the diversity and the community that they were introduced to are just invaluable. Yeah.

Dr. Vazquez: And, again, that sense of community, even if it's not your neighborhood school. Right. so, in case some of our families are not aware, a magnet program is a learning program in a highly specialized area of study. Michelle, what are some of these areas? And I know Nancy spoke about Hillcrest.

Michelle Thomas: Absolutely. We have so many specialty areas. We have engineering, aviation, we have international studies, we have criminal finance we have world languages. Steam, we even have a first responders group.

Dr. Vazquez: That's a lot, right? Oh my gosh. So one of the most popular programs is the Visual and Performing Arts Magnet. And Nancy, I, I, I heard that this is something that you may be exploring with your daughter.

Nancy Alvarez: We might, yeah. She loves it when I talk about her, by the way, on Mondays with Maria. But yeah, it's a possibility. She's at Howard Middle School right now in the performing arts program, you know, program there. And it's funny, Maria, because you talk about how parents need to be aware. I think in some cases, you know, the kids are aware of these programs. Yes. Because she's in seventh grade, and already kids are like, so who's going to Dr. Phillips? You know, who's going where, da, da, da. They already start talking kind of amongst themselves. And it's a big decision, you know, for them because this isn't, if she decides to do that, she will not be at the high school that her brother attends. It's a much further drive for us and for our family. And so I think it's important. Parents know that too. I mean, you have to weigh that, and it's so great that you guys are doing this with more time. Because I think the more time you have to plan. And figure out the commute, the drive, who can pick up, drop off, if there's rehearsals, you know, we need to, as a family, we're looking into all that, and if it'll be a good fit for us. But everything I hear from that magnet program there is, it sounds like it'll be worth it, you know? Yeah.

Dr. Vazquez: It, it, it's got an incredible reputation. And it's won awards. And I think you bring out a very, bring out a very important point, which is one of the reasons why we've moved up the application process is so that you do have time. To learn about the different programs, to see the impact on your family, all of that. And so, Michelle, some of our magnet programs, even though we have 40, some of them fill up very, very quickly. And so, would you let our, our families know what some of those deadlines are that they need to be, be aware of, and how they actually apply?

Michelle Thomas: Absolutely. So, this year, because we are starting a little bit earlier this year, our magnets application they are going live the mid of mid-October, and they're going to be closing right before the winter break. So families can start planning now. They can go to our school choice website, and they can see all the programs that we have to offer. There's going to be a virtual fair available in October. So, families can view the virtual fair and see what programs their students are, are in interested in. And also, there's going to be an FAQ, with step-by-step directions on how to complete that application. So, families do want to make sure that they do the research, and there are also tours and open house events that families can go to after they view that virtual fair. So, a lot of our programs do fill up pretty quickly, so we want to make sure that those families complete that application by that deadline, right before the winter break.

Dr. Vazquez: Yeah. And so it sounds like, you know, for families, first we may want to explore our virtual fair. That is, the videos are up. And you can sit down, pace yourself, so you can find either areas of interest or maybe something new that your child may be interested in. Then see where you, they may want to attend, call the school, and set up a visit so you can learn more about it. And then you can start the application process. Right? If you have any questions, you can always email MagnetOffice@ocps.net. I'm so excited for this time of year when we're starting to explore all these options that our children have for programs that may not be available in their homeschool. So thank you both for being here. Thank you here. It's great to see you. And thank you all for watching. Don't forget to like, follow, and subscribe. We will have more on our podcast. Just go to wherever you get your podcast and search for Mondays with Maria. Have a great week.

Julia, Howard Middle School Student: But wait, before you go, here's another slice of positivity from OCPS.

Colin, East River HS Student: This is the East River Fire Magnet program. It helps you become a firefighter, teaches you the standards to get ready for the Academy. 

Steven, East River HS Student: I'm in the first responders magnet program here at East River High School, and I joined because I've always wanted to be a police officer or a federal agent.

Matt Rebholz, Police Science Teacher at East River HS: I'm able to use my teaching skills to really articulate the police skills that they need to have. And I build upon those experiences for them. So I'm not teaching them something that happened 10 years ago. I'm like, guys, this happened Tuesday.

David Weiser, Fire Instructor at East River HS: These students not only have the opportunity to go into the fire service career, but there are so many other pieces of that career that can be fire inspectors, building inspectors, dispatchers, and all these jobs are in demand. So, having the opportunity, it's almost like you have the world at your fingertips,

Steven, East River HS Student: I feel like it will prepare me, so I know what to do and what mistakes I've made now. So I don't make those as much in the academy.

Colin, East River HS Student: I never saw myself becoming a firefighter until I got into this program.

Announcer: For an extended conversation on today's topic, listen to the Mondays with Maria podcast available wherever you get your podcasts. Mondays with Maria is presented by Addition Financial Credit Union. Count us in for every step of your financial journey. Learn more at AdditionFi.com. For more OCPS news and information, visit TheSlice.OCPS.net. I'm your announcer. Emily Hannon, a student at Audubon Park School. Thanks for watching, and have a great week.