Middle School Transition Timeline

Middle School Transition Timeline

2025 – 2026 School Year

https://www.apsva.us/school-options/middle-school-choices/

Rising 6th Grade Academic Transition Information
Middle School Information Sessions – December 2025 & January 2026	Each middle school offers an in-person information session between November and January. Families are encouraged to attend to learn about their assigned neighborhood school or option school of interest, meet school staff, and ask questions. See full schedule here.
Middle Schools Visit Elementary Schools January – February 2026	A middle school counselor will come to the elementary school to talk about the school and course request forms, either in person or virtual.
Course Request Forms Due to Middle Schools Date TBD (likely Feb 27)	CRFs are the forms the 5th graders will use to request their courses for 6th grade. These forms are to be filled out with parent(s) or caregiver(s). CRFs will be digital on Google Forms, accessed through Canvas.
5th Grade Students Visit Middle Schools -April 9, 2026	5th graders will be visiting their assigned neighborhood middle school during the school day. Permission slips are required for each student. Visits are from 10:00am – 11:30am and do NOT include lunch. Students accepted into HB Woodlawn are encouraged to visit their neighborhood school.

Option Schools & Programs and Neighborhood Transfer Timeline for 2025-2026

Application Timeline:

Open now thru Friday, Jan. 16, 2026 at 4pm

Application Window: Students interested in attending an option middle school/program or applying for a neighborhood transfer must submit an online application by the date above
Option Schools & Programs: HB Woodlawn, Immersion Program at Gunston, and Montessori at Gunston
- HB Woodlawn: 75 6th-grade slots are available. Click here to learn more about the slots available for each elementary school.

Lottery: Friday, Feb. 6, 2026

The 2026-2027 school year lotteries for the middle and high school option programs will be held online on the date above.
Families are notified of their acceptance or placement on the waitlist by email and/or text.
If the number of applications exceed the available seats for any of the Options Schools, APS will conduct a lottery to determine admission.
If families apply to more than one school/program, their application will go into all lotteries simultaneously.
Families do NOT receive lottery results on the day of the automated lottery.

Seats Offered to Families (1st round): Friday, Feb. 6, 2026

Families will be notified of their acceptance or placement on the waitlist by email and/or text by the APS Welcome Center on the date above
If families do not accept or decline their seat by the deadline, their seat will be given to the next student on the waitlist.

Deadline to Accept a Seat (1st round): Friday, Feb. 20, 2026

Families must confirm or decline attendance to the school or program by the date above

Intensified Courses Information: