Mark Twain Open House

Mark Twain Intermediate School 239, the shining star of Gifted and Talented middle school education in Brooklyn, held their second of four open houses last night. On display were the kind of intensely talented, focused, well spoken children who drive nervous 5th grade parents into death spirals of stress and covetousness. What flaming ring of fire do you have to jump through to send your little darling to this paragon of education on Neptune Ave? Well, as it turns out we don't really know yet. Thanks DOE!

What the charming and helpful staff and parents said last night was that the process has been centralized; we think that it has possibly been simplified for out of District families and that things have changed a bit but we don't know the repercussions.
This is what we do know: call the Admissions phone number 718 449-6697 after Dec. 8 for more detailed instructions, and keep checking the website http://is239.schoolwires.com
The process has been centralized.
There is no pre application for out of District parents.
There will be an application to pick up and deliver (get this info Dec. 8)
There will be tests given in Feb. and/or March.
Your child may test in two talents. The tests will be 1 1/2 hours long each and both be given on the same day.
The tests will contain a writing portion. It will designed and graded by Twain, but the children will be ranked and placed by the DOE.
The whole thing with the pre-application in previous years had to do with accessing your child's standardized test scores out of District. It appears that the children will be placed only on the strength of their talent test, but maybe since the DOE has access to all students scores that will be a factor. We just don't know.

The last two open houses will be held on Thursday Dec. 11, at 1-3pm and at 6:30 to 8:30pm.
Good luck, one and all.