An eighth grade Family Night will be held at Lincoln Academy on Wednesday, Nov. 19 at 6:30 p.m. The event will begin in the Poe Theater on the school’s campus, 81 Academy Hill Road in Newcastle.

This open house is an annual event at Lincoln Academy; a chance for families of prospective students to visit the LA campus, meet teachers and staff, and tour the school. Often this event is the first time students see their soon-to-be high school and meet many of their teachers.

Although most families who attend usually represent incoming ninth graders, families of students interested in transferring to LA from another high school are also encouraged to attend.

Any student living in a town with secondary school choice can attend LA with their tuition paid by the sending town. LA also accepts tuition-paying students who come from towns without school choice.

This year, Lincoln Academy’s eighth grade Family Night will have a new date and new format. It will be held in November instead of in January, and the meeting will start with an orientation in the Poe Theater.

After introductions and some brief remarks, families will walk to the LA Dining Commons, where faculty and students will be staffing tables with information about academic departments, student activities and clubs. From the Dining Commons, current LA students will be on hand to give campus tours to prospective students and their families.

"The timing of eighth grade Family Night was changed in order to engage prospective eighth grade and transferring families earlier in the year so that they can make a fully informed decision about where they wish to enroll their children,” Lincoln Academy Director of Enrollment and Marketing Sheryl Stearns said. “This will be a wonderful opportunity for families to hear more about our unique programs and activities, gain a better understanding of the culture of our school, and speak face-to-face with students and faculty."

Families considering Lincoln Academy should plan to attend the open house, even if they are considering several options for high school. This event is helpful in understanding the wide variety of resources at LA, including 145 courses, 16 Advanced Placement classes, 30 classes in visual and performing arts, a marine studies certificate program, and a wide variety of courses involving hands-on work experience.

The new Applied Technology and Engineering Center is slated to be completed in spring of 2015, with new course offerings in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math), boat building, computer science, woodworking, robotics, and design beginning in the fall of 2015.

“This event is a wonderful opportunity for families considering LA to learn about all aspects of the school in a single evening,” Director of Counseling and Studies Sarah Wills-Viega said. “I hope many will come to take advantage of it.” For more information about eighth grade Family Night, call 207-563-3596, ext. 125 or 128.