Winning the Lottery

Today is Lottery Day at my school. Every year about this time, we take all the applications we’ve received from students who’ve been to the required meetings and demonstrated at “auditions” and do a random draw to fill the open slots for the upcoming school year. This is a big deal! There is a great deal of anticipation that surrounds the event, and prospective parents have already begun calling the school to find out when they might know if their child made it into the school. There are always more applicants than we have spaces, so there is much hand wringing about where on the waiting list someone falls. If they’re near the top, they might get called late in the summer. If they’re at the bottom (especially if they’re in 8th grade or higher), the odds are long that they’ll ever attend.

I’ve been part of the lottery for the last several years, and it truly is special experience! There are nervous parents, several staff, the two directors and a number of students in the room (we used to hold the draw in the office, but too many people attend it now, so we moved it to the theater), and there is always an air of excitement and eagerness. Students often pick the names out of a box, and after every one there’s applause and cheering.

“Yay! Elliot is coming to our school!”

“Horray, Elliot!”

“Woot!!”

“Congratulations!”

Seriously, is there any better way to know your at the right school?