UPDATE: Yolanda Martin has succeeded Tamara Thomas as principal of Frederick Douglass Academy VIII Middle School.

AUGUST 2006 REVIEW: FDA VIII, the latest of the Frederick Douglass Academies and scheduled to open in the fall of 2006 on the fourth floor of PS 346, is dedicated to preparing middle-school students for college while drawing from community resources to support diverse extracurricular programs.

A fundamental feature of the academies' culture is that they are "public schools with private school attitudes," said Thomas, who worked as an aspiring principal in FDA IV in Brooklyn and FDA V in the Bronx. "Students must have standards to measure up to in order to get into college." The school offers P/SAT prep classes after school and on occasional Saturdays, as well as Math A and Living Environment Regents classes in the 8th grade. The curriculum also includes Latin and French in the seventh grade, music, drama, art, and literature of different cultures.

Thomas collaborated with community based organizations to create academic enrichment programs such as orchestra, band, robotics, sports, and after-school homework help. For parents and guardians, workshops on health, finances, and other issues "will give them ample opportunities to learn about their children," said Thomas in a phone interview before the school opened.

The original Frederick Douglass Academy was started by Dr. Lorraine Monroe in Harlem for high-performing but disadvantaged children. Students wear uniforms and agree to abide by the 12 non-negotiable rules.

Admissions: A 10-page application form available at the school, separate interviews with children and parents, elementary school attendance and punctuality will be considered. For further information contact: 718-642-4305. (Wendy Li, August 2006)