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Forum to Help Astoria Parents Find a School in the Neighborhood

 P.S. 122 in Astoria. The Astoria School Symposium looks to educate local parents on school options in the neighborhood.
P.S. 122 in Astoria. The Astoria School Symposium looks to educate local parents on school options in the neighborhood.
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DNAinfo/Jeanmarie Evelly

ASTORIA — It's kindergarten application time, and a group of local parents is looking to help others navigate the complicated process — because they've been through it themselves.

"Everybody remembers how hard and overwhelming and daunting it was," said Margarita Soto, a mother of three who is helping to organize the Astoria School Symposium, an annual event that looks to educate local parents on school options in the neighborhood.

"The goal of the symposium — it really is all about choice," Soto said. "To inform as many Astoria families about what is going to be the best bet for their child."

The symposium has been held in an official capacity each year since 2012, though Soto said it started informally about six years ago as a play date with a group of local parents who were overwhelmed by the decision of where to send their child to school.

"It was just...kind of a really stressful thing," she said, saying she saw some families head to the suburbs rather than deal with the city's complicated schools system.

"As the kindergarten deadline approached, they moved."

This year's event will take place Jan. 24, where representatives from local public, private and charter schools will be on hand to provide information about their programs and answer questions from parents.

"It's not a public school versus charter school versus private school," Soto said. "We're not saying one is better than the other. We just try to get all the players in one room."

The event will also feature four presentations on different topics — pre-K and nursery schools, kindergarten, private schools and gifted and talented programs — led by parents who will talk about their own school application experiences, what resources they used and what worked for them.

Information on local dual language and special education programs will also be available. Past symposiums have had representatives from as many as 40 local schools and organizations, Soto said.

The Astoria School Symposium will take place Jan. 24 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the gymnasium at Mount Carmel Church, located at 23-25 Newtown Ave. in Astoria. Parents who want to attend are asked to register online here. Schools that are interested participating can email astoria@nyschool.org.