School Information Home

English

The Orlando After-School All-Stars (ASAS) program at Memorial Middle School—operated in partnership with Orange County Public Schools and the City of Orlando—is a free, comprehensive youth development initiative designed to keep students safe and engaged during out-of-school hours.

Core Pillars & Offerings

• Academic Support: Daily access to certified teachers providing personalized academic tutoring, homework assistance, and specialized skill-building in core subjects.
• Enrichment & Life Skills: Career exploration, high school and college readiness preparation, and service-learning opportunities.
• Arts, Tech & Fitness: Rotating options every nine weeks allowing students to choose hands-on activities in visual/performing arts, technology, and team sports or physical fitness.
• Nutrition & Well-Being: Daily meals provided to participants during after-school and summer sessions, along with regular family literacy and support workshops.

Program Hours & Operations

• School Year: Operates Monday through Friday following dismissal (typically until 6:00 PM).
• Summer Camp: Extended full-day programming running Monday through Thursday (7:30 AM – 5:30 PM).

Memorial Middle School: Scholastic Academy Program Highlights

Memorial Middle School offers a specialized Scholastic Academy Program in fine and performing arts. This specialized pathway provides students with hands-on, creative, and performance-based learning designed to foster artistic discipline and self-expression.

Core Discipline Highlights

• Band: Instrumentalists develop musical literacy, tone production, ensemble strategies, and performance techniques through a structured curriculum and school showcases.
• Chorus: Vocalists build vocal technique, music theory knowledge, and ensemble harmony while rehearsing diverse choral literature.
• Art: Visual arts students explore fundamental artistic techniques, creative expression, and hands-on media production.

Key Program Benefits

• Skill Acceleration: Prepares middle school students for advanced high school arts programs, auditions, and magnet pathways.
• Performance Opportunities: Gives students structured outlets to showcase their work through school concerts, exhibitions, and community events.
• Holistic Development: Complements academic tracks by building confidence, teamwork, and critical thinking skills.

At Memorial Middle School, strong partnerships between our school, families, and community members are essential to our students' academic success and personal growth.

Key Involvement Opportunities & Roles

• Dedicated Parent Engagement Liaison (PEL): Our PEL serves as the primary bridge between home, school, and community resources. The PEL works directly with families to navigate school programs, facilitate parent workshops, coordinate volunteer opportunities, and provide support that empowers parents to actively participate in their child's education.
• Increasing School Advisory Council (SAC) Membership: A major priority for our community involvement is expanding parent and community participation in our School Advisory Council (SAC). Guided by our PEL, we are actively recruiting new members to ensure diverse parent perspectives help shape our School Improvement Plan, allocate strategic resources, and drive campus decision-making.
• Community Partnerships & Engagement: We actively collaborate with local business leaders, community organizations, and district partners to provide mentorship, wraparound support, and family engagement events throughout the school year.

Memorial Middle School is a public middle school in Orlando, Florida, serving grades 6 through 8 as part of Orange County Public Schools (OCPS). Known as the Home of the Soldiers, the school has undergone a significant academic and cultural turnaround over recent years under the leadership of Principal Eddie Foster Jr., achieving state grade advancements, district-leading attendance growth, and state recognition for instructional excellence.

Opened in 1922: The school was constructed by J. C. Hanner in 1922 and dedicated on December 3, 1922. Named Memorial High School in honor of the "Orange County Boys who gave their lives in the World War." Capacity 1200 students. Had an auditorium seating over 1200, and study rooms on the roof. Gymnasium, manual training department with printing office issuing a high school paper daily, and cafeteria which served six hundred pupils in a half hour, excellent scientific and fiction library. Faced Lake Eola. The building housed Orlando Memorial High School from 1922 to 1927, Memorial Junior High School from 1925 to 1958, and Orlando City Hall in 1961 before being demolished.

Served as Orlando's High School: Initially, the only high school in Orlando, it held up to 1,200 students.

Transitioned to Junior High (1927): Five years later, when a new Orlando High School was built on Robinson Street (now Howard Middle School), the Rosalind Avenue building became Memorial Junior High School.

Demolition (1961): The historic Spanish Colonial Revival building downtown was closed and torn down to make room for a hotel.

Origins & Founding Era (1973)
Memorial Middle School was officially constructed in 1973 to address rapid suburban growth and residential expansion in the southwest and central corridors of Orlando. Located along West 29th Street, the school was designed to serve as a neighborhood educational anchor for the surrounding Holden
Heights, Richmond Heights, and Michigan Street communities. 

Campus Modernization and Comprehensive Rebuild (2007–2008)
As part of the half-cent sales tax initiative approved by Orange County voters to modernize aging educational facilities, Memorial Middle School underwent a complete campus replacement between 2007 and 2008. The original 1970s single-story facilities were replaced by modern, state-of-the-art multi-story buildings. Key upgrades included:

· Expanded Capacity: Designed to accommodate over 1,000 middle school students with dedicated grade-level suites.
· Advanced Learning Spaces: Interactive digital classrooms, modern science laboratories, and updated media center facilities.
· Enhanced Campus Security: Single-point entry security protocols, controlled access points, and modern safety surveillance systems.
· Athletic & Arts Facilities: Upgraded physical education fields, gymnasium facilities, and dedicated music/arts suites.

Academic Grade Turnaround: The school successfully elevated its Florida Department of Education state grade from a D (42 points) to a C (50 points), boosting the school's total grade points by an impressive 75 points. In the subsequent year, the school sustained this progress, increasing to 51 points.

Student Behavior & Restorative Justice: Through the strategic implementation of Restorative Justice practices, the school achieved a significant reduction in student-on-student altercations, fostering a safer, more positive, and more respectful learning environment.

District-Leading Attendance Record: Targeted attendance initiatives led to an 8.5% reduction in
chronic absenteeism (students missing 22+ days)—representing the largest attendance
improvement in the entire Orange County Public School district.