By Ivan Pereira
The Queens Public Library will provide curriculum support for the Queens High School for Information, Research and Technology, which opens in Far Rockaway this fall. The school, located at 821 Beach 25th St., will be provided with supplementary programing in information literacy and research skills through grants from the library.”Queens Library's core business is enriching lives with education and information. Supporting the new high school is a natural extension of our mission,” said Maureen O'Connor, the director of library services, in a statement.The high school will focus on giving new students skills pertinent to information fluency, science and communication, according to the Queens Library. In addition to its academic curriculum, which includes year-long service projects, the school will have numerous extracurricular activities such as art, music and an assortment of athletics.”Our society is rich in information. The ability to find, authenticate, interpret and use information are competencies that will continue to be much in demand as life skills and by the world of work,” O'Conner said.The school was created with the assistance of New Visions for Public Schools, a non-profit education reform group.”We are committed to creating schools with rigorous academic standards to give our students the skills they'll need to succeed as lifelong learners. There's no better partner in this endeavor than the Queens Library, with its comprehensive resources and dedication to the missions of literacy and learning,” New Visons President Robert Hughes said in a statement.State Assemblywoman Audrey Pheffer (D-Rockaway Beach) also applauded the 101-year-old institution for lending a helping hand to her district's new school.”New educational opportunities are always exciting,” Pheffer said in a statement. “I look forward to working closely with the Queens High School for Information, Research and Technology and the Queens Library to ensure quality education for the students in Far Rockaway.”Parents who are interested in enrolling their children in the school for the fall can enter school code Q06A on their high school applications or e-mail QHS@queenslibrary.org for more information.Reach reporter Ivan Pereira by e-mail at ipereira@timesledger.com or by phone at 718-229-0300, Ext. 146.
