By Bob Harris
Few people know that many Queens high school graduates have already attended three or four award ceremonies where they have been honored for their achievements. About two weeks ago, many seniors attended an awards ceremony where they received certificates, plaques and trophies. In a school like Hillcrest High School, 400 honors can be given to 200 students. In a small high school, the same percentage of students received honors.
Senior award ceremonies take two hours; if awards were given out during graduation, that could take five hours. A big school like Martin Van Buren High School has almost 200 students in the senior awards program.
Another ceremony which took place before graduation was the Tech-Prep Convocation at Queensborough Community College May 23. About 300 high school students from the High School for Arts and Business and Beach Channel, Business Magnet, Hillcrest, Queens Vocational and Newtown high schools were involved and received certificates because they passed college-level courses.
All Queens high schools have a National Honor Society, also known as ARISTA, chapter. Those students who have achieved a minimum average of 85 and have performed community service and good character can be admitted. An impressive ceremony with an oath and candle lighting makes this a memorable event for students and families.
A school like Hillcrest might have 200 students installed, but the Law, Government & Community Service Magnet or Mathematics, Science Research and Technology Magnet high schools would have fewer students because they have fewer than 500 students each.
Some high schools have athletic banquets or dinners. Campus Magnet has a large athletic department with their athletic banquet booklet having 20 pages with each varsity team on a separate page. These students on athletic teams all had to have passing grades and good character.
High school athletic programs are a strong motivator of academic achievement, with some students being scholar-athletes. Some seniors receive scholarships. Many coaches actually set up study times for their teams and provide tutoring.
Local Queens newspapers have printed stories about high schools and achieving students. TimesLedger printed a story about the annual Newsweek list of America's top high schools. The highest-ranking city school was the High School for Arts and Business, which ranked 219 out of 1,358.
Cardozo High School students were winners at the Envirothon environmental competition. The small Academy of Finance and Enterprise has a virtual enterprise class where students run a fictitious business.
Other high schools with such a program are Hillcrest and Business Magnet.
Thomas A. Edison Vocational and Technical High School automotive students won first place in the state Auto Engine Live Competition.
The students diagnose and repair defects built into automobiles.
Francis Lewis High School JROTC students took first place in the annual competition of physical and military activities. Some graduates are attending West Point.
Long Island City High School students won at the Science Olympiad. The school was awarded a REACH Innovation Grant to help develop creative ideas and programs.
Students at Long Island City, August Martin, Beach Channel and Franklin K. Lane high schools won awards in the annual Culinary Arts Program Competition.
Jamaica High School hosted the annual Academic Olympics and the Information Technology High School took first place.
Hillcrest is initiating several new technology courses in its CISCO Academy. Thomas A. Edison High School also has a CISCO Academy. This is just one of many academic, technological and vocational programs in Queens high schools affiliated with many city colleges.
BAD NEWS OF THE WEEK: Clearing out my files, I found an article by Jonathan Rosen from the Feb. 13, 2006, issue of Time magazine entitled, “Are we Losing Our Edge”?
He argued that although we still lead in scientific breakthroughs and have innovations to propel our current economy, we do not spend enough money to train science and math teachers and fund science research.
Competing with us are China and India.
It shows in the technology we buy from overseas, number of academic prizes we win and patents granted to U.S. companies.
