Our Insights
What’s Special
Kids make their own films
The Downside
Friction between administration and staff
The Cinema School in the Bronx is for students who want to explore their creative vision through film. In addition to the typical array of high school classes, children explore filmmaking challenges each year, such as animation, music video production and screenwriting. Seniors produce original films.
During a six-week period in the winter, students develop film projects, shoot on location, work with resident and guest artists in the film industry, and visit arts colleges and professional studios, according to the school website. The school’s lead partner is the Ghetto Film School, a non-profit organization.
The theme of cinema is woven into academic classes too. In a humanities class, for example, students may create a storyboard to identify plot elements in the novel Lord of the Flies. They study media criticism and the history of visual arts.
Most children graduate on time and more than half are ready for college-level work. Students who fall behind must attend Saturday school six months prior to the Regents exam. They also receive extra math and reading help during school hours. High-achievers may attend classes at Lehman College.
Parents say Principal Keisha Warner, a Bronx native and Bank Street College graduate, who took the helm in 2013, “is available night and day, knows every student and is a presence in their lives,” and that filmmaking “has changed their child’s educational life into an avid interest in learning,” according to the Quality Review. Students say they feel safe and there is little bullying, according to school surveys.
However, there appears to be friction between the administration and staff. Fewer than half the teachers say the principal is an effective manager and fewer than one-third say discipline and order are maintained, according to surveys.
The Cinema School shares the Monroe annex with Mott Hall V, a 6−12 school, and a District 75 program for students with severe disabilities. The modern facility has its own gymnasium, auditorium and cafeteria. There are no metal detectors. Sports are campus-wide.
The school has a full-time college counselor. (Lydie Raschka, web reports, May 2018)
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School Stats
Academics
Students
Race/Ethnicity
Safety & Vibe
Faculty & Staff
Advanced Courses
Calculus
Not offered in 2021-21Computer Science
Not offered in 2021-21Physics
Advanced Foreign Language
AP/IB Arts, English, History or Social Science
AP/IB Math or Science
Music
Not offered in 2021-21College Readiness
Programs & Admissions
From the 2024 High School DirectoryThe Cinema School (Y42A)
Program Description:
We offer a rigorous liberal arts college preparatory curriculum and a four-year curriculum in narrative filmmaking.
Offerings
From the 2024 High School DirectoryLanguage Courses
French
Advanced Courses
Algebra II (Advanced Math), AP English Language and Composition, AP English Literature and Composition, AP Environmental Science, AP United States History, Chemistry (Advanced Science), Physics (Advanced Science), World Languages (Advanced World Languages)
Boys PSAL teams
Badminton, Baseball, Basketball, Bowling, Soccer, Swimming, Volleyball
Girls PSAL teams
Badminton, Basketball, Outdoor Track, Soccer, Softball, Volleyball
Read about admissions, academics, and more at this school on NYCDOE’s MySchools
Contact & Location
Location
1551 East 172Nd Street
Bronx
NY
10472
Trains: to Elder Av
Buses: Bx11, Bx27, Bx35, Bx4, Bx4A, BxM6, Q44-SBS
Contact
Other Details
This school shares the James Monroe Educational campus with one other school
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