International High School for Health Sciences

The International High School for Health Sciences, a member of the Internationals Network of Public Schools, offers small classes and personal attention for new immigrants. Students come from 30 countries and speak 20 languages; some have had very little education in their home countries and may not be able to read in their native language.

The school, opened in Newtown High School in 2013, is designed to prepare students for careers in health services. Every 11th-grader has an internship in a hospital or museum such as the New York Hall of Science, according to the Comprehensive Educational Plan.

All classes are conducted in English, though the school has many staff members who speak another language. To help students learn English, Health Sciences takes a hands-on approach to learning about biology and other subjects, with experiments and projects rather than lectures, says Principal Carl Finney. Finney taught biology at another Internationals Network school, Flushing International.

Students say that Health Sciences is safe, and teachers overwhelmingly recommend it to prospective parents. However, the graduation rate is below the citywide average, perhaps because so many students come in with so many challenges.

Students participate in sports with Newtown High School.

Admissions: Students must have been in the United States for less than four years and be learning English. Queens residents have priority, though the school is open to new immigrants from throughout the city. (Clara Hemphill, web reports, December 2018)