Newtown High School

Newtown High School seems to be a happy place where students, teachers and administrators respect one another and work together. Students give their teachers high marks for helping them academically and emotionally, according to school surveys.

Class discussions are of high quality and teachers are committed to the school, actively taking steps to make it a better place and improve their teaching, according to school surveys. John Ficalora, who attended Newtown as a student and has been principal since 1992, is well-regarded by both faculty and parents.

The school has bounced back from a dark period in 2012 when the city threatened to close it for poor performance. Since then, the school has reorganized into “small learning communities.” More students are graduating on time, ready for college. Attendance is good.

Although the school’s enrollment has declined, it remains large enough to offer an array of Advanced Placement and other college credit classes, four foreign languages, and many extracurricular activities and sports teams, including co-ed cricket. Students may enroll in career training programs in new media/E-commerce and architecture.

Ninth graders have their own learning community where they prepare for two Regents tests, adjust to high school and receive individualized attention. Some may take Advanced Placement US history. At the end of the year, the students select from among the learning communities: business; arts and media; math, science and forensics; and an engineering program, which also includes architecture and computer technology.

Newtown students meet individually with a teacher who reviews the student’s grades and goals, and helps the student address any problems and meet those goals. An educator who visited the school to prepare its Quality Review found students universally enthusiastic about this, with one saying, “It’s great to review my report card with a teacher who I don’t already work with. Gives me fresh eyes and ideas.”

Newtown High School, which covers an entire city block, is a landmarked building. A school serving the farming community of Elmhurst opened on the site in 1866; the oldest part of the current building was constructed in 1921, according to Wikipedia. Since 2013, Newtown has shared its campus with the International High School for Health Sciences.

Special education: The school has a large number of English language learners, who have their own learning community. The majority of students with disabilities spend most of their school day in team teaching classes with a mix of general and special education students, but self-contained classes also are available.

Admissions: Students zoned for the school are guaranteed a seat if they apply. Students from elsewhere in Queens may apply to one of three programs: pre-engineering and computer technology, which screens students but accepts those with an average of 64 or above; business, which uses the educational option method designed to admit students with a range of academic abilities; and art, which requires an audition. Programs do not generally fill all their seats, and all admit some incoming 10th graders. (Gail Robinson, DOE materials and press reports, November 2018; photo from school's website)