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Our Insights

What’s Special

Performing arts, classes in software engineering

The Downside

Early lunch for 6th graders

JHS 157, Stephen A. Halsey, is a large, dynamic school with effective teachers, strong leadership, and engaging classes. Open to everyone who lives in the school’s attendance zone, Halsey also admits students from across District 28 to its performing arts program. 

Students choose a "talent"—band, chorus, drama, art, STEM (science, technology engineering and math) and computers—which they take four times a week.

The school serves a wide range of children well, including high-achievers, new immigrants learning English and students with disabilities, according to an evaluation by the Department of Education called the Quality Review. Children speak 31 different languages at home. 

Principal Vincent Suraci, who speaks Spanish and Italian, and grew up in the neighborhood, gets high marks from teachers. 

It's a demanding school: Nearly half of all students take and pass Regents exams in Algebra, Earth Science or a foreign language. In addition to strong academics, the school has lots of electives and activities. Every year, the school puts on a musical such as Guys and Dolls or The Music Man. One year, special needs students learned about African dance as part of a program at The Brooklyn Academy of Music.

Electives include 3-D printing, and animation. A new technology lab has a flight simulator used in the software engineering program.

Students participate in civic activities including fundraising for St. Jude & the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. “They run coat drives, food drives, toy drives, and more,” according to parent coordinator Michael Zevon. Athletic teams, including boys' and girls' basketball, boys' flag football and girls' volleyball, compete across the borough.

While nearly all the middle schools in the city end in 8th grade, JHS 157 still has a 9th grade, in part to help ease crowding at Forest Hills High School a few blocks away. One benefit: 9th grade class size at Halsey is much smaller than that at Forest Hills. However, there are no 9th grade honors courses.

Lunch periods are staggered from 10:30 am for 6th graders to 12:30 pm for 8th and 9th graders. (Clara Hemphill, web reports, April 2019)

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School Stats

Citywide Average Key
This school is Better Near Worse than the citywide average
Citywide Average Key
This school is Better Near Worse than the citywide average

Is this school safe and well-run?

From the 2022-2023 NYC School Survey

How many students say they feel safe in the hallways, bathrooms and locker rooms?
82%
81% Citywide Average
How many students think bullying happens most or all of the time at this school?
64%
52% Citywide Average
How many teachers say the principal is an effective manager?
97%
78% Citywide Average
How many teachers say they would recommend this school to other families?
95%
77% Citywide Average

From the 2019-20 NY State Report Card

How many students were suspended?
0%
1% Citywide Average

From this school's most recent Quality Review Report

Are teachers effective?

From 2023 End-of-year Attendance and Chronic Absenteeism Report

How many teachers have 3 or more years of experience teaching?
79%
79% Citywide Average
Years of principal experience at this school
18.1

How do students perform academically?

From the New York State 2022-2023 Assessment Database

How many middle school students scored 3-4 on the state math exam?
73%
42% Citywide Average
How many middle school students scored 3-4 on the state reading exam?
73%
51% Citywide Average

From the 2022-23 School Quality Guide

How many 8th-graders earn high school credit?
95%
92% Citywide Average

Who does this school serve?

From the 2022-23 Demographic Snapshot

Enrollment
1639
Asian
29%
Black
6%
Hispanic
23%
White
37%
Other
5%
Free or reduced priced lunch
53%
Students with disabilities
13%
English language learners
11%

From the 2022-23 School Quality Guide

Average daily attendance
87%
88% Citywide Average
How many students miss 18 or more days of school?
39%
39% Citywide Average

How does this school serve special populations?

From the New York State 2022-2023 Assessment Database

How many English language learners scored 3-4 on the state math exam?
30%
7% Citywide Average
For more information about our data sources, see About Our Data · More DOE statistics for this school

Contact & Location

Location

63-55 102nd Street
Queens NY 11374

Trains: M Line, R Line to 67th Ave

Buses: Q23, Q38, Q58, Q60, Q72, Q88, QM10, QM11, QM12, QM18, QM40, QM42


Contact

Principal: Vincent Suraci

Parent Coordinator: Michael Zevon

Phone: 718-830-4910

Website

Other Details

Shared campus? No

This school is in its own building.

Uniforms required? No
Metal detectors? No

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