Hunters Point Community Middle School

A waterfront location with stunning views of the East River and Midtown Manhattan is not the only draw at Hunter's Point Community Middle School (HPCMS). Opened in 2013, the school also has an award-winning debate team, oyster beds in the front yard and instrumental music.

"If you want to find kids who represent the whole city, you'll find them here," said Principal Sarah Goodman, a former math coach, teacher and alumna of Brown University. Posted on the school’s website are profiles of her diverse staff including pictures of what they looked like as middle school students themselves.

There are interesting opportunities for students in the arts and athletics. Every 6th grader learns to play an instrument, and 7th and 8th graders can take technical theater courses. Dance/Cheer and Track are available before school. Students can also write for the school blog, The HPCMS Chronicle, which features a range of articles written for and by students.

Partnerships expand learning opportunities outside the classroom, including a coding partnership with Cornell Tech, the campus on Roosevelt Island. The oyster beds are part of a partnership with the Billion Oyster Project so that students are connected with the environmental issues facing their community.

A majority of students at HPCMS have reported bullying on the School Survey, and many teachers agree that bullying happens at the school. Teachers report that nevertheless order is maintained at the school. The school uses crew advisory groups to monitor student progress and include behavior checks and plans to better communicate with families to build strong community relationships.

Hunter's Point is located on the third floor of a building shared with Academy for Television and Film High School and the Riverview School, a 6-12 District 75 program for children with severe learning differences. The D75 Inclusion program at HPCMS is a unique opportunity to integrate students with special needs from the Riverview school the community.  All Riverview staff and students are fully immersed into the school culture, and only select classes like Spanish are separated.

Special education: About a quarter of the students have special needs including those who are dual-enrolled which is not included in our InsideStats data. Services include a self-contained class, team-taught classes and a SETSS teacher. Wheelchairs can navigate the wide hallways and there are elevators.

Admissions: Open to students and residents of District 30. Priority goes to families who attend an open house. The school has been popular with families, and currently receives far more applicants than they have room for.  (Melanie Quiroz, web reports and DOE data, April 2019)