John Dewey High School
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John Dewey High School is a public school in Brooklyn, New York City, New York, founded and based on the educational principles of John Dewey. It opened in the Fall of 1969 and is located at 50 Avenue X at the Gravesend/Bensonhurst-Bath Beach border of Brooklyn. The school is under the banner of the New York City Department of Education.
It was established in 1969 and started out with only Freshman and Sophomores. Most of the students graduated after Sophomore year and moved on to college. Slowly, the school grew to include Junior and Seniors. Today, there are over 3,200 students are enrolled in the school. Though still relatively young compared to many Brooklyn public high schools, it counts as alumni many well known graduates, including filmmaker Spike Lee, Pulitzer Prize winner Donald Margulies, producer and director Larry Charles, and scientist Robert Sapolsky.
[edit] Schedule
The year in John Dewey is divided into 4 Cycles (marking periods). Each cycle is 9 weeks long, after which a report card is sent out to the home of the student. In the middle of each cycle a progress report is sent out which indicates a student's performance before a final grade is assigned.
John Dewey High School is an extended day school. On a regular day, the school is in session from 8:00 a.m. to 3:50 p.m.. Unlike most schools, John Dewey High School uses a system of "bands" (A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, J, K) to indicate the order of classes. Even though it has ten bands, only nine meet everyday. To fill in the lost band, the other bands are assigned running times of 40, 45, 50, and 60 minutes which vary throughout the week.
John Dewey High School is unique in a way that it is college-based. It is not a standard high school where students travel from class to class the whole day. Each day students have one or more free bands. This is due to the fact that there are no deignated bands for lunch assigned to the students. During his free band a student may go to the Cafeteria to eat lunch. Resource Centers (RCs) are also available for use during a student's free band. If a student seeks help from a teacher or wants time to study he can always go to an RC during his free band. The school has five RCs (Math, English, Foreign Language, Social Studies, Science). John Dewey High School also has a great campus which a student may use during his free band.
[edit] Grading System
Cycle Report
- ME (Mastery With Excellence)
- 90-100
- M (Mastery of Course Objectives)
- 75-89
- MC (Mastery with Condition)
- 65-74
- R (Retention for Reinforcement)
- Less than 65
Mid-Cycle Report
- P (Passing)
- 75-100
- C (Conditional)
- 65-74
- F (Failing)
- Less than 65
[edit] Graduation Requirements
In order to graduate from John Dewey High School, each student must take a certain amount of specific classes. For example, each student must take 16 cycles of English; 8 literature classes, 4 writing classes, 2 communication classes, and 2 elective classes. For Social Studies, each student must take 16 cycles of classes. He needs 8 Global courses, 4 American History, 2 Economic classes, and 2 Participation in Government classes. Mathematics requires 12 cycles, each student must complete 3 years of math, and must complete Math A. The Science Department requires students to take 12 cycles of Science. John Dewey also offers many foreign languages. When a student chooses his preferred languages, he must take the course either for 1 year (4 cycles) or for 3 years (12 cycles). Art and Music are important in the Dewey curriculum. Each student must take 2 cycles of each. Also, like in every high school, John Dewey offers health education and physical education. Each student must take 14 cycles of phys. ed. and 2 cycles of health; totaling up to 16 cycles (4 years).
John Dewey High School offers many electives. A student may want to take Dance classes, or Business Education classes. It also offers Technology, Home Economics, Health Careers and Occupations. John Dewey is a school of independence.
There is also a COOP program that senior students can be apart of. This program allows the students to be in the corporate world. They work one week and go to school the next
[edit] Academy of Finance
John Dewey High School houses the "first" Academy of Finance, which was started by Sandy Weill in 1982. The Academy of Finance prepares students for post-secondary education and careers through a theme-based, contextualized curriculum approach. Academic learning experiences are combined with hands-on work experience to help students develop the thinking and problem-solving skills so critical to postsecondary education and career success.
The Academy of Finance introduces high school students to the broad career opportunities of the financial services industry, opening the door to new options and equipping students to make sound choices for the future. One of three member programs of the National Academy Foundation, the Academy of Finance operates as a small learning community and is located in more than 275 high schools nationwide.
At John Dewey, each student is allowed to apply for the Academy. During the Sophomore year, a student who is interested in joining the Academy, gives in his or her application and waits for an interview with Academy coordinator. The Academy of Finance is only available to Juniors and Seniors who applies during their Sophomore year.
[edit] ARISTA
ARISTA is the scholastic honor society of John Dewey High School. Applicants must have achieved an overall scholastic average of 90 or above as a student at John Dewey High School. The student must also have a record of service performed each cycle in some facility in the school.
[edit] DISK
John Dewey High School also offers DISKs. A DISK (Dewey Independent Study Kit) is a program which can be used in many ways. Some students may "take a DISK" in order to advance in their classes, while others might use a DISK to make up subjects in which they received an "R".
[edit] Sports
From its founding John Dewey has not fielded varsity sports teams. That lack of inter-school sports competition grew out of its educational design, meant to de-emphasize competition, winning and losing, and to encourage achievement for its own sake. The school does however have intramural athletic programs which students can take advantage of to play sports for recreation.
[edit] Notable Alumni
- Spike Lee (Film Director)
- Dominick M. Recchia, Jr. (City Council Member 47th District, Brooklyn)
- Brandon Steiner (Sports Memorabilia Entrepreneur)
- Angie Martinez (Radio Personality)
- Donald Margulies (Pulitzer Prize-Winning Playwright)
- Mike Abrams (XM Satellite Radio Senior Director)
- Elliot Goldenthal (Academy Award-Winning Composer)
- John Ortiz (Obie Award-Winning Actor)
- Karen Siplin (Novelist)
- Geoffrey Owens (Actor)
- Ray Suarez (News Anchor)
- Robert "Bobby" Tuozzo (Photographer)
- George Rubino (Playwright) (Faculty)
- Larry Charles (Producer, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Seinfeld, Borat)
- Jayson Paul, better known as JTG (World Wrestling Entertainment)
- Michelle Ye, Hong Kong television actress
[edit] Trivia
The school can be seen in the early moments of the chase scene of the Academy Award winning movie The French Connection.
[edit] External links
- John Dewey High School Official Website
- John Dewey High School NYCDOE Page
- High School Directory Book Page
- National Academy Foundation
- JDHS Photography
- Haitian flag fury unfurls at High School in Brooklyn - May 2006 article on the racist incident at the school.
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Region 7 |
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| High schools | Curtis | Dewey | Lafayette | Murrow | Staten Island Technical |
| Middle schools | IS 49 |
