The Queens High School of Teaching
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[edit] About
'The Queens High School Of Teaching, Liberal Arts and Sciences or QHST opened in Fall 2003 and serves grades 9-12 under principal Nigel Pugh. The school is located in Bellerose, Queens, New York and is one of the only high schools in Queens that has a campus. Its 3 Small Learning Communities are named Emerson, Montessori, and Friere.
[edit] History and Origin
The school was originally planned as a year-round school with short vacations throughout the year, but this plan was later dismissed, and the school now adheres to a standard academic schedule.
The original plan was to enroll 300 freshmen and gradually accept more students each year. Months before its opening 60 sophomores were admitted as well. At this time Nigel Pugh separated the school into four "small learning communities" (SLCs) to simulate the experience of attending a smaller school.
[edit] Small Learning Communities
Each SLC has its own teachers and students in each community mostly attend classes only within their small learning community. Some classes - e.g. art, music, Spanish culture, Spanish - are "cross-community" meaning that students from different communities attend the same class. Montessori and Emerson were the two biggest communities, having few seniors and an average number of juniors, sophomores, and freshmen, while Freire only had juniors, sophomores and freshmen.
SLCs each have a student government, with the student governments from all communities working together to form the United Student Government (a.k.a. USGO). Each community hosts events of its own, but members of the other student governments help the host carry out the events. Some school-wide events are planned by all student governments in conjunction.
[edit] Mission Statement and Schoolwide Values
The Queens High School of Teaching's mission statement reads:
"The Queens High School Of Teaching is different by design developing diverse learners who are prepared to become leaders, and teachers, in their communities and productive members of global society. Our small learning communities provide a framework where students are encourages to perform to their highest potential through differentiated instruction, students-centered classrooms and instilling school wide values. Creating an inclusive environment we promote the ethical and moral development of our students. Though distributive leadership, students, staff, parents and other stakeholders fully participate in the teaching and learning process, while continuously reflecting, assessing and modifying our practices. As a proving ground for sound educational pedagogy, we are committed to insuring our students become lifelong learners enabling them to adapt to an ever changing world."- Nigel Pugh, Principal
The Seven School-wide Values We Should Respect At All Times:
- Respect all members of our community and celebrate diversity.
- We will be aware of how our actions and decisions affect others.
- Our building is our home to enjoy, to take care of, and to feel safe in.
- Conflict, sensitively managed, is our opportunity to create greater understanding and harmony.
- We create inclusive communities of learners and players.
- We respect our physical, mental , and our emotional health.
- We are responsible for our own academic performance , and for developing practices that support intellectual rigor, honesty, and organization.
