Keep Richmond Hill High School Annex for 9th Graders
Keep Richmond Hill High School Annex for 9th Graders
The Issue
We are concerned students, parents, teachers, staff, alumni and residents of the diverse community of Richmond Hill in the Borough of Queens, NY. We oppose the displacement of our current and future 9th grade students in the Richmond Hill HS Annex former St. Benedict building located at 94-25 117th Street. We do so not because we are opposed to the prospective innovative EPIC High School in principle, but because of the interrelated issues of space, location and disrespect for the needs of the students of Richmond Hill High School. Our opposition is based on the following:
- RHHS has had three different principals in the last three years causing instability within the school learning environment and dissatisfaction with parents and students:
o 2011-2012 Frances Desanctis (Principal for seven years decided to leave)
o 2012-2013 Wayne Anderson
o 2013-2014 Neil Ganesh
- ·The main building was built in the 1920’s designed to accommodate 1800 students. Eleven trailers installed in the 1990’s located in the former playground have outlived their expectancy and conditions are decaying. Mold on the ceiling tiles, rodents, and holes in the walls are some of the conditions that plague students and teachers who must work each day.Due to this self-esteem and performance is low and the school community feels that they aren't entitled to a decent learning environment.Report from NY1 on this issue: http://www.ny1.com/content/news/education/189363/reports-show-widespread-mold-in-trailers-at-three-queens-high-schools
The DOE has turned its back on Richmond Hill HS and the community over the last four plus years. Half of its population is English Language Learners, speaking mainly Spanish, Punjabi and Bengali. Many of these students are recent immigrants to the United States and new to the NYC public school environment.The highest enrollment population at one point was 3600, but has gone down to 2336. This is possibily due to high student turnover from the changing learning conditions from the DOE. The Annex has been able to give 9th grade students a place to adjust to high school life and get to know their peers before leaving to the main campus in the following years. The trailers have become International Academy a place where ELL students and newly arrived immigrants can be a community. Current Demographics of the school population:
o 47% Hispanic/Latino
o 30% Asian
o 16% Black
o 4% White
Recent Achievements at RHHS:
According to an education impact statement released by the DOE in November, Richmond Hill’s four-year graduation rate rose from 57 percent in 2010 to 60 percent in 2012, and the percent of students graduating with a Regents diploma increased from 42 percent in 2010 to 58 percent in 2012.
Hosts an Annual Art Showcase for students to show their work to their teachers, peers and parents RHHSstudent Ivan Gamba created a video for the 2013 Art Showcase: http://goo.gl/OBlTbK
Student Ivan Gamba’s film on the devastation of Hurricane Sandy called “Rockaway Beach” premiered at MyBlockNYC film festival at Sony Wonder Technology: www.nydailynews.com/new-york/bronx/teen-filmmakers-big-screen-debut-article-1.1394064#ixzz2YfdRd4rj
Ranks in the top 100 NATIONALLY in teaching personal finance! This is based on the WISE exam, which is now offered in 28 states. RHHS also received the Blue Star Award for the 4th year in row, this recognizes that 85% of our seniors passed the WISE Personal Finance Exam with a 75 or high:www.wise-ny.org/documents/w!se_Announces_List_of_100_Best_w!se_High_Schools.pdf
RHHS senior, Nicholas Phillips, a member of the RHHS Law Pathway, RHHS Law Club and the Moot Court Tea for won a spot on the 2014 International Moot Court team. Nicholas will represented Richmond Hill HS and New York City in The Hague, Netherlands on January 18-25, 2014. A special commendation also goes out to Law Club and Moot Court Team advisor, Ms. Doobay.
Mariya Korobova US History and Economics teacher was a nominee for the NY Daily News Hometown Hero in Education Award www.nydailynews.com/new-york/education/queens-immig-teacher-brings-lot-table-article-1.1382587
In 2012, the RHHS Virtual Enterprise firms have made the semi-finals for Best Catalog and Best Website.The winners will be announced at the 15th annual Virtual Enterprises International Trade Show on Thursday, March 29 2012, at the New York Armory in Manhattan.This competition is worldwide with over 200 schools submitting catalogs and websites.
We therefore respectfully urge our elected officials, Department of Education and Panel for Educational Policy to withdraw its proposal to take the Richmond Hill High School Annex away and place a new high school called EPIC for Fall 2014 without consulting years of community concerns and the creation of a five to ten year plan to build a permanent extension to the main building to replace eleven decaying school trailers that are over ten years old to build a 21st century high school.
Recent articles on RHHS:
http://www.wnyc.org/story/parents-one-queens-school-say-trailers-should-go-sooner-not-later/
http://www.guyanatimesgy.com/?p=40903
Top 10 Immigrant Groups in Richmond Hill From: http://www.nyc.gov/html/dcp/html/census/nny.shtml Total Population 63,201 Foreign-born 36,203 57% Guyana 31% India 16% Trinidad & Tobago 8% Dominican Republic 7% Ecuador 6% Bangladesh 3% Mexico 3% Colombia 3% Philippines 3% China 2% All Others 19%
The Issue
We are concerned students, parents, teachers, staff, alumni and residents of the diverse community of Richmond Hill in the Borough of Queens, NY. We oppose the displacement of our current and future 9th grade students in the Richmond Hill HS Annex former St. Benedict building located at 94-25 117th Street. We do so not because we are opposed to the prospective innovative EPIC High School in principle, but because of the interrelated issues of space, location and disrespect for the needs of the students of Richmond Hill High School. Our opposition is based on the following:
- RHHS has had three different principals in the last three years causing instability within the school learning environment and dissatisfaction with parents and students:
o 2011-2012 Frances Desanctis (Principal for seven years decided to leave)
o 2012-2013 Wayne Anderson
o 2013-2014 Neil Ganesh
- ·The main building was built in the 1920’s designed to accommodate 1800 students. Eleven trailers installed in the 1990’s located in the former playground have outlived their expectancy and conditions are decaying. Mold on the ceiling tiles, rodents, and holes in the walls are some of the conditions that plague students and teachers who must work each day.Due to this self-esteem and performance is low and the school community feels that they aren't entitled to a decent learning environment.Report from NY1 on this issue: http://www.ny1.com/content/news/education/189363/reports-show-widespread-mold-in-trailers-at-three-queens-high-schools
The DOE has turned its back on Richmond Hill HS and the community over the last four plus years. Half of its population is English Language Learners, speaking mainly Spanish, Punjabi and Bengali. Many of these students are recent immigrants to the United States and new to the NYC public school environment.The highest enrollment population at one point was 3600, but has gone down to 2336. This is possibily due to high student turnover from the changing learning conditions from the DOE. The Annex has been able to give 9th grade students a place to adjust to high school life and get to know their peers before leaving to the main campus in the following years. The trailers have become International Academy a place where ELL students and newly arrived immigrants can be a community. Current Demographics of the school population:
o 47% Hispanic/Latino
o 30% Asian
o 16% Black
o 4% White
Recent Achievements at RHHS:
According to an education impact statement released by the DOE in November, Richmond Hill’s four-year graduation rate rose from 57 percent in 2010 to 60 percent in 2012, and the percent of students graduating with a Regents diploma increased from 42 percent in 2010 to 58 percent in 2012.
Hosts an Annual Art Showcase for students to show their work to their teachers, peers and parents RHHSstudent Ivan Gamba created a video for the 2013 Art Showcase: http://goo.gl/OBlTbK
Student Ivan Gamba’s film on the devastation of Hurricane Sandy called “Rockaway Beach” premiered at MyBlockNYC film festival at Sony Wonder Technology: www.nydailynews.com/new-york/bronx/teen-filmmakers-big-screen-debut-article-1.1394064#ixzz2YfdRd4rj
Ranks in the top 100 NATIONALLY in teaching personal finance! This is based on the WISE exam, which is now offered in 28 states. RHHS also received the Blue Star Award for the 4th year in row, this recognizes that 85% of our seniors passed the WISE Personal Finance Exam with a 75 or high:www.wise-ny.org/documents/w!se_Announces_List_of_100_Best_w!se_High_Schools.pdf
RHHS senior, Nicholas Phillips, a member of the RHHS Law Pathway, RHHS Law Club and the Moot Court Tea for won a spot on the 2014 International Moot Court team. Nicholas will represented Richmond Hill HS and New York City in The Hague, Netherlands on January 18-25, 2014. A special commendation also goes out to Law Club and Moot Court Team advisor, Ms. Doobay.
Mariya Korobova US History and Economics teacher was a nominee for the NY Daily News Hometown Hero in Education Award www.nydailynews.com/new-york/education/queens-immig-teacher-brings-lot-table-article-1.1382587
In 2012, the RHHS Virtual Enterprise firms have made the semi-finals for Best Catalog and Best Website.The winners will be announced at the 15th annual Virtual Enterprises International Trade Show on Thursday, March 29 2012, at the New York Armory in Manhattan.This competition is worldwide with over 200 schools submitting catalogs and websites.
We therefore respectfully urge our elected officials, Department of Education and Panel for Educational Policy to withdraw its proposal to take the Richmond Hill High School Annex away and place a new high school called EPIC for Fall 2014 without consulting years of community concerns and the creation of a five to ten year plan to build a permanent extension to the main building to replace eleven decaying school trailers that are over ten years old to build a 21st century high school.
Recent articles on RHHS:
http://www.wnyc.org/story/parents-one-queens-school-say-trailers-should-go-sooner-not-later/
http://www.guyanatimesgy.com/?p=40903
Top 10 Immigrant Groups in Richmond Hill From: http://www.nyc.gov/html/dcp/html/census/nny.shtml Total Population 63,201 Foreign-born 36,203 57% Guyana 31% India 16% Trinidad & Tobago 8% Dominican Republic 7% Ecuador 6% Bangladesh 3% Mexico 3% Colombia 3% Philippines 3% China 2% All Others 19%
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Petition created on May 17, 2014