Jamaica High School (New York City)

Jamaica High School is a secondary school in New York City, United States. The school is administered by the New York City Department of Education.

Location

The campus is located in Jamaica, Queens near the top of a fairly steep hill at the corner of 168th Street and Gothic Drive. Hillside Avenue, at the foot of the hill, is several blocks to the south.

Jamaica High School is also located near Thomas A. Edison Vocational and Technical High School. Edison is north of JHS, separated by 84th Ave and the JHS Track and Football Field. Hillcrest High School is another nearby high school. Hillcrest is located at 87th Avenue and Parsons Blvd.

Academic Offerings

Special academic programs include the Academy of Finance, Gateway, Law, Business and Computer Science, Humanities, Honors, Peer Tutoring, College Now, Fit for Life, and Fencing.

Demographics

* 59% African American
* 22% Asian (Includes East and West Indians, Chinese etc.)(Large Bangla Speaking Population predominantly of Bangladeshi origin)
* 19% Latino Hispanic
* 0% WhiteFact|date=August 2008

Other information

* Attendance 80%
* Graduation Rate 50%
* Is on the list to become a New York City LandmarkFact|date=August 2008

In 2007, the school has been designated by the State of New York as one of the "Persistently Dangerous Schools."Fact|date=August 2008

Notable alumni

*Obba Babatunde, '69, (1951-), Motion picture actor, Television actor "Dawson's Creek, appeared on Broadway in "Dreamgirls".
*Bob Beamon, Olympic Athlete and world record holder in the long jump for 23 years. [Williams, Lena. [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=980CE7D91338F932A35752C0A9669C8B63 "TRACK AND FIELD; Soothing an Old Ache"] , "The New York Times", January 1, 2000. Accessed November 7, 2007. "As a student at Jamaica High School, Beamon came under the tutelage of Larry Ellis, the renowned track coach, and was named to the all-American track and field team as well as the all-city squad."]
*Paul Bowles, '28. (1910-1999), Author and Composer. [http://www.jamaicahighschool.org/ALUM/notealum.htm NOTEWORTHY ALUMNI OF JAMAICA HIGH SCHOOL] , Jamaica High School. Accessed November 2, 2007.]
*Art Buchwald, '43. Pulitzer Prize Winning Humorist and cartoonist.
*Francis Ford Coppola, Movie Director
*The Cleftones: Charlie James(McGhee),'55; William McClane, '55; Herb Cox, '55; Berman Patterson, '55; and Warren Corbin, '55 (dec.).
*Tommy Delutz, Jr., '84. Professional bowler, Professional Bowlers Association
*Alan Dugan, '41. (1923-2003), Pulitzer Prize Winning Poet.
*Gertrude B. Elion, '41. (1918 - 1999). Nobel Prize Winner, 1988 Physiology/Medicine.
*Ato Bolden
*Ashrita Furman, set more than 160 official Guinness records [Kilgannon, Corey. [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9E06E6DE1E39F931A25755C0A9659C8B63&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=2 "Got Milk? Hula Hoop? It's a Record!; He's Guinness's King Of Strange Feats, All for Inner Peace"] , "The New York Times", June 12, 2003. Accessed November 2, 2007.]
*Laura Z. Hobson, '17. (1900 - 1986) Author.
* [Jackson-Lee, represents ushr|Texas|18. [ [http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=j000032 Sheila Jackson-Lee] , "Biographical Directory of the United States Congress". Accessed November 2, 2007.]
*Herbert London, '56. Candidate for New York Mayor and Governor.
*John N. Mitchell, '31. Attorney General of the United States.
*Walter O'Malley, '22? (1903-1979), Owner of the Brooklyn and L.A. Dodgers. ["Walter F. O'Malley, Leader of Dodgers' Move to Los Angeles, Dies at 75; Unqualified Success", "The New York Times", August 10, 1979. "The son of a commissioner of [markets, he attended Jamaica High School in Queens and Culver Military Academy on Indiana, where he played on the baseball team until a broken nose finished his playing career."]
*Letty Cottin Pogrebin, writer and journalist.
*Michael Savage ('58, as Michael Weiner), Author of health & nutrition books, radio talk show host.
*Gunther Schuller, '43. Pulitzer Prize Winning Composer, Author and Conductor.
*George Vecsey, '56, sportswriter for "The New York Times".Vescey, George. [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9E0CE7DD1E31F934A25757C0A964958260 "Sports of The Times; St. John's Must Hire Noo Yawker"] , "The New York Times", April 17, 1992. Accessed November 2, 2007. "Well, pal, I recently went back to my alma mater, Jamaica High School, this beautiful building on the hill, which produced the Cleftones and Letty Cottin Pogrebin at the very same time, a few decades back."]
*Josef von Sternberg, '14, Director and Cinematographer.
* Marcia Blank, aka Marcie Blaine, '62, singer of "Bobby's Girl"

References

External links

* [http://www.jamaicahighschool.org/ Jamaica High School]
* [http://schools.nyc.gov/OurSchools/Region3/Q470/default.htm NYC Dept. of Education page on Jamaica]
* [http://www.insideschools.org/fs/school_profile.php?id=1086 www.insideschools.org]
* [http://maps.google.com/?t=h&ll=40.71446,-73.798159&spn=0.00335,0.007317&t=h Google Maps Hybrid Image]