JOHN ADAMS HIGH SCHOOL (JAMAICA/OZONE PARK, NY)

'John Adams High School (H.S. 480)' (often referred to locally as 'John Adams') is a public High School in Ozone Park, New York. The school opened on 1928 in Ozone Park, New York as a public High School. The campus of John Adams is roughly 6 city blocks x 3 city blocks, with large Baseball and Football fields residing behind the school. The school has recently been improving on its' Academics,^[1] as it falls short of the state average in Graduation Rates and Regents Examinations Scores. John Adams is also known for its diverse population and many Athletic Teams.
The school is commonly known as an uncompetitive school due to the low GPA's and Exam scores of students. However, more recently, the school has experienced an increase in its Graduation Rate by 15% and has also seen many improvements in Academics with the introduction of many new Clubs, Events, and After-School Programs. Also, with the construction and opening of the new Annex Building located approximately 30 blocks from John Adams, newly accepted freshman now attend a Jump-start Academy which prepares them for grades 10-12 in the main building--this has also decreased the amount of students crowding the hallways during period changes.

Contents

History

Enrollment

Enrollment Programs

School Facilities

Extracurricular Activities

Groups and Clubs

Academics

Advanced Placement Courses

Athletics

John Adams in the Media

Notable Alumni

Other High Schools With This Name

Notes and References

See also

History

During the 2005-2006 school year, John Adams celebrated its 75th anniversary since it was first built and opened during 1928. More recently Principal Grace Zwillenberg, a former Assistant Principal of Science at the school, took the position of Principal in 2003.^[2] The school rapidly started improvements such as the new Jump-start Academy Program which allows new freshman to first attend the Annex Building (approximately 30 blocks from John Adams) before coming to the main building for grades 10-12.
Among many of the improvements, the YABC Program proved to be quite effective in helping students with their Academic progress during their High School years in John Adams. It has allowed many struggling students to obtain their credits by attending the Program after school. Another addition to the school is the new Annual Celebration of Achievements, which has just went through its third year.
The school originally did not have a scanning procedure, which consists of students walking through a Metal Detector and placing their Backpacks and other possessions in an X-Ray scanner when arriving to school before classes. However, with this inclusion, the safety of the school was improved, as threats are greatly reduced with scanning for metallic and dangerous objects.

Enrollment

The application procedure for John Adams High School is similar to the majority of other high schools under the New York City Department of Education. Students submit an application indicating the specific programs that they wish to apply for in order of personal preference. The application is then reviewed by the designated staff of each school applied to, and a determination is made as to whether the school will accept or decline the applicant.

Enrollment Programs

John Adams High School has several programs for students that are applying to the school as freshmen (they first attend the Annex before coming to the main building for grades 10-12). Some of these programs include (but are not limited to): the MSI Program (Math and Science Institute), the CTI Program (Computer Technology Institute), the Health Program (which focuses on Health and related sciences), and the Zoned Program. Several Programs, like the MSI Program, are usually comprised of students that have higher averages and test scores than others.
The Zoned Program is usually for students who live near the school (thus, why it's called the Zoned Program), and some students also apply for the Zoned Program if they have low Middle School grades. After the new freshmen attend school at the Annex, they are sent to the main building for continuation of High School in grades 10-12.

School Facilities

John Adams is a large school, with three floors and a basement (where the cafeteria, locker rooms, and several classes are located). The school has three gymnasiums, which are named "Gym A", "Gym B", and "Gym C"; the largest of the gymnasiums is Gym A, which has a full-court for basketball, and an oval shaped track suspended over the court (used for running and the Track Team's practice). The basketball court is complete with eight hoops, two being used for the main full-court. There are also enough seats to accommodate several hundred people.
Located behind the school is the large football and baseball Fields, which cover nearly 40% of the School's Campus. The football field is used for the John Adams football team (named The Spartans), and it has a wide stands area where people can sit to view games. Next to the football field is the baseball field, where the John Adams baseball team plays games. Both fields are used for physical education, softball, volleyball, soccer, lacrosse, and several other sports-related gym classes.
A large, oval-shaped track field surrounds both fields, and it is used for conducting gym classes, as well as track team practice sessions. There is a mini-park behind the football and baseball fields, which also houses a handball court. The school also has a swimming pool and a weight-training room where physical education classes are also held.
A library is located in the third floor of the main building. The auditorium is located on the first floor, and it is quite large, with two floors and enough seats to house several thousand people. Many events and meetings take place within the auditorium, and it also used as a waiting area for students before Period 1 begins. The school also has a Virtual Enterprise room, where business and trade is simulated on computers and involve student interaction. Computer labs and science labs can also be found in the school. The science labs are used for Living Environment, Chemistry, and Earth Science classes; the computer labs are used for word processing and other computer-related tasks.
The school houses in more than 3,000 students at a time, and it may be easy for a visiting guest to get lost in the large building, along with so many students. There is an Elevator located near the Main Entrance, which can be used to travel to all floors to ease walking from floor to floor (students require permission in order to use the elevator).
The facilities mentioned above are listed here:

★ Football Field

★ Baseball Field

★ Track Running Field

★ Basketball Court

★ Three Gymnasiums

★ Weight-Training Room

★ Swimming Pool

★ Virtual Enterprise Room

★ Large Cafeteria

★ Computer Labs

★ Science Labs

★ Elevator

★ Library

★ Auditorium

Extracurricular Activities

John Adams High School has dozens of Clubs, Groups, and Organizations which allows many students to get involved with the school as well as the community. More recently, the number of Clubs in the school has risen, which has improved the success of many students in regards to Academics. Some of the major groups are included in the following:

Groups and Clubs

★ National Honor Society - Also known as "NHS" by students; the National Honor Society is for the best students in the school, who have shown outstanding work and effort, and have maintained and average of at least 85 and has not failed any classes. NHS requires students to do service work, both outside of school (mandatory), and inside school (not mandatory, but many NHS students divide each into 15 hours in order to fit their schedule). For Juniors (11th graders) first entering the National Honor Society, 30 service hours are required.

★ Journalism - The Journalism group in John Adams High School produces the school newspaper every semester, titled "The Campus". The Journalism group is also a College NOW class, and it consists of around 10-15 students who work together to produce the newspaper. Sections such as the "Yes/No Column" and the "Advice Column" are usually in the newspaper.

★ MSI - MSI, which stands for "Math, Science Institute", is a group of students who belong in the MSI Program. Students in MSI usually have better grades than most of the other students in the regular Zoned Program. MSI Students occasionally have competitions and hold Bake Sales in order to acquire money for purchasing material for the group.

★ HOSA - HOSA, which stands for "Health Occupations Students of America", is a large group in John Adams High School. It contains students who are interested in entering the Health field in the future. The HOSA Team participates in competitions and debates with other schools and groups, and has, in Spring 2007, went upstate for a competition.
There are dozens of other clubs, which include (but isn't limited to) the following:

★ Rubik's Cube Club - The John Adams Rubik's Cube Club was recently started in Spring 2007, and it is a club for students who wish to understand the mechanics, mathematics, logic, and algorithms related to the Rubik's Cube. Students are taught how to solve the Rubik's Cube, and are also shown unique techniques for solving it. There are competitions and tournaments to see who is the fastest speedcuber (one who solves the Rubik's Cube for speed).

★ Robotics Team - The John Adams Robotics Team is a group of students who build and program a Robot, which later participates in competition(s). The competition is usually the "F.I.R.S.T. Robotics Competition (F.I.R.S.T. is an acronym for For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology).^[3] John Adams is team number 1340 in the competition(s), and has won 7th place out of 53 teams in the Spring 2007 F.I.R.S.T. Robotics Competition.

★ Book Club - Students in the Book Club read and discuss books and novels. The Book Club has recently met author Jodi Picoult, author of "My Sister's Keeper" and "The Pact", as they have read several of her books.

★ Chess Club - There is a Chess Club within John Adams; members of the club participate in both friendly and competitive Chess Matches.

★ MedTech Group - The MedTech Group in John Adams High School focuses on information regarding Medical and Health practices along with Technology that is commonly used in Hospitals and Clinics.

Academics

★ Grade levels: 9 to 12

★ Class size: ~25-30 as of 2006-2007.

★ Enrollment: ~2,800-3,300 as of 2006-2007.

★ Ethnicity:

★
★ 9% White 26% Black 32% Hispanic 34% Asian/Pacific Islander.

★ Gender %: 52.8 Male, 47.2 Female

★ Attendance: 71%

★ Graduation rate: ~58% as of 2006-2007.

★ 7-year graduation rate: ~85% as of 2006-2007.

★ College admissions: Fair

★ John Adams is a large traditional High School, offering students a broad range of courses.

Advanced Placement Courses

There are many Advanced Placement Classes in John Adams High School, for students who can qualify to attend them. These classes allow students to prepare for College as instructors lean towards teaching material that is more commonly covered in College. The following AP Classes are offered in John Adams:

★ AP Biology.

★ AP Calculus AB.

★ AP Calculus BC.

★ AP Chemistry.

★ AP English Literature and Composition.

★ AP United States History.
''Special and Specialized Education''

★ The school offers specialized programs in Vision Care as well as Medical and Dental technology.

★ Taking single sessions of Math and English also frees up more time for students to enjoy Electives and Advanced Placement courses.

★ The school offers College Now, a program run by CUNY offering accredited college courses on site at the high school.

★ The school has "collaborative team teaching" (CTT) classes, where two teachers work with a group of either special or general education students. (Laura Zingmond, October 2005)

★ All incoming freshman may take classes the summer before and after the 9th grade, which means that they can start the 10th grade with as many as 19 of the 44 credits required for graduation.

★ For older students who are at risk of dropping out, there is the PM program--an afternoon session designed to deliver instruction of core subjects in a single classroom environment.

★ The school offers day and nighttime GED (General Equivalency Diploma) programs and vocational training. Vocational training is handled off-site.
''Facilities and Resources''

★ The school has a resource room, offering materials and instruction tailored to the learning styles of students with special education needs. (Laura Zingmond, October 2005)

★ The opening of a 9th grade Annex, located a couple of miles from the main campus, has helped to alleviate the school's longtime struggle with overcrowding.

★ John Adams has three Computer Labs, with only two portable Laptop carts, each holding approximately 30 machines, to pick up the slack.

★ A United Federation of Teachers-sponsored professional development center was recently created to foster greater collaboration among teachers. It is something much easier to accomplish now that the staff is not spread thin across several sessions.

★ For struggling students, the school's size is its strength because it has the space and staff to offer a variety of ways unclear to bolster the graduation rate, which is below 60 percent.

Athletics

★ 27 Athletic Teams; which include teams in sports such as Baseball, Basketball, Volleyball, Softball, etc. John Adams also has several "minor" Sports Teams, such as the Track Team.

★ The John Adams common team name is "The Spartans", with Blue and White standing as the default colors for the team(s).The logo for John Adams is an eagle.

John Adams in the Media

★ John Adams is remembered by much of America as the school Richard ("Dick") Parsons, Chairman and CEO of AOL/Time Warner attended.

★ The John Adams Baseball Team announced the signing of Gabriel Acosta as the starting shortstop for the 2007 season. Making a return appearance in Special Ed to help the John Adams Baseball Team. He was apart of the illustrious program from 2001-05.

Notable Alumni

★ John A. Gotti - Alleged former Mafia Boss, and the son of the late "Dapper Don" John J. Gotti

★ Ja Rule - Rapper

★ Jack Lord - Actor (''Hawaii Five-0'')

★ Richard Parsons - Chairman and CEO of AOL/Time Warner

★ Ali Vegas- Underground Rapper

★ Abe Simon - Boxer (''Fought Joe Louis twice for the Heavyweight title and lost'') and Actor (''On the Waterfront & Requiem for a Heavyweight'')

★ Paul & Jose Neto - Former semi-professional football players/coaches

★ Anthony Heyliger- Beast of the East

Other High Schools With This Name

★ John Adams High School, South Bend, IN

Notes and References

1. New York City Board of Education
2. "InsideSchools" profile
3. "US First Robotics"

See also

★ List of high schools in New York City

★ List of school districts in New York

★ Lists of high schools in the United States