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Jamaica Hills Today
Today, Jamaica Hills is still predominantly a residential area with businesses scattered around. The business section of the neighborhood is on Hillside Avenue which is home to many ethnic and family businesses. Jamaica Hills is diverse with residence of many backgrounds such as Bangladeshis, Guyanese, Haitians, South Americans, Africans, and Chinese [1].
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| Residential street on 84 Avenue | House on Homelawn Avenue | Apartment across Jamaica High School |
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| Businesses on Hillside Avenue, the Southern border of Jamaica Hills. |
The Census Tracks 446.02, 448, 450, 452, 454, and 456 represent the Census data for Jamaica Hills. In 2000 Census reports show that there was a total population of 15,172 in Jamaica Hills with 48.9 percent of the population male and 51.2 percent female.[2]
Race
| Population by Race [3] |
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Education[4]
Jamaica Hills Today: Immigration and Education
Newcomers Preparatory
Mission Statement
Students will receive support in all subject areas by a dedicated and efficient staff who were selected to address the unique needs of these students. Class sizes are small so that students receive more individual attention. Assignments are geared to build upon students’ previous knowledge while accommodating their natural quest for expanding their universe of learning.
The students in the Newcomers Institute are from different countries and just as they are different, they have different approaches to learning. Newcomers’ will provide lessons that infuse differentiated instruction so that all students will be targeted for success. At the end of the year, students will join the other institutes of Hillcrest as productive citizens in academia. [5]
The Program
Newcomers Preparatory is one of the ten institutes in Hillcrest High School. The Institutes functions as a smaller school within the larger Hillcrest High School, where each institute focuses on a special field. The other institutes are BizTek, Future Academy, Health Careers, Humanities, Pre-Med, Pre-Teaching, Public Service and Law, and Theater Institute.[6] “The Newcomers Institute is a one year English immersion program created for students [who are either in ninth grade or tenth grade] who are new to this country.”[5] At the end of the year students of the Newcomers Institute are placed in one of the other regular institutes. [5]
Newcomers Institute consists of two tracks, those who are from English speaking countries, who are ESD students, English as a Second Dialect, and the other from those who are not from English speaking countries, or the ESL students, English as a Second Language. Many of the students in the ESD track are from the West Indies.[7] The commonality between the two tracks is that all of the students are recent immigrants to the United States.
The Birth of Newcomers Preparatory Institute
The Newcomers Preparatory began three years ago after noticing that many recent immigrant students of West Indian origin obtained either level one or level two (out of four) at the eighth grade level. [7] Incoming students of Hillcrest High School who needed academic help were placed in the Future Academy, which serves the various academic needs of students. However, it was felt that this was not enough for recent immigrant students and a special program was established which would specifically serve the needs of recently immigrated students, whether they were from non-English speaking countries or not. [7] This was the birth of the Newcomers Preparatory.
What Makes the Program Unique
The Newcomers program is much smaller in body in comparison to the other programs. There are about 100 students in the institute which is relatively small compared to the other nine institutes. [7] The classes are small, not going over 25 students. The students travel in block, which means they are together in the same classes all day.
The students are also acculturated to what New York City has to offer. The Director of the Newcomers Preparatory, Nazila Ramjan says that “we started out [the Newcomers Institute] because we needed to help the students” so the students get a great amount of attention and support services. [7] For example, after school there is tutoring for the students if they wish to be tutored. Nazila Ramjan also states what is unique about the Institute is that students go on many trips such as the zoo, Circle Line tours, and Science Centers because many students to not get a chance to experience these things on their own since their parents most likely will not take them. [7] This is a program which encourages the students to maintain their culture and heritage, so every year there is a Day of Cricket. [7] While the rest of the school celebrates Thanksgiving Day, Newcomers Institute celebrates Family Fun Night. [7] The families of the students are invited and everyone plays a variety of games.
References
- ↑ Copquin, Claudia Gryvatz. "Jamaica Hills". The Neighborhoods of Queens. New York: Yale University Press, 2007. 112.
- ↑ "Census Tract 448, 450, 452, 454, 456, and 446.02 in Queens County, NY". Year 2000. Social Explorer. 27 April 2009.
- ↑ "Census Tract 448, 450, 452, 454, 456, and 446.02 in Queens County, NY". Year 2000. Social Explorer. 27 April 2009.
- ↑ "Census Tract 448, 450, 452, 454, 456, and 446.02 in Queens County, NY". Year 2000. Social Explorer. 27 April 2009.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 "Newcomers Preparatory", Hillcrest High School. 18 April 2009.
- ↑ Hillcrest High School. 18 April 2009.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 7.5 7.6 7.7 Interview with Director of Newcomers Preparatory: Nazila Ramjan, 23 April 2009.