Forest Hills High School
Encyclopedia
Forest Hills High School (FHHS), dedicated in 1937, is a public secondary school in Queens
, New York City
. It educates students in grades 9–12 and is operated by the New York City Department of Education
.
Forest Hills High School is in the Forest Hills
neighborhood in Queens
, near Rego Park
.
The school serves the Forest Hills and Rego Park sections of Queens. However, many students come from nearby neighborhoods such as Kew Gardens
, Jackson Heights, Woodside
, Flushing, Elmhurst, East Elmhurst, Astoria, Corona, Glendale and parts of Jamaica
.
FHHS has often been extremely overcrowded throughout its history, sometimes running several overlapping sessions (7:20am to 1:49pm, 8:09am to 2:38pm, 8:59am to 3:28pm, 9:48 to 4:17pm, 10:37am to 5:06pm). Traditionally, a very large percentage of FHHS graduates have gone on to attend college.
cited FHHS's "academic and extra-curricular excellence" – and it became one of only 124 "Blue Ribbon" schools nationwide. In 2000, US First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton
delivered the commencement address., per invitation of Luis Miranda and Crystel Debs. Jacob J. ("Jack") Lew, a 1972 graduate of FHHS, was then the Clinton administration's Director of the Office of Management and Budget, having been elevated to the post two years earlier.
,Carl Sagan Science Research Program, Law and Humanities Honor Program, Medical Biology (year-long program where students intern at a local hospital for one semester), Part Time Co-op (Business), Pace (Business), Academy of Public Service, Economics Academy, Carl Sagan Advancement of Science and Math (where students also compete in Intel S. S.), Richard A. Brown Law Program, Gilder Lehrman Academy, College Now, and the Performing Arts Academy.
In the 2007–2008 school year, FHHS offered Advanced Placement classes in Art History, Biology, Calculus AB, Calculus BC, Chemistry, Computer Science AB, English Literature and Composition, Environmental Science, French Language, Government and Politics: United States, Human Geography, Macroeconomics, Microeconomics, Physics B, Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism, Physics C: Mechanics, Psychology, Spanish Language, Spanish Literature, Statistics, United States History, and World History. As a general rule, FHHS administrators require students to take the appropriate AP exam in the course in which they've enrolled during the month of May.
pits seniors, juniors, and "sophmen" (freshmen and sophomores working together) against each other in a race to put on the best performance. Started in 1947 at Midwood High School in Brooklyn, Sing! is a tradition at many New York City high schools.
At Forest Hills, folk-rock legend Paul Simon
participated in Sing! as a student at FHHS in the late 1950s. Leslie Urdang
, now a major Hollywood producer, chaired Senior Sing! in 1972. Sing! is now a huge school-wide event — in 2005, nearly 500 students participated. The entire production is written, produced, directed and funded by students.
Forest Hills has a wide range of clubs and activities students can participate in. Everything from a Model UN club to Key Club is offered within the school. In the new 2007–2008 school year, a new COSA (Coordinator of Student Affairs) and new student body president have been working together with objective of improving student life and giving Forest Hills a new aura.
In fiction:
Queens
Queens is the easternmost of the five boroughs of New York City. The largest borough in area and the second-largest in population, it is coextensive with Queens County, an administrative division of New York state, in the United States....
, New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. It educates students in grades 9–12 and is operated by the New York City Department of Education
New York City Department of Education
The New York City Department of Education is the branch of municipal government in New York City that manages the city's public school system. It is the largest school system in the United States, with over 1.1 million students taught in more than 1,700 separate schools...
.
Location
Forest Hills, Queens
Forest Hills is a neighborhood in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York, United States.-Neighborhood:The neighborhood is home to upper-middle class residents, of whom the wealthier residents often live in the neighborhood's Forest Hills Gardens area...
neighborhood in Queens
Queens
Queens is the easternmost of the five boroughs of New York City. The largest borough in area and the second-largest in population, it is coextensive with Queens County, an administrative division of New York state, in the United States....
, near Rego Park
Rego Park, Queens
Rego Park is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Queens.-Geography:Rego Park is bordered to the north by Elmhurst and Corona, the east and south by Forest Hills and the west by Middle Village.-History:...
.
The school serves the Forest Hills and Rego Park sections of Queens. However, many students come from nearby neighborhoods such as Kew Gardens
Kew Gardens, Queens
Kew Gardens is a triangular-shaped neighborhood in central Queens bounded to the north by the Jackie Robinson Parkway , to the east by Van Wyck Expressway and 131st Street, to the south by Hillside Avenue, and to the west by Park Lane, Abingdon Road and 118th Street...
, Jackson Heights, Woodside
Woodside, Queens
Woodside is a neighborhood in the western portion of the New York City borough of Queens. It is bordered on the south by Maspeth, on the north by Astoria, on the west by Sunnyside and on the east by Elmhurst and Jackson Heights. Some areas are widely residential and very quiet, while others are...
, Flushing, Elmhurst, East Elmhurst, Astoria, Corona, Glendale and parts of Jamaica
Jamaica, Queens
Jamaica is a neighborhood in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York, United States. It was settled under Dutch rule in 1656 in New Netherland as Rustdorp. Under British rule, the Village of Jamaica became the center of the "Town of Jamaica"...
.
FHHS has often been extremely overcrowded throughout its history, sometimes running several overlapping sessions (7:20am to 1:49pm, 8:09am to 2:38pm, 8:59am to 3:28pm, 9:48 to 4:17pm, 10:37am to 5:06pm). Traditionally, a very large percentage of FHHS graduates have gone on to attend college.
Recognition
In June 1998, US President Bill ClintonBill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
cited FHHS's "academic and extra-curricular excellence" – and it became one of only 124 "Blue Ribbon" schools nationwide. In 2000, US First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton
Hillary Rodham Clinton
Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton is the 67th United States Secretary of State, serving in the administration of President Barack Obama. She was a United States Senator for New York from 2001 to 2009. As the wife of the 42nd President of the United States, Bill Clinton, she was the First Lady of the...
delivered the commencement address., per invitation of Luis Miranda and Crystel Debs. Jacob J. ("Jack") Lew, a 1972 graduate of FHHS, was then the Clinton administration's Director of the Office of Management and Budget, having been elevated to the post two years earlier.
Academics
Special programs offered in the school include Intel Science Talent SearchIntel Science Talent Search
The Intel Science Talent Search , known for its first 57 years as the Westinghouse Science Talent Search is a research-based science competition in the United States for high school seniors. It has been referred to as "the nation's oldest and most prestigious" science competition. In his speech...
,Carl Sagan Science Research Program, Law and Humanities Honor Program, Medical Biology (year-long program where students intern at a local hospital for one semester), Part Time Co-op (Business), Pace (Business), Academy of Public Service, Economics Academy, Carl Sagan Advancement of Science and Math (where students also compete in Intel S. S.), Richard A. Brown Law Program, Gilder Lehrman Academy, College Now, and the Performing Arts Academy.
In the 2007–2008 school year, FHHS offered Advanced Placement classes in Art History, Biology, Calculus AB, Calculus BC, Chemistry, Computer Science AB, English Literature and Composition, Environmental Science, French Language, Government and Politics: United States, Human Geography, Macroeconomics, Microeconomics, Physics B, Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism, Physics C: Mechanics, Psychology, Spanish Language, Spanish Literature, Statistics, United States History, and World History. As a general rule, FHHS administrators require students to take the appropriate AP exam in the course in which they've enrolled during the month of May.
Extracurricular activity
The annual theater competition known as Sing!SING!
SING! is an annual student-run musical production put on by some high schools in the Greater New York City area. It is a theater competition between the various grades, with the setup between grades differing from school to school SING! is an annual student-run musical production put on by some...
pits seniors, juniors, and "sophmen" (freshmen and sophomores working together) against each other in a race to put on the best performance. Started in 1947 at Midwood High School in Brooklyn, Sing! is a tradition at many New York City high schools.
At Forest Hills, folk-rock legend Paul Simon
Paul Simon
Paul Frederic Simon is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist.Simon is best known for his success, beginning in 1965, as part of the duo Simon & Garfunkel, with musical partner Art Garfunkel. Simon wrote most of the pair's songs, including three that reached number one on the US singles...
participated in Sing! as a student at FHHS in the late 1950s. Leslie Urdang
Leslie Urdang
- Personal life :Born 1956, Urdang danced professionally as a child in George Balanchine's staging of The Nutcracker, a chapter of her life documented in the 2006 film The Nutcracker Family: Behind the Magic. She graduated in 1972 from Forest Hills High School in New York City, where she was...
, now a major Hollywood producer, chaired Senior Sing! in 1972. Sing! is now a huge school-wide event — in 2005, nearly 500 students participated. The entire production is written, produced, directed and funded by students.
Forest Hills has a wide range of clubs and activities students can participate in. Everything from a Model UN club to Key Club is offered within the school. In the new 2007–2008 school year, a new COSA (Coordinator of Student Affairs) and new student body president have been working together with objective of improving student life and giving Forest Hills a new aura.
Notable alumni
- I360Niicole ('11) Pro Gamer
- Julia Young * ( professional dancer )
- Jacob J. ("Jack") Lew ('72), Director, Office of Management and Budget (OMB)
- Paul SimonPaul SimonPaul Frederic Simon is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist.Simon is best known for his success, beginning in 1965, as part of the duo Simon & Garfunkel, with musical partner Art Garfunkel. Simon wrote most of the pair's songs, including three that reached number one on the US singles...
('58) and Art GarfunkelArt GarfunkelArthur Ira "Art" Garfunkel is an American singer-songwriter, poet, and actor, best known as being a member of the folk duo Simon & Garfunkel...
('58) , Grammy AwardGrammy AwardA Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
-winning folk-rock singers of the duo Simon & Garfunkel - Dennis TitoDennis TitoDennis Anthony Tito is an Italian American engineer and multimillionaire, most widely known as the first space tourist to fund his own trip into space. In mid-2001, he spent nearly eight days in orbit as a crew member of ISS EP-1, a visiting mission to the International Space Station...
('58), first space tourist - George LowGeorge LowGeorge Michael Low, born George Wilhelm Low was a NASA administrator and 14th President of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. He was born near Vienna, Austria to Artur and Gertrude Burger Low, small business people in Austria...
('43), NASANASAThe National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
administrator & Rensselaer Polytechnic InstituteRensselaer Polytechnic InstituteStephen Van Rensselaer established the Rensselaer School on November 5, 1824 with a letter to the Rev. Dr. Samuel Blatchford, in which van Rensselaer asked Blatchford to serve as the first president. Within the letter he set down several orders of business. He appointed Amos Eaton as the school's...
president - Philip Kantoff, MD, ('72) Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School
- Bob KeeshanBob KeeshanRobert James "Bob" Keeshan was an American television producer and actor. He is most notable as the title character of the children's television program Captain Kangaroo, which became an icon for millions of people during its 30-year run from 1955 to 1984.Keeshan also played the original...
, portrayed Captain KangarooCaptain KangarooCaptain Kangaroo is a children's television series which aired weekday mornings on the American television network CBS for nearly 30 years, from October 3, 1955 until December 8, 1984, making it the longest-running children's television program of its day... - Tatiana TroyanosTatiana TroyanosTatiana Troyanos was an American mezzo-soprano of Greek and German descent.-Early life:...
('56), mezzo-soprano opera singer - Jerry SpringerJerry SpringerGerald Norman "Jerry" Springer is a British-born American television presenter, best known as host of the tabloid talk show The Jerry Springer Show since its debut in 1991...
('61) shock television show host & Cincinnati mayor - Ronnie EarlRonnie EarlRonnie Earl is an American blues guitarist and music instructor.-Career:Earl collected blues, jazz, rock and soul records while growing up. He studied American History at C.W...
('71), Blues guitarist born Ronnie Horvath - The Ramones ('74+), punk-rock pioneers
- Burt BacharachBurt BacharachBurt F. Bacharach is an American pianist, composer and music producer. He is known for his popular hit songs and compositions from the mid-1950s through the 1980s, with lyrics written by Hal David. Many of their hits were produced specifically for, and performed by, Dionne Warwick...
('46), composer - Francine D. BlauFrancine D. BlauFrancine Dee Blau is an American economist and professor of economics at Cornell University. Blau was the first woman to receive the prestigious IZA Prize in Labor Economics for her "seminal contributions to the economic analysis of labor market inequality."-Education:Blau graduated from Forest...
('63), economist - Art BuchwaldArt BuchwaldArthur Buchwald was an American humorist best known for his long-running column in The Washington Post, which in turn was carried as a syndicated column in many other newspapers. His column focused on political satire and commentary...
('43 drop-out), Pulitzer PrizePulitzer PrizeThe Pulitzer Prize is a U.S. award for achievements in newspaper and online journalism, literature and musical composition. It was established by American publisher Joseph Pulitzer and is administered by Columbia University in New York City...
winner - Elissa Altman ('81), food journalist
- Mia Amber Davis Yard ('91), plus sized model, television producer, actress
- Frank LorenzoFrank LorenzoFrancisco Anthony "Frank" Lorenzo is an American businessman and philanthropist. He is most famous for his leadership of Texas International Airlines and its successor holding company Texas Air Corporation between 1972 and 1990, through which he formed or acquired a number of major U.S...
, business magnate - Marc RichMarc RichMarc Rich is an international commodities trader and entrepreneur. He is best known for founding the commodities company Glencore. He was indicted in the United States on federal charges of illegally making oil deals with Iran during the late 1970s-early 1980s Iran hostage crisis and tax evasion...
(non-grad), infamous commodity trader pardoned by Pres. Clinton - Fred SilvermanFred SilvermanFred Silverman is an American television executive and producer. He worked as an executive at the CBS, ABC and NBC networks, and was responsible for bringing to television such programs as the series Scooby-Doo , All in the Family , The Waltons , and Charlie's Angels , as well as the...
, television executive - Leslie UrdangLeslie Urdang- Personal life :Born 1956, Urdang danced professionally as a child in George Balanchine's staging of The Nutcracker, a chapter of her life documented in the 2006 film The Nutcracker Family: Behind the Magic. She graduated in 1972 from Forest Hills High School in New York City, where she was...
('72), producer of Hollywood films & New York plays - Robert KatzmannRobert KatzmannRobert Allen Katzmann is a United States Circuit Judge for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit.-Biography:...
, Court of Appeals judge - John VinocurJohn VinocurJohn Vinocur is a journalist for the Paris-based newspaper The International Herald Tribune . Prior to joining IHT, he was the metropolitan editor at The New York Times.-Journalistic career:...
, journalist - Leslie WestLeslie WestLeslie West is an American rock guitarist, singer and songwriter.-Biography:Originally named Leslie Weinstein, West was born in New York City, grew up in Hackensack, New Jersey, and in East Meadow, Forest Hills and Lawrence. After his parents divorced, he changed his surname to West...
, rock guitarist - Dave RubinsteinDave RubinsteinDavid Rubinstein was an American musician, the co-founder of the influential New York-based punk rock group Reagan Youth. He founded the group with guitarist Paul Bakija when both were in Forest Hills High School in Forest Hills, Queens...
, singer of Reagan YouthReagan YouthReagan Youth is an American punk rock band formed by singer Dave Rubinstein and guitarist Paul Bakija in Queens, New York in early 1980. They are known for introducing the style of hardcore punk to the East Coast punk scene, but were also a part of the peace punk movement... - Ernie GrunfeldErnie GrunfeldErnest "Ernie" Grunfeld is the General Manager of the Washington Wizards. He was also once a professional basketball player...
, former NBA player & current GM of Washington Wizards - Katharine WeberKatharine WeberKatharine Weber is an American novelist.Weber was born in New York City. She grew up in the Forest Hills Gardens section of Queens, New York. She attended The Kew-Forest School and Forest Hills High School before attending the Freshman Year Program at The New School for Social Research in 1972...
, novelist - Reby SkyReby SkyRebecca Victoria Reyes , professionally known as Reby Sky , is an American glamour model, radio and television personality, photographer, dancer and professional wrestler.-Early life:...
, PlayboyPlayboyPlayboy is an American men's magazine that features photographs of nude women as well as journalism and fiction. It was founded in Chicago in 1953 by Hugh Hefner and his associates, and funded in part by a $1,000 loan from Hefner's mother. The magazine has grown into Playboy Enterprises, Inc., with...
model - Ian EagleIan EagleIan Eagle is an American sports announcer calling National Football League games on CBS, New Jersey Nets games on the YES Network and hosts Full Court Press, a basketball talk show with former player Kenny Smith on Sirius Satellite Radio...
, American sports announcer - Ross Meyerson, Emmy Award-winning casting director
- Nathan Leventhal, New York City Deputy Mayor and President of Lincoln Center
- Charles KelmanCharles KelmanCharles D. Kelman was an ophthalmologist and a pioneer in cataract surgery.Kelman was born in Brooklyn, New York to David and Eva Kelman. He grew up in Queens where he attended Forest Hills High School. After graduation, he attended Boston's Tufts University, where he earned a B.S...
, Ophthalmologist, inventor, and jazz musician - Danny TroobDanny TroobDanny Troob is an American arranger and orchestrator, best known for his close association as orchestrator to Alan Menken's earliest Broadway and movie musicals since his earliest works...
('66), Tony & Academy Award-winning orchestrator & arranger on numerous Disney films & Broadway productions - Craig Howard ('69), University of Michigan Golfer
- R. Allen Leider ('62), Author, Screenwriter, Film Critic, Actor
- Raymond Romano Actor, Writer, and Stand-up comedian
In fiction:
- Peter Parker (Spider-ManSpider-ManSpider-Man is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero. The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and writer-artist Steve Ditko. He first appeared in Amazing Fantasy #15...
), went to Forest Hills High School from 1962 to 1965; see "Amazing Fantasy" #15 and "Amazing Spiderman" #1 to #28