A positive and safe environment, multiple opportunities for learning, with kind caring teachers. My…read morechildren have been very happy at this school and feel the workload is not overwhelming- however it's still challenging. I have not had any issues with the administration and have always received an answer when asking about something. I can say that this school has been excellent.

Not a good environment. They are not supportive of students who are being bullied and they try to…read morecover up for the kids who are bad. They care about their image- not about the truth. They are very hypocritical when they discuss morals. There were great teachers and I have heard that many of them have left. Many of the people who have graduated have sadness towards the school and the way they were treated.

This is considered one of the best school in Queens. The teachers and principle are very friendly…read moreand the best about this school is the diversity of students that you see. This area is one of the most diverse place in the world.

This school is really great. Principal is best I've seen and he is what drives this school to…read morereally make the effort to help the kids. Same for the teachers and regular staff - everyone is so welcoming they make you want to be a part of the school and participate in events and such. Sadly, work keeps me too busy to help.

My daughter joined the Garden school exactly one month ago after K-8 in the public school system…read more It was a a hard decision to switch to private education but I truly cannot express how happy I am with the school, the administration, the teachers, the coaches, and the students. The atmosphere in the school is warm, caring, supportive and at the same time academically challenging. They make every child feel like they are seen and heard. BEST DECISION EVER!

I cannot comment about Garden School in the current era. I…read moreattended many decades ago. I found that the teachers were genuinely interested in teaching. This was not the case in the public schools. At the time, and likely now, teachers earned less than the public school salaries but were motivated by children who actually wanted to learn. I found that the low ratio of students to teachers permitted a better knowledge of the individual students by the teacher and a warmth between teacher and student that did not exist in the public schools. All in all, it was a great place to learn.

During my time (2000-2004) in Newtown High School, it was a very diverse, mostly immigrant…read morecommunity, and many families were struggling with economic and educational issues. Diversity is a blessing but it can also bring struggles such as misunderstanding and unequal treatment. In that environment I often felt discriminated against, unsafe, overlooked, judged and unsupported, especially as a person with a disability. During my time there, the student body was approximately 35% Asian, 50% Hispanic, 10% African American, and 5% White. Around 70% had moved to the U.S. after age 11, 80% came from less-educated families, and 70% were from low-income households. About 65% of the students' parents worked cash-paying jobs. The graduation rate was about 55% and Ivy League acceptance was around 20%. Newtown High School has not been in a good school district and did not feel like a well-resourced environment during that time, and it felt like the system became so focused on its reputation that students with disabilities were often overlooked. There seemed to be more emphasis on increasing graduation rates and Ivy League acceptance rates than on supporting students who needed help, which I find deeply wrong. It was more difficult for me, because I thought I would get support from Mrs. Chen (Guidance Counselor) and Mrs. Wang (Assistant Principal of Guidance). I thought they would understand my situation, especially because we were from the same cultural background (Chinese). Instead, I often felt dismissed, discriminated against and misunderstood, and it was painful and confusing. It made me realize that bias and lack of support can show up anywhere, even where you hope it wouldn't. Over the years, I've noticed that Asians and my Asian classmates are the same. Whenever there's a problem, they're very passive and don't speak up no matter how angry they are about the problem. They just talk about it amongst themselves. I have lived in the USA for nearly 40 years, China for 5 years, and am close to most of them and I get upset when they just accept things that they know are wrong. When I ask them why they don't ever speak up, they say they don't want to stir up trouble and they don't trust management. It actually connects to something that happened to me back in 2003 at Newtown High School. I accidentally got locked in a girls' locker room one Saturday afternoon at 1pm on a summer of 75 degrees after class . What I thought would be a quick trip turned into being stuck there for about two hours. I was shouting for help through a small open window, getting weaker, and at one point I honestly thought I might pass out. "Help! I am stuck at the girl's gym on the 5th floor!" I didn't have a cell phone and my water. Just when I was close to passing out, two students (an African American boy and a Spanish girl) heard me and immediately got security. Their quick action prevented a much worse outcome, and I've always remembered their courage and responsiveness. As the security guard was walking us to the main entrance, we ran into Mrs. Chen and Mrs. Wang right outside of the Guidance counselor's office on the 2nd Floor. I was told that this was also near where my calls for help had been heard. What struck me just as much, though, was realizing that Mrs. Chen (guidance counselor) and Mrs. Wang (Assistant Principal of Guidance) had heard me but didn't act, and later treated the situation lightly. That experience made me feel dismissed and unsafe. What's most shocking is that the next few days, I heard some Chinese students, who lived across Newtown High School, had heard me, joked about it, and wished something bad upon me. Not only they didn't bother to call for help or report it, but they ignored it and treated the whole situation lightly. Even though my enemy shouts out for help, I would call for help or report it to authorities. Moreover, Mrs. Chen, who consistently belittled me, didn't refer me to proper support and services, and discouraged me from attending college, believing that people with disabilities are incapable of completing higher education. As a person with a degree, I wouldn't recommend this high school nor would I want my child to go here based on my experience.

Its pretty sad how a few people end up giving Newtown a bad name. Now I have to be honest when I…read moregot into this school had the opportunity of going into on of the specialized high school but I just didn't want to make the commute everyday. I can truly say that Newtown has teachers that care. Even after graduation I have teachers that I'm still in touch with. Heck I'm always going back to the school every once in a while. Now there are teachers who obviously don't care about the students - but you find people like that everywhere. There were fights but what school doesn't. Honestly I can say in my four years there I only witnessed two fights and when I heard about fights it wasn't even an everyday thing. The one problem that the school has is the security guards. I don't know if it was just my luck but they would always make my life harder walking in the hallways - with a pass... and yet I would see people who would cut everyday and were so familiar with the guards the the guards would walk with them. If you get the right teachers (there are plenty - don't want to name any because I don't want to leave anyone out) and do what you are supposed to do Newtown is pretty good school. Newtown Class of 2011!

Love this neighborhood church! It is always bright and welcoming. The choir at Sunday mass is…read morewonderful. There are lovely stained glass windows all around and there are frequently fresh flowers at the altar. Even if you are not Catholic, it really is a beautiful church in honor of Mary.

This school is amazing my child has been here for 7 years she also had trouble making friends but…read morethis school has helped her make friends my son has also gone to this school and has graduated and he so much fun he has made a lot of friends along the way 10/10 the best school

What a wonderful school! I have been coming to do teaching-student observations and the atmosphere…read morehere is wonderful. The principal really cares about her students, she's always welcoming them in the morning and sometimes during recess she's out there too, very friendly. The teachers are really professional, strict and lovely at the same time. They know how to teach strict and show compassion at the same time. I enjoy coming here and learn from them, because I could not imagine learning from anyone else. The classrooms are very colorful and they're all different. My favorite one is the jungle classroom! And they sure know how to decorate.

This is one of the best highschools you could ever attend! I attended here from 1994-1997 and I can…read morehonestly say it was four of the BEST years of my life! The faculty and staff are absolutely amazing and still to this day are! Best teachers I've ever had. Even better than the college professors I had in the years that followed highschool! The school is huge- made up of three floors (technically four floors but the top floor isn't used for classes- back when I attended it was used for religious events the school would have.) The school has a huge library, cafeteria, gymnasium, and even has a nicely sized chapel inside! Also- the building is immaculate. Always freshly painted looking, bathrooms are always kept clean, hallways and property out front are always clear of debris and garbage. The school also has a parking lot for students- which when you live in Astoria is just always rare to find a parking spot - so a parking lot is a blessing lol SJP always has events going on- from school concerts, plays, faculty and student games/events, religious getaways, ski trips, and trips to other countries even! The students are constantly interacting with each other. I made some of the best friends while at this school- some of which to this day- 20 years later- are still the best of my friends! As far as the classes go- you never get bored with choices- from band class, home economics, forensic science, creative writing, and many more! Also- the after school activities are endless! Sports, music, academic, culture clubs, you name it. Now- the tuition is pricey- but you get what you pay for, and you cannot top the education you'll get here! Don't be discouraged- it's worth the money. Every dime. I just recently had my 20 year reunion here - and it was a blast! Just as the 10 year one was! I'll keep coming back every time we are due for one! Well- I have endless stories and so many more awesome things I can talk about when it comes to this school, but I have to end my review already lol Next time there is an open house for this school- please go check it out for yourself or your kids. You won't be sorry! To this day- I still go back and visit some of my old teachers- who are now people I call- my friends.

In 1984, when I started SJP, I was so excited. I had a great 4 years and I met some wonderful…read morepeople. When my son started SJP in 2017, I was so thrilled for him. He was a legacy after all. My mother-in-law was in the first graduating class. My husband, my sister-in-law, my son's godmother, my cousins, and some of my best friends went there. Alumni wasn't just a word to me. My son is a 16 year old boy. No excuses, but they make mistakes. In early October, I reached out to the school to ask for help with my son, my growing teen. The advice I was given was get outside help. That was it. So I followed the advice. SJP didn't follow up us. SJP didn't help my son in his time of need. SJP didn't touch base with him regularly. SJP didn't reach out to me to be a team, as a school and a family should be. Now they've turned their back on him. I'm so disgusted. I'm so upset. My family would do anything for anyone. We are members of the community that try to always do what's best. Instead of working with us, alumni of the school, instead of trying to work with my son, a child that had two and a half years in their school, their answer was we won't help you. Their answer was we don't have the resources to help. If you chose to lead teenagers in today's society, then you need the resources to do just that. My son isn't a bad kid. My son needed help and instead of helping they made things worse. I can't tell you the loss I feel in my heart for SJP.

This high school offers students the opportunity to pursue a career as an Aircraft Maintenance…read moreTechnician in the aviation field. Although some staff members have a poor attitude, the teachers work hard to help their students succeed. A significant issue is funding; the school appears to lack adequate support from the Department of Education, which forces students to cover expenses out of pocket. If you are an incoming freshman or a parent considering this school for your child, I would recommend it if your child is interested in working on a variety of aircraft. This is a great place for them to develop those skills.

excellent high school for technical career minded kids…read more i just didn't give a shit during HS because i didn't give two shits for anything during HS. Hardly any girls when I use to go there. Heard it got better. But during my days there, had to go to different high schools or malls to try to get girls. Study hard and potential to make shit ton of money out of this high school is definitely there. My Pakistani friend who stayed for 5th year to get extra license, went onto Vaughn college, and then use his Aviation degree + Aviation Powerplant/Airframe licenses along with his Vaughn College Engineering degree and is now making 80-90K a year for JetBlue. I regret not giving a shit back in HS. But I'm not exactly "I must make a lot of money" type of person. There's more to life than just money. But if you don't have this mindset, then study and I mean really study in this high school. Don't touch any of the Aviation girls. Each one goes through about 15 boyfriends a school year and you can get the herps just by even exchanging words with any of them. One of the best high schools in Queens in terms of prestige and the quality of the teachers (both academic and shop teachers). I still think about some of my favorite teachers from that school time to time, such as the late Mr. Colleti, Lazar, Serena, Marianna, etc.