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Bronx High School of Science

Coordinates: 40°52′42″N 73°53′27″W / 40.87833°N 73.89083°W / 40.87833; -73.89083
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The Bronx High School of Science
File:BxSciLOGO.svg
Address
Map
75 West 205th Street

Bronx
,
NY 10468

United States
Information
TypePublic, Selective Magnet School, Secondary School, Specialized High School
Motto"Every great advance in science has issued from a new audacity of imagination." — John Dewey
Established1938
FounderMorris Meister
School district1
OversightNYC Department of Education
PrincipalValerie J. Reidy
Faculty139[1]
Grades9–12
Enrollment3,017[2]
Color(s)Green and Gold            
MascotWolverine
NewspaperScience Survey
YearbookObservatory
AdmissionsCompetitive Examination
Websitewww.bxscience.edu
The Bronx High School of Science

The Bronx High School of Science (commonly called Bronx Science or simply Science) is a specialized New York City public high school often considered the premier science magnet school in the United States. Founded in 1938, it is now located in the Bedford Park section of the Bronx. Admission is by an exam open to all grade-eligible students in New York City, reportedly taken by more than 20,000 students annually.[3] Although known for its focus on mathematics and science, Bronx Science also heavily emphasizes the humanities and social sciences and continually attracts students with a wide variety of interests beyond math and science.

Bronx Science has received international recognition[4] as one of the best[5] high schools in the United States, public or private, ranking in the top 100 in U.S. News and World Report's lists of America's "Gold-Medal" high schools in 2008 and 2009.[6] It attracts an intellectually gifted blend of culturally, ethnically,[7][8] and economically diverse students from New York City.[9]

Every year almost all Bronx Science graduates go on to four-year colleges; many attend Ivy League and other prestigious schools.[10] Bronx Science has counted 132 finalists in the Intel (formerly Westinghouse) Science Talent Search, the largest number of any high school.[11] Seven graduates have won Nobel Prizes — more than any other secondary education institution in the United States and the world[12] — and six have won Pulitzer Prizes.[13][14] The seven Nobel Laureates have earned Bronx Science a designation by the American Physical Society as a "Historic Physics Site" in 2010.[12][15]

Bronx Science is a member of the National Consortium for Specialized Secondary Schools of Mathematics, Science and Technology (NCSSSMST).[16] Together with Stuyvesant High School and Brooklyn Technical High School, it is one of three original specialized science high schools operated by the New York City Department of Education.

History

Founding

The Bronx High School of Science was founded in 1938 as a specialized science and math high school for boys, by resolution of the Board of Education of the City of New York, with Morris Meister as the first principal of the school. They were given use of an antiquated Gothic-gargoyled edifice located at Creston Avenue and 184th Street, in the Fordham Road-Grand Concourse area of the Bronx. The building, built in 1918 for Evander Childs High School, had been successively occupied by Walton High School (1930) and by an annex of DeWitt Clinton High School (1935). The initial faculty were composed in part by a contingent from Stuyvesant High School.[17]

Principal Meister put his imprint on the school from its formation, for example selecting as school colors "green to represent chlorophyll and gold the sun, both of which are essential to the chain of life."[18]

Expansion to co-education

Bronx Science started with about 150 ninth year students and 250 tenth year students, the remaining facilities of the building being used by DeWitt Clinton. As more boys began to attend Science, the Clinton contingent was gradually returned to its own main building. During their joint occupation, which lasted for 2 years until 1940, the two schools had separate teaching staff and classes, but the same supervision and administration.

In 1946, as a result of the efforts of Meister, the faculty, and the Parents Association, the school became co-ed, giving girls of New York equal opportunity to pursue a quality education in a specialized high school, previously denied to them. This expansion to co-education preceded its rivals Stuyvesant (1969) and Brooklyn Tech (1970) by more than two decades.

In 1958, after 20 years as principal of the school, Morris Meister resigned to become the first president of the newly organized Bronx Community College. Alexander Taffel succeeded Meister as principal.

The move to modern facilities

From the beginning, the Parents Association and Principal Morris Meister campaigned for a new building. After twenty years, but under Principal Taffel, plans were finally completed for a new $8 million building, designed by the architectural firm of Emery Roth and Sons.[19] The new building would be on 205th Street near Bedford Park Boulevard, in a predominantly institutional area, between DeWitt Clinton High School and its large football field on one side, and Harris Field and Hunter College (now Lehman College) on the other. On March 3, 1959, students and faculty occupied the new building for the first time, solving the problem of how to move the books from the old library to the new in typical Bronx Science manner: on Friday afternoon each student took home five library books from the old building, and on Monday returned them to the new one.

File:BronxScienceHighNYC.jpg
Mural by Frank J. Reilly. "Humanities Protecting Biology, Physics, Chemistry".

They entered a school equipped with modern classrooms, laboratories, and technical studio areas. The main lobby entrance featured a 63-foot (19 m), Venetian glass mosaic mural overhead, depicting major figures from the history of science such as Marie Curie and Charles Darwin under the protective hands of a God-like figure representing knowledge, with this quote from John Dewey: "Every great advance in science has issued from a new audacity of imagination." The mural is an original work by Frank J. Reilly entitled Humanities Protecting Biology, Physics, Chemistry, reflecting the school's mission to excel not only in the sciences and mathematics, but also in the humanities. Legions of students over the years, bemoaning the lack of swimming facilities, have sarcastically referred to the mural as "the Science swimming pool", perpetuating the idea - perhaps apocryphal - that a choice was made to fund a mural rather than a pool in the new building; but the mural continues to epitomize the special nature of the Bronx High School of Science. The move was not without incident. In the first spring of the move, rumors swept the school that various Bronx youth street gangs were coming to the school, and that the Fordham Baldies would shave the hair of Science students. This never happened. Another incident did happen that spring: The first time Science girls appeared on the outdoor physical education field in skimpy shorts/t-shirts (which probably showed less than in the average high school in 2006), some students from the neighboring, all-male DeWitt Clinton High School charged the separation fence between their field and the Science field. The fence held, but the female students exercised indoors for the remainder of that year.

When Bronx Science celebrated its silver anniversary in June 1963, President John F. Kennedy hailed it as "a significant and pathfinding example of a special program devoted to the development of the student gifted in science and mathematics." The President had recently selected one of its graduates, Harold Brown, of the class of 1943, for the position of Director of Defense Research and Engineering; he would later serve as Secretary of Defense under President Jimmy Carter.

Recent administration

When Alexander Taffel retired as principal in 1978, the chairman of the Biological Science Department, Milton Kopelman, became Principal.[20] He remained so for over ten years. Upon Principal Kopelman's retirement in 1990, long-time faculty member and Biology Assistant Principal Vincent Galasso became principal. He was followed by Physical Science Department Assistant Principal Stanley Blumenstein, a 1963 graduate of Bronx Science.

In 2000 William Stark, an assistant principal of the Social Studies Department, was appointed acting principal. He was expected to move up to the principal's office, when Chancellor Harold O. Levy decided to try to find a Nobel laureate to become principal.[21] However, when that effort failed, Stark was still not offered the job as principal. Stark said that if he wasn't officially offered the job by a certain date, he would take another position being offered to him elsewhere. When the deadline came and went, Stark accepted a job as principal of Manhasset High School. Many faculty and parents were upset that Stark was not appointed in a timely way and thus had left the school; Vincent Galasso agreed to an interim appointment for one term in 2001.[21]

After Levy's unsuccessful attempt to appoint a Nobel laureate, Valerie J. Reidy, Assistant Principal of the Biology Department, was appointed principal in September 2001; she was the first female principal in the school's history. Reidy has been a controversial figure, and several teachers[who?] left the school in response to her becoming principal. Some teachers[who?] have openly criticized her to newspapers and some students staged protests in 2005 and 2008.[21][22][23] There was also a substantial exodus of social studies teachers at the end of the 2010-2011 term, reportedly due to problems with the administration.[24]

Enrollment

The Bronx High School of Science has a student body of about 3,000 students. Admission is based exclusively on an entrance examination, known as the Specialized High Schools Admissions Test (SHSAT), open to all eighth and ninth grade New York City students. The test covers math (word problems and computation) and verbal (reading comprehension, logical reasoning, unscrambling paragraphs) skills. Out of the approximately 30,000 students taking the entrance examination for the September 2011 admission round, (with 19,587 students listing Bronx Science as a choice on their application), about 1,044 offers were made, making for an acceptance rate of 5.3%.[25][26]

Although the student body is diverse, comprising almost every ethnic group in New York City, 59.9% of the school was of Asian descent in 2008.[27] The students are evenly split between males and females.[28]

Facilities and resources

A display in the front lobby of Bronx Science allows students and faculty to monitor the status of the school's rooftop solar array.
  • Computerized & renovated science laboratories, including the Syracuse University @ Bronx Science Crime Lab and DNA Research Lab
  • Computer laboratories
  • Weather Station
  • Harris Field-a 15-acre (61,000 m2) field across 205th street where many Bronx Science sports teams practice.
  • Rooftop planetarium
  • High speed internet access in every room
  • a website with a .edu top-level domain, one of a few obtained by high schools before the rules changed in October, 2001 restricting .edu to post-secondary schools. [4]
  • Televisions equipped with DVD/VHS players in every room
  • Advanced library
  • Distance Learning Lab
  • Animal Room
  • Nationally renowned on-site Holocaust Museum
  • 2 rooftop greenhouses
  • Foreign Language Multimedia Learning Center

The Bronx Science library provides resources ranging from traditional print and microform to electronic subscription e-journals and databases. Located on the first floor just off the main lobby, the library is composed of three smaller rooms encompassing approximately 65,000 square feet (6,000 m²) with a seating capacity of 100. Holdings include over 30,000 volumes, 135 different magazines, microforms (including the New York Times on microfilm dating back to 1851) and readers, and computers in the computer room. Among its electronic resources is ScienceDirect, a free science journal service provided by Elsevier to a select few science high schools. It is used by students as a gateway to firsthand experience with published scientific research.[29]

The Stuart S. Elenko Holocaust Museum and Studies Center

In 1978, Stuart S. Elenko, a Social Studies faculty member, founded a Holocaust Museum and Studies Center at Bronx Science, funded by grants, donations, and the New York City Council. The Museum was one of the first of its kind in the United States, and houses a collection of rare documents, photographs, artifacts and other material from the Nazi era; the Studies Center sponsors speakers and puts together and distributes educational materials about the Holocaust. The Museum has had over 60,000 visitors. In 2004 an anonymous benefactor - an alumnus of the school - made a very large donation which is allowing the Museum to be revamped. In 2006, the Museum moved out of its original home into a larger space. The museum is currently under construction. There are some artifacts available for viewing but the majority are not.[30][31]

A rooftop solar panel installation was completed in February 2006. The 33.6 kW (DC) photovoltaic (PV) arrays consist of 168 Sharp Solar 200 watt DC PV modules laminated to PowerLight's flat-roof PowerGuard mounting system and utilizes a Xantrex PV-30208 30 kW AC 3 phase inverter. Integration with the school's computer network allows students to monitor the solar panels' production of electricity in real time, while saving on the school's energy cost. A screen just off the main lobby displays production data at every moment.[32]

Academics

Students relaxing on Science's campus in warm weather

Bronx Science students take a college preparatory curriculum that includes four years of lab science, math, English, social studies, two or three years of foreign language and a year of fine arts, with required courses and a wide selection of electives, including advanced placement (AP) classes, which allow students to place out of introductory college science courses. Over 600 classes are offered.[33] Students have an opportunity to do independent research, and many compete in the annual Intel Science Talent Search (formerly sponsored by Westinghouse).

In the life sciences, the students have the additional option of taking a special "double honors" biology course, which features extra laboratory exposure. Science electives include microbiology, physiology, forensic science, human genetics, evolution, astronomy, organic chemistry, electronics and others.

The mathematics department offers the standard AP courses in AB/BC calculus and statistics, courses in multivariable calculus and computer science, including AP Computer Science. A course in linear algebra and differential equations was offered for the first time in fall 2007.

Students take four years of English, with electives including journalism, Shakespeare, creative writing and AP English.

Four years of social studies or history classes are required, and include US and world history, economics, with electives in psychology, law, finance, and global studies, among others.

Three years of languages are required. Bronx Science offers French, Spanish, Latin, Italian, Modern Greek, Chinese, Japanese, and Korean. At one time Hebrew, Russian and German were also offered.

Students are required to take Technical Drawing (formerly known as Mechanical Drawing) and a Science Techniques Laboratory course; technology courses include engineering and architectural drawing, telescope making, computerized graphics, robotics technology, and medical illustration. However, students in sophomore research are exempt from both the technical drawing requirement, and the technology requirement. Art and Music Appreciation are also required courses, with a range of studio art electives and music performance electives available.

Health and Physical Education courses are also required, with activities including step aerobics, weight training, basketball, skating, team handball, fitness and yoga.

Representative Electives

  • English- Dramatic Tragedy & Comedy, Women in Literature, A Study in Evil, Literature & Film, Shakespeare: Behind the Scenes, Poetry & Inner Visions, Basic and Advanced Acting, Play Production, Journalism Workshop, Yearbook Workshop
  • Social Studies Holocaust Leadership Class, Social Science Research Projects
  • Mathematics- Calculus, Multivariable Calculus, Pre-Calculus, Senior Math Team, Junior Math Team, Sophomore Math Team, Freshman Math Team, Math Projects, Visual Basic & Java, Advanced Placement Computer Programming, Linear Algebra and Differential Equations
  • Biological Sciences- Biology Research, Animal Behavior & Human Psychology, Human Genetics & Evolution, Plant Physiology and Horticulture, Nutritional Science, Microbiology, Forensic Biology, Biomedical Ethics
  • Physical Sciences - Physical Science Research, Organic Chemistry, Earth System Science (Atmospheric Sciences, Oceanography and Geology), Modern Frontiers in Chemistry, Astronomy and Astrophysics, Electronics, Physics of Engineering
  • Foreign Language- Honors Literature Courses in French, Modern Greek and Spanish. Honors Conversation courses in French, Italian & Spanish. College level Russian. Intermediate Korean Language and Culture.
  • Technology- Photography, Internetworking, Architectural Drafting, Computer Technology, Principles of Engineering, Computer Graphics, Cisco Networking, Advanced Internetworking, Theater Technology, Robotics Technology, Television Production Technology
  • Fine Arts and Music- Studio in Drawing and Design, Studio in Painting, Studio in Sculpture, Orchestra, Chorus, Concert Band, Jazz Band
  • Health & Physical Education- Basketball, Baseball, Volleyball, Aerobatics, Whiffle Ball, Gymnastics, Yoga, Weight Training, Fitness, Flag Football, Soccer, Ultimate Frisbee, Hockey, Team Handball

Advanced Placement courses

  • English- AP English Literature and Composition, AP English Language and Composition
  • Social Sciences- AP U.S. History, AP European History, AP World History (2 Years), AP U.S. Government & Politics (1 Year), AP U.S. Government & Politics (2 Years), AP Microeconomics, AP Macroeconomics, AP Comparative Government & Politics, AP Human Geography
  • Mathematics- AP Calculus AB, AP Calculus BC, AP Statistics, AP Computer Science (JAVA)
  • Science- AP Biology, AP Environmental Science, AP Psychology, AP Chemistry, AP Physics B (without Calculus), AP Physics C (with Calculus)
  • Language- AP Spanish Language, AP Spanish Literature, AP French Language and Culture, AP Italian Language and Culture, AP Latin (Virgil), AP Chinese Language and Culture, AP Japanese Language and Culture
  • Arts- AP Studio Art, AP Art History, AP Music Theory

At Bronx Science, virtually every AP course is offered except for AP German Language and Culture.

Student opportunities

Research

Along with a rigorous academic foundation and an array of extracurricular choices, students are provided with original research opportunities in the biological, physical, and social sciences, and programs that hone students' investigative skills and prepare them for academic competitions. Interested students may apply for research programs in their freshman year and begin a three-year sequence of voluntary work on their projects in their sophomore year. During this time, students collaborate with scientists at local laboratories to develop and complete an independent research project, usually concentrated during two summers. The program culminates in the writing of a scientific paper in the senior year, which is submitted to various competitions, such as the Intel Science Talent Search. Since the inception of this prestigious national competition in 1942, Bronx Science has accumulated the highest number of finalists: 132.[11]

Publications

Bronx Science students working on the publication of the Science Survey in the newspaper publication room

There are several school publications, some produced by students, others produced by individual departments.

Science Survey is Bronx Science's entirely student-run newspaper. Students manage everything: reporting, layout, design, editing, and final production, under the supervision of the journalism teacher. The paper runs purely on funds from its advertisers, with no fiscal school support. The paper is distributed on average 7 times per year at no charge. The Science Survey has been the name of the Bronx Science student newspaper since the founding of the school in 1938.

Dynamo is the literary magazine sponsored by the English Department, consisting of original poems and stories submitted by students from all grades. The Observatory is Bronx Science's prize-winning yearbook. The yearbook office has a custom-built web server to manage its production, powered by MediaWiki and Coppermine software.

The Biology Department sponsors two publications. BioNIC (the Biology News and Information Center) is an annual web publication featuring biology-related events at Bronx Science, student-written articles, opportunities, and links to helpful and interactive pages. Biology Journal, a joint venture between students and faculty, documents advances in the field within the school and in the outside world. Each themed issue contains interviews, commentaries, artwork, featured student research papers, and abstracts from every student Biology research project that year.

Other department-produced publications include the annual Math Bulletin, consisting of student term papers, original student mathematics research, and topics in mathematics; Exposition, an annual production of the Social Studies Department;[34] and Reactions, written by Physical Science students.

BS was the name for the school's underground newspaper in the 90's. The paper may not be currently active. It was entirely student-run and financed, by the writers, through candy sales to the student body. The paper included only student-written content covering local politics, poetry, fiction, non-fiction and art. One article covered the lax grading of one teacher; demonstrating several purposefully ridiculous homework responses which the teacher 'checked' as being acceptable without reading.

Student life

Events

The Bronx High School of Science Concert Band playing during the Winter Concert

A comprehensive events calendar is maintained on the school's website.[35]

  • Earth Day Festival- hosted annually by the LEAP club on Earth Day.[36]
  • Day of Silence- an annual event to educate students about the difficulties faced by the gay, lesbian, and transgender community.
  • Winter & Spring Concerts- features performances from Science's bands and chorus.
  • Poem In Your Pocket Day
  • Holocaust Remembrance Assembly, held annually on Yom Hashoah
  • Black Organization of Student Strength/West Indian Society cultural assembly-produced by BOSS/WIS
  • Lunar New Year - produced by the Lunar New Year Productions club
  • Spring musical
  • UNIDAD - produced by UNIDAD
  • International Food Fair/Multicultural Day
  • Music Festival
  • Homecoming Day - on the day before Thanksgiving, graduates from the previous year return to campus
  • Senior Prom.
  • NASHA Cultural Assembly-Annual Indian, Pakistani, and Bengali Cultural Show
  • Harris Field Day - Celebrated by Seniors prior to the start of summer vacation

Extra-curricular activities

Sports

Boys Outdoor Cross Country team competing at nearby Van Cortlandt Park

Bronx Science has 17 athletic teams. The school boasts both boys and girls teams for basketball, bowling, cross country, fencing, golf, gymnastics, handball, track, soccer, swimming, tennis, and volleyball. The baseball, basketball, softball, and volleyball teams compete on both the varsity and junior varsity levels. Their crew and cricket teams are co-ed. Bronx Science also has a boys varsity wrestling team. In the 2009 to 2010 school year, Bronx Science's boys won the "Triple Crown": the cross country, indoor track, and outdoor track were ranked best in the Bronx all in one year. The Bronx Science Cross Country boys' team also took first place in the 2011 PSAL city championships led by team captain Adam Yohanan, Pier Berkmans, Joe Ledger, Andrew Rock, and Daniel Leon.

Academic teams

Founded in 1969 by renowned debate coach Richard B. Sodikow, the Bronx High School of Science Speech and Debate Team has been prominent and successful. With the creation of Lincoln-Douglas Debate in 1979, came the creation of the Bronx Science LD squad which has had national success. David Yalof won the national championship in 1984, and two years later, Hee-Sun Hong received the first-ever Tournament of Champions title in Lincoln-Douglas Debate. In 1988, Jonathan Koppell and Peter Colavito closed out the final round of the Tournament of Champions.

The Speech and Student Congress portions of the team have also won numerous awards. A small sample: In 1996 and 1997 Kari Hodges won the New York State forensic league championship in Dramatic Interpreation, an award also won in 1992 by Maggie Siff. Rachel Haber and Benji Unger took home the state championship in Declamation in 2001 and 2002. Kayan Clarke and Xizi Qiu were state champions in Original Oraory in 1997 and 2002. Patrick Woods won the state championship in Student Congress in 1998.[37]

Bronx Science debaters have amassed many major titles: Emory University's Barkley Forum for High Schools, the Harvard National Invitational, the Lexington Winter Classic, Hendrick Hudson, T.A. Edison, University of Southern California, Villiger, the Northeast Regional Championships, the Newark Debates, the Westchester Classic, the Robert J. Kaiser Invitational, the Scarsdale Jeffrey Williams Lincoln-Douglas Debate Championship, Woodward Academy Novice Nationals, Woodward Academy Second Year Nationals, the MBA Round Robin, the Bronx Round Robin, the Glenbrooks Round Robin, and the National Debate Coaches Association (NDCA) National Championship.[38][39][40]

  • Winners, 2010 New York City Regional Finalists
  • Winners, 2009 Connecticut Regional- Winner
  • Winners, 2009 New York City Regional Finalists
  • Winners, 2009 New York City Regional - Rockwell Automation and Innovation in Control award
  • Winners, 2007 New York City Regional Chairman's Award
  • Winners, 2007 New Jersey Regional Finalists
  • Winners, 2006 New York City Engineering Inspiration Award:[42][43]
  • Winners, 2005 New York City Kleiner, Perkins, Caufield, and Byers Entrepreneurship Award:[42][43]
  • Winners, 2004 New York City Delphi Driving Tomorrow Award[42][43]
  • All-Girls Robotics Team. The Bronx Science All-Girls FeMaidens (FIRST Team 2265)[44] competes annually in the FIRST Robotics Competition. This team was created by the Bronx Science Sciborgs in 2007 as an effort to advance women in engineering.
  • Winners, 2010 New York City Regional - Winner
  • Winners, 2010 New York City Regional - Engineering Inspiration Award
  • Winners, 2010 New Jersey Regional - Imagery Award
  • Winners, 2009 Connecticut Regional - Best Website
  • Winners, 2008 New York City Regional - Website Excellence Award
  • Winners, 2007 New York City Regional - Rookie All-Star Award

Clubs/Teams

Bronx Science Auditorium before renonvation.

Dress code

The school's dress code has evolved over the years. Once boys were required to wear ties and "collar" shirts and not allowed to wear "patch-pocket" pants (jeans) or hats; girls were required to wear skirts or dresses, no matter what the weather. Offenders were sent home if they were not dressed according to the rules. Many girls walking to school in the winter along wind-swept Goulden Avenue between the Jerome Park Reservoir and Clinton's football field, wore slacks under their skirts and removed them when they arrived at school. Boots also had to be removed.

In 1968 the students successfully demanded that the dress code be relaxed; girls then were allowed to wear slacks and boys could wear t-shirts.

Today's students still are not allowed to wear hats (a NYC Department of Education rule), and the dress regulations are less specific, forbidding clothing that is "distracting", "offensive", or "degrading"; anything promoting drug use or offensive language is similarly banned; and "undergarments must not be visible, and tops and bottoms of outer garments must meet or overlap".[45]

Faculty

The Bronx Science faculty includes educators with advanced degrees, including the Ph.D., in their field, and many have taught at universities. Unlike most New York City public schools, teachers are not hired according to seniority. Instead, teachers are interviewed and reviewed by a committee of current teachers from the department.

Some teachers are also alumni of the school: Michael Contente (ret. June 2007), the former coordinator of the Department of Mathematics (1966); Jean M. Donahue, Ph.D., the assistant principal of the Science Department (1977); Fred Levy, assistant principal of the art, music, and technology departments; David Cohen (math and technology), Richard Lee (biology), Sherrill Mirsky (ret. June 2009), Dorothy Klausner (ret. June 2009), Beatrice Robertson (math), Polly Schoenfeld (English), Daniel Abella (filmmaking), John Liu (Global and U.S. History).

James Perna, a Teacher of the Year

Many teachers also play an active role in the advancement of the school's vision. For example, Fanny K. Ennever, Ph.D., a former teacher in the Physical Science Department and adjunct assistant professor at Columbia University,[46] was responsible for securing a $27,500 grant in both 2004 and 2005 for developing and modifying the Bronx Science chemistry laboratory curriculum, in order to make sessions less "cookbook" and more inquiry-based.[47]

Every year, the senior members of ARISTA National Honor Society vote for the Honored Teacher Award. Winners of the award include Patricia Nunez (Foreign Lanuage, Spanish), Gregory Greene (Mathematics), James Perna (Mathematics), Pat Drury (Physical Education), Mr. Reutershan (Mathematics), Dr. Wheeler (Biology), Mrs. Ramos (Biology), Louis DiIulio (Social Studies) and Dermot Hannon (English).

A math and computer programming class at Science in 1960, with an IBM 650 op code chart, upper right. Science was one the first high schools to teach computers. The school had a keypunch machine and students got to run their programs at the Watson lab at Columbia University. Science got its own computer, an IBM 1620, a year and a half later.

In Season 1, Episode 18 of The West Wing, Mallory O'Brien mentions Bronx Science in a discussion of public school reform and school vouchers. Rob Lowe's character, Sam Seaborn says, “Boston Latin, the oldest public school in the country, is still the best secondary school in New England.” Mallory O'Brien replies "They all can't be Boston Latin and Bronx Science."

In the television show Head of the Class, Bronx Science is named explicitly throughout the show as Fillmore High School's rival, often appearing against them in academic competitions.

In Season 1, Episode 12 of What I Like About You, Henry says he goes to Bronx Science and has a GPA of 3.7.

In one episode of Everybody Hates Chris, Chris and his friend, Greg both apply for Bronx Science. In the end, only Greg was accepted.

Northern Exposure was a show about a doctor whose medical education was financed by an Alaskan town where he was then obliged to work. Dr. Joel Fleischman (played by Rob Morrow) often reminisced about his high school days at Bronx Science. When Dr. Fleischman's role diminished, he was succeeded by Dr. Phil Capra, played by Paul Provenza, who is an actual Bronx Science graduate.

On "Brooklyn Bridge," a CBS television series from the early 90's about a Jewish family in Brooklyn, the family celebrates the admission of Alan, the older son, to Bronx Science. Stereotypical mother boasts to the neighbors and relatives call from all over, including the "old county," to congratulate Alan's achievement. Alan decides not to attend fearing the commute and separation from his neighborhood friends.

In Noah Baumbach's 2007 film Margot at the Wedding, it is revealed that Margot's son, Claude, has recently transferred to Bronx Science. His father is heard saying "It was a difficult decision because Claude has so many friends at school now, but it is expensive and Bronx Science is a great public school." Claude then retorts "I didn't get into Stuyvesant."

The 2009 film City Island includes a character who attends Bronx Science. Scenes of the movie were shot at the school.

William Goldstein and Charles Leipart have created a musical, Me and Miss Monroe, which tells the story of Steven, a 16-year-old Bronx Science student in 1962 who inadvertently meets and befriends Marilyn Monroe at the carousel in Central Park as he works on his project for a national science fair.

The 2010 adaptation "It's Kind of a Funny Story" mentions Bronx Science among rigorous public high schools a character would like to attend.

The 2011 adaptation Extremely Loud And Incredibly Close (film) [[7]] mentions that Oskar Schell's father went to Bronx Science High School where he was student manager of the baseball team and science editor of the paper.

Notable alumni and former students

Main article: List of Bronx High School of Science Alumni

Nobel Prize-winning physicists

The Bronx High School of Science counts seven Nobel Prize-winning physicists among its graduates:

No other secondary school in the United States has as many alumni who have won Nobel Prizes.[12] If Bronx Science were a country, it would be tied at 23rd with Spain for number of Nobel laureates (as of 2008). Were Bronx Science a university, it would be tied for 58th place, matching UNC-Chapel Hill and UMD.

Pulitzer Prize winners

Bronx Science also has six Pulitzer Prize-winning graduates:

Additional alumni honors

Six alumni have won the National Medal of Science, the nation's highest scientific honor bestowed by the U.S. President and thus far awarded to 425 scientists and engineers. Bronx Science also counts among its graduates twenty-nine current members of the United States National Academy of Sciences (NAS), an honor attained by only about 2,000 American scientists. Twenty-two Bronx Science graduates are current members of the United States National Academy of Engineering (NAE), ten are current members of the Institute of Medicine (IOM), and at least one is a current member of the Royal Society of Canada.

Other notable alumni and former students

Other notable graduates and former students include:

References

  1. ^ 2004-2005 ANNUAL SCHOOL REPORT, Bronx High School of Science.
  2. ^ About Us: Statistics, Bronx High School of Science.
  3. ^ Heather Mac Donald (Spring 1999). "How Gotham's Elite High Schools Escaped the Leveller's Ax". City Journal. Retrieved August 12, 2007.
  4. ^ Examples include the Minister for Education of Singapore citing the school as a paradigm for Singapore's own schools: "SPEECH BY MR THARMAN SHANMUGARATNAM, MINISTER FOR EDUCATION & SECOND MINISTER FOR FINANCE, AT THE OFFICIAL OPENING OF NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF SINGAPORE HIGH SCHOOL OF MATHEMATICS AND SCIENCE (NUS HIGH SCHOOL)". Singapore Ministry of Education. April 23, 2007. Retrieved August 12, 2007.; the use of the Bronx Science curriculum as a model for the Manila Science High School in the Philippines : "History of the Philippines' First Science High School". 40th Commencement Exercises Yearbook, Manila Science High School. 2003. Archived from the original on 2007-05-25. Retrieved August 12, 2007.; and plans for schools in the former Soviet Union, Turkey, Japan, Korea, and China to be developed according to the Bronx Science curriculum: "About Bronx Science - Bronx High School of Science Alumni Association". Retrieved 11 March 2011.
  5. ^ See, for example, this: "Brueck Promoted to UNM Distinguished Professor". University of New Mexico. October 26, 2006. Retrieved August 12, 2007.
  6. ^ Rank was 33 in 2008, 58 in 2009. "Gold Medal Schools". U.S. News and World Report. December 14, 2008. Retrieved January 11, 2009.
  7. ^ Herman Badillo (2006). One Nation, One Standard: An Ex-Liberal on How Hispanics Can Succeed Just Like Other Immigrant Groups. Sentinel. p. 28.
  8. ^ "By the Numbers: Public, Private and Religious High Schools" (PDF). The Blackboard Awards. 2006. Retrieved August 12, 2007.
  9. ^ Joseph Berger, "How Do You Get To Bronx Science? The Yellow Bus; A Private Transportation Service Fosters the Queens Connection". New York Times, January 14, 2003.
  10. ^ "How Gotham’s Elite High Schools Escaped the Leveller’s Ax", by Heather Mac Donald, City Journal, Spring 1999.
  11. ^ a b Intel awards
  12. ^ a b c "A Nobel Laureate Returns Home to Bronx Science", The New York Times, October 15, 2010. Retrieved October 15, 2010.
  13. ^ Bronx Science alumni Nobel and Pulitzer Prize winners
  14. ^ Other National Awards
  15. ^ "High School, Summer School Gain Historic Site Designation". APS News. American Physical Society. January 2011. Retrieved 10 March 2011.
  16. ^ "NCSSSMST Institutional Members". Retrieved August 14, 2007.
  17. ^ "Timeline - click on 1930s - 1937/1938". The Campaign for Stuyvesant - History. OurStrongBand.org. Retrieved April 19, 2009.
  18. ^ About Bronx Science, The Bronx High School of Science.
  19. ^ About the architect
  20. ^ "Alexander Taffel Dies at 86; Championed Bronx Science", The New York Times, January 25, 1997. Retrieved April 11, 2008.
  21. ^ a b c "Teacher flight feared at elite high school". Columbia University Journalism School. March 5, 2001. Archived from the original on June 26, 2007. Retrieved October 22, 2006. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  22. ^ "Showdown At Bronx Science". The New York Sun. May 27, 2005. Retrieved October 31, 2006. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  23. ^ "Students Stage Walkout At Bronx Science". The Sun. The Sun. January 16, 2008. Retrieved February 5, 2008.
  24. ^ "Bronx Science Sees Exodus of Social Studies Teachers," Anna Phillips, New York Times, September 15, 2011 [1]
  25. ^ "Specialized High Schools Student Handbook 2011-2012" (PDF). NYC Department of Education. Retrieved 1 March 2012.
  26. ^ Specialized High Schools Student Handbook of 2011-2012 (PDF). NYC Department of Education. 2011. p. 5.
  27. ^ "NYC DOE School Portal: Bronx High School of Science(X445): Register, Statistics, About Us". January 22, 2008. Retrieved April 1, 2008.[dead link]
  28. ^ According to Bronx Science FAQs, "The ratio of boys to girls at Science ranges from 51:49 to 49:51, averaging 50:50" [2]
  29. ^ "Teaching the Fourth 'R' of Science Education: Research". T.H.E. Journal. October 1, 2005. Retrieved November 2, 2006. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  30. ^ Donor Gives New Lease on Life to Holocaust Studies Center
  31. ^ At Bronx Science, A Different Kind Of Lab
  32. ^ "Sunlight as Energy". New York Power Authority. Retrieved December 2, 2006. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)[dead link]
  33. ^ Lists of classes
  34. ^ Exposition
  35. ^ School Calendar
  36. ^ Earth Day
  37. ^ http://www.nysfl.org/winners.html
  38. ^ Speech & Debate Team - Welcome!
  39. ^ BOBBY ESNARD WINS SCARSDALE: Matt Ross Also Wins Novice Title for Bronx Science; Regis Takes Public Forum, Victory Briefs Daily, Feb. 9, 2008.
  40. ^ BRONX SCIENCE CLOSES OUT SECOND-YEAR NATIONALS; LARRY LIU IS NOVICE NATIONAL CHAMPION: Bronx Science Wins Second-Year Policy Tournament, Victory Briefs Daily, April 6, 2008.
  41. ^ http://www.bxsciborgs.com
  42. ^ a b c http://bxsciborgs.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=28&Itemid=39
  43. ^ a b c http://www.archive.org/download/BronxScienceRoboticsTeam_10/parentnightpowerpoint.ppt SciBorgs Prospective Parent's Night Presentation
  44. ^ http://femaidens.org/index.php
  45. ^ "Student Rules and Responsibilities" (January 2002) Very few of these rules are regularly enforced. http://www.bxscience.edu/student_rules_responsibilities.jsp?rn=1128.
  46. ^ Columbia University's MPA in Environmental Science and Policy
  47. ^ http://web.archive.org/web/20080120091445/http://www.dreyfus.org/sg05awards.shtml
  48. ^ Glashow, Sheldon. "Sheldon Glashow - The Nobel Prize in Physics 1979 - Autobiography". Nobel Foundation. Retrieved June 2, 2008.
  49. ^ "Melvin Schwartz - Autobiography". Nobel Foundation. 1988. Retrieved June 2, 2009.
  50. ^ "Russell A. Hulse - Autobiography". Nobel Foundation. 1993. Retrieved June 2, 2009.
  51. ^ "Roy J. Glauber - Autobiography". Nobel Foundation. 2005. Retrieved June 2, 2009.
  52. ^ Weingarten, Gene (July 26, 2005). "Chatological Humor* (Updated 7.29.05)". The Washington Post. Retrieved April 27, 2010.
  53. ^ Pearce, Jeremy. "Dr. Ira B. Black, 64, Leader in New Jersey Stem Cell Effort, Dies", The New York Times, January 12, 2006. Accessed August 13, 2009
  54. ^ Samuels, Tanyanika (10 March 2010). "'Hurt Locker' Oscar winner Mark Boal schooled at Bronx High School of Science". Daily News. Retrieved 29 September 2010.
  55. ^ Patricia Holtz, "'Extraordinary leader' had a huge impact on the Montreal Neurological Institute." Toronto Globe and Mail", July 2, 2011. obituary.
  56. ^ Nick Paumgarten, "The Merchant." The New Yorker. Sept 20, 2010, pp. 74-87.
  57. ^ Loux, Brian (6 September 2002). "Campus Profile: 8.01 Professor 'Eddie' Farhi shares insights into life and freshman physics". The Tech. MIT. Retrieved 29 September 2010.
  58. ^ Nugent, Tom (Fall 2007). "Time Travel: Possible or Not?". Retrieved 29 September 2010. {{cite news}}: Text "Brandeis University" ignored (help); Text "Fall 2007" ignored (help) [dead link]
  59. ^ Scott Bowles, "Favreau's a Comic-Book Hero." USA Today, May 7, 2010. pp. 1D-2D.
  60. ^ Michael Barbaro, "Enter Swinging: Exit: Much the Same Way." New York Times, January 3, 2011
  61. ^ "Ten Young Geniuses Shaking Up Science Today". Popular Science. 18 October 2009. Retrieved 29 September 2010.
  62. ^ [3]
  63. ^ "Going, Going Book Sale," New Yorker, April 12, 2010, pp. 23-24.
  64. ^ John Markoff, What the Dormouse Saw. New York: Viking Penguin, 2005.
  65. ^ "Accolades: David Viniar '76: Making hoop dreams come true". Union College. August 11, 2005. Retrieved 15 April 2011.
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