ST. FRANCIS PREPARATORY HIGH SCHOOL
TOP HIGH SCHOOLS 2021
LAWRENCE WOODMERE ACADEMY
TOP HIGH SCHOOLS 2021
MONSIGNOR MCCLANCY HIGH SCHOOL
TOP HIGH SCHOOLS 2021
MARTIN LUTHER SCHOOL
TOP HIGH SCHOOLS 2021
THE KEW-FOREST SCHOOL
119-17 Union Turnpike
Forest Hills, NY 11375
(718) 268-4667
kewforest.org
Independent, Co-ed, K-12
Head of School: Carla Jantos MacMullen
Head of Middle/Upper School: Tiffany D. Trotter
Head of Lower School: Karin Bernstein
Admissions Director: Soraya Diaz Tamayo (718) 268-4667, admissions@kewforest.org
Students: 225
Teachers: 45-plus
Average Class Size: 8
Top 5 or Most Unique Extracurricular Activities: Model United Nations (UN), Mock Trial, Athletics, Community Service, Student-run Clubs
Unique Academic Programs: Fully in-person for the 2021-22 school year, Project-Based Learning, and advanced coursework through AP classes at the School and One Schoolhouse.
Open House Dates: Virtual on October 7 for Lower School and October 28 for Middle & Upper School. On campus on November 13 for Lower School and December 4 for Middle & Upper School
Notable Alumni and/or Programs: Kew-Forest has a robust Class Ambassador program, in which alumni help to promote the mission of the school by strengthening communication among classmates and bridging the relationship between alumni and the School.
Notable graduates of The Kew-Forest School include:
• David Arabov (‘08), Entrepreneur; Former CEO & Co-Founder, Elite Daily
• Hank Azaria (‘81), Emmy award-winning actor, comedian & producer
• Alessandra Galloni (‘91), Global Managing Editor, Reuters
• James Gray (‘87), Film director & screenwriter
• Bonnie Hammer (‘67), Chairman, NBCUniversal Cable Entertainment Group
• Casey Heeg (‘69), Mission Architect, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory
• Catherine W. Skinner (‘48), Senior Research Scientist, Yale University
Top 2021 Seniors Attending: MIT, Northeastern University, Williams College
Most 2021 Seniors Attending: Boston University, Johns Hopkins, NYU, Trinity College
College Credit Courses: Yes – Advanced Placement (AP) courses offered in Biology, Calculus BC, English Language and Composition, Modern World History, Physics 2, Spanish Language, Spanish Literature, Studio Art, US Government and Politics, and US History
Admissions Requirements: Kew-Forest is always looking for students who will contribute to the vibrant and collaborative environment in its classrooms. To assess suitability, they ask applicants to submit their academic records, as well as to present themselves by way of an interview and a student statement.
Scholarships/Financial Aid Availability & Requirements: Kew-Forest offers need-based tuition assistance to qualified families based on a review of the financial aid application submitted through FAST. Tuition assistance decisions are made separately from admissions decisions.
Percentage of Students on Academic Aid: For the 2021-22 school year, over $1 million in need-based tuition assistance was awarded to 50 percent of high school students.
School Motto: Ad Summum (To the Top)
What makes Kew-Forest a Top High School? The Kew-Forest School nurtures lifelong learners from around the world. Its educators inspire young people to think boldly and find their voices. Its students support each other and explore thoughtfully as they shape the future.
What makes your school stand out as a top institution (i.e., % of students going to college, ratio of college advisors, % of students playing sports, faith-based activities, ETC.).
• The strength of its students: Nearly all AP students earned scores of 4 or 5 over the last two school years despite pandemic-related disruptions to their education.
• The strength of its faculty: Faculty eagerly seek professional growth opportunities to further deepen and refine in-person teaching and learning.
• Close faculty-student connections: A low student:teacher ratio allows faculty to get to know students individually.
• Globally minded and culturally competent graduates: Alumni consistently report feeling well prepared for life beyond Kew-Forest.
HOLY CROSS HIGH SCHOOL
TOP HIGH SCHOOLS 2021
ARCHBISHOP MOLLOY HIGH SCHOOL
TOP HIGH SCHOOLS 2021
Off-Broadway in the Boros holds first festival-style series
Oh, what a night!
To celebrate Broadway’s official reopening since the pandemic, the Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment presented the Off-Broadway in the Boros event for the first time as a five-day festival.
This year, the stage traveled to audiences across all five boroughs to connect them to theater and live performances just off the Great White Way.
“A couple of years ago, we put together a small study that showed theaters smaller than Broadway generate $1.3 billion in economic activity for the city,” said Anne del Castillo, commissioner of the Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment.
“We thought bringing these performances to the boroughs would be a great way to connect people to the resources in their communities,” she added. “It’s really important to remind people of what’s so inherently unique about New York and how we have talent in every nook and cranny.”
Various acts performed throughout the five days, including the Gazillion Bubble Show, Hell’s Kitchen Happiness Krewe, Bindlestiff Family Cirkus and the cast of “TORCHED!” from Pregones/Puerto Rican Traveling Theater.
Deni Yang of the Gazillion Bubble Show kicked off the Jackson Heights event in a way that was whimsical enough to make a person of any age feel like a kid again.
The Gazillion Bubble Show was started in New York in 2007 by the Yang family. Ever since, they’ve found ways to make it better.
“At first, my parents and I were traveling around in a circus act, which then developed into bubbles because we got more into the science side of things,” said Yang.
The Gazillion Bubble Show holds two Guinness world records, one for the world’s largest bubble and another for the most people put inside a bubble, which is 181.
Yang said that he was delighted to perform at the Off-Broadway in the Boros fest and see so many families and children having fun.
Folks who attended the festival had the opportunity to enjoy a preview of the musical “TORCHED!” performed by Pregones/Puerto Rican Traveling Theater.
Writer and director Rosalba Rolón said the musical is still in development and will make its debut on December 2.
“TORCHED!” is a story about what Bronx residents went through during the infamous fires in the ‘70s, and much of the soundtrack is influenced by Latin music.
“I think the idea of Off-Broadway in the Boros is that we need to honor multilingualism, not only bilingualism,” said Rolón. “Artists have a way of communicating so that if someone doesn’t understand a word in a specific language, there is the imagery and the music so they do.”
Guests then got to sing along and tap their feet to tunes of Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons and Frank Sinatra sung by Hell’s Kitchen Happiness Krewe, and were kept on the edge of their seats by the sword swallowers and contortionists of Bindlestiff Family Cirkus.
Castillo said that one of the best parts of her job is being able to see all of the different parts of the city, but it has also been a privilege to bring the performances of Off-Broadway in the Boros to places hardest hit by COVID-19.
“Arts and culture are what make the heart of New York City beat,” she said. “It’s a global parameter and what makes it the greatest city in the world.”
Regarding last week’s sudden closure of Broadway’s “Aladdin,” Castillo said that it was caused by the few cast members who were affected by the virus, combined with a lack of understudies to perform those roles at the time.
“Being in the creative community means that you come up with creative solutions every time,” she said. “From what I’ve seen across all of the creative community, they’ve been really diligent about the protocols and being safe.”
Rosalba Rolón, Pregones/Puerto Rican Traveling Theater
Originally from Comerío, Puerto Rico, it was her graduate studies at CUNY Graduate Center that brought Rosalba Rolón to the city.
She eventually went on to be founder and artistic director of Pregones Theater Company, which is based in the Bronx and mainly focuses on telling the stories of Latino people that would otherwise be swept under the rug.
One of these stories is captured in the company’s musical “TORCHED!,” which will make its off-Broadway debut on December 2.
“TORCHED!” is about the Bronx fires of the ‘70s and how they affected the community.
“We’re trying to emphasize some of the stories that didn’t make it into the news,” said Rolón. “Many landlords and insurance companies were actually involved in setting up the fires and not the residents.
“We want to have a bit of a balance of justice and calling attention to the fact that the residents were victims and not the perpetrators,” she added. “But it will be a musical production so people can tap their feet and listen to the story.”
Rolón has been involved in the arts from a young age, performing as an actress throughout her school years. When she came to New York, she performed in primarily Latino theaters before she co-founded Pregones in 1979.
Rolón said that back then, she never envisioned her company would be where it is now, with two theaters located in Manhattan and the Bronx.
“We started as a group of young people who wanted to travel to cities rather than have people leave their cities to come to New York,” she said. “We have been to 538 U.S. cities, 38 states and 18 countries.”
The cast of “TORCHED!” performed at the city’s Off-Broadway in the Boros Fest, which Rolón said she was grateful to be a part of.
“‘TORCHED!’ is a bilingual piece, and I think it’s beautiful to be able to perform it here, especially in Queens, the borough with the most diversity and culture,” she said.
Local Stars of the Week: October 1st – 7th
Daniel Jones, Zach Wilson, Aaron Judge, and Matthews Tejeda
