Bryant H.S. Leads In Academics, Involvement
BY LINDA J. WILSON

William Cullen Bryant H.S. received the equivalent of an A minus rating in a recent evaluation of city high schools by the British firm Cambridge Educational Associates, to the delight of Principal Chris Pelletteri. "Ten percent of the city schools got an 'A' rating, so we're at the cusp of that level," he said. "It's nice to be recognized."

Pellettieri added that he thought the study had been well thought out and conducted. "For three days they took a very close look at the school," he said. "They interviewed everyone- students, faculty, staff, parents- everyone they could find. [The study] was pretty in-depth."

Cambridge Educational Associates found much to commend in their look at Bryant, where 3,237 students (1,486 or 45.91 percent girls and 1,751 or 54.09 percent boys) attend classes in a building on 31st Avenue in Astoria that demonstrates some of the best features of Art Deco school architecture of the 1920s. It is the programs within the school that merit its high rating, however, rather than the building. "We have a lot of programs," Pellettieri noted. The school has 27 athletic teams, 24 clubs and six performance groups. These include a Saturday School program to help students meet academic standards, math and science enrichment programs, Honors programs and advanced placement in all five majors; magnet programs in math and science; Intel Math/Science Research programs, FED Challenge, the city's only Mentor Law and Forensic Science Institute, P.M. school, Saturday family programs and Project Arts. Its Virtual Enterprise program in which students establish and run a business has ranked among the finalists in New York City and its newspaper, yearbook, and magazines have won awards. The wide range of extracurricular activities at Bryant includes an African-American Unity Club, Greek, Korean, Key, Drama and Writing Clubs; basketball, football, soccer, track and volleyball teams; formal peer mediation and conflict resolution; three choruses, band, a Shakespeare Oratory team, a dance company, peer tutoring and a Fed Challenge.

Parents participate in the School Leadership Team, Awards Night, fundraising activities, all extracurricular activities, ESL Parent Workshops, Career Day, Open House and the annual Family Science Night. The school also receives community support from LaGuardia Community College, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), NYU, Queens College, Cornell University Cooperative ED., Polytechnic University, Junior Achievement, Queens College, Estee Lauder, the law firm of Chadbourne and Park and St. John's University.

The Bryant administration is well aware that the physical plant also aids in preparing Bryant students to meet the challenges of the increasingly complex world they will encounter after graduation, whether or not they go on to higher education or directly enter the working world. Bryant has established a state of the art wireless technology lab/Writing Center and students will find a $3 million upgrade to the school's science labs awaiting them in September. The school obviously has a high attraction for the students who attend- according to Department of Education statistics, attendance in the school's academic and GED programs from January 2006 through January 2007 was 82.64 percent. According to its school Report Card statement published by the city Department of Education, more than 90 percent of its 2002-03 graduates (the last year for which statistics were available) attended college; more than 500 obtained credits from linkages with college partners and more than $5 million in scholarships was awarded. Its alumni include Schools Chancellor Joel Klein (Class of 1963), late entertainer Ethel Merman (born Ethel Zimmerman), for whom the school auditorium is named, and actor Lou Martini ("The Sopranos", "Law and Order").

The school's Mission Statement declares: "The William Cullen Bryant High School community educates the whole child in an environment that is the least restrictive and the most inclusive. We believe instruction involves teaching young people from varied academic, social, and English proficiency levels. Instruction should nurture talent, encourage leadership, and foster mutual respect. Our high expectations are supported by a rich and diverse community, parental involvement, many academic institutions of higher learning, major corporations, and a strong alumni cadre. We believe that, through collaboration, we will meet the challenges of the New Standards, surpass our expectations, and provide all Bryant students with the foundation and skills needed to become productive members of society." It is more than evident, even without the added confirmation of the Cambridge Educational Associates assessment, that Bryant has more than succeeded in meeting its self-assigned goals.