Joseph Pulitzer Middle School

34th Avenue

Joseph Pulitzer Middle School (I.S.145Q) is a middle school in Jackson Heights, Queens, New York City, New York. It serves grades 6-8. which serves 2,039 middle school for 6th, 7th, and 8th grade students. The school is named for the Hungarian American publisher, Joseph Pulitzer. Its principal is Dr. Dolores Beckham.

School history

The Jackson Heights Community Federation lobbied in the late 1940s for a number of projects including Travers Park, which fills most of the block between 79th and 80th Streets from 34th Avenue to Northern Boulevard, the I.S. 145 Joseph Pulitzer school, which had been built on what had been tennis courts on 80th Street between 34th Avenue and Northern Boulevard, and a library on 81st Street just north of 37th Avenue. A huge community campus, which was to include a gym, pool, and 2,000 seat concert hall did not come to pass (the present day Bulova complex is on a portion of this land). They had anticipated the incoming influx of families that came in the 1950s.

Academies

Since I.S. 145 has around 2,039 students according to the 2010–2011 Progress Report, it is divided into five academies, each focusing and emphasizing particular core values, for example, one for Math, another for the Sciences, and so on. This was done in 2004, in the hope that this would improve academic performance, boost low standardized test scores, and strengthen ties between teachers and students, so that young teens who were enrolled did not feel lost.

The school is divided into five academies:

• Math & Business Academy focuses on teaching, as well as emphasizing the importance of Mathematics in society and business. It occupies half the first floor of the Old Wing building and the most of the Old Wing's sublevel. It is also in charge of math and setting the pace of math teaching in the school. It helps administer the Regents Examinations in math for the school for grades 6-8, as well as administrating the Integrated Algebra Regents for qualified honors students around the school.

• Academy of Science & Technology emphasizes science and its contributions to society. It offers a great variety of science-oriented classes, and classes such as Math & English have science and technology integrated in it. It occupies most of the Second Floor's Old Wing. It is also in charge of the entire Science Department in the school, and setting the pace of science teaching around the school. It helps administer the State Science Examinations around the school for Grade 8, and it plans on administrating the Earth Science Regents for qualified honors students around the school in June 2012.

• Journalism & Media Arts Academy is the most liberal-art oriented academy in the premises. It had evolved into a rich^{[citation needed]} program that provides and enforced focus on writing and media in all its classes. Courses like Language Arts, World History, US History, Band/Music/Chorus, etc. to a degree of interest that scopes journalism and media. It is the most solicited academy. It occupies the first floor of the New Building and the School News Paper facilities.

• The Law & Humanities Academy emphasizes the Humanity and Law in past and modern day society. With a diverse curriculum it is very evolved around the History and Science course. World History, Anthropology and European History Year 1, U.S. History Year 2 and 20th Century History Year 3. As in Sciences, Biology and Life Science Year 1, Physics and Computer Science Year 2 and Geology and Earth Science Year 3.

• International Bridge Academy is host to many transfer and first-year multi-national, international students who struggle with the English language. One of its main goals is to provide an in-depth learning of the language, ESL classes, so that the children can transfer to other academies if they chose to fully apply English in their studies. The City of New York receives 9,000 students from overseas or other countries and states every year. Gradually English is more enforced by Year 2. The teachers who are teaching are experts in two languages or more. It occupies half the Old Wing of the third floor.

Campus Structure

The school campus is divided into two parts, and both buildings: The Old Wing which was the original structure of the school that is painted blue. The new wing built more recently is painted red and provides the full central airing system through the school. The New Wing was constructed to help deal with overcrowding, completed in 1996. It houses modern classrooms, equipped with air conditioning and science labs, to name a few, something the old wing lacked. It houses the school cafeteria, the Media Library (where the School Computers are available for use by the students), and Parent Coordinator's Office as well as The Journalism & Media Arts Academy & The Law & Humanities Academy.

Dress Code

The school also strongly enforces a dress code:

Boys

• Khaki, beige pants
• White polo shirt or button down
• Burgundy sweater, jacket, vest
• Burgundy tie

Girls

• Khaki, beige skirt, skort or pants
• White polo or button down (no colored undershirts allowed)
• Burgundy sweater, jacket, cardigan
• Optional Tie

Physical Education

• School's physical education shirt (gold-yellow)
• Burgundy athletic shorts
• Sneakers, running shoes.

The school mascot is the Lion.

Notable Alumni

• Eric Holder, current U.S. Attorney General
• John Leguizamo, actor and comedian
• Lucy Liu, actress, graduated 1982
• Adrien Brody, actor
• Gene Simmons, musician