Preston High School (New York City)
Encyclopedia
Preston High School is a Roman Catholic high school
for girls in the neighborhood of Throggs Neck in the New York City
borough of the Bronx
. Preston is chartered by the Board of Regents
of the University of the State of New York and is accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools
.
Preston’s enrollment is 600 young women from the Bronx and the metropolitan surrounding areas. Fifty-one percent of students are minority, and 49 percent are white. The student-faculty ratio is 13 to one, and 100 percent of graduates are accepted into post-secondary institutions.
, as an independent, college-preparatory school. The original school building, also known as "The Huntington Mansion" or "the mansion" to students & faculty, was the 19th century waterfront mansion of Collis P. Huntington, who purchased the property from Frederick C. Havemeyer, Jr. in 1883. Havemeyer purchased the property from Thomas Ash in 1862. Prestonites believe the mansion is haunted by a ghost named Archie.
The estate was sold to the Sisters of the Divine Compassion in 1927 and they established The House of the Holy Family as a residence and a school for girls. This was converted to a high school in 1947 and the name was changed in the memory of Monsignor Thomas Preston, who with Mother Mary Veronica (Mary Caroline Dannat Star) founded the Sisters of the Divine Compassion.
The school was expanded in 1960 and in 1965 to add another building, referred to by students as the "new building". This new building included many more classrooms, a gym
nasium, a cafeteria
, a library
and science labs. Over the years, a computer room was added as technology
changed.
The school's motto is "Virtus Mille Scuta," a Latin
phrase meaning, "Virtue is a Thousand Shields." The school shield comprises the coat of arms of Monsignor Thomas Preston and the seal of the Sisters of the Divine Compassion. In 1997, on the school's fiftieth anniversary, the familiar school logo was modified to add elements of the official shield. The Throggs Neck Bridge
is incorporated in the logo and represents the "bridge to opportunity," which represents the rite of passage of attending high school and moving on to be a productive member of the community and of society.
, Brown
, Cornell, Columbia
, New York University
, Vassar
, Trinity
, and many other distinguished institutions. Students are urged to consider careers in all fields, especially those in which women are under-represented. Students are particularly encouraged to consider engineering
, mathematics
, early childhood education
and computer science
. The academic program is enriched by engineering exploration days, annual math and science contests, and numerous science and computer based electives. The school has equipped labs for computers, science, and mathematics. Advanced technologies are implemented for AP Calculus
and related courses.
The average SAT
score for graduating seniors is approximately 1510 on the 2400 scale, with a breakdown of 500 in both critical reading and mathematics, and a 510 average in writing. The school maintains excellent percentiles in the New York State Regents exams—particularly in the fields of English, Social Studies
, and Humanities
. Foreign language proficiency is also prominent at Preston. Italian, Spanish, and Latin classes are mandatory for all students and courses are available for advanced speakers.
The school serves the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York
, but is not directly affiliated with a particular parish
. Rather, the school continues in the tradition of the Sisters of the Divine Compassion. The building actually served as the residence for the school's sisters until the summer of 2004, when their apartments were converted to accommodate a growing student body.
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
for girls in the neighborhood of Throggs Neck in the New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
borough of the Bronx
The Bronx
The Bronx is the northernmost of the five boroughs of New York City. It is also known as Bronx County, the last of the 62 counties of New York State to be incorporated...
. Preston is chartered by the Board of Regents
Regents Examinations
Regents High School examinations, sometimes shortened to the Regents, are mandatory in New York State through the New York State Education Department, designed and administered under the authority of the Board of Regents of the University of the State of New York...
of the University of the State of New York and is accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools
Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools
The Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools is a voluntary, peer-based, non-profit association dedicated to educational excellence and improvement through peer evaluation and accreditation...
.
Preston’s enrollment is 600 young women from the Bronx and the metropolitan surrounding areas. Fifty-one percent of students are minority, and 49 percent are white. The student-faculty ratio is 13 to one, and 100 percent of graduates are accepted into post-secondary institutions.
History
Preston High School was established in 1947 by the Sisters of the Divine CompassionSisters of the Divine Compassion
The Sisters of the Divine Compassion are a Roman Catholic religious order founded in New York City in 1886 by Mother Mary Veronica – formerly Mary Dannat Starr – Msgr...
, as an independent, college-preparatory school. The original school building, also known as "The Huntington Mansion" or "the mansion" to students & faculty, was the 19th century waterfront mansion of Collis P. Huntington, who purchased the property from Frederick C. Havemeyer, Jr. in 1883. Havemeyer purchased the property from Thomas Ash in 1862. Prestonites believe the mansion is haunted by a ghost named Archie.
The estate was sold to the Sisters of the Divine Compassion in 1927 and they established The House of the Holy Family as a residence and a school for girls. This was converted to a high school in 1947 and the name was changed in the memory of Monsignor Thomas Preston, who with Mother Mary Veronica (Mary Caroline Dannat Star) founded the Sisters of the Divine Compassion.
The school was expanded in 1960 and in 1965 to add another building, referred to by students as the "new building". This new building included many more classrooms, a gym
Gym
The word γυμνάσιον was used in Ancient Greece, that mean a locality for both physical and intellectual education of young men...
nasium, a cafeteria
Cafeteria
A cafeteria is a type of food service location in which there is little or no waiting staff table service, whether a restaurant or within an institution such as a large office building or school; a school dining location is also referred to as a dining hall or canteen...
, a library
Library
In a traditional sense, a library is a large collection of books, and can refer to the place in which the collection is housed. Today, the term can refer to any collection, including digital sources, resources, and services...
and science labs. Over the years, a computer room was added as technology
Technology
Technology is the making, usage, and knowledge of tools, machines, techniques, crafts, systems or methods of organization in order to solve a problem or perform a specific function. It can also refer to the collection of such tools, machinery, and procedures. The word technology comes ;...
changed.
The school's motto is "Virtus Mille Scuta," a Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
phrase meaning, "Virtue is a Thousand Shields." The school shield comprises the coat of arms of Monsignor Thomas Preston and the seal of the Sisters of the Divine Compassion. In 1997, on the school's fiftieth anniversary, the familiar school logo was modified to add elements of the official shield. The Throggs Neck Bridge
Throgs Neck Bridge
The Throgs Neck Bridge is a suspension bridge opened on January 11, 1961, which carries Interstate 295 over the East River where it meets the Long Island Sound. The bridge connects the Throggs Neck section of the Bronx with the Bay Terrace section of Queens...
is incorporated in the logo and represents the "bridge to opportunity," which represents the rite of passage of attending high school and moving on to be a productive member of the community and of society.
Curriculum
As all classes are college-preparatory, 100% of Preston students go on to attend university. Past graduates have attended Harvard, YaleYALE
RapidMiner, formerly YALE , is an environment for machine learning, data mining, text mining, predictive analytics, and business analytics. It is used for research, education, training, rapid prototyping, application development, and industrial applications...
, Brown
Brown University
Brown University is a private, Ivy League university located in Providence, Rhode Island, United States. Founded in 1764 prior to American independence from the British Empire as the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations early in the reign of King George III ,...
, Cornell, Columbia
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
, New York University
New York University
New York University is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan...
, Vassar
Vassar College
Vassar College is a private, coeducational liberal arts college in the town of Poughkeepsie, New York, in the United States. The Vassar campus comprises over and more than 100 buildings, including four National Historic Landmarks, ranging in style from Collegiate Gothic to International,...
, Trinity
Trinity College, Dublin
Trinity College, Dublin , formally known as the College of the Holy and Undivided Trinity of Queen Elizabeth near Dublin, was founded in 1592 by letters patent from Queen Elizabeth I as the "mother of a university", Extracts from Letters Patent of Elizabeth I, 1592: "...we...found and...
, and many other distinguished institutions. Students are urged to consider careers in all fields, especially those in which women are under-represented. Students are particularly encouraged to consider engineering
Engineering
Engineering is the discipline, art, skill and profession of acquiring and applying scientific, mathematical, economic, social, and practical knowledge, in order to design and build structures, machines, devices, systems, materials and processes that safely realize improvements to the lives of...
, mathematics
Mathematics
Mathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
, early childhood education
Early childhood education
Early childhood education is the formal teaching and care of young children by people other than their family or in settings outside of the home. 'Early childhood' is usually defined as before the age of normal schooling - five years in most nations, though the U.S...
and computer science
Computer science
Computer science or computing science is the study of the theoretical foundations of information and computation and of practical techniques for their implementation and application in computer systems...
. The academic program is enriched by engineering exploration days, annual math and science contests, and numerous science and computer based electives. The school has equipped labs for computers, science, and mathematics. Advanced technologies are implemented for AP Calculus
Calculus
Calculus is a branch of mathematics focused on limits, functions, derivatives, integrals, and infinite series. This subject constitutes a major part of modern mathematics education. It has two major branches, differential calculus and integral calculus, which are related by the fundamental theorem...
and related courses.
The average SAT
SAT
The SAT Reasoning Test is a standardized test for college admissions in the United States. The SAT is owned, published, and developed by the College Board, a nonprofit organization in the United States. It was formerly developed, published, and scored by the Educational Testing Service which still...
score for graduating seniors is approximately 1510 on the 2400 scale, with a breakdown of 500 in both critical reading and mathematics, and a 510 average in writing. The school maintains excellent percentiles in the New York State Regents exams—particularly in the fields of English, Social Studies
Social studies
Social studies is the "integrated study of the social sciences and humanities to promote civic competence," as defined by the American National Council for the Social Studies...
, and Humanities
Humanities
The humanities are academic disciplines that study the human condition, using methods that are primarily analytical, critical, or speculative, as distinguished from the mainly empirical approaches of the natural sciences....
. Foreign language proficiency is also prominent at Preston. Italian, Spanish, and Latin classes are mandatory for all students and courses are available for advanced speakers.
The school serves the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York covers New York, Bronx, and Richmond counties in New York City , as well as Dutchess, Orange, Putnam, Rockland, Sullivan, Ulster, and Westchester counties in New York state. There are 480 parishes...
, but is not directly affiliated with a particular parish
Parish (Catholic Church)
In the Roman Catholic Church, a parish is the lowest ecclesiastical geographical subdivision: from ecclesiastical province to diocese to deanery to parish.-Requirements:A parish needs two things under common law to become a parish...
. Rather, the school continues in the tradition of the Sisters of the Divine Compassion. The building actually served as the residence for the school's sisters until the summer of 2004, when their apartments were converted to accommodate a growing student body.
Notable alumnae
- Jennifer LopezJennifer LopezJennifer Lynn Lopez is an American actress, singer, record producer, dancer, television personality, and fashion designer. Lopez began her career as a dancer on the television comedy program In Living Color. Subsequently venturing into acting, she gained recognition in the 1995 action-thriller...
(1987): Singer / Actress / dancer / recording artist. Rose to fame for her Golden Globe-nominated role as the slain Tejana singer in the film Selena. Has also released multi-platinum solo albums such as On the 6, J.Lo, This is Me...Then and Rebirth.http://www.nndb.com/people/033/000022964/ - Lynda LopezLynda LopezLynda López is an Emmy Award-winning Puerto Rican American journalist and the youngest sister of actress and singer Jennifer Lopez.-Early years:...
(1989): New YorkNew YorkNew York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
news anchorWWOR-TVWWOR-TV, virtual channel 9 , is the flagship station of the MyNetworkTV programming service, licensed to Secaucus, New Jersey and serving the Tri-State metropolitan area. WWOR is owned by Fox Television Stations, a division of the News Corporation, and is a sister station to Fox network flagship...
, journalistJournalistA journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
, former DJ and VJ and host of the GLOW TV show. Sister of Jennifer Lopez - Alyssa Aparicio (2007): Model. Featured on Season 5 of Project RunwayProject RunwayProject Runway is an American reality television series on Lifetime Television, previously on the Bravo network, which focuses on fashion design and is hosted by model Heidi Klum. The contestants compete with each other to create the best clothes and are restricted in time, materials and theme...
.