Special Programs

ACADEMY OF HOSPITALITY & TOURIS= M

The Academy of Hospitality= & Tourism is a program in twelve New York City public high schools. The Academy of Hospitality & T= ourism is a three year program culminating with participation in our Virtual Enterprise firm, Five-Star Travel. The first year of the program students a= re taught computer applications. The second year students are introduced to the Hospitality and Tourism field and Entrepreneurship. The third y= ear of the program, students run Five-Star Travel, a virtual enterprise firm where students run their own business

BAND PROGRAM<= /p>

If you are interested in playing a musical instrument Port Richmond= is the place for you! We offer five different band classes for every level of musician. Our Beginning Band class provides an opportunity for new band membe= rs to learn instrumental performance techniques while exploring the language of music. Students can choose fr= om a variety of woodwind, brass, and percussion instruments such as the flute, clarinet, saxophone, trumpet, trombone, baritone horn or tuba. Students who complete Beginning Ba= nd will be prepared to move on to Concert Band. Our Concert Band class builds upon the skills learned in the Beginning Band and students are exposed to a variety of repertoire. The Concert Band performs two time= s a year at our Winter and Spring concerts.&nb= sp; The Port Richmond High Schoo= l Symphonic Band is the elite ba= nd for the school. The Symphonic Band plays music of the most difficult caliber and challenges all the musicians = in the class. In addition to performing in the Winter and Spring Concerts, the Symphonic Band performs at various school and community functions.&nb= sp; Our Jazz Ensemble engag= es students in the techniques and repertoire of the jazz tradition. Topics explored include the theory= and practice of improvisation as well as the ensemble techniques employed by su= ch jazz composers as Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Charles Mingus and many othe= rs. The Port Richmond High School Jazz Ensemble can be seen playing throughout Staten Island and New York City, as well as at many Port Richmond High School functio= ns and concerts. The Symphonic Band = and Jazz Band will perform at the New York State School Music Association Adjudication Festival this spring. The Port Richmond High Schoo= l Marching Band is open to all m= usic students. The Marching Band participates in many Staten Island and Manhattan parades as well as at school football games and various school and community functions. The Marching= Band also goes on an out of state trip in the springtime to perform and is expos= ed to Marching Bands from around the country.

CHORUS PROGRAM

Port Richmond High School<= span style=3D'mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt'> offers two courses for students who lo= ve to sing. The Mixed Chorus is a beginner level chorus open to students with no choral experience, but have = an interest in singing. Students= will learn basic vocal techniques and a variety of choral repertoire. The Concert Choir is the premier choral ensemble of Port Richmond High School. In addition to improving individual vocal techniques, students will perform an advanced repertoire. The Concert Choir performs at two = school concerts as well as around New= York City at various functions we are invited to. Acceptance into the Concert Choir = is by teacher and assistant principal recommendation only. Students can be involved in our ch= oral program for all four years of their high school career.

CULINARY ARTS PROGRAM<= o:p>

Culinary Arts Program is a three-year sequence which introdu= ces and trains students in culinary arts and restaurant management. The program gives basic skills to students planning on continuing in this field after high school. Students will take a sequence of Pre-Restaurants Food and Fundamentals, and Restaurant Courses.

Students will begin the sequence learning basic culinary skills and advance to more technical culinary procedures and restaurant management. Students will utilize these skills= in the student-run Raider Café. The culinary arts program offers opportunities for: job shadowing, internships, and scholarship opportunities

<= /o:p>

GUITAR ENSEMBLE

We offer two levels of guitar classes at Port Richmond High School. Our Beginning Guitar classes are for student= s who have no prior experience on the guitar, but show an interest in learning. Students will learn basic guitar techniques and how to read music. Students will learn notes and chords through various exercises and songs. The Port Richmond High School Guitar Ensemble is our advanced guitar class. The Guitar Ensemble performs at va= rious school and community functions and concerts. In the Guitar Ensemble students wi= ll develop more advanced techniques on the instrument and will perform a more advanced repertoire. The Guit= ar Ensemble performs everything from pop\rock selections to classical pieces.<= span style=3D'mso-spacerun:yes'> Acceptance into the Guitar Ensembl= e is by teacher and assistant principal recommendation. Students can be involved in our gu= itar program all four years of their high school career.

JROTC/RAIDER TEAM=

Port Richmond High School<= span style=3D'mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt'> boasts an award winning JROTC program. Un= der the supervision and guidance of officers and non-commissioned officers of t= he United States Army, students are actively involved in a rigorous program of academic and physical training.

= ;

Citizenship, history, leadership, health and drill, are included in= the curriculum. This is in additi= on to our newly created JROTC Physical Education class. Classes are taught in a high tech environment with cutting edge technology.&= nbsp; Cadets quickly gain the confidence to speak to large audiences, a necessity in today’s competitive world.

In addition to our academic and fitness program, our cadets compete annually at the national level in Daytona Beach, Florida.= On occasions, our cadets still vis= it and compete in Europe with the United Kingdom Cadet Corps. Our future plan is to visit Ireland= in the upcoming summer vacation.

Our Drill Team meets every morning at 6:30 a.m. to train for competition against JROTC teams from the Army, Air Force, Navy, and Marines. The drill competitio= n trip to Daytona Beach, F= lorida determines the best drill team in the U.S.A. Our Raider Team also meets every m= orning at 6:30 a.m. to participate in a rigorous physical fitness program. Push-ups, sit-ups, the 2 mile run,= first aid, map reading, and rope bridge construction are practiced. They also compete against other JR= OTC units at Fort Dix, = N.J. to determine the most physically = fit cadet team.

= ;

LEGAL STUDIES PROGRAM

The Legal Studies House is a two-year program that can be taken at any year in Port Richmond High School. Presently, the program consists of= two courses: Introduction to Law and Criminal Law. The first year of the Legal Studies Program provides an overview of the different fields of Law. Major topics include Criminal Law,= Civil Law, Consumer Law, Family Law and Constitutional Law. The second year of the Legal Studi= es program is concentrated in Criminal Law and the Criminal Justice process. Classes utilize Mock Trials, Moot = Court, Debates, Discussions, and trips to several law enforcement facilities. Guest speakers featuring several f= ields in law and justice also have discussions with the students. Students are encouraged to compete= in the Mentor Citywide Moot C= ourt competition.

= ;

MED TECH PREP PROGRAM

<= /o:p>

The Med Tech Prep Program<= /b> offers a multi-faceted curriculum and extra-curricular approach to medical technology education with an emphasis towards “hands-on” learni= ng building needed college skills. It is a two-year program and is open to students of all ability levels with go= od attendance records and a willingness to strive at a higher academic level.<= span style=3D'mso-spacerun:yes'> Other qualifications include stude= nts entering their Junior year, unsure of a career goal, interest in science and attending college. All in-cla= ss time is spent in the laboratory, a computer classroom, or in the Library. This program is for “doers&#= 8221; rather than “listeners!”

<= span style=3D'mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt'>

MEDIA & COMMUNICATIONS ACADEMY

Students in Port Richmond’s Media & Communica= tions Academy<= /st1:PlaceType> are members of a personalized learning community. They have the opportunity= to write, edit, and film own video productions in Port Richmond’s own fully-equipped, on-site television studio, one of the few such facilities in the New York City<= /st1:City> school system. Students can a= lso study journalism and learn news reporting, writing, and production. They can be members of our award-w= inning newspaper, The Crow’s Nest. Communications Acad= emy students follow a four-year sequence of specialized English courses and electives. Each course builds reading, writing, and critical thinking skills while nurturing and developi= ng students’ creativity in print and video production media.<= /span>

The Communication= s Academy has formed partnerships with the National Basketball Association (NBA Entertainment) a= nd Staten Island Community Television. Our students enjoy working visits to their state-of-the-art producti= on facilities where they receive hands-on experience and guidance from professionals in the field. Professional journalists also come to Port Richmond’s classes = as guest speakers.

VIRTUAL ENTERPRISE
<= /o:p>

Port Richmond High School is one of the two Staten Island schools involved in the international= Virtual Enterprise.

<= /o:p>

Virtual Enterprise= offers students the opportunity to exp= erience in a simulated business environment, all facets of being an employee of a firm. Students are responsibl= e for the completion of real work-related goals, objectives, transactions and dai= ly activities—applying knowledge, skills and personal characteristics ne= eded to succeed in employment and/or post-secondary education. Virtual Enterprises in New York City interact with each other,= are part of an international network of other simulated firms, actual firms, banking institutions and training programs. All of this is accomplished with t= he help of technology.

Office Universe, the Port Richmond High School Virtual Enterprise, was established in September 1997. The firm sells office equipment and furniture to other virtual enterprises all over the world. Beginning September 2002 another Virtual Enterprise will be housed= at PRHS with a travel and tourism related business.

VISUAL ARTS=

The Port Richmond High Schoo= l has a strong Visual Arts progr= am students can take advantage of. We offer classes ranging from Basic Art and Basic Ceramics through Portfolio Development and Advanced Ceramics. Our Basic Art class is open to all students= . In Basic Art students learn the el= ements and principles of design as well as learning about different mediums and te= chniques. Our Advanced Art classes are open to studen= ts who have completed Basic Art and are recommended by their teacher and assistant principal to continue their studies. Some of the topics our Advanced Art classes cover are painting, illustration, drawing from life, printmaking, fashion and textiles, adverti= sing design, and portfolio development. The Basic Ceramics class is open to all students. In Basic Ceramics students learn hand building techniques as well as learn how to use the potter’s wheel and slip casting.&nbs= p; Our Advanced Ceramics class gives students the opportunity to continue the skills from Basic Ceramics and go on to make mo= re advanced projects. Port Richmond High School student= s leave the Visual Arts program well prepared to major in art in college if that is what they choose to do.