Claremont International High School

Mission

The mission of Claremont International HS is to build upon the diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds of English Language Learners (ELLs) in New York City to create a stimulating academic and nurturing learning community that prepares students for success in college and beyond. Our students cultivate intellectual curiosity, advance critical thinking skills and develop empathy as global citizens through the integration of language and the arts in all classes.

‍Vision and Program Description

‍Students enter our school possessing cultural resources, individual talents, and impressive understandings of their own and their families' experiences regardless of their prior academic or literacy experiences. At Claremont IHS we believe that it is our responsibility to create a heterogeneous learning community where the abilities of our English Language Learners are acknowledged and their potential for academic and personal achievement is celebrated.

‍Underscoring all work and driving student success is a mutually shared understanding amongst faculty, students and families of the transformative power of community. At its best, community is reflected in its members' abilities to sustain collaboration, learn from differences in thought and expression and reflect on shared practice. Faculty members of Claremont IHS learning community serve on interdisciplinary teams that function to provide diverse perspectives and insights about our students' academic, language and social emotional needs and growth. Similarly, students work collaboratively in cooperative learning groups that maximize students' diverse home languages, English language proficiencies and academic learning styles. Parents are a vital aspect of this collaborative approach, working closely with teachers, social workers, and community based organizations in order to identify and provide the best opportunities for their children.

‍Claremont IHS collaborative learning community further fosters language acquisition. Through interdisciplinary project based learning our teachers embed language skills in context. Core content area knowledge is reinforced through students' need to use oral and written language to explain content. Team teachers will work closely with our artists in residence to integrate visual, performing and media arts into content classes where student experiences, perspectives, knowledge and expression are at the center of their learning. Artists in residence will collaborate with teachers and students to fully integrate media and the arts into classes in order to encourage students to critically analyze and evaluate content and community related issues. Finally through a comprehensive internship and service learning program that maximizes students' interests, students interact with their community, develop language skills, explore careers, and continue to build strong applications for college.