FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions

Is this an uniform school?

All students are required to wear uniforms when attending school in person. Students who attend in person may wear a black or green uniform shirt or school zip-up , and black pants (No Jeans allowed unless they're black). All 6th grade students receive two free shirts. Uniforms can be bought at the main office of the school.

What does the school schedule look like?

School is from 8:00-2:20 pm, there is also an extended day program called WHEDco. Each day students will have ELA, Science, Math,  Social Studies, Physical Education or Art. There is an advisory and intervention class to help support them with any missed learning from the previous year. For some students that intervention period can be used to accelerate their learning in reading or math.

How much homework will my child have?

We are an academically rigorous school that prepare students for high school, college and careers. As a result, there will be homework every night for students to complete.

How does Advisory work?

All students have an advisor, who is usually one of their teachers. Students and advisors work together for the whole year to build a relationship, and support with academic personal growth.  

Advisory is at the beginning of each day , and there is a different activity for each day of the week. Advisory is a time to build community, learn about important conflict resolution skills, study and organization skills, process and discuss current events, and build relationships with your teachers and peers. Advisory is also the period that students learn about the high school admissions process and college and careers. 

What is the attendance policy of the school?

We have a strict attendance policy. Students are expected to arrive on time and present every day. If you anticipate that your child will be absent more than ten days of school in a year, then the HBGS may not be the best choice for you.

What is the grading policy of the school?

We have a policy of rigorous classification, in line with many high school and college. This means that students are expected to receive an average of 70 or above (2.0 or above) in all classes (including the arts, physical education and health classes) in order to move to the next grade. 

What is the cellphone policy of the Highbridge Green School?

We are a phone-free school, to improve teaching and learning we use a system called Yondr.  Yondr has been implemented in over 1,000 schools across 21 countries to facilitate an engaged learning environment. 

We believe that phones have great utility. We have also found that learning and social behavior improve drastically when students are fully engaged with their teachers and classmates. The Yondr Program utilizes a simple, secure pouch that stores a phone. Every student will secure their phone in a personally assigned Yondr pouch when they arrive at school. Students will maintain possession of their phones and will not use them until their pouches are opened at the end of the school day. Students are required to bring their Yondr pouch to and from school each day and are responsible for their pouch at all times.

If there is an emergency or if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the school directly at (718) 410-5770.

Do you have partnerships with community organizations and the community?

We are actively seeking community partnerships and families accepted update about our partnerships. We also have a garden and greenhouse that we expect to use over the next year. We are currently partnered with WHEDco to provide extended day and after school activities on weekdays and weekends. We are also partnered with ASTOR Services, which provides on-site mental health therapy under the supervision of a licensed psychiatrist. 

What does the extended day program look like?

Our extended program, WHEDco,  goes from when school ends to 5:10 pm. Students are able to participate in a variety of activities - from Fashion and Martial Arts to Cooking and STEP, and sports.

How will the garden and greenhouse fit in with the curriculum?

The garden and the greenhouse are important aspects of the school and is utilized by teachers and students throughout the day for instruction and relaxation. We are able to grow and eat some of the food during lunch. 

What will you teach my child?

Each child will have four main classes of ELA, Math, Science and Social Studies. We will design our classes to prepare students for the rigors of high school and college, which means they will do a lot of reading and writing. Each child will have a daily advisory period to help students develop the skills that make them great success in high school, college, careers and beyond. Students also have a daily period for physical education, visual art and other arts classes.