Millennium High School is located in Lower Manhattan and enrolls approximately 550 students in grades 9-12. It offers a rigorous academic program with required classes in English, math, science, history and foreign language, as well as electives. Students must complete community service hours, reading requirements and exit exams to graduate. In addition to academics, the school focuses on college preparation, after-school programs, and developing student leadership through activities.

1. Our Neighborhood Located in the heart of Lower Manhattan’s Financial District, Millennium High School (MHS) is on the entire 11 th , 12 th & 13 th floors of 75 Broad Street, the 1929 “International Telephone Building.” A complete renovation of this 33-story building included creation of a separate entrance on South William Street and dedicated elevators for Millennium. Other tenants currently in the building include telecommunication and real estate companies, but students are not aware of their presence.

2. History & Quick Facts MHS was founded in 2002 with a $500,000 grant from New Visions for Public Schools, and Lower Manhattan’s Community Board 1 raised $14 million to build the school. MHS enrolls approximately 550 students and has class sizes of 28-30 in 9 th & 10 th grades. An active Parents’ Association offers families further resources, initiates programs and raises funds to support them. The Phoenix is the school mascot and the school colors are red and black.

3. Academic Program All MHS students take four years of English, Social Studies, Mathematics, and Science, as well as three years of Foreign Language (Spanish or Mandarin). There are two to three hours of homework a night, a reading requirement of 25 books per year, and 20 hours of annual community service to fulfill. Students must have full class schedules for the four years they attend the school. Regent exams in all core subjects and the school’s exhibitions are required to graduate. Please look under the “Academics” tab for a full listing of our graduation requirements.

4. School Hours & Lunch School begins at 8:30 AM and ends at 3:00 PM. There are eight periods during the day and each period is 50 minutes with the exception of lunch and Advisory which are 40 minutes each. Students can go out for lunch (with written parental permission) or they can stay in the school café for a nutritious and delicious meal. If students decide to go out for lunch, the area is full of delis, cafés, fast food restaurants, pizzerias, salad bars, etc.

5. Administration and Staff Principal Robert Rhodes has been a public school teacher and administrator for 19 years. He received Clark University’s Secondary Educator of the Year award in 2003 and in 2008 was awarded a Cahn Fellowship designed by Teacher’s College to recognize outstanding principals. The MHS faculty is young, energetic, and highly qualified, holding undergraduate and graduate degrees from top institutions across the country. Many have been recipients of highly competitive grants and have studied around the world.

6. Core Curriculum & Upper House Courses The 9/10 core curriculum establishes a foundation of critical thinking skills and features key content infused into all classes. The sequence includes English, Biology/Chemistry, Global History, Math, Writing, Phys Ed/Health and Art. In 11 th and 12 th grades (Upper House), students choose thematic and/or Advanced Placement courses. Students may also enroll in college classes at NYU, Pace, Baruch and BMCC for simultaneous high school and college credit. (These courses are usually taken after school hours or during weekends.) There are also elective courses in Art as well as all of the major subjects.

7. English Students in 9 th and 10 th grades take English four times a week and read classic books including Frankenstein, 1984, Othello, and The Odyssey with the dual goals of understanding complex narratives and learning how to write traditional literary analysis papers. Electives in 11 th & 12 th grades are aimed to expose students to literature of various time periods, genres, cultures and authors. Semester-long courses meet five times per week and include: Modern Literature, American Identities, Shakespeare, New York Stories, Short Story Workshop, and Plays for Social Change. In addition, Upper House students may apply to Advanced Placement Courses including AP Language and AP Literature.

8. Writing Writing is a separate subject from English at Millennium. Writing classes meet three times a week in 9 th & 10 th grade. The course revolves around genre study and focuses on the writing process. This includes units on poetry, speeches, letters to the editor, the persuasive essay, newspaper / editorial, and oral history.

9. Math All 9 th graders start with Algebra I, which meets every day. If they demonstrate mastery of basic algebra skills on the MHS placement exam, they may skip to the next level of Geometry. 10 th graders study Geometry unless they have already taken it in 9 th grade. Upper House students take Pre-Calculus and can choose from: Calculus, Advanced Geometry or Algebra II.

10. Science The MHS Science Program is a lab based, hands-on experience. Students learn how to design their own experiments and communicate their research. In 9 th & 10 th grades, students meet daily for an integrated Biology & Chemistry course. Upper House students take Physics and have the option of taking Advanced Physics, Advanced Biology, Advanced Chemistry, Advanced Geology & Astronomy, Environmental Science, and Anatomy & Physiology.

11. Global Studies & History Global Studies I & II, taken in 9 th and 10 th grades, meets four times a week and covers content from the Neolithic Revolution to modern day. Global Studies develops analysis, research, organization, academic writing and public speaking skills through a variety of sources and topics including current events. Students continue to practice these skills in their study of core U.S. History courses including Government, Economics, US Foreign Policy and Social Issues. Upper House students may also be eligible to take AP Government or a World History elective course in addition to their core history requirements.

12. Foreign Language Students are required to take three years of Foreign Language (either Spanish or Mandarin) four times a week. 9 th graders may place into a Level II language class if they pass the MHS placement exam. Both Spanish and Mandarin have a strong focus on communication: reading, writing, speaking, and listening. Units are thematic and centered around essential questions. All students are encouraged to participate in the After-school Foreign Exchange program so they can put their language to use in an authentic setting.

13. Visual Art Visual Art class meets twice a week and is a required subject in 9 th & 10 th grades. In 9 th grade, students build a foundation with various techniques and materials. In 10 th grade, students focus on conceptual ideas and modes of visual communication. Elective courses in 11 th & 12 th grades include: Photography, Advanced Painting, Graphic Design, and Yearbook.

14. Physical Education & Health Students take Physical Education twice a week for seven of their eight semesters. MHS has a fully equipped physical fitness room with weights, treadmills, and bicycle machines. Students also take one semester of Health in 9th grade.

15. Advisory & Exhibitions Two unique aspects of life at MHS are Advisory and Exhibitions. There are 15-20 students in each Advisory and they meet every day with the same Advisor and group for all four years. Students read independently three times a week in Advisory with the goal of completing 25 books during the year. Exhibitions are required to graduate at MHS. Students complete a 5-10 page independent research paper supported by an oral presentation in the spring term of 10 th , 11 th & 12 th grades. Students are assigned a sponsor from our faculty to help them through the process.

16. College Preparation The college curriculum begins in the 9 th grade as students begin to explore the process with guest speakers. In 10 th grade, students participate in College Week and may enroll in SAT review courses offered after school. 11 th grade focuses on the application process with students researching schools, writing essays, preparing a resume, and beginning to fill out applications as a group. Students visit local colleges and individual families meet with the counselor. In 12 th grade, students repeat the process and submit their applications. MHS also offers many workshops open to families on the various components of applying to college.

17. After-school Program The After-school Program keeps the school open every day until 6:00 PM. It has two components: Academic Support and Student Life. The Academic Support consists of tutoring, homework help, writing center, lap top sign-out, and SAT Prep. The Student Life Program provides a variety of clubs that support leadership development, creative expression, physical development, healthy lifestyles, civic engagement, social responsibility and cultural awareness. After-school clubs number more than 40 options a week, including music, dance and drama. Look under the “Students” tab to view the complete After-school schedule.

18. Admissions MHS is a screened program. Application is made through the NYC Department of Education high school admissions process. Please look under the “Admissions” tab for our selection criteria and more information about applying to MHS. Thank you for your interest in Millennium High School!