Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School

Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music and Art and Performing Arts, often called LaGuardia or LaG, is a public high school in the Lincoln Square neighborhood of the Upper West Side in Manhattan, New York City. The school teaches visual arts and performing arts. It is run by the New York City Department of Education.

The school is located at 100 Amsterdam Avenue between West 64th and 65th Streets, close to Lincoln Center. It was formed by combining the High School of Music & Art and the School of Performing Arts. LaGuardia helps students get ready for college and for jobs in the arts.

LaGuardia is special because it is the only one of New York City's nine specialized high schools that gets extra money from the New York State Legislature through the Hecht-Calandra Act. It is also the only specialized high school that does not use the Specialized High Schools Admissions Test (SHSAT) to decide who can join.

History

The High School of Music & Art began in 1936, started by Mayor Fiorello H. LaGuardia. He wanted a public school where students could learn music, art, and performing arts. This school, called "The Castle on the Hill," was in Manhattan at Convent Avenue and 135th Street. It is now part of City College of New York.

In 1948, the High School of Performing Arts opened. It focused on dance and was on West 46th Street in Midtown Manhattan. These two schools merged in 1961 but shared the same building in 1985. The building was designed by Eduardo Catalano and named after LaGuardia. It is next to Lincoln Center.

Academic curriculum

Students at LaGuardia study all the usual school subjects. They also learn arts, just like at a music school. Each student picks one main area to study, such as Dance, Drama, Art, Vocal Music, Instrumental Music, or Technical Theater.

Students can choose to take harder classes called honors. The school also offers several Advanced Placement courses.

Studio curriculum

The school has a musical show every year. Students in the Musical Theater class work with teachers from Music, Drama, Dance, and Tech Theater Studios. This leads to a big musical performance. Past shows have included Gypsy, Les Misérables, West Side Story, Hair, Ragtime, Hairspray, Guys and Dolls, Sweet Charity, Grease, In the Heights, Beauty and the Beast, The Sound of Music, and Cinderella.

Students can learn art, music, or dance. In art, they start with drawing and color theory, then choose from classes like Digital Media, Architecture, Painting, and Photography. In music, there are many groups such as orchestras, choirs, bands, and jazz ensembles. Students can also study music theory and history. The dance program begins with ballet and modern dance, and students can later take classes in musical theater and tap. They perform in shows during their junior and senior years.

Sports

LaGuardia has 21 sports teams that compete at the varsity level, mostly in the Public School Athletic League (PSAL). In the fall, students can play bowling, swimming, volleyball, cross country, fencing, and soccer. Winter sports include basketball, gymnastics, and indoor track. Spring sports feature baseball, outdoor track, tennis, volleyball, handball, softball, and more tennis for the girls' team.

Representation in other media

The 1980 film Fame showed life at the School of Performing Arts before it became part of LaGuardia High School. The film led to a TV series in 1982 and a stage musical in 1988. A new film version was released in 2009.

Drugs and mental health

The school has had problems with the use of strong medicines and other substances that can be harmful.

Taking care of your feelings and thoughts is very important at the school. The work can be hard, and students sometimes feel worried or upset. It’s important for everyone to ask for help when they need it.