SATURDAY, AUGUST 16, 2008, 12:20 PM
By Carrie Melago / DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER
DELMUNDO FOR NEWS
The East-West School of International Studies in Flushing
School hasn't even started this year, but parents of many incoming fifth-graders already have their sights set on next year - middle school.
Finding the right middle school can be a nearly year-long process filled with anxiety and confusion - but there are some great options, said Clara Hemphill, whose third edition of "New York City's Best Public Middle Schools: A Parents' Guide" comes out this week.
"What you want is some place that provides both the specialization of a good high school and nurturing of good elementary," she said.
Hemphill and researchers at Insideschools.org visited nearly all of the city's 533 middle school programs. The best were written up in the book, and descriptions of the rest can be found on the Web site.
East-West School of International Studies, Flushing, Queens
Students will not only get the chance to become proficient in an Asian language - they'll study Asian history, culture and technology. Kids can learn Japanese, Korean or Mandarin Chinese and study calligraphy, Japanese animation and martial arts. Hemphill says both attendance and test scores are good at the two-year-old school, designed to help kids compete in the global economy.