By Jessica Easthope
When students at Our Lady Queen of Martyrs Catholic Academy in Forest Hills line up against their peers, the competition heats up—and these kids come out on top.
“We like the results, but we’re not about results,” said Principal Anne Zuschlag. “We are all really committed to success. But success for us is not a number.”
Zuschlag is referring to the latest New York State Assessment results, where the Diocese of Brooklyn outperformed New York City public schools across all grades and subjects. Our Lady Queen of Martyrs, however, was in a league of its own.
In English Language Arts, just 55 percent of seventh-graders in New York City met proficiency standards—a figure that climbed to 68 percent in the Diocese of Brooklyn. At Our Lady Queen of Martyrs, it was a perfect 100 percent. Math told a similar story: NYC’s 58 percent proficiency rate rose to 66 percent diocese-wide, but again, the Forest Hills Catholic academy hit 100 percent.
“I think very much it’s a part of a culture of reaching for each child’s individual excellence and recognizing it early and supporting it as we move along,” Zuschlag explained.
Eighth-grader Olivia Maciag, who earned a perfect score in math and a near-perfect mark in ELA, credits her teachers for rising to the challenge.
“They make sure you understand the concept,” she said. “If you don’t get it the next day, you come back and say, ‘I didn’t understand this concept,’ and they will gladly explain it to you.”
Inside the classrooms, there’s a supportive system in place. Teacher Jenny Haddock emphasizes that every student who needs help knows they can ask.
“More than academics, it’s more of having them feel comfortable with who they are and comfortable to say, ‘I need help, I don’t get this,'” she said. “Everyone’s really, really invested in the kids.”
That investment has allowed Olivia to soar academically.
“If you already think you’re at like a max level, they expand that horizon even more,” she shared.
There’s no secret method here, Zuschlag insisted—it’s what she calls a “new old school approach.”
“We’re always accepting and wanting the coaching, learning new strategies, but we also follow old standards,” she noted. “When work is due, it’s due.”
Students notice the warmth, too.
“They always have a smile on their face? They laugh,” Olivia said. “It’s better to learn in that way.”
At Our Lady Queen of Martyrs, learning isn’t just a test—it’s a joy.