Amity Schools Celebrate Strong Start to 2025-2026 Year

Successful Start to the 2025-2026 School Year

The Amity Board of Education is pleased to share that the 2025-2026 school year is off to a strong start. The middle schools held their annual Back-to-School Night on September 9, 2025, providing a wonderful opportunity to welcome new AMSB and AMSO families. At Amity Regional High School, grade-specific Back-to-School Nights were held on September 4 for parents and guardians of Grade 9 and 12 students, and on September 10 for Grades 10 and 11. Each evening began with an informational session in the Brady Center Auditorium, followed by a shortened version of students’ daily schedules that allowed parents to meet teachers and learn about classroom expectations.

The ARHS School Counseling Department also hosted two important events for families of seniors -- Senior Parent Information Night on September 17 and Financial Aid Night on September 30. Both sessions offered valuable guidance on supporting students in their post-secondary planning process. Families seeking additional information about college and career readiness can visit the Counseling Department and Career Center page on the district website.

The Board of Education will continue its practice of holding one Regular Meeting each month focused on district operations – specifically facilities, technology, finance, special education, and policy. In addition, the Board will hold a Special Meeting each month to focus on curriculum and instruction, as well as budget development during the winter months.

National Merit Recognition

At its September 29, 2025 meeting, the Board of Education proudly recognized eight Amity students who were named National Merit Scholarship Program Semifinalists: Kevin Gu, Adrian Koola, Nicholas Lu, Minh Nguyen, Astoria Turner, Joseph Vatner, Fred Xiao, and Mariyan Yukhno. These exceptional seniors are among only 16,000 students nationwide – representing the top 1.2% of 1.3 million PSAT test-takers – to earn this distinction. They will now advance to consideration as National Merit Scholarship Finalists. The 8 total students recognized as semifinalists is the third highest total from all high schools in the State of Connecticut.

That same evening, the Board also celebrated 20 members of the senior class named National Merit Commended Scholars, placing them among the top 4% of all PSAT test-takers: Olivia Cummings, Joy Deng, Milki Ejara, Janet Fan, Roxana Ismail-Berigi, Yebon Lee, Nathaniel Luciano, Mila Mejnartowicz, Ashwin Menon, Mihir Nandy, Benjamin Sachar, Aditi Sidhartha, Jacob Storeygard, Evelyn Sun, Claire Theiss, Liam VanTonder, Troy Vendencia, Sage Wong, Alyssa Xia, and Tony Zhang. Congratulations to all our outstanding students for their academic excellence and dedication.

Edinburgh Fringe Festival Students Share Experience

At the September Special Board of Education meeting, Amity students and staff shared their unforgettable experience representing the Arts – one of the district’s “3 A’s” – at the world-renowned Edinburgh Fringe Festival, the largest ticketed event in the world after the Olympics and the World Cup. Twenty-five students, accompanied by ARHS teachers Mr. Rob Kennedy and Ms. Marcia Rizzotti, traveled more than 7,500 miles this summer to perform The Theory of Relativity in Scotland, following a cultural exploration trip through London. Their journey included visits to Buckingham Palace, Shakespeare’s Globe, and Edinburgh landmarks such as the castles and the Royal Military Tattoo. Students also immersed themselves in Scottish culture through hiking, ceilidh dancing, and exploring the Highlands. Their presentation to the Board beautifully reflected the creativity, collaboration, and global engagement that define Amity’s commitment to excellence in the Arts.

Statutory Updates to Policies Approved at the October Regular Board Meeting

Each year, the Connecticut General Assembly enacts new laws that affect how local and regional Boards of Education operate. These legislative changes are reflected in the policies reviewed and adopted by the Amity Board of Education. At its October 6, 2025 meeting, the Board approved several policy updates resulting from new state statutes, including revisions to the Reserve Fund for Educational Expenditures, Conduct and Discipline, and Curriculum policies. The Board also adopted a new policy supporting students from military families and updated its Bylaw on Terms of Office to align all newly elected Board members from the three towns to begin their service on December 1^st.

BOE Approves Transfer of Unspent Funds to Support Library Media Center Renovations

The Amity Board of Education approved the transfer of $1,129,132 in unspent 2024-2025 funds to the Educational Reserve Fund. In accordance with Board Bylaws, these funds were designated for specific capital improvements: replacing the fire pump at Amity Middle School Bethany, upgrading the district’s technology infrastructure (last updated in 2019), and renovating the Library Media Centers at the high school and both middle schools. This transfer is contingent upon the finalization of the 2024-2025 audit, expected in December 2025.

Curriculum Revisions to be Approved

At the September 29 Special Board Meeting, the Amity Board of Education reviewed proposed revisions to the World Language curriculum. The Board will consider approval of updates to Chinese I, II, and III; Spanish I; and Latin I later this month. Links to the proposed curriculum documents are available on the meeting agenda posted to the district website.

Largest National Honor Society Induction in Amity History

The Board of Education congratulates the 76 new members of the Amity Chapter of the National Honor Society, who were honored at the induction ceremony on September 12, 2025 – the largest class of NHS inductees in Amity’s history. The National Honor Society is a student-led, service-based organization that recognizes students who exemplify the four pillars of membership: Character, Scholarship, Leadership, and Service. These students’ dedication to academic excellence and community engagement continues to make Amity proud.