Amity Regional High School

Infobox Secondary school
name = Amity Regional High School

motto = Amity High School teaches all students to think critically and creatively and to develop their potential through a diverse program of courses and activities that help them mature into productive and responsible citizens.
established = 1954
city= Woodbridge
state = Connecticut
country = USA
campus =
type = Public
principal = Dr. Charles Britton
faculty =
students = 1647
grades = 9–12
address = 25 Newton Rd
district = Regional District #5
mascot = Spartans
colors = Black and Gold
newspaper = The Trident
yearbook = Embers Yearbook
website = [http://www.amityregion5.org/ahs/ Amity High School]
footnotes =
picture =

Amity High School is a regional public high school located in Woodbridge, Connecticut, USA. It provides high school education (grades 9-12) for the children in the towns of Woodbridge, Orange, and Bethany (which together form Regional District #5 for the purpose of secondary education). The name Amity is derived from both the colonial history of Woodbridge as well as the "friendship" demonstrated among the three founding towns in arranging for a communal educational program.

Amity High School was named a Blue Ribbon School by the US Department of Education in 1982, the first year of the program. Amity Junior High School in Orange also received the award in 1982, while Amity Junior High School in Bethany received it in 1983.

Grade arrangement

Until 2005, only sophomores through seniors attended Amity High School, while freshmen attended either the junior high school in Orange (for residents of Orange) or the junior high school in Bethany (for residents of Bethany and Woodbridge). Seventh and eighth graders also attended the junior high schools. In 2005, the ninth graders began to attend Amity High School and the junior high schools were renamed Amity Middle School.

Scandals

In recent years, there have been many several major controversies, most notably a problem with construction of the senior high school building in 1992. A new construction project scheduled for completion in 2007 will correct any remaining problems. The high school building was constructed over a low-lying area adjacent to wetlands giving some the mistaken impression that the school was built on a swamp. Because of complaints over indoor air quality, the auditorium was closed in 2003. [DiCostanzo, Denise, " [http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=8191878&BRD=2329&PAG=461&dept_id=484827&rfi=6 Why Johnny Can't Breathe] ", "Connecticut Magazine", May 2003] Interestingly, during the current construction, the auditorium was demolished to make way for a larger auditorium, completed in spring 2008.

A further scandal engulfed the district in the early 2000's when the three towns of Bethany, Orange, and Woodbridge demonstrated their unhappiness with school district board members for financial mismanagement involving a $2.1 million budget shortfall by voting "No" in seventeen education budget referendums. [Hamilton, Robert, " [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C00E7DD1739F93BA25752C0A9629C8B63&sec=&spon=&partner=permalink&exprod=permalink Coming Soon: School Budget Battle No. 11] ", "The New York Times", January 18, 2004] "Save Our Schools" signs were displayed throughout the towns.

Athletics

The school sports teams are known as "The Spartans" and "Lady Spartans" and compete in the Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference (CIAC). The district has a longtime rivalry with Cheshire High School. Usually, the Spartans defeat their heated rivals. In the past three years, Amity has regularly bested Cheshire in most sports, with the notable exception of lacrosse or girls swimming. Cheshire lacrosse regularly beats Amity, and the Cheshire girls swimming team has not lost a meet in 25 years. Both Amity and Cheshire girls volleyball teams compete in the CIAC's highest division, and Cheshire has provided the Lady Spartans with their only two losses for the 2006 season.

In 2004, the Amity Varsity tennis team went on an unexpected run to the state championships. The Spartans, who had long played second-best to arch-rival Cheshire High School, finally unseated the Rams as part of an undefeated regular season that brought them the SCC conference title for the first time in years. At the Class LL State Tournament, Amity placed first, beating Greenwich High School by one point to win the competition. [York, Jason, " [http://www.zwire.com/site/index.cfm?newsid=11926130&BRD=1281&PAG=461&dept_id=624602&rfi=8 Doubles team gives Amity tennis title] ", "New Haven Register", June 10, 2004]

The Amity softball team has won numerous state titles and in 2006 lost its first SCC championship in four years to Mercy High School 4-1. [Pucci, Mike, " [http://www.zwire.com/site/index.cfm?newsid=16780062&BRD=1281&PAG=461&dept_id=624602&rfi=8 No Mercy] ", "New Haven Register", June 13, 2006]

The baseball team has also enjoyed years of success. Since 2002, the team has regularly made the state finals and won numerous conference titles. Most recently they won the LL Championship final 3-2 against 13th seeded Bristol Central High School. [Morelli, Joe, " [http://www.zwire.com/site/index.cfm?newsid=16772245&BRD=1281&PAG=461&dept_id=624602&rfi=8. Russell propels Amity to first title] ", "New Haven Register", June 11, 2006]

The Amity swim program is a perennial powerhouse in the state. The boys and girls teams have enjoyed great success in both conference and state championships.

The boys cross country won its first ever New England championship in 2005. The boys indoor track team won its first state open championship in 2006 following the tradition of the class of 2000 which won the first track and field state title in program history. In the past two years, both the Amity boys and girls track programs (cross country, indoor and outdoor track) have laid claim to most of the division, conference and state titles they are eligible to compete in.

In 2006 the Amity girls soccer team won the Housatonic Division and S.C.C. championship and tied the Class LL state championship with Trumbull High School, after the game went into double overtime and ended with a score of 0-0. [Fuller, Jim, " [http://www.zwire.com/site/index.cfm?newsid=17490172&BRD=1281&PAG=461&dept_id=624602&rfi=8 Scoreless tie gives Amity share of title] ", "New Haven Register", November 20, 2006] In the S.C.C. they beat Mercy High School 1-0 in double overtime. 2006 was also the first year they won the S.C.C. championship, Class LL state title and had an undefeated regular season. Amity girls soccer was ranked #1 in Connecticut, #2 in New England and #9 in the U.S. at the end of the 2006 season.

In 2008, Amity defeated Fairfield Warde/Ludlowe 5-1 to win the state Division II boys ice hockey title. [ [http://www.casciac.org/scripts/display_bracket16.cgi?sport=ihoc&class=II&year=2008 2008 Division II Ice Hockey] ]

Quizbowl

In 2006, Amity Regional High School saw a new addition to its extracurricular activities: the academic challenge team. The team is best known for participating in the Connecticut version of "The Challenge", a quizbowl-type game show courtesy of Cablevision's News 12 Networks. [ [http://www.aroundthetownsct.com/articles/files/a010c036b9701870e462872c8ab0f654-8.html Amity Regional Hs To Compete Against Staples HS In First Round Of Cablevision’s "The Challenge"] ] Since then, the unique group has become increasingly popular, with many students tuning in to watch their classmates compete on television. The team that will be representing Amity in the 2008-09 season of "The Challenge" are seniors Matias Shimada (captain), Joe Mucci, Aaron Altman, junior Sam Schnittman, and senior alternate Jennifer Nadelmann.

Notable alumni

* Christopher Antonetti, vice president, baseball operations for the Cleveland Indians [http://www.amityregion5.org/District_Page/Amity_Hall_of_Honor/HoH_Bios2007.pdf Amity Hall of Honor 2007] ] [ [http://cleveland.indians.mlb.com/team/front_office.jsp?c_id=cle Cleveland Indians Front Office] ]
* William Atherton, actor
* Joshua Benson, bicycle program director for the City of New York Department of Transportation [http://www.amityregion5.org/District_Page/Amity_Hall_of_Honor/2008_HALL_OF_HONOR.pdf Amity Hall of Honor 2008] ]
* John J. DeGioia, the first lay president of Georgetown University [http://www.amityregion5.org/district_page/HoH_Bios2006.pdf Amity Hall of Honor 2006] ]
* Ellen DeMaio, contestant on The Bachelor in 2006 (season 9) [Amarante, Joe, " [http://www.zwire.com/site/index.cfm?newsid=17268027&BRD=1281&PAG=461&dept_id=624602&rfi=8 If 'The Bachelor' has any taste, he'll pick the New Haven woman] ", "New Haven Register", October 1, 2006]
* Dan Fleschner, producer at NBC's Today Show [Sorel, Marc, " [http://www.yaledailynews.com/articles/view/3255 Fleschner goes global with sports reporting] ", "Yale Daily News", February 7, 2002]
* Michelle LaFrance, Miss Connecticut USA 2003 winner and Miss USA 2003 delegate [McLoughlin, Pamela, " [http://www.zwire.com/site/index.cfm?newsid=6969263&BRD=1281&PAG=461&dept_id=624602&rfi=8 State pageant winner’s beauty more than skin deep] ", "New Haven Register", February 7, 2003]
* Martha S. Pope, formerly Sergeant at Arms (the first woman in that position) and Secretary of the United States Senate. Currently a trustee of Hofstra University
* David L. Rabinowitz, research scientist at Yale University and co-discoverer of several centaurs (icy asteroids in orbit between Jupiter and Nepture)
* David Rothberg, chairman and CEO of Laticrete International
* Jonathan Rothberg, founder and former chairman of 454 Life Sciences and inventor of a technique for sequencing the human genome.
* Jody Savin, screenwriter and producer of films such as "Marilyn Hotchkiss' Ballroom Dancing and Charm School" and "Bottle Shock" [Doherty, Donna, " [http://www.nhregister.com/articles/2008/08/24/arts/20089192.txt Family affair: Area native and her writing-partner husband toasting success of their new movie] ", "New Haven Register", August 24, 2008]
* Alan Schlesinger, Connecticut Republican candidate for Senate [ [http://richmonddemocrat.blogspot.com/2006/08/meet-alan-schlesinger.html "The Richmond Democrat": Meet Alan Schlesinger] ]
* John Shutkin, general counsel for Shearman & Sterling
* Mike Vespoli, founder and chief executive officer of Vespoli USA, Inc., a boat manufacturer in New Haven, Conn., that makes shells for rowing teams and individual rowers [Robinson, Ruth, " [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9E0CE7DE1038F936A35754C0A964958260&sec=&spon=&partner=permalink&exprod=permalink Made in New Haven; Racing in Barcelona] ", "New York Times", July 5, 1992]
* Brian Yale, bassist for Matchbox Twenty [ [http://community.livejournal.com/byas Brian Yale Appreciation Society's Journal] ]

References

External links

* [http://www.amityregion5.org/ahs/ Amity High School]