Amistad Academy Elementary School

540 Ella T. Grasso Boulevard
New Haven, CT 06519
Phone: 203-772-2166
Fax: 203-772-2520

Opened: August 2006
Grades: K to three (growing to K to four)
Number of Students in 2009-10: 329
Student Demographics in 2009-10:
53% Boys, 47% Girls
97% African American or Hispanic
70% Qualify for Free and Reduced Lunch

Overview

Amistad Academy Elementary opened in New Haven in 2006 as the long-awaited elementary expansion of the flagship Amistad Academy Middle School. At the beginning of the elementary school’s first year of operation, only 4 percent of kindergarten scholars were reading at or above grade level; by the end of the year, the percentage had risen to 99 percent. The key to Amistad Academy Elementary’s success is a school culture built on a strong foundation of sharing and caring, working hard, reflecting and having fun. Every morning, the music teacher kicks off Morning Motivation with a chant called “Are you going to have fun today?” For teachers, collegial observation is common, and “best practices are constantly shared.”