Amethyst Brook now the crown jewel of school architecture in Amherst

Amethyst Brook Elementary opened its doors this August as the first new elementary school in the town in more than 50 years. According to The Daily Hampshire Gazette and The Amherst Current, the school houses between 500 and 600 students in grades K-5, coming from both Wildwood and Fort River, both of which are now closed.

I visited on a Monday afternoon, meeting with the principal, Allison Estes, and I had the chance to speak with parents and students and take a tour of the building. Estes was formerly the assistant principal, then the principal, at Wildwood Elementary.

Amethyst Brook Elementary stands on the dust of the Fort River Elementary School; it is triple the size of the old school. Driving in, the parking curves into the school front for drop-off and pick-up. The whole school is built with sleekness. It was designed by Dinisco Architectures and project-managed by Kseniya Slavsky of Anser Advisory. The team also met with several consultants on energy resourcing, according to the Amherst Indy.

The top floor swerves to the front, with large windows looking out towards the front of the school. The floors of the building step up with each floor, creating an almost city-like silhouette. Large windows and high ceilings provide the building with an open feeling. This is a stark contrast from Amherst Regional Middle School, which was built in 1969. The district recently shelled out almost 10 million dollars for the ARMS roof renovation project; this is a tenth of the cost of Amethyst Brook.

Walking in, the main office is separated from a vestibule with thick glass. Inside the school are blue and orange themes, creating a bright, focused environment. The front hallway drips with hanging decorations, some orange and some white, reminiscent slightly of the decor inside of a warm-toned restaurant or of a child’s mobile.

ARHS teacher Kate Kuhn, who has a daughter at the middle school and a son at the elementary school, remarked on the impact of a clean, organized, and bright building. “The natural light is absolutely beautiful, the freshness, and the air quality, which was a concern for us at Wildwood,” said Kuhn.

In addition to its new feeling, the building is also innovative within itself, being highly energy efficient. “It’s a Net Zero,” said Estes. “And supposedly if we don’t stay at a Net Zero rating we will have to pay a four to five thousand dollar fine, so we really need to take it seriously.”

Continuing with its innovations, the new school also features a completely accessible playground. “We have a handful of students who use wheelchairs, and it’s great to see them go all over,” said Estes.

The school has a diverse student body and programming for its students’ many needs. “We have the Caminates [dual-language] program, children who are learning English all day as part of our Dreamers program, and we also have special education programs for students with different needs: the Building Blocks program, the AIMS program, the NLC. This is the first time all those programs have been in the same school,” said Estes. “[What is offered] depends on the type of needs the student has.”

Every grade offers the Caminantes program, with 90% of the day in Spanish in kindergarten and 1st grade, 80% in second grade, and 50% in third, fourth, and fifth grade,” Estes said. “Caminantes is based on family choice. If the families want the child to learn in dual language, [they can have it],” said Estes.

While waiting for Estes, I connected with the mother of a child in the Caminantes program. “I really like it,” she said. “My daughter gets to learn my language, [Spanish], with respect.” The school also hosts two after-school programs, Marks Meadow and Capacidad, which serve about 200 children combined.

Estes said the students from all the different schools that have come together at Amethyst Brook have been integrating well. “We have done well bringing people together,” Estes said.

Kuhn said she has been impressed. “I think the principal there is amazing; they have a community-oriented vision and work so hard to create a sense of community,” she said. “And having a building like that, with resources like that, is a big draw.”