The Ellington School District Board of Education opened its November meeting by recognizing a group of AP Capstone students from Ellington High School who earned capstone diplomas and published research, and by hearing a presentation from a Center Elementary student who is a finalist for Connecticut Kid Governor.

Teacher Mrs. Hartley told the board that AP Capstone is among the district’s premier academic programs and placed the students’ accomplishments in a national context: “Every single one of them earned a capstone diploma, and… every single one of them is a published scholar,” she said, noting that only a small share of students nationally earn the diploma.

Student presenters summarized their projects. Keisha Burris described a quantitative study of instrumental ensemble participation and school belonging using a 633-student sample; she said the analysis showed no statistically significant difference in overall belonging between musicians and non‑musicians but noted musicians exhibited lower measures of social exclusion. Another student summarized a published study on cognitive dissonance and self‑esteem and reflected on presentation and peer‑feedback skills learned through AP Research. Aditi Parakoli described laboratory work on bacterial persistence in E. coli, noting she has one paper published and others pending from work at Duke and UConn Health. Caitlin Powers presented qualitative research on Native American boarding schools using oral histories from the Federal Indian Boarding School Initiative.

The board also heard from Center Elementary staff and students about the Connecticut Kid Governor program. Teacher Sarah Berdaki described how fifth graders researched a community issue and made campaign videos; Myra, a Center student and one of seven state finalists, told the board her platform centers on social inclusion. Board members asked questions about Myra’s motivation and preferred that the school share her campaign video after the state winner is announced.

The recognitions concluded with applause and thanks from board leadership. The presentations were placed on the public record to showcase student research, civic learning and district academic programs.