It is with the greatest of pleasure that I tell you about Armstrong Elementary! I love this school and with good reason; it is a great place for children to learn and grow. We have about 530 kindergarten through fourth grade students who are hard working, respectful, high achieving, and fun. They hail from families who place enormous value on education and mutual respect. Dedication to Armstrong is apparent in volunteerism which includes everything from working a shift in the cafeteria to reading to their child’s class, from working on the carnival to serving on the Campus Leadership Council. The result of this involvement is a culture in which students, parents and teachers become the Armstrong Family.
In the thirteen years I have been principal, Armstrong, like America and the world, has seen great change. Students in all grade levels routinely research topics using technology. They expand their world through the use of interactive whiteboards and daily access to laptops. They are able to watch in real time marine biologists feed sharks off the coast of California, to connect with a satellite to see not only their home, but to learn first hand what “amber waves of grain” look like on windy days in Kansas. The library, with approximately fifteen thousand volumes, provides the avenue to travel the world, explore the planets, float down the mighty Mississippi, experience the words of Abraham Lincoln . . . to go anywhere or do anything through the gifts of reading and imagination. Fine Arts programs allow students to better develop the right side of the brain by studying and performing both choral and instrumental music. Using a variety of mediums in art, students create the beautiful works hanging throughout the building. In physical education, students strengthen their bodies and resolve to be good sports.
State assessment results indicate achievement of the highest order and give teachers the data needed to design future learning opportunities. Armstrong, rated Exemplary by the Texas Education Agency every year since the inception of the rating system, is also a Gold Performance School and a five-year member of the Texas Business and Education Coalition Honor Roll. Our teachers and students love to learn and do it well!
In reading this, if you are already part of the Armstrong family, I know you share my sense of pride in our school. If you are not part of Armstrong, we invite you to visit us and see why Armstrong is, indeed, a wonderful place for children to learn and grow.
Mary Richey, Ed.D.
Principal