[0:03] ♪ Let's go ♪

[0:06] - [Lindsey] What's the next

element we're gonna look at?

[0:07] - [Students] Hydrogen.

[0:08] - Hydrogen. What do we

know about hydrogen?

[0:10] Hi, my name is Lindsey Novak,

[0:12] I'm a science teacher here at Armstrong,

[0:14] and one thing that I really

love about this school

[0:16] is the energy that the

students bring to it

[0:19] and the variety of classes

that I get to teach.

[0:21] I love seeing the students'

curiosity every day.

[0:27] - To be honest with you,

[0:28] I'm impressed with students every day.

[0:30] I think our student body here is unique

[0:33] because we got kids coming from

all different walks of life.

[0:36] - Armstrong is a super

welcoming community.

[0:38] I felt like the second I

walked in those doors last year

[0:41] as a freshman,

[0:42] like all my teachers and peers

[0:44] have made me feel like I'm at home,

[0:46] like this is my home away from home

[0:48] - At Armstrong, I was really encouraged

[0:50] to join leadership positions.

[0:52] I mean, if you see all around

the school, there's flyers,

[0:54] there's clubs, there's always

something to be active about.

[0:57] - There's a lot of opportunities,

[0:59] from elective classes that

kind of introduce them

[1:02] to some of the possible work fields

[1:05] and then just the different

clubs that are available

[1:08] and building that confidence

and finding where you belong

[1:11] and what you're good at.

[1:13] - I'm most appreciative

of the academic support

[1:16] and academic opportunities

Armstrong gives you.

[1:18] Armstrong has resource

rooms for every subject,

[1:21] science, math, English, social studies.

[1:24] At Armstrong, we have two

climate and culture specialists.

[1:28] We have college prep programs like AVID.

[1:30] We have a huge selection of AP classes,

[1:33] and we have a lot of options for you

[1:35] to take college classes

when you're in high school.

[1:37] - [Payton] Armstrong makes me wanna learn.

[1:39] It makes me wanna try new

things and better myself.

[1:42] - Here at Armstrong,

[1:43] we use something called the BARR model,

[1:45] which stands for building

assets, reducing risks.

[1:47] And what it is is all

[1:49] of the ninth grade students

are divided into a team.

[1:52] It gives kind of a smaller feeling

[1:54] for that ninth grade class.

[1:55] They get to know each other better,

[1:57] and then the teachers get to know them.

[1:58] When students are coming

from middle school,

[2:00] one thing I've noticed

is that they're coming

[2:02] from so many different places,

[2:04] and something that's really

important for them when they get

[2:06] to high school is to be able

[2:08] to find their place here at Armstrong.

[2:11] One thing that the teachers

here do really well

[2:13] is get to know their students

[2:15] and then encourage them to grow the gifts

[2:17] that they're seeing in them

[2:18] and the interests that they already have.

[2:20] And we find that the more

[2:21] that students feel like they

belong here at Armstrong,

[2:23] the better they do academically,

socially, emotionally.

[2:27] And that's what we try to

do with them every day.

[2:29] - I have watched my older son become

[2:31] such a better student this year

[2:32] because of the staff that I see working

[2:34] so hard every single day.

[2:36] He cares about school, and I

think that's in large part due

[2:39] to the caring staff who truly want

[2:42] to see the best from every

single one of their students.

[2:45] - I can't always be there.

[2:46] And so to know that people

are looking out for them,

[2:51] it means a lot.

[2:52] - From the day I walked in freshman year,

[2:54] I was just surrounded by

people who were so welcoming.

[2:57] My teachers, my friends.

[2:59] School spirit has been amazing.

[3:01] Armstrong has just such a

strong sense of community.

[3:03] - It's a phenomenal community,

[3:05] and I'm proud of this school

and I'm proud of this district.

[3:08] Kids are leaving this place prepared,

[3:10] and I think they're leaving

this place as good people.

[3:14] - Believe, belong, become.