Keeping our eyes on the prize By Justin Del Valle, Junior Student Reporter

Justin Del Valle interviews Jason Kamras,

Richmond Public School’s Superintendent.

I hate to admit it, but I feel like most of us are losing

focus — on the goal, on the prize. The prize of grad-

uating and having a productive life after we leave

Armstrong. We all need to take a real good look at

what’s coming up next: Life! We should ask our-

selves after high school, what are your plans; how

can you get what you truly want out of life? Are we

honestly doing our best? While many things are im-

proving at Armstrong, I still see some of my peers

skipping classes, causing disruptions, and disrespect-

ing teachers. While we are here, let us focus on learn-

ing, advancing, achieving, and preparing for the next

phase of our lives.

I thought about what I could do to get some sound

advice for all of us, so I called our new School Super-

intended, Jason Kamras, and asked him if I could in-

terview him about my concerns. Mr. Kamras and I

met here at Armstrong and we had an open dialogue

about my observations and his perspective.

(Continued on page 4)

The Spirit of Armstrong March 2018 Volume 89 Issue 2

2

March 2018 Volume 89 Issue 2

Be The One By Nilaja Christian,

Journalism Club

Mr. Booker Chambers, co-coordinator of the Armstrong Priorities Freshman Academy, recently shared an idea for a program he would like to implement at Armstrong High School for the Fresh-man Academy. He calls this idea “Be the One.” When I spoke with him I asked a few questions about the pro-gram. The first question I asked, which we all wanted to know, is “What is “Be the One?”

“‘Be the One’ is a campaign designed to help encourage the students at Arm-strong and everyone else to strive to be the one that’s doing the right thing in tough situations. Regardless of what, be the one to do the right thing. Be the one that is honest and stands out from the crowd. Be the one to try your best at all times and encourage others to do better,” Chambers ex-

plained.

So how did Mr. Chambers come up with this idea? According to Mr. Chambers, he was sitting in his office on the second floor one day with a group of stu-dents and started to think, “how can I help the young folks un-derstand what I’m thinking and how I see them.” Then an idea came to him and he started to write down a lot of zeros. He then asked the students, what did they see. They responded “nothing, or zeros.” He then placed a one in front of the ze-ros and asked the same ques-tion and got a different re-sponse which was, “you now have a lot Mr. Chambers.” After that he said to the students, “that’s what I want you to do. Be the one that turns something with no value into something with a lot of value; be the one who turns nothing into some-thing,” Mr. Chambers replied.

I then asked Mr. Chambers what was the goal of the pro-gram, “The goal is to help stu-dents rediscover their self-esteem; to feel good about themselves, and to love them-selves,” Chambers emphasized.

You see, Mr. Chambers be-lieves that having low self-esteem and no love for yourself, is a problem in the black com-munity as a whole, including the school system.

According to Mr. Chambers the “Be the One” program will help to bring out that love of self and the high self-esteem that’s al-ready inside one’s self. He adds that “Being the One” will help students recognize their great-ness and values. He said it will also make students strive to uplift not only other students, but also their communities.

I finished the interview asking a question that everyone could answer. “Can we all “Be the One?”

“Most definitely!” was his an-swer.

He believes if we all become the one, then we will become one, which is the ultimate goal of ‘Be the One.’ We all will become one. He says in his personal life he looks at it like he is searching for the God in himself. Mr. Cham-bers likes to say despite your religion or background, find that higher power or righteousness in you. And if we all do that we’d all be the one. Instead of judging others, be the one that is right and lead. He adds, “When you try to stand up and be different from people around you, you catch flack, but despite all of that you have to continue to ‘Be the One.’”

3

March 2018 Volume 89 Issue 2

The staff at The Spirit of Armstrong wanted our readers to know that there’s a special education teacher who works double time – teaching, case managing and facilitating a program aimed to involve staff who often times go unnoticed. Let us introduce you to Mrs. Culbreath-Washington (CW), Chair of the “Communities in Caring” organization and who is responsible for recognizing our valued operation’s personnel throughout the year. “My goal is to give shout outs to the

ones behind the scenes. After all, everyone here is responsible for the health and wellbe-ing of our students, she said. Communities in Caring is a federally sponsored organiza-tion, having the mission to connect schools with parents, staff, teachers, and administra-tors in the most authentic ways. Studies have proven that collaboration amongst stakeholders is a necessary component lik-ing student success. CW added, when we recognize those who interact with our stu-dents, such as our administrative support staff, an intrinsic feeling of “investment” takes place within our Armstrong community. CW’s committee has, so far, reached out to our military veterans, custodians, and securi-ty; and works are in place to celebrate more of our comrades this year. It’s not what we are given, but what we give that brings me joy, she said. “The smallest things such as a thank you note, or a secret treat goes a

long way.” As random acts of kindness con-

tinues to spread throughout our school, you can bet that CW will be behind the scenes organizing and planning the next surprise. “In the meantime, CW suggested, give a wink, a smile, or a handshake to those around us who make Arm-strong the best it can be each and

every day.” Thank you CW for your willingness to unite us all to fulfill our mission – student suc-cess.

Glenn Anderson, athletic director, Mrs. “CW”, Communities in Caring, Chloe Murdaugh, journalism reporter, and Mrs. Monica Murray, assis-tant principal share a special moment in the office. Story and photo by Kelly Tucker, Journalism Teacher

The gift of giving- a united front

AHS junior finishes second

Khadasia Ebron, a junior from Armstrong High School receives her second-place certifi-cate at the 28TH Annual Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Oratorical Contest from Connie Cuffee (L), president, Richmond Alumnae Chapter Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. and Anita Roane. chair, Arts and Letter Committee. The contest was held Saturday, February 3, 2018, at Franklin Military Academy and was open to all Richmond Public Schools stu-dents. (Official Delta Sigma Theta Sorority).

News & Notes

Time Capsule to be

Open…A Time Capsule bur-

ied at Armstrong High School

on 31ST Street in 1951 will be

opened on March 31, 2018, at

1 p.m. at the current Armstrong

High School building.

Golfers needed for Arm-

strong High School Golf

Team…If you would like to

learn to play golf and repre-

sent Armstrong High School

in the fall of 2018, please

contact Mr. Glenn Anderson,

activities director or Mr.

Booker Chambers by March

30, 2018.

Armstrong High School,

ACE, and VCU to expand

partnership…

4

March 2018 Volume 89 Issue 2

Foreign Language Corner Spanish I & II thrive at the “Strong” By, Thomas Floyd, Spanish Teacher

Hello! Here we’re starting our column on Hispanic culture. Spanish is al-ready of great importance. Our stu-dents at Armstrong are learning about the language, and also about Spanish-speaking culture. This cul-ture is found almost everywhere, from Richmond to Spain. You don’t have to travel to “taste” Hispanic culture.

In the future, we’ll be showing a se-lection of student articles. Recently the students have been writing inter-views. Here at Armstrong we also have the Foreign Culture Club, led by Mr. Floyd, where students cook a variety of Hispanic dishes. The Club has already prepared a Spanish tortil-la. Did you know that what they call a “tortilla” in Spain is totally different from what they call a “tortilla” in Mexi-co? To try one, make a visit to room 203.

George Minor (L), member of custodian

team and Thomas Floyd, Armstrong High

School Spanish Teacher. Photo by Kelly

Tucker, Journalism Club Sponsor.

¡Hola! Aquí empezamos nuestra columna de la cultura hispana. El español ya es de gran importan-cia. Nuestros estudiantes en Arm-strong están aprendiendo de la len-gua y también de la cultura hispano-hablante. Esta cultura se encuentra en casi todas partes, desde Rich-mond hasta España. No hay que viajar para “gustar” la cultura his-panohablante.

En el futuro, mostramos una selec-ción de artículos estudiantiles. Hoy en día, los estudiantes escriben en-trevistas. También tenemos aquí en Armstrong el Club de Cultura Extran-jera, dirigido por el Señor Floyd, donde los alumnos cocinan una var-iedad de comidas hispanas. El Club ha preparado ya una tortilla Espa-ñola. ¿Sabías qué lo que se llama una “tortilla” en España es totalmen-te diferente a lo que se llama una “tortilla” en México? Para probarlo, hazte una visita a la sala 203.

Keeping our eyes on the prize (continued from page 1) reasons can be attributed to “social injus-

tice” and it is happening all around our

country. Even decades after the passage

of the Civil Rights Bill, we still see many

injustices that impede and delay the

learning of our students. A couple of

ways to promote student engagement is

to offer more enrichment opportunities

and to provide more advanced placement

classes. Our public schools are often

times ill-equipped to meet the needs of

our young people and it’s my job now to

make sure that every student at Arm-

strong and throughout the district is given

a fair chance at success.” He went on to

say, “one of the reasons why students

may feel disconnected is because they

sometimes see their future as limited. It’s

imperative that we prepare our students

to excel here and after they leave Rich-

mond City Public Schools. I hope to ex-

pand their opportunities and ‘earlier’ so

that all students can remain relevant and

competitive,” Kamras said.

I also interviewed Ms. Ensley, English department chair who said, “I hope that more students will walk into the building not thinking that it’s a prison, but a place where they themselves can make change. Education is one piece to the puzzle; if we truly want to be successful, students must have an education. They also need to have an ‘entrepreneurship mojo’ – ready and able to compete for meaningful jobs that will provide financial stability.”

After my conversations with Mr. Kamras

and Ms. Ensley, I was a less anxious

knowing there are educators in place who

have our backs. For me, I can honestly

say that I am proud to have had the guts

to call Mr. Kamras and to follow through

with this interview. You see my friends,

we can make a difference as long as we

take ownership in the way we think and

behave.

To my surprise, Kamras was not

“deterred” after informing him about

what’s happening at Armstrong, in

particular with student behaviors. I

asked him why would students deny

themselves and others of a free edu-

cation? His reply was, “some of the

Justin Del Valle, collaborates with

Ms. Ensley, English Department

Chair. Photo by Kelly Tucker

5

March 2018 Volume 1 Issue 2

The FLU — worst epidemic in years! Mary Smith, Science Teacher

Flu season is here again, and it is wreaking havoc all over the United

States in epidemic proportions. By now, you have been hearing a

lot on the news about the flu, but have you ever wondered why the

flu is called the “ flu”? Well, influenza, or flu for short, is a virus.

There are many types of flu viruses, but the major types that affect

humans are Types A and B. Type A is found in humans and animals,

but Type B is found only in humans. The typical flu season runs from

October to April.

As previously stated, influenzas are viruses. Viruses are not considered living organisms because they do not

have cellular organelles, such as a nucleus, and they need to reside inside of a host to survive. However, once

inside of a host (let’s say for instance, a human body) a virus replicates itself by attaching to a host cell (usually

in the upper respiratory tract) of its victim, and injecting its genetic material (DNA or RNA) into the cell. As a vi-

rus replicates inside of its host cell, it causes the host cell to burst, and the virus is free to go on to infect other

cells within the body, including the cells of the bloodstream. Once in the bloodstream, a virus is able to infect

the cells of organs throughout the body.

Influenzas are “predators”. They lie around, lurking in the air (as droplets when an infected person sneezes or

coughs) and on surfaces, such as door knobs, stairwell rails, tables, chairs, your desk at school. . . you name it.

All you have to do is inhale an airborne droplet from someone who has the flu, or touch an infected object, and

you too may become ill. So how can you avoid this pernicious predator? Read on.

The key to not contracting the flu is to avoid the flu. For starters, you can avoid the flu by frequent hand wash-

ing. Always wash your hands before eating, and before and after using the restroom. Since the flu virus typically

enters the body through the mucous membranes of the nose, mouth, and eyes, avoid touching these areas

without washing your hands first. If you are plagued by coughing or sneezing, al-

ways cough or sneeze into your sleeve, or into a tissue, to avoid spraying the air

with droplets (which ultimately land on surfaces). Do not share eating utensils or

drink after a person (that includes the practice of “water falling”). Wipe common

surfaces with a disinfectant wipe. Stay hydrated and get plenty of rest. Eat foods

that are good for the immune system, such as citrus fruits and green, leafy vegeta-

bles. The severity of the flu can be lessened if the body’s immune system is in good

shape, and as the old adage goes “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of

cure.”

Even with the best preventive measures, however, you many still come down with

the flu. But if you do, it may be wise to seek medical attention, especially if you

have a chronic respiratory condition such as asthma. This season’s flu strain is especially virulent, and in some

cases, deadly. Remember, there is almost three more months of flu season left, so take care of yourselves!

6

March 2018 Volume 89 Issue 2h

When The “Bell” Tolls

Principal’s

Message

“Greatness is the rightful destiny of every person. Yet, most of

our society never experiences this extraordinary level of achievement.

It is ironic that the climate for excellence is available, but many do not

recognize the opportunities that are bountiful in life. Great men and

women know the secret of greatness for it is universal. Sincere effort,

a humble heart and the desire to improve others can raise the station

of an ordinary individual to one of extraordinary achievement.”

I will share seven lessons that will show you how to help others as well as yourself to achieve your rightful destiny of greatness by deconstruct-ing the underlined sentence abovementioned. The seven lessons for daily life are:

1. Never display haughty or scornful eyes

2. A lying tongue will get you no where

3. Protect the innocent, never try to harm your fellow man

4. Keep your heart pure, do not plot evil against others

5. Stay focused and on course for doing what’s right, not wrong

6. A false witness who pours out lies is looked upon unfavorably 7. Be your brother’s keeper and do not sow discord among others

These seven lessons for daily life are linked to the processes that we will continue to educate you through daily rituals and routines. These rituals and routines help perpetuate structures that exude excellence.

Your place in society depends on how you embrace these seven les-sons. Having the ability to be humble will assist your efforts in reaching greatness. As I close, remember this summation of Life:

Life is analogous with the changing of the seasons. There was a time when the seasons acknowledged the author-ity of the other seasons. In other words, there was an unspo-ken agreement between winter, summer, spring and fall. The powers of winter’s blizzards were never shortened by the harsh droughts of summer. Conversely, the monsoons of spring were never allowed to interfere with the vainglorious beauty of fall. This unspoken agreement constituted the cycles of eco-logical life and livelihood. These principles are staples of ulti-mate design constructed and construed a Cosmos. Each ele-ment of the four seasons formed microcosms. Each is de-pendent of the other for survival and completion. Life is a Cos-mos. The areas of the formation of your lives contribute to the total creation of a powerful microcosm. Each aspect of your life cycles contributes to your development. The early intro-duction of destructive forces can destroy your growth. Do not allow anyone or anything to terminate your growth or steal your joy. Remember your place in the Cosmos.

Dr. Willie J. Bell, Jr., Principal, Armstrong High School

Armstrong student places second at the Annual STEM Fair

Arquell Logan, a junior at Armstrong High

School, took second place at the Annual

Science Technology Engineering and

Math (STEM) Fair with his project entitled

"What Effect Does Surface Area and

Temperature Have on Reaction Rate?"

The Richmond Public School’s Annual

STEM Fair was held at the Science Mu-

seum of Virginia in February and fea-

tured science projects completed by stu-

dents from elementary, middle, and high

schools. Armstrong submitted three addi-

tional projects this year which were:

How Can We Test for Saturated

and Unsaturated Fats in Com-

mon Household Oils? By Da-

nayja Sorel;

Can We Make Salt? By Paige

Session; and

Making Sound Visible Through

Cymatics by Mr. Zelonski's 4th

Period Environmental Science

Arquell's project on displayed in the main office.