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NEWS
Why Go to Armour?
ARMOUR SCHOOL
- Scores have soared from 31% to 76.2% in ISAT reading based on the CPS Performance Policy
- The overall ISAT composite is 74.9% meeting or exceeding standards, almost a 50 point gain since 2003
- Featured on Chicago Tonight, broadcast Nationally on PBS News Hour, and highlighted in the Huffington Post as a school that is “on the cutting edge of biggest changes in American Education in years” since the teachers are in the third year of implementation of the Common Core State Standards.
- Received the highest level GOLD status for Michelle Obama’s Healthy School Campaign
- Performance rating is a level 2 school indicating not on probation.
- 1 of only 26 schools in the Chicago Public Schools that are considered Early Adopters of the CCSS.
- 1 of 3 schools that received a $500,000 combined grant from the Target Corporation through the Children’s Literacy Initiative that builds professional capacity in K-3 classrooms.
- 1of 3 schools in Chicago that has a partnership with West Ed for implementing strategies that develop academic language for students that is funded through the Chicago Community Trust
- Students are provided safe and structured activities until 5:15p.m. at no cost due to a partnership with the Chicago Youth Centers and the 21st Century Grant
- In addition to the CYC program, After School All Stars and CPS sports provides opportunities for students in basketball, football, volleyball, soccer, chess, art, yearbook, student council, book club, additional tutoring, and many more.
- Exterior Renovation on Main building – In 1998 the main building was tuck pointed, new windows installed, and new roof was put on
- Armour School Campus Park - In 2000 the City of Chicago acquired over 28 residences on 32nd Place and 33rd Street and created an 11 acre Armour School campus park that includes two playgrounds and a baseball diamond
- Exterior Renovation on Branch – In June 2005 the branch building was tuck pointed, new windows were installed, and the bathrooms were updated
- Target Library Make-over Projects – In 2007 the Target Corporation funded two library make over projects at the main and branch building with an estimated cost of over $250,000
- ADA project - Fully ADA compliant at both buildings in July 2011 with the installation of new elevators at each building, redesigned basement and lunchroom at main with ADA accessible bathrooms, new bathrooms added at the branch, and updated lunchroom
- Designs for Change (www.designsforchange.org) ranked Armour 29 out of 210 neighborhood elementary schools in Chicago serving more than 95% low-income students who met or exceeded in reading on 2011 ISAT.
- Partnerships that enhance learning by providing free educational opportunities: Chicago Chamber of Music, Communities of Schools in Chicago, The Field Museum, Harris Loan Library, Museum of Science and Industry, Museum of Natural History, and the Target Corporation
- Work closely with UIC and DePaul to provide opportunities for student teachers to experience and be trained by dedicated and knowledgeable teachers, most of whom have masters degrees or higher.
Armour School is featured in a commercial about Target giving.
On February 21st, Target and ABC Chicago filmed a commercial in both libraries highlighting Target's commitment to give back to the community. Target has provided Armour School with hundreds of thousands of dollars in upgrades and services. In addition to remodeling the libraries at both the Branch and the Main building, Target has refreshed classrooms and classroom libraries in the Primary Building, developing attractive reading spaces for each room. They have continued funding purchases of books and technology for the libraries and have made it possible for students to log in from home to read books online. (More on that in the Media Center Page). To view the movie, click here
Armour School demonstrates the Common Core Curriculum on WTTW
On October 2nd, 2012, WTTW came to Armour School to videotape the Common Core practices in action. Armour was an early adopter of this national initiatve and proud that our school was selected for filming. The crew spent several hours following 5th and 6th grade language arts teacher, Leslie Roach and 2nd and 3rd grade Math and Science teacher, Eden Barragan as they conducted their respective classes. The show aired on Channel 11 on October 16, 2012. To view the show, click here.
Armour School Awarded Gold Award in the Healthier US School Challenge
This year, Armour School achieved Gold Distinction in Michelle Obama’s initiative to fight childhood obesity. While partnering with the Asian Health Coalition, Armour School formed a Wellness committee whose mission was to promote nutritional education and to provide opportunities for active movement throughout the school day. Teachers been incorporating Brain Breaks and Energizers into their lessons. Birthdays are celebrated at the school using non food items. Unstructured, supervised play time has been offered to the students so they can get active while having fun. Fundraising efforts have veered away from traditional candy sales, replacing them with flower sales and pie throwing contests!
Michelle Obama wrote in her congratulatory letter to Armour:
“As a winner of the Gold Award, Armour Elementary School is among the very best of the best- going above and beyond the minimum requirements to help ensure your students live full and active lives. The environment you and your team have created through education, nutritious food and beverage choices, and opportunities for physical activity will help your students learn how to make healthy choices now and for years to come. This is an extraordinary accomplishment, and you should all be incredibly proud of what you have achieved. As leaders in this effort, I hope will reach out to other schools and offer your expertise and advice to help them reach for the gold as well.”
Vision / Mission
VISION: The vision of Armour School is to provide the highest quality of instruction to our students. We believe that all children can learn regardless of language, special needs or economic background. Armour provides every child with the opportunity to maximize his/her potential. We furthur believe that through our cooperative efforts, our students will become lifelong learners and productive adults.
MISSION: It is our mission to serve our students by expending resources to deliver quality instructional programs which will foster increased student achievement in all areas of learning with a focus on fluency, word knowledge, comprehension and writing in all areas of learning, with the primary emphasis in reading. We further believe that through our cooperative efforts, our studentswill become life-long learners and productive adults. |
School supply lists for 2012-2013
Kdg-3rd grade
4th-8th grade
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