On Wednesday, October 23, Armstrong Elementary School celebrated a monumental recognition of its acceptance into the Apple Distinguished School Program for its continuous innovation using Apple technology to inspire, imagine, and impact teaching and learning. With approximately 889 schools in 37 countries, Armstrong will become the first elementary school in all of Bexar County to begin this program, leading the Apple distinguished program in all of the San Antonio Area. With the outstanding efforts of Armstrong Librarian Ms. Amber Grey, and Principal Ms. Laura Ramirez, Apple’s distinguished program will ensure that students and staff are effective users of ideas and technology by developing a community of learners. 

Students, teachers, and our Executive Leadership Team gathered at Armstrong Elementary for a special recognition, showcasing the efforts that went into receiving this distinguished award. Principal Ramirez shared a few words to inspire our students, “This recognition validates our successful integration of Apple products into daily instruction, fostering innovative and engaging educational experiences.” Ramirez continues, “I'm immensely proud of our school community's dedication to this approach and look forward to the continued positive impact on our students' education. 

Apple Education Leadership Executives visited the campus to engage with our students, connect with our teachers, and present the school with their well-deserved banner and certificate. They shared that this recognition is a testament to the brilliant work students, teachers and school leaders have embarked on in the last couple of years and going one-to-one with Apple technology.

To be accepted into the distinguished program, Armstrong Elementary faced a set of criteria to meet in order to be eligible. The campus must showcase innovative ways to utilize the Apple platform, proficiency in leadership and faculty with iPad or Mac products, and continuous innovation of the selected leadership team. 

Grey worked closely with Apple coaches to gain training on new technology, products, and ways to integrate these programs into the classroom. During Professional Development days, she would then relay the same teachings to our teachers and staff, ensuring that all campus personnel are in unison to learn and grow together. 

Throughout recent years, Armstrong has implemented various Apple software programs in different facets of curriculum and instruction. For instance, Keynote is a presentation platform where students have unlimited tools to create innovative, interactive, and unique presentations. This is a primary program for various classrooms and can be utilized for projects, final assessments, and end of course presentations. Astro News, Armstrong’s Broadcasting Club, is produced mainly through iMovie and Clips, two editing softwares that allow students to create news segments and showcase the culture of the campus. Additionally, fourth and fifth graders are practicing their coding skills through Swift Playground. This program was built as an introductory course for students to grasp basic coding concepts through an interactive space. 

“Our students are embracing the transition to Apple products beautifully, and they’re learning various softwares at a rapid pace,” Grey expresses. Although Swift Playground is utilized in the upper level classrooms, kindergarten students are simultaneously practicing their coding skills on a smaller scale through Scratch Junior. Software programs are being introduced to students at younger ages, and Armstrong Elementary is finding great results in their adaptability and comprehension skills. 

For the following three years, Armstrong will be implementing more technology-based curriculum in the classrooms and challenge our students to creatively utilize their Apple programs. “As our first year as a distinguished campus, we are defining our learning environment with Apple.” Grey adds, “Now we can collaborate with each other, and use the tools we’ve learned to help our students at every grade level.”

As San Antonio’s first school to be a part of the Apple Distinguished Schools Program, Armstrong Elementary is a beacon of innovation, collaboration and determination. We hope this recognition will inspire school districts across San Antonio to join Armstrong in their accelerating, technological success. At South San Antonio ISD, we celebrate the creativity of our students at Armstrong Elementary as they explore new paths of education and embrace the future of technology.