Welcome

Welcome to Neil Armstrong Middle School for the year 2026-2027!

It is hard to believe that the 2026 - 2027 school year is right around the corner.  It is important to remember that we start our school year with students at the end of August.  Seventh-grade students start on August 31.  During that day, we will have rotations to practice lockers, learn about the cafeteria, hallway, and drop-off/pick-up routines, and have the opportunity to rotate through their schedule of classes.  The eighth graders will join us on September 1.

We have decided to once again assign students lockers.  Students will share a locker with another student in their advisory class.  Since most classes will be 30 students or more, it was important to get all the backpacks off the floor for better safety and space clearance.  Backpacks and phones will need to be left in lockers during the school day.  It is suggested that you label your belongings since you will be sharing with a partner, and leave anything valuable at home.  The lockers are situated along the outer hallways of the school.  Therefore, students will need to learn their combinations, are encouraged to take supplies for two or three classes at a time, and arrive in every class before the bell rings.

We are happy to announce that our music programs are growing, and because of that, we were able to purchase more school instruments for both band and orchestra.  We continue to encourage students and families to buy their own instruments as this allows the instrument to follow you throughout your school music career.  In other music news, mariachi and orchestra were growing too big to continue in the classroom between band and choir so they have been moved to a much bigger classroom down the hall. 

In other elective news, Neil Armstrong Middle School was able to purchase 3D printers through a grant.  We do not have a dedicated 3D printing class, but decided to partner it with the Aquabots science elective so students could print some of their own parts for their designed Aquabots.  That elective class has four periods during the first semester and one in the second semester.  We wanted to make sure those 3D printers were being used all year long.

If you are interested in participating in a fall sport, you will need to make sure to get a physical completed before the season begins.  Mr. Erik Freeman, our athletic director, is busy hiring coaches for football, soccer,  and volleyball.  More information can be found on our website, and joining a sports team is a good way of getting involved and showing your school spirit.

No longer will students be in Houses or loop with teachers from one grade level to the next.  There was a reduction in force because of budget constraints in the spring, and that, plus our goal to strengthen instruction, required us to rethink our school organization.  As we continue to develop a more robust instructional focus, we want to invest in teachers’ continuous learning by allowing them to teach the same curriculum for a few years in a row.  Math, science, health, and social studies have just adopted or will adopt new curriculum this year.  These teachers will continue to work collaboratively to offer the best instruction to all students.

We will continue to recognize student success with monthly Attendance Awards, Student of the Month honors, and will also be adding a few more positive recognition ideas at the beginning of the school year.  We look forward to seeing all our Titan community at the end of August.  Mark your calendars now for Back to School Night, which will happen on September 8 from 4:30 - 6:30 PM. 

Terry McElligott, principal

Neil Armstrong Middle School