Respect others.

Take responsibility.

Seek help.

Attend class.

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These were among the goals Hammond High School students presented for improving their school during Gov. Martin O’Malley’s visit Tuesday.

“We were trying to find out why kids weren’t solving their problems in a verbal way,” said senior Casey Morris, 17, referring to the summit in which about 60 students met this summer to discern ways to address the fights at the school last year, among other issues.

“There’s a tremendous amount of focus and you sense that as soon as you walk into the building,” O’Malley said of Hammond.

Principal Sterlind Burke Sr. said a group of students who participated in the summit will join his advisory council.

“They will keep me informed about what needs to happen here at Hammond,” he said. “And if it’s educationally sound, it’ll happen.”

Students asked the governor many questions, including what lessons he learned from high school to which he responded that expectations become behavior and the right amount of adversity fuels progress.

“It was great to hear [O’Malley] interact with us,” said junior Barry Kamen, 16. “He has a great idea of education and what it means, especially in Howard County.”

The governor later toured the school’s gymnasium and auditorium, areas that could be in need of work.

This year, Howard County received $23 million for public school and improvement projects, according to O’Malley. County Executive Ken Ulman, Superintendent Sydney Cousin, school board members, students and other school officials joined O’Malley at lunch.

jkowalkowski@baltimoreexaminer.com