Dear Carver families, Welcome to the 2024-2025 school year! I hope this letter finds you and your Eagle refreshed for the journey ahead! On behalf of Mrs. Ryan Thorne, our Assistant Principal, and myself, we are excited to welcome everyone back for the start of another great school year. At G.W. Carver, we believe every challenge presents an opportunity for growth. Whether mastering a new skill, making new friends, or exploring creative ideas, we are here to encourage and guide your children every step of the way. Our dedicated teachers and staff are committed to providing an engaging and supportive learning experience that inspires curiosity, resilience, and a love of learning. We also believe education is a partnership between the school, students, and their families. Together, we can create an environment where our Eagles can reach their fullest potential. I am honored to work alongside this exceptional team of educators dedicated to providing your children with the best possible learning experience. This year, we will continue to foster a positive and inclusive school community where every child feels valued, supported, and empowered to reach their full potential. Our commitment to academic excellence remains unwavering, and we have exciting plans to enhance our curriculum, incorporate innovative teaching methods, and provide enriching extracurricular opportunities. Communication will be crucial throughout this year, and we value your involvement in your child's education. We encourage you to maintain open lines of communication with your child's teacher and stay connected with the school through our various channels, including our school website, Facebook, the ECPS app (replacing Dojo), and parent-teacher conferences. We believe in the power of collaboration and look forward to working with you to support your child's success. Our theme for the year is "Challenge Accepted: Operation Excellence," and I am eager to embark on this journey with all of you. This theme is more than just words—it's a commitment to embrace challenges, strive for excellence, and support each other in achieving our highest potential. Here's to a fantastic year filled with growth, discovery, and achievement! Let’s have a great year and continue to SOAR HIGH together! Warmest regards, Lindsay Palmer Principal

Carver Family, Having served as the NELA principal resident at G. W. Carver for the 2022-2023 academic year, I look forward to continuing to serve the Carver community as your proud assistant principal for the 2023-2024 academic year! I grew up in New Bern, North Carolina and graduated from Duke University in 2016. Before joining the field of public education, I worked in art museums and institutions. In 2018, I joined Teach for America in order to give back to the Eastern North Carolina community that raised me. I served Edgecombe County Public Schools as a classroom teacher for four years, having taught middle grades general education at Phillips Middle School and special education at South Edgecombe Middle School, before joining the Carver community as the administrative intern last fall. I have completed a Master of Science in Education through Johns Hopkins University (2020) and a Master of School Administration through North Carolina State University (2023). I believe in a possible future. I believe in a future in which every child, family, and staff member loves walking through the doors of the school. I believe in equipping our scholars with agency, the capacity to generate meaningful change in their lives and in the lives of others. I believe in educating all children through high-quality, effective, and rigorous instruction, equipping them with twenty-first century skills. I believe in supporting the whole child socially and emotionally through trauma-responsive practices and leadership development. I believe in supporting each professional in the building, coaching them in data-driven practices. I believe in equity, responding to the needs of the individual while holding high expectations for all. I believe in developing leaders, scholars and staff alike. I believe in forming coalitions between all invested constituents - students, staff, families, and the community at large - in order to foster citizens ready and willing to respond to the world’s most pressing matters. I believe in this possible future and I believe that we can achieve this at G. W. Carver. SOAR HIGH! Ryan Thorne