PTA President's Message 2025-26

Dear Carver Pioneers,

Welcome to the 2025-2026 school year! I am excited to serve as this year’s Carver Elementary PTA President. This is my fifteenth year as a Carver Elementary parent. Carver Elementary holds a special place in my heart and I am honored to work with Principal Caldwell and the amazing teachers and staff.

As a parent of four children, I would like to share the impact Carver has had on them. I remember bringing my first son, Caleb, to the Carver kindergarten yard for the first time. He was apprehensive about starting his academic journey then. Under the watchful eye of his teachers, he grew to thrive at Carver Elementary. He discovered a passion for computer science in 4th grade at the Carver computer lab. He thrived in the Carver Science Fair and found a love for baseball with the San Marino Little League. This past June, I shed tears of joy as he graduated from San Marino High School. He will be matriculating to USC this fall in his dream program. I attribute the foundations of his success to the nurturing teachers and staff at Carver and I am forever grateful.

My daughter Ava is now entering her junior year at SMHS. She found a passion in the creative arts and performance from her time at Carver. I still remember her working hard to receive her speech trophy for doing 13 speeches - an amazing feat! My son Joshua, now a rising 8th grader at HMS, found his gifting in leadership at Carver, serving as Class President in 5th grade. And finally, my youngest child, Selah, is thriving as a rising 3rd grader at Carver.

This year’s Carver PTA theme is “Carver Is Awesome.” Why? Principal Caldwell, the teachers, and staff are Awesome. The Carver PTA parent community is Awesome. I know this is true, not because of the many national and state accolades Carver Elementary has received over the years… it’s because of the personal growth I have witnessed in my own children due to the foundations of excellence established while at Carver Elementary.

With your support, the PTA can provide many beloved enrichment programs that make Carver such an Awesome place to be. A few of the PTA funded activities include: Carver Carnival, Family Picnic, Walking School Bus, Lunar New Year festivities, Bike Rodeo, Book Fair, Author events at our very own Carver Library, Cultural Events and Experiences, Field Trips, Red Ribbon Week, Reflections, Science Fair, Music and Art Enrichment, Science Enrichment, Holiday and Spring Performances, and Teacher/Staff Appreciation Week.

So, I invite you to join the Carver PTA, get involved, and let’s build this community together! Whether you volunteer for a big project or lend a hand remotely, every contribution counts! As a full time working pediatrician, I know how busy life can be and I greatly appreciate everyone’s time and efforts for Carver.

To stay informed about school and PTA happenings, please be sure to do the following:

✔Check the School Calendar for up-to-date information and/or sync it to your phone by hitting "subscribe" ✔ Sign up for Carver’s weekly newsletter at www.carverschool.us .

✔ Be on the lookout for emails from your child’s room reps.

✔ Join our Carver PTA Community Facebook Group

✔ Follow @CarverPioneersPTA on Instagram.

✔ Attend our monthly PTA meetings. Be on the lookout for information on how you can join us via Zoom.

Looking forward to building an Awesome year together!

With much appreciation,

Cathy Newton, MD

2025-2026

Carver PTA President