Registration begins for 2020-2021 After the Bell

REGISTER HERE FOR ALL CARVER K-12 BEFORE AND AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAMS.

Make arrangements directly with the school to register your child in Carver’s after school program at Side By Side Chater School in Norwalk or the Classical Studies Magnet Academy in Bridgeport.

Norwalk Public Schools is delaying the start of the school year until Sept. 7. The one-week delay is needed to make sure all health and safety precautions are in place. 

Carver after school and summer 2020 programming is subject to the Norwalk Public Schools calendar and City of Norwalk public health instructions regarding the COVID-19 pandemic. Carver regularly updates its website with the latest news.

For questions about our grades K-5 after school programs, please contact our Director of Elementary School Based Programs, Tricia Massucco, at (203) 838-4305; ext 115; tricia@carvercenterct.org.

Carver provides the After the Bell program in nine Norwalk public elementary schools and in the Carver Community Center. Those interested in signing their child up for After the Bell in person should do so at the Carver Community Center, located at 7 Academy Street, Norwalk. This is a change from previous years when the After The Bell office was located in Norwalk City Hall. The program structure, locations, services, payment schedules and offerings are the same.

Welcome back to school!

What you need to know about riding the school bus!

Here is what Norwalk Public Schools is planning this new school year.

• Masks are required to ride the bus at all times. If a student arrives to the stop without a mask, one will be provided by a staff member

• Students will have assigned seats based on where their bus stop is scheduled on the route. Students will not change buses or stops and will remain in their assigned seats during the ride

• Students will load the bus from the back of the bus to the front. Students will unload the bus from the front of the bus to the back

• On arrival at the building, staff will be available to assist students into their assigned point of entry

Please have your student arrive at the scheduled bus stop 15 minutes prior to the estimated arrival time. As new bus routes have been created to reflect the new bell time schedules, we would ask that families allow a grace period while the school community adjusts to the new schedules. 

Durham School Services is the new bus company and can be reached at 203-428-4192 between the hours of 6am and 6pm.  Information regarding the new parent bus-tracking app will be distributed in September. 

If you have any concerns regarding your students assignments, please email transportation@norwalkps.org.  

Carver summer campers go on adventures, learn, and make new friends!

Here are images of our adventurous students attending our Columbus Magnet School summer camp.

Carver’s two Summer Enrichment Camps (the other occurring at the Carver Community Center) are for Norwalk students ages 5 through 13 years old. The program offerings range from field trips to project-based and hands-on personalized learning. Our students experience an amazing summer while preparing for the coming school year.

Summer camp program partners through the years (limited this year because of the pandemic) include the Maritime Acquaium, Stepping Stones Museum for Children, farms and botanical gardens, Girl Scouts, The Center for Contemporary Printmaking, Norwalk Grassroots Tennis and The Norwalk Seaport Association. Other age appropriate field trips that reinforce learning include trips to the Peabody Museum, CT Science Center, Discovery Museum, NBC Studio Tour, Stamford Nature Center, Beardsley Zoo, Bishop Orchards, New York Botanical Gardens and Maritime Aquarium. Fun outings included trips to the beach, Lake Compounce, Playland, My Three Sons, and New Roc City.

"Lights On Afterschool" is celebrated on October 22 this year

Census Cuts Counting Efforts Short By A Month

The U.S. Census Bureau is ending all counting efforts for the 2020 census on Sept. 30, a month sooner than previously announced, the bureau's director confirmed Monday in a statement. That includes critical door-knocking efforts and collecting responses online, over the phone and by mail. Cutting the #2020Census count short by a month is a mistake. We need to make every effort to count every person. Our Constitution requires it.

With roughly 4 out of 10 households nationwide yet to be counted, and already delayed by the coronavirus pandemic, the bureau now has less than two months left to try to reach people of color, immigrants, renters, rural residents and other members of historically undercounted groups who are not likely to fill out a census form on their own.

Civil rights groups, states, cities and individuals have filed at least a half-dozen lawsuits challenging the memorandum as unconstitutional and an attempt to limit the power of Latinos and immigrants of color.

506 philanthropic leaders, representing nearly every state across the country, issued a letter to the US Department of Commerce with a clear message: Don’t cut the census short. The press release and the letter sent to the Secretary of Commerce with the list of signatories are linked below. 

Letter - Philanthropic Leaders on Census Being Cut Short 8-5-20

Press Release - Philanthropic Leaders in Unprecedented Letter_ Don’t Cut the Census Short

Letter (updated) - Philanthropic Leaders on Census Being Cut Short 8-7-20

The Community Fund of Darien renews its support of Carver

Janet King and Lisa Haas from The Community Fund of Darien present this year’s award to Carver’s Chief Program Officer, Brian Alert

The Community Fund of Darien (TCF) is to Carver what Carver is to our youth – a consistent force for good that empowers us to reach for and achieve our full potential. 

Thanks to the generous support of its donors and proceeds from the successful “Community Dinners for a Cause” series last spring, The Community Fund of Darien renewed its support of Carver’s summer and after school programs with a grant of $41,000. Its Youth Community Fund also awarded Carver a generous grant for our new 2020-2021 fiscal year.

Each nonprofit that receives a grant is thoroughly vetted by TCF staff and trained local volunteers, ensuring that donor contributions are allocated where they will have the greatest benefit. Grant panels of 6-7 volunteers, composed of over 60 residents from Darien and neighboring communities, review and visit 2-3 local nonprofits each year to ensure that TCF is investing in the most effective nonprofit organizations.  This past spring, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the grant review panelists conducted their research and site visits to the nonprofits virtually. Despite the changed format, the grant review volunteers were able to learn about each organization and determine the most critical needs of our community.  

The Community Fund of Darien — and its youth — go way beyond the mechanics of effective grant making and evaluation. They proactively meet the challenges that Carver and many other beneficiaries face by leveraging resources, forging helpful networks, and by leading adaptively as a learning philanthropic community.

Thank you, Darien!

Stone Point Capital makes major multi-year commitment to Carver students

The Carver Foundation of Norwalk is delighted to announce that Stone Point Capital is awarding Carver $30,000 over two years. 

“The Carver community is deeply grateful to Mr. Gregorich, a Carver volunteer and former board member, and to everyone at Stone Point Capital for leading by example, and for helping Carver to ensure equitable outcomes for the children and youth in Norwalk and beyond,” said Novelette Peterkin, Carver’s CEO.  

“Stone Point Capital is a longtime benefactor of Carver’s programs aimed at closing opportunity gaps for all children to ensure they graduate high school on time and are ready for college and careers,” said Michael Gregorich. “The firm and its members are also steadfast sponsors of Carver’s annual Golf Classic at Shorehaven.” 

“Pulling from a deep reservoir of community spirit and a resolve to address the particular challenges that COVID-19 created for Carver students and families, we are grateful that Stone Point Capital is so generously supporting Carver’s response to the combined public health and social justice crises,” Peterkin added.

Roton Middle School teacher shares a Carver summer transition student's story

Shannon Mariconda, House Leader and 8th English Language Arts teacher at Roton Middle School was the leader of the Roton Middle School RAMS Summer Transition Program this year. Students from Brookside, Columbus, and Rowayton were invited to participate in this 5-week summer program, July 6th -August 7th.

Shannon shared a student story on Twitter.

Running Roton’s Summer Transition Program has been one of my highlights from this summer. Thank you for helping our students and teachers build deep, meaningful relationships - now it’s more important than ever. @CarverCenter #wearenps #WeAreRoton pic.twitter.com/FhK6hR2TvZ

— Shannon Mariconda (@ShannonMaricon1) August 6, 2020

Carver’s summer transition program at each of Norwalk’s four middle schools is designed to help ensure a smooth transition for students from elementary school to middle school life and practice. Research suggests that one of the most difficult transition points in education is from elementary to middle school. Navigating a larger environment, excelling with grades, multiple teachers, and juggling competing priorities can be quite challenging.

The R.A.M.S Summer Transition Program was the perfect way to comfortably bridge the huge change from elementary to middle school. R.A.M.S. Students this summer participated in the following courses: English Language Arts, Math, Science, and Social-Emotional Learning/Community Building. Breakfast and lunch were provided for free each day. For the afternoon, students received enrichment opportunities. Among an array of opportunities, enrichment included recycled art, STEAM, dodge-ball, soccer, art, coding, and much more. Transportation was provided free of charge to and from Roton.

Carver teacher Jerry Craft's award-winning book being made into a movie by LeBron James and Maverick Carter

We have written here before about one of our after school art teachers, Jerry Craft, who is a New York Times bestselling author and illustrator, whose book, “New Kid,” was the winner of the 2020 John Newbery Medal for the most outstanding contribution to children’s literature. It is the first graphic novel in the Newbery’s nearly 100 year history to receive the award.  Craft is only the fifth African-American author to land the coveted prize.

In today’s news, we learned that Universal Pictures is teaming with LeBron James and Maverick Carter’s SpringHill Entertainment to adapt Craft’s book “New Kid” into a movie.

The graphic novel was highly coveted by several other buyers but SpringHill — specifically SpringHill co-founder Maverick Carter — was so touched by the story that they aggressively went after it, eventually landing rights. The project is now a high priority for SpringHill with hopes of attaching a writer to adapt the material shortly.