Dear Carver Families & Wonderful Santa Ana Community, 

Welcome back to a new school year and I hope you all enjoyed your Summer with your family.  Our team at Carver are very excited to begin the 2023-2024 school year.  For the past two years, we have been working on our vision to produce new programs for all students to experience rich learning opportunities that integrates science and work-based project studies into their core program.  Those of you that have been with us these past few years have witnessed the work students engaged in with our Santa Ana Zoo Partners.  I’m excited to announce that our partnership with the Santa Ana Zoo has grown this year and we have now invited Heroes Elementary to join our team for this academic experience. 

As our teachers and support staff prepare for the first day of instruction, we will dedicate our time to continue Carver’s collaborative success by sustaining and building upon its Culture and Climate, while adding a Human Element to everything we do.   

I will be committed to ensure that we:

• Provide the highest quality learning experiences for all students. 
• Support the individual needs of all students and families.
• Ensure the health, safety and well-being of all students and staff. 
• Provide clear communication throughout all transitions to stakeholders

As you all enjoy your final Summer days, I would like to highlight some items to your attention: 

Environmental Literacy at Carver 

This school year, we are beginning our third phase of implementing a strong focus on Environmental Literacy. By the end of last school year, all general education teachers and counselors at Carver have been Project Lead the Way “PLTW” trained. PLTW takes Science to a different level, providing students with more opportunities to learn how to solve problems, think critically and creatively, communicate, and collaborate.  Our partnership with SAUSD Career Technical Education program “CTE” provides us with ongoing teacher training and student support.  During this new academic school year, we will now be applying PLTW learning to our Santa Ana field study units.  This step will provide students the opportunity to apply their classroom knowledge in the community.

STEAM Lab (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Mathematics)

In addition to PLTW and our Santa Ana Zoo Project, we are launching a new STEAM Lab at Carver!  Our STEAM Lab will bring additional hands-on science learning activities to all students. The STEAM Lab will operate on a rotation basis, giving access to grade level appropriate programs, such as botany, robotics, virtual reality activities, code engineering, and 3D printing. 

Community Schools

Carver Elementary has been declared a Community School after undergoing a rigorous grant application process.  Soon, our site will be funded for a full time community school coordinator that will support the integration of community initiatives, augment parent support, student enrichment, and local agency support. Our goal is that Carver becomes a community school that provides services and supports that fit the Artesia-Pilar neighborhood.  Our mission is that Carver is supported by people who know how to work together and who know our children best.

As your school community leader, it is important to me that everyone involved feel connected, welcomed, and excited to be at Carver!  These feelings will enable us to continuously grow social emotionally and academically.  I look forward to see you all this year! 

~Mr. Bruhl  

Jimmy Bruhl  

Principal, Carver Elementary School, SAUSD 

jimmy.bruhl@sausd.us