Superintendent Art Jarvis had lunch with the McCarver Elementary School parents advisory group and Principal Dan Tharp on Wednesday, Jan. 7. The McCarver group was the winner in the “Spin to Win” lunch contest and had an hour lunch with Dr. Jarvis.
Parents and staff were engaged and enthusiastic throughout the lunch. After the meeting, Jarvis jokingly said, “I have been a superintendent for 24 years, and my favorite thing to do is to come and visit schools.” One of the topics of discussion was how to help students who have missed school and have fallen behind catch up on their assignments.
Currently, McCarver has an after-school program that helps struggling students with their assignments. The students also participate in fun activities such as culinary arts, dance and sports. The Communities in Schools program is designed to help students academically but also is a tool to get more parents involved in their child’s education and so far it has worked. The program started off with parent volunteers who stated that the children have been a motivating factor for them. Their hope is that as the program grows, it will also be a lesson to parents on how to support their children with school work at home.
While the McCarver was the first recipient of the “Spin to Win” contest, the school also celebrated the recognition of their Principal Dan Tharp. Tharp was honored by the Elementary School Principals Association of Washington (ESPAW) as their “2009 Distinguished Principal”. His great work continues to reflect on the children.
