National School Change Award at Carver

Today I had the pleasure of attending the Panasonic National School Change Awards ceremony for Carver Middle School. I would like to share with you some remarks I made while introducing Dr. Lew Smith, Director of the Panasonic National School Change Awards.

We expect a lot from young people:
We expect you to study hard. Get good grades. Believe in yourself. Do your best. Help your community. Make good choices. Be a friend. Dream big. Be a success.

The National School Change Award is proof that our students at Carver Middle School are succeeding in a big, big way. You have decided that you will excel in class, that you will make a difference in the community and that you will achieve your dreams. Your commitment to excellence is clear.

Congratulations to the Carver Cougars on this outstanding accomplishment. I am proud of your success, and I am happy to share this moment with you.

Let’s not stop. I challenge Carver Middle School to continue to move forward, to work hard and to see how much higher your star can rise. There are no limits to what you can achieve if you remain focused and committed.

At this time, I would like to introduce Dr. Lew Smith, who is here to present the Panasonic National School Change Award to Carver Middle School. Dr. Smith is directs the National School Change Program, which is based at Fordham University in New York. He began his career as a high school social studies teacher and has extensive experience in many, many areas of education.

This is the third time that I have helped welcome Dr. Smith to Chesterfield County Public Schools because this is the third year in a row that a Chesterfield school has won a National School Change Award. We are always delighted to greet Dr. Smith with a warm Chesterfield County welcome.