August 9, 2024

Dear Parents/Guardians,

My name is Cameron Baynes and it is my privilege to serve the Penns Grove Carneys Point community as the principal at Paul W. Carleton Elementary school. As we embark on another school year, I continue to be excited about all of the learning opportunities that await our school community this upcoming school year. At Carleton, our mission is to instill social and academic confidence in our students by providing opportunities for creativity, expression and the satisfaction of intellectual curiosity. We believe that all of our students are destined to be “Leaders and Achievers”

The first day of school is Thursday, September 5, 2024 and is a full day. School hours for Carleton School are 8:30 am – 2:45 pm. Bus drop off time at school begins around 8:15 am. Please check your child’s Genesis portal for bus stop location and pick up time. On the first day of school only, parents may accompany their child onto the playground and into their classroom until 9:00 am.

Your help and assistance is needed to allow for a safe environment for students being dropped off and picked up daily:

• Please be sure to drop students off on the PWC side of Smith Avenue. We want all of our students to be safe, and we don’t want them to have to cross the busy street.

• Walkers and students dropped off on Smith Avenue must cross at crosswalk area and when possible an adult should help them cross.

• During dismissal, if you are parked on the other side of Smith Avenue, your child should use the crosswalk or remain on the sidewalk for an adult to come and escort them across the street.

• Students who need to cross Route 130/Virginia Avenue, must walk on sidewalk and be crossed by the crossing guard located across from Andy’s.

• Parking or stopping in the driveway of the building is strictly prohibited at any time. Please use the parking lot.

Our school community is committed to making sure that every student receives an engaging and rigorous learning experience that prepares them for their future endeavors. We will treat your students with respect, we will encourage and inspire your student(s) but most importantly, we will love them.

Academically, we challenge our students to do their very best and put forth-maximum effort at all times. Our English Language Arts and Math curriculums are designed to ensure that students are learning all of the required skills as indicated by the State of New Jersey and the Department of Education. We provide our students with learning opportunities that take into consideration their interests and learning styles. Our staff works hard to make sure that your students receive a personalized education program that is fun and engaging.

We recognize that our students have academic and social learning needs. We are intentional in addressing the social components of our students’ development. Carleton continues to participate in the “D.R.E.A.M.S.” program. This program helps our school community to better support students and families that have been exposed to trauma. We are intentional about recognizing the greatness that exists in all of our students. We focus on their strengths. We also use the S.I.L.A.S. program to support the socioemotional growth and development of our students.

At PWC, your students will have extracurricular options including Lego club, safety patrol, band/choir club and chess. Our chess program is school wide and every student will learn to play as a part of his/her instructional program. We also offer dance and S.T.E.A.M. options for students. There will be tutoring opportunities provided to students throughout the school year. We also provide the 21st Century after School program which allows students a chance to participate in fun and engaging activities like cooking, sports, coding, photography etc.

We look forward to the beginning of the 2024-25 school year and we thank you for your partnership. Thank you for allowing us the opportunity to educate and grow with your students! We are going to have an amazing school year on purpose.

Sincerely,

Cameron D. Baynes

& Staff at Paul W. Carleton School

cc: Dr. Cobian