Art

Carver is one of three elementary campuses in the District to have a full time art teacher. Students have the freedom to express themselves through a variety of artistic media, including weaving, pottery, printmaking and watercolor.

Students work collaboratively with each other and a highly trained art teacher to complete projects that stretch their creativity and their sense of invention.

Carver scholars learn about visual graphics and develop the language skills to evaluate and critique professional artists’ works.

Drama

Carver has a full-size auditorium and stage. This creates unique opportunities to offer a Drama Club at the elementary level.

Students audition for their parts because it is a large commitment to be involved. Students rehearse after school three days every week during play season and produce a full stage production.

The students are involved with every bit of each stage production which includes memorizing lines, designing costumes, creating sets, and even managing the lights and sound.

Piano Lab

Playing the piano engages every area of the brain, bridging the two hemispheres in a way that is different from any other arts or academic activity.

There are only a handful of piano labs available to elementary students across the state of Texas, and Carver’s piano lab is the only such lab in the Amarillo area.

The Carver piano lab is state of the art, providing keyboards that connect with headphones and the teacher. Students learn to read music and even compose their own songs. Carver pianists perform in a school recital and compete at the Greater Southwest Music Festival.

Vocal Music

Vocal music is more than just singing, it connects students to history, improves reading fluency, and naturally encourages teamwork. Carver students feel the power of creating something from nothing as they work towards preparing for a performance.

Exploring music using their own voice is truly a wonderful experience, but exploring music through dance is where students truly come alive! The power of play aids in enhancing social skills, development of gross motor skills, and teaches respect for oneself and others.

This may be a vocal music class, but our students also play instruments! Carver Elementary is the only elementary campus in the District with a full set of adult-and-student-sized guitars. The classroom also provides various drums, shakers, xylophones, and all sorts of fun instruments to play. Anyone and everyone is a musician at Carver.

Environmental Science

Some elementary campuses might have an occasional snake or fish tank, but Carver students dive into raising tilapia in large tanks located in one of three greenhouses located on the school campus. In another greenhouse students propagate plants by seed and use a hydroponics growing system.

An important aspect of the program is conservation of water; rainwater is captured and students learn the importance of reusing captured rainwater to protect our environment.