Tony Hoffman Shares Powerful Message with 8th Graders

Eighth-grade students from across Craven County Schools recently gathered at Grover C. Fields Middle School for a powerful and inspiring presentation by nationally recognized speaker Tony Hoffman.

Hoffman shared his personal story of overcoming addiction, incarceration, and adversity to rebuild his life through recovery and purpose. Through his honest and heartfelt message, students learned about the serious impacts of substance abuse and the importance of making positive life choices.

As students prepare to transition into high school, Hoffman encouraged them to think critically about the decisions they make and the influences around them. His message focused on accountability, resilience, and the power of choosing a healthier path, even when faced with challenges.

The presentation offered students a meaningful opportunity to hear firsthand how poor choices can affect a person’s future, while also emphasizing that change and recovery are always possible.

This impactful learning experience was made possible thanks to the support of the Craven County Board of Commissioners, whose funding helped bring the program to students across the district.

Craven County Schools remains committed to providing students with educational experiences that support their well-being, personal growth, and long-term success.

CONGRATULATIONS TO J.T. BARBER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

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Craven County Schools Students Recognized in America 250

NC County Flag Challenge

Students from Trent Park Elementary, Brinson Memorial Elementary, and Roger Bell New Tech Academy recently earned top honors in the America 250 NC County Flag Challenge, a statewide initiative encouraging fourth-grade students to design a flag that represents their county’s history, culture, and identity.

The challenge, created by America 250 NC, invited fourth-grade students from across North Carolina to create original county flag designs that reflect how they see and experience their local communities. The program aims to help students think critically about local history, geography, and culture while connecting classroom learning to the upcoming 250th anniversary of the United States.

In Craven County, students demonstrated remarkable creativity and pride in their community through thoughtful designs and written reflections explaining the symbolism behind their flags.

Sophia, a fourth-grade student from Brinson Memorial Elementary School, earned first place in the Craven County competition. Her design stood out for its creativity and meaningful representation of the community.

Harper, a student from Roger Bell New Tech Academy, was named the runner-up, also impressing judges with a thoughtful and creative flag design that captured the spirit of Craven County.

Through this exciting challenge, students reflected on their schools, communities, and personal interests while considering how their county should be remembered as part of this historic national milestone. The activity also provided teachers with educational resources and worksheets designed to help incorporate the nation’s 250th anniversary into lessons about North Carolina’s local history.

Craven County Schools is proud of Sophia, Harper, and all participating students for their creativity, hard work, and dedication to representing their community.

To see all winning entries from across North Carolina and read the essays that accompany each design, visit:

https://www.america250.nc.gov/programs/county-flag-challenge-winning-entries

New Bern Live hosted its Annual Cheer in the New Year Cheerleading Competition on Saturday, February 28th. This competition not only serves as an avenue for cheer teams to compete against other programs in their division but also as a fundraising event, with all proceeds going directly back to the participating cheer programs. Several middle school and high school teams were present this year, including CCS schools HJ McDonald, Grover C. Fields, Havelock High School, and New Bern High School. 

In the Traditional Non-Tumble Middle School Division, Grover C. Feilds placed 2nd, and HJ McDonald placed 3rd. 

In the Traditional Non-Tumble JV Division, Havelock High School JV placed 1st, and NBHS placed 2nd. 

Both NBHS Varsity and Havelock High Varsity placed 1st in their respective divisions (Traditional Non-Tumble and Traditional Co-Ed). 

New Bern High School Varsity took home the Overall Grand Champions, and Addison Brinson from NBHS took home the Jump Off Champion award. 

Congratulations to all!

Athletics-SWIM RESULTS

We are proud of all of our student athletes!

NBHS Swim Regionals (top 8) Boys finished 5th/Girls 14th

Men's 200 Freestyle - Reid Scoggins - 8th Place

Men's 200 Individual Medley - Marshall Hinckley - 5th Place

Men's 100 Freestyle - Reid Scoggins - 4th Place

Men's 100 Breaststroke - Marshall Hinckley - 4th Place

Men's 200 Free Relay - 4th Place - Marshal Hinckley, Matthew Fitzgerald, Jayden Cotto, and Reid Scoggins

Men's 400 Freestyle Relay - 4th Place - Reid Scoggins, Matthew Fitzgerald, Jayden Cotto, and Marshall Hinckley

NBHS Swim States (top 8) Boys finished 14th

Men's 200 Individual Medley - Marshall Hinckley - 8th Place

Men's 100 Breaststroke - Marshall Hinckley - 6th Place

NBHS Swim Conference (top 3) Boys 1st Place/Girls 2nd Place

Men's 200 Freestyle - Reid Scoggins - 2nd Place

Women's 200 Individual Medley - Lisa Shearman - 3rd PLace

Men's 200 Individual Medley - Marshall Hinckley -1st Place (Conference Champion)

                         Cole Davidson - 2nd Place

Women's 50 Freestyle - Bailey Donlin - 1st Place (Conference Champion)

Men's 50 Freestyle - Jayden Cotto - 3rd Place

Women's 100 Butterfly - Lisa Shearman - 3rd Place

Men's 100 Butterfly - Matthew Fitzgerald - 1st Place (Conference Champion)

                 Cole Davidson - 3rd Place

Women's 100 Freestyle - Bailey Donlin - 1st Place (Conference Champion)

Men's 100 Freestyle - Reid Scoggins - 2nd Place

Women's 500 Freestyle - Mary Mac Hott - 2nd Place

Women's 100 Backstroke - Mary Mac Hott - 2nd Place

Men's 100 Backstroke - Matthew Fitzgerald - 2nd Place

Women's 100 Breaststroke - Maya Marks - 3rd Place

Men's 100 Breaststroke - Marshall Hinckley - 1st Place (Conference Champion)

Men's 200 Free Relay - 1st Place - Marshal Hinckley, Matthew Fitzgerald, Jayden Cotto, and Reid Scoggins (Conference Champions)

Women's 400 Freestyle Relay - 2nd Place - Mary Mac Hott, Lisa Shearman, Maya Marks, and Bailey Donlin

Men's 400 Freestyle Relay - 2nd Place - Reid Scoggins, Matthew Fitzgerald, Cole Davidson, and Marshall Hinckley

Regional Championship Scores:

(Women) HHS - #11 / NBHS - #14

(Men) NBHS - #5/ HHS - #8

State Championship Scores:

(Women) HHS - #28

(Men) NBHS - #14/HHS - #17

Havelock swim team (both men's and women's) finished 4th in our conference meet 

For conference: (Results of top 5 finishes)

Ryan Ventry finished 1st in 50 Free, 3rd for 100 Free

Nathan Folk finished 3rd for the 200 Free

Maison Moore finished 3rd in 50 Free, and 2nd in the 100 Butterfly

Reese Castecka finished 4th in IM and 5th in 100 Breastroke

Girls 200 Medley Relay- 4th place Maura Griffee, Reese Castecka, Janessa Majado, Maison Moore

Girls 400 Relay- 3rd place  Reese Castecka, Janessa Mojado, Leah Folk, Maison Moore

Boys 200 Medley Relay- 4th place Nathan Folk, Gavin Ulrich, Ryan Ventry, Aiden Young

Boys 200 free Relay - 4th place Nathan Folk, Gavin Ulrich, Elijah Taylor, Aiden Young

Boys 400 FreeRelay- 3rd place Nathan Folk, Aiden Young, Gavin Ulrich, Ryan Ventry

The Havelock men's swim team placed 8th in the 5A regional meet and the women's team placed 11th at the regional meet

(top 10 finishes)

Ryan Ventry, 3rd in 50 Free and 6th in 100 Free

Maison Moore, 5th, 100 Butterfly and 6th in 500 Free

Nathan Folk, 9th in 100 Free

6th in the men's 200 Free Relay- Nathan Folk, Gavin Ulrich, Aiden Young, Ryan Ventry 

10th in women's 400 Free Relay- Janessa Mojado, Maison Moore, Leah Folk, Reese Castecka 

3rd in men's 400 Free Relay Nathan Folk, Aiden Young, Gavin Ulrich, Ryan Ventry

The men's swim team placed 17th out of 41 at the state meet and the women placed 28th out of 41 at the state meet.

Dr. Thomas Shares Insights at Craven Community College

Black History Month Program

Dr. Thomas, Principal of New Bern High School, was honored to participate in Craven Community College’s Annual Black History Month Program on Thursday, February 19, 2026.

The program, held from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., centered around this year’s theme, “A Shared Dream: Remembering the Past, Envisioning the Future.” Dr. Thomas engaged students by exploring how Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s vision and dream connect to their own experiences and aspirations today. His presentation encouraged students to reflect on the history of the Civil Rights Movement while considering the role each generation plays in shaping a more equitable and inclusive future.

Craven Community College expressed appreciation for Dr. Thomas’ commitment to sharing his time, expertise, and perspective, recognizing the impact of school leaders in inspiring students and reinforcing the importance of leadership, civic responsibility, and cultural awareness.

Dr. Thomas’ participation highlights the partnership between Craven County Schools and Craven Community College in providing students with meaningful learning experiences and opportunities to explore history, identity, and their own potential to make a difference.

Craven County Schools Recognized for Excellence in Communication

The North Carolina School Public Relations Association (NCSPRA) has recognized Craven County Schools for excellence in communication. Craven County Schools received a total of 5 Blue Ribbon Awards for outstanding and effective communication. NCSPRA awarded these honors during a special ceremony held at the Guilford County Schools Community Education Center in Greensboro, NC, on March 6, 2026.

Craven County Schools received 5 Gold-level awards for outstanding Digital Media Engagement (3 awards), Image/Graphic Design, and Electronic Media. The judges praised the work of one of the Digital Media Engagement entries, “Kid Principal is an excellent example of how a single, well-told student story can drive meaningful digital engagement. By pairing authentic visuals with a straightforward narrative and strong cross-platform distribution, the district successfully highlighted leadership, creativity, and student-centered learning. The impressive metrics and emotional appeal make this a standout submission in the Digital Media Engagement category.”

This year, Craven County Schools also received its first BEST OF THE BEST Award under the Image/Graphic Design Category with the entry CCS Celebrates Being a Purple Star District for the Fourth Year. The feedback from the judges stated, “Beautiful graphic! A diverse, well laid-out campaign that is very eye-catching. The colors were vivid and worked well together.”

Dr. Tracey Helton, NCSPRA President and Chief Communication Officer for Guilford County Schools, presented the awards and stated that the winners' work exemplifies the high standards of the North Carolina School Public Relations Association and the outstanding contributions of its members. “We are extremely proud of the work being done by NCSPRA members across the state as districts face a variety of challenges in education. The Blue Ribbon Award winners have demonstrated excellence in all areas of communication. Their expertise and professionalism in the field highlight the superior work being done by North Carolina public schools, and their achievements deserve recognition. I congratulate all the winners for their outstanding efforts as they support students and teachers and promote public education.”   

NCSPRA recognizes outstanding communications annually through its Blue Ribbon Awards program. Craven County Schools was among 35 school districts statewide to receive a Blue Ribbon Award. This year’s submission categories included Strategic Communications, Digital Media Engagement, Electronic Media, Excellence in Writing, Publications, Image/Graphic Design, Photography, and Special Projects and Events. The Georgia School Public Relations Association judged NCSPRA’s 2025 Blue Ribbon entries based on work done between October 31, 2024, and November 1, 2025.

In addition to the Blue Ribbon Awards and Best of the Best Awards, NCSPRA awarded its School Communicator of the Year to Dr. Lindsay Whitley of Cumberland County Schools and the Barry Gaskins Service Award to Ellen Boyd, APR, formerly of Kannapolis City Schools and NCSPRA’s longtime Executive Director.