On Wednesday, Jan. 29, Gov. Josh Stein was welcomed back to Eastern Elementary School in Greenville by student leaders and a green smoothie. Having previously visited before the 2024 election, Stein was excited to return during the school’s wellness week, where students are focused on building healthy habits.

“What does it mean to eat the rainbow?” Stein asked the students. 

Several hands flew in the air as one eager student responded, “It means we eat all the colors of the rainbow in our foods.”

Stein met with students, educators, and parents and learned more about free school meals and the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) program. A group of student leaders gave Stein a tour of the school, featuring the wellness week stop in the cafeteria as well as the gym and a STEM classroom. During the cafeteria stop, Stein tried the green smoothie students ate with their breakfast.

“Students are learning about fruits and vegetables and the food that we need to put in our bodies so that we are healthy. Studies show that when kids are hungry, they don’t learn. It’s not surprising. If your stomach is aching, you’re not paying attention. You’re agitated. You’re moving around the classroom. We need for our children to have nutritious meals every day so they can come in here and learn and thrive,” said Stein.

Administrators shared how children have benefitted from the free school meals program, including that the meals improved student focus throughout the day and enhanced learning.

“I want to thank the commitment of Pitt County Public Schools and the school board members here for understanding that the basic building block of learning is health,” Stein said.

Eastern Elementary is a STEM school and Stein was eager to see what work goes on in the classroom. He said he was impressed with what he saw.

“What’s nice about their STEM program is they’re not only learning the science, technology and engineering and math, but they are tying that curriculum back to their general curriculum, so it’s mutually reinforcing, and they’re getting value from what they’re learning,” he said.

During the visit, Stein highlighted his education policy priorities, which include raising teacher pay, addressing student hunger, and investing in more school nurses, counselors, and social workers.

Public schools offer choice

The Governor’s visit happened during National School Choice Week.

Held Jan. 26-Feb. 1, 2025, this national event helps “parents to discover the K-12 education options available for their children, including traditional public, public charter, public magnet, online, private, and home schooling.”

Public schools offer an abundance of choice for students and parents, as this post from the N.C. Department of Public Instruction notes.

Many public schools offer programmatic choice, as well. Eastern Elementary is a NC STEM School of Distinction.

“Visiting Eastern Elementary School today reaffirmed what I know to be true: our public schools are the launching pad of our state’s future,” said Stein.