Spring usually signals the Season of Leaving has officially begun. The Season of Leaving can happen any time of year when a move is on the horizon, but many families have military orders in hand as the school year closes and they are anxiously reviewing their to-do list. Aside from the long list of tasks associated with moving an entire household across country or overseas, there are details families should tackle earlier rather than later when withdrawing from a school.

Supporting a young student or teenager through school transition can be complicated and emotional. Between securing credit transfers and proper school documentation, parents will have many tangible tasks to run down before moving from their school community. But some of the critical items on the Season of Leaving checklist shouldn’t be left until the final days. Below are a few steps parents should tackle as early as possible when planning to exit a school.

Teacher to Teacher Letters

These letters are a written communication or letter from a current teacher to a future teacher. It’s a way for a teacher or coach to introduce a student’s ability and personality. Busy teachers need extra time to be able to write thoughtful communication. We recommend giving a busy educator at least six weeks to complete the letter.

For elementary age students, Teacher to Teacher Letters should include academic strengths and weaknesses, areas of growth, learning style, and insights into character. It’s a way to shorten the “get to know you” period between teachers and new students. For older students, having a favorite teacher or coach write a simple letter of recommendation on the student’s behalf will help with applying for new academic clubs or associations, possible summer jobs, or joining new competitive teams. It can be helpful for college applications, too.

To make it easier for the current teacher, parents or older students should give the teacher a few ideas or a sample letter. Giving teachers guidance for comments and a healthy lead time enables a timely return.

Build an Education Binder

An essential step in school transition is getting organized. Building a binder with important documentation for each school-age child in the home will ease the registration process at a new school. A binder can be as simple or complex as needed. Start by accumulating school documents before they are needed.

Items to gather when orders are imminent include shot records, past report cards, work samples, copies of textbook covers or current online curriculum programs. It’s also a smart idea to begin working on school physicals before moving so students can transition quickly into summer camps, sports, and more at their new location.

Organize important school documents separately from other moving documents. Hand-carry essential education documents in an easy to grab-and-go binder during the moving process until the student is registered in their new school.

Understand any change in curriculum between locations. Many states are heavy in virtual learning while others are offering traditional in-person learning. There may need to be a deeper discovery of the gaps and overlaps. Document what students are currently working with, how they managed, issues that have developed, if any, and add it to the binder. This will help when registering at a new school.

Plan the Goodbyes and Stay Connected

It’s a good idea to begin thinking about how the student will say goodbye to fellow classmates, teammates, teachers, and friends. Saying a proper goodbye allows everyone to have some closure. From goodbye drive-bys to quick air hugs, it’s important to provide emotional closure. It’s an intentional act and a way to connect and stay connected through the moving process for kids.

Over the past year, school transition has been tough on military-connected students in new communities. Between social distancing, mask wearing, school closures, and reduction of extracurriculars offered, it’s been a rough road for many families. It’s critical that parents help students connect and stay connected during the Season of Leaving. Make a plan to stay in touch with the student’s friends and teachers through the moving process so children can continue to grow socially and emotionally.

After a move, it could be months before a child will be able to make friends that they are comfortable enough to text, FaceTime, or play with. By considering the child’s current strong, healthy friendships, parents can encourage their child to keep in touch with those friends throughout the transition process.

The Season of Leaving is one of four Seasons of Transition^TM, and for parents, it can be the most daunting one. Start early to help with a smooth transition: Prep teachers with letters of communications from previous teachers, gather and organize important school documentation, and mentally check in to plan for the emotional side of saying goodbye.

Stacy Huisman is a mother of two, Air Force spouse, and freelance writer. An advocate with a passion for military-connected children and their families, Stacy is coauthor of Seasons of My Military Student: Practical Ideas for Parents and Teachers. She’s dedicated the last decade to understanding the challenges military kids face when changing schools. 

More about supporting students during the Season of Leaving:

• Good Goodbyes Build Resilience and Strong Relationships
• Exit Plan Cultivates a Healthy Season of Leaving
• How to join the Seasons of My Military Student Cultivation Team

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Season of Leaving

• Taking any pandemic-related restrictions and limitations into account, include all the same key steps when making an Exit Plan.
• When gathering documents for the Education Binder, request or create electronic copies for easy sharing, including teacher-to-teacher letters.
• Take time to say goodbye. Make video calls, write letters, make goodbye cards or gifts for special friends and teachers.

Season of Arriving

• To establish the student-advocacy team when new students and parents can’t meet with teachers in person, introduce a student by email: Include any information normally shared in an initial meeting: how the student is handling the move, learning style, educational needs, concerns.
• Teachers and parents can follow up with phone calls to ask questions and share more complete information.
• When it’s not possible to share the physical Education Binder, share electronic versions of essential pages by email. Parents can let teachers know they have a complete record of the student and can provide more information as needed.

Season of Growing, Season of Thriving

• To establish a growing and thriving student, whether classes are in-person or online, it’s important to assess whether any struggles are caused by gaps and overlaps in curriculum, the student’s personal adjustment, or academic ability. This assessment can be complicated if the student is having trouble with virtual learning or having trouble making friends because of social distancing.
• In any learning environment, students should be encouraged to set academic and personal goals and to advocate for themselves in age-appropriate ways.

Storms

Storms of military life, deployment, combat injury, and loss, can occur in any season or any learning environment, and having a strong student-advocacy team is essential.

• Effective communication between parents and educators helps coordinate support for the student.
• Bring in additional members to the student-advocacy team as needed.

When in-person contact is limited or in virtual school situations, strategies can be adapted for any season or storm. Additionally, the provisions of the The Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children are still in effect for military-connected students. For up-to date information about COVID-related changes in public and Department of Defense Education Activity schools, the Military Interstate Children’s Compact Commission,  provides regular updates at MIC3.net.

In changing school environments, the Seasons of Transition^TM are still a way of life for military-connected students and their families. Having an effective and adaptable game plan will make the best of any season.

Adapted from Seasons of My Military Student: Practical Ideas for Parents and Teachers by Amanda Trimillos, EdD, and Stacy Allsbrook-Huisman.

More about transitions in the COVID environment:

• Stormy Season of Leaving: PCSing During the Pandemic
• Back to School: Supporting Teachers Strengthens the Team
• Superintendent Emphasizes Support for Teachers, Students, Parents

The post Game Plan: Adapting Strategies for Every Season appeared first on Seasons of My Military Student.

Military families moving in the midst of pandemic conditions are experiencing a stormy Season of Leaving. For these families, a solid exit plan and good communication are more important than ever, say Amanda Trimillos, EdD, and Stacy Allsbrook-Huisman, authors of Seasons of My Military Student: Practical Ideas for Parents and Teachers.

Both Amanda’s and Stacy’s families are set to move this summer. Their permanent change of station (PCS) orders put their families in the Season of Leaving, in spite of temporary delays caused by the Pentagon’s stop-move order.

The milestones of the Season of Leaving are often set and scheduled weeks or even months in advance. Families move from anticipation of a move, to official orders, to preparation, to departure in a fairly predictable procession. For Amanda and Stacy and thousands of military families like theirs, coronavirus circumstances have complicated that process.

Plan and Communicate

“Storms can happen in any season, and this is a storm,” says Amanda. “Families might be in the Season of Leaving or getting into the groove in the Season of Growing, or even the Season of Thriving. Everybody right now is in the storm of this coronavirus, but they can still move forward by using helpful tools.”

In a stormy Season of Leaving, Amanda and Stacy say tools like an exit plan and good communication are essential. The exit plan should consider various possibilities when the outlook is uncertain, and communication keeps the family and school on the same page.

“Everybody right now is in the storm of this coronavirus, but they can still move forward by using helpful tools.”

–Amanda Trimillos

“For a while, our orders were on hold, and we didn’t know if we were moving,” says Stacy. “I had my son pre-register for his high school classes here in Florida for next year just in case we stayed here.” At the same time, she planned for the upcoming move so both her children would be ready for that possibility.

Amanda’s family is moving back from Germany, with all that goes into an overseas move plus four children taking online classes at their DODEA schools.  One week her oldest daughter had four projects due—the same week the packers were scheduled, so advance planning and good communication really paid off.

“I’m so glad we were communicating often with the teachers so she could do those projects in advance,” says Amanda. “Because we found out about the assignments ahead of time, we were able to get the supplies she needed, and she was able to complete them before our packers arrived.”

Build the Binder

Another important part of the exit plan is gathering documents for a student’s Education Binder.

“At a time when we are physically disconnected, it’s even more important to stay tuned in to the tasks of transitioning out of school properly and getting ready to enter a new school,” says Stacy.

“Now more than ever,” says Stacy, “the Education Binder is the only fall-back if there is a significant lapse in time the records are received. Parents must take on an advocacy role and not let their military kids fall through the cracks. Gather as much data as possible ahead of time, and hand carry records to assure their child’s academic continuity. Hand carry them. I can’t emphasize that enough.”

“At a time when we are physically disconnected, it’s even more important to stay tuned in to the tasks of transitioning out of school properly and getting ready to enter a new school.”

–Stacy Allsbrook-Huisman

Planning for different scenarios also includes different possibilities for the coming school year.

“We don’t know what back to school will look like next year,” Stacy says. “School situations will likely vary from place to place. It’s a good idea to research the situation where you are going, and mentally prepare for various possibilities.”

With the move coming up, Stacy says their family’s life is very task-oriented right now, but they are making time for fun for some necessary stress relief.

“Kids will pick up on their parents’ emotions, so we are having fun in between the serious,” she says.

Stick With the List

Amanda and Stacy suggest adding these items to any to do list for an upcoming move:

• Gather records for your students. Amanda: “Don’t wait. Ask now for teacher-to-teacher letters from significant educators in your student’s life.” Parents can also supplement the binder by documenting any online courses or projects their students are taking, even if they are not for grade or school credit. Use screen shots or print out certificates and student work to show proficiency.
• Plan ahead for next year’s school supplies. Stacy: “Think about what you will need if in-home learning continues next fall.”
• Pack masks and other protective supplies for travel. Stacy: “Flying overseas or driving through various states may make it difficult to purchase supplies while traveling.”
• Don’t forget the usual transition checklist, even in these unusual circumstances. Amanda: “Communicate with receiving schools. Find out what their outlook is for fall classes. Register your students.”

“Soon we’ll be in another Season of Arriving,” says Amanda, “and we hope the storm will seem less stormy. Even if this move looks and feels different than the last move, adjusting to a new place will present the same challenges, and some new ones. Good planning and continued communication will help us meet them.”

Terri Barnes is a veteran military spouse whose three military children attended more than twenty-five schools from Pre-K to high-school graduation. As senior editor for Elva Resa Publishing, Terri was the lead editor of  Seasons of My Military Student: Practical Ideas for Parents and Teachers.

More about the Season of Leaving:

• Military Kids and School Moves Through a Pandemic Amanda Trimillos and Stacy Allsbrook-Huisman for PCS Grades
• Moving Kids: 5 Healthy Ways to Handle PCS  Terri Barnes in Military Family Life

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In meet-the-teacher sessions at new schools with my children, time and time again I heard teachers use the term “proactive communication.” Teachers offer parents several ways to communicate – email addresses, phone numbers, and notation areas in student agendas. They emphasize the importance of proactive communication with all parents.

But, sometimes as parents, we aren’t one hundred percent sure when to use proactive parental communication and when to encourage our kids to advocate for themselves. This uncertainty is compounded for parents of military-connected families when deployments and PCS orders throw extra challenges in our kid’s lives. Both parent- and student-initiated proactive communication are necessary. Parent, teacher, and student are all part of the student-advocacy team and must communicate effectively.

As a teacher, the most common question I am asked is “When should parents reach out to a teacher?” Should they immediately call when they see a potential challenge, or should they wait to see how their student handles the situation first? The answer lies both in the age and maturity of the student as well as the severity of the situation. Parents of elementary and middle school students typically use proactive communication more often than parents of high school students.

Sometimes as parents, we aren’t one hundred percent sure when to use proactive communication and when to encourage our kids to advocate for themselves.

For military-connected students of all ages though, a parent’s best indicator on how to answer the proactive communication question is the student’s placement in the Season of Transition^TM.  In each season it is good to encourage students of all ages to use student-initiated communication, but often proactive communication from parents is critical to how quickly the student progresses to the Season of Thriving.

Season of Leaving

The Season of Leaving calls for both proactive communication by the parent and student. When parents are ready to disclose that PCS orders are here, it is time to reach out to the teacher to ensure he knows of the upcoming move. This can be done via the student or the parent so long as communication is also open between parent and teacher. Be open both about social and academic concerns.

“What skills do we need to focus on to be sure my daughter is ready for a new school?”

“We are living in a hotel with no quiet place to do homework.”

Talk about ways to help the student say goodbye in healthy ways. Work together to prepare the student for the new school and new curriculum expectations. Request the teacher write a teacher-to-teacher letter for use at the new school. Discuss with the student how to help him finish his time at this school feeling successful and confident for a new school location.

Season of Arriving

In the Season of Arriving, proactive communication from parents is particularly essential. In this season a parent should connect with the teacher before the student’s first day at a new school and again at the two-week point. At registration, parents should give the school the student’s Education Binder, which includes the teacher-to-teacher letter, information about past schools, experiences, accomplishments, and challenges. Schedule a short conference for the second week of school to introduce to discuss any class placement challenges or integration with peers. Being respectful of the child’s personality, try phrasing challenges into positive discussions.

“My daughter had a strong group friends and was active in clubs at our last school, what is the best way for her to become active here at this school?”

“My son is repeating classwork here. Will the curriculum move to a new skill soon or is there a better fit for his needs?”

In the conference, set a plan and timeline of when the school anticipates the student should feel fully integrated with friends and the classwork. Discuss ways the school encourages all students to approach teachers on especially challenging days; and set the student up for productive conversations with teachers.

Season of Growing

The Season of Growing calls for both proactive parent- and student-initiated communication. By the time a student reaches the Season of Growing, teachers and classmates may forget the military-connected student is still new. A buddy program that helped the student in the Season of Arriving is ending, and the student is on his own to navigate his school experience, to connect with friends and with learning.

The goal of the student-advocacy team is to encourage students to work toward self-advocacy, and to help them use student-initiated communication successfully. In this case a parent can use proactive communication with the student, encouraging and helping him or her to seek solutions. Teachers can also present ways students can reach out to teachers on especially challenging days and set the student up for productive conversations.

The goal of the student-advocacy team is to encourage students to work toward self-advocacy, and to help them use student-initiated communication successfully.

If your daughter’s classes are too far apart, and she’s having trouble getting to classes on time, encourage her to speak to her teachers to set a plan for success.

If your straight-A-student son is coming home with D’s and C’s, encourage him to speak to the teacher about tutoring programs.

Parents should be prepared to step in with proactive communications to be sure the student receives the help he needs and not wait for a challenge to create lasting consequences. In this season, it is still vital for parents and teachers, as well as students, to partner on topics like gaps or overlaps in learning. Consider that perhaps this season is exactly why teachers give parents their contact information in the first week of school.

Season of Thriving

The Season of Thriving is prime time for student-initiated communication. In this season the student is fully integrated into her school, probably has one or more committed friends, and is adjusted to the curriculum. Feeling confident to approach teachers directly and participating in extra activities are good markers that the student has reached the Season of Thriving. Communication between parents and teachers occurs less often. Students are ready and able to use student-initiated communication.

“I was invited to apply for a student leadership camp, but first I have to talk to my teachers about missing five days of class.”

“I don’t understand the assignment. Can I come in after lunch for help?”

This does not mean that parents and teachers stop initiating communication. The partnership between teachers and parents continues, as does the work of the student-advocacy team. In every season, the team continues to support the student’s ability to initiate communication and advocate for themselves. Then parents and teachers can enjoy seeing the student grow in confidence and independence.

Amanda Trimillos, EdD, is a military spouse, mother, National Board-Certified Teacher, and the coauthor of Seasons of My Military Student: Practical Ideas for Parents and Teachers.

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“Among the Seasons of Transition^TM , one of the most critical times is the Season of Arriving, particularly the first two weeks at a new school,” says Amanda Trimillos, military spouse, mom and teacher. “It sets the platform on how quickly a student will move into the next seasons of growing and thriving.”

Stacy Allsbrook-Huisman, also a military spouse and mom, agrees. Both Amanda and Stacy and their families are actively involved with local school programs that connect students with peers and have seen the positive impact they can have on students and families.

“Most kids will make friends easily if they are given the opportunity,” says Stacy. “A good sponsor program can give them the opportunity.”

Buddy or sponsor programs may be formal or informal, operated by schools, parents, or organizations, such as the Parent Teacher Association or a scout troop. Some may connect kids for the first week or two of school, just long enough to learn their way around campus. Others have a longer time-frame or are connected to another program that runs throughout the school year. In different ways, each helps kids transition to a new place.

Summer buddy programs are often run by the PTA, Amanda explains. During the school year, current students sign up to be buddies for new students moving in during the summer. When arriving or soon-to-arrive students request buddies, the PTA matches the students and connects them, usually by email, so they can connect to ask and answer questions during the summer.

“Most kids will make friends easily if they are given the opportunity.”

–Stacy Allsbrook-Huisman

“The hope is that the kids will be able to get together at least once in person before school starts,” Amanda says.

Programs to match students when they arrive at a new school are usually coordinated by the school counselor or another teacher in partnership with the counselor. Incoming students are connected with a buddy on their first day at a new school.

“These buddies are typically classmates who can support the student throughout the school day,” Amanda says. “In elementary school, the classroom teacher may take on the role of assigning the buddy. In middle and high school, the school counselor will review the student’s schedule and choose a buddy accordingly.”

Schools offering these types of buddy programs often have a class or a club whose focus is training and practicing for this role, she says. Programs will have various criteria for matching students, such as grade level, interests, and more.

The elementary school Stacy’s children attend has a sponsor program operated by the PTA, of which Stacy is an active part.

“Our sponsor program matches interests, hobbies, ages, and the program coordinator will work with the school to match students in the same class when class rosters are set,” says Stacy. She says they also ask newcomers if they are military and connects them with other military families.

If there is no buddy program at a new school, Amanda says incoming families can still reach out to the school counselor or to the PTA—or both—and request a connection to a student or family willing to be a sponsor a new student.

“Be specific in what type of connection you hope the school will help create,” she says. “The counselor may already have a student in mind who can fill that unofficial buddy program role. Or the PTA may be able to connect a new family with other parents with kids in the same grade.”

Emily, a middle school student, initiated a program at her school through the Military Child Education Coalition’s Junior Student to Student program.

As well as connecting her to peers, Emily says the program gives her leadership and volunteer opportunities she might not have otherwise as a transplanted student.

“I’m learning transferable skills of networking that I can take to any new school or eventual job,” says Emily. Having volunteer hours in the club also helped her get into competitive organizations like National Junior Honor Society and leadership summits.

For parents or students who would like to initiate a buddy program at their school, Stacy advises creating a plan for the program and how it would work before approaching the school or PTA about it.

“Write out a plan for what the sponsor program’s mission is and how it would work, then contact the head of the PTA , school counselor, or student government” says Stacy. “It’s a lot easier to garner support for a new program if a parent is organized and prepared. Most organizations would find this an easy program to initiate with little cost.”

Questions to consider when creating a program:

Leadership: Will the program be led by students, parents, teachers, or an organization?

Program purpose: Should it connect families to the community, help a student navigate a new campus or find ways to get involved?

Time frame: Will students be connected during the summer, for the first two weeks of school, the first semester?

Signups: How will students and families volunteer to be buddies or to request buddies?

Matching: How will matches be decided and connected?

An existing program or framework might also be helpful.

The Student 2 Student program, created by the Military Child Education Coalition for use in local schools, develops peer connections for high school and middle school students. On campus these are usually student-led programs with guidance counselors and teachers as advisors. MCEC offers a two-day leadership training to teach students how to run the program, which can be affiliated with a school club or organization, such as an honor society or scout troop

Another nationwide program, Start with Hello, teaches students from second to twelfth grade skills to reach out include others. The program aims to create a culture of inclusion and connectedness at schools and avoid social isolation.

Amanda Trimillos, EdD, and Stacy Allsbrook-Huisman are coauthors of Seasons of My Military Student: Practical Ideas for Parents and Teachers.

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At home and at school, students need opportunities to say goodbye to close friends, as well as favorite teachers and mentors. Some friendships will transcend time and distance, and every move is an opportunity to reinforce these concepts. Good goodbyes can help build resilience and strong relationships.

When choosing a way to say goodbye, consider the student’s comfort level. Be sensitive to the emotions of the Season of Leaving and follow the student’s preferences. Also, note that saying good-bye is important, even if the student doesn’t want to have a party. There are many ways to help military-connected students say goodbye and create friendships and connections that last:

Plant a garden: Create a friendship garden by planting flowers or a tree, perhaps in a school garden plot or the home of someone who is not moving. Even after the military family has moved, the friendship garden remains. The garden is a reminder of friendship for those who stay, as much as the one who is leaving.

Take a group photo: Give each student a copy of the photo mounted on card stock or construction paper. Let the students pass their photos around for their friends to sign or write short notes. This is especially nice if the student is moving during the school year, or anytime before yearbooks are available. This is fun for school classes, teams, or clubs.

Order a yearbook: If the student is moving before the end of school, order in advance and have the book mailed to the new address. When the student is saying goodbye to friends, if the yearbook is not available, provide a notebook, journal, or a group photo (above) to gather signatures and messages. The student can add those messages to the yearbook when it arrives.

Connect pen pals: Military kids make great classroom correspondents. Teachers can use regular mail, email, or video chats as ways for the class to stay in touch and also talk about the different states, countries, and cultures, wherever military families may go. This also maintains meaningful connections for the military kids.

Have a party: Whether it’s cupcakes in class, a day at the park, pool, or bowling alley, a party can be a fun and upbeat way to say goodbye.

Give a toast:  On the student’s last day of school, a teacher or fellow student can recite a poem, good-bye letter, or a simple farewell to the student.

Exchange ornaments: If a move happens before the winter holidays, have an ornament exchange. Include names, contact information, and pictures of the giver along with each ornament.

Set aside time: The main thing to remember about saying goodbye is to make time to do it. When a military-connected student is leaving a familiar school and friends, plan goodbyes that fit the student’s wishes. Some kids are comfortable with having the attention of the whole class, while others prefer one-on-one conversations.

Saying goodbye matters, both for the friends remaining behind and for the one who is moving. It’s important for teachers too, so teachers should make time to say a personal goodbye to any students who are moving, no matter what time of year the move happens.

Good goodbyes are important and healthy for everyone.

Adapted from Seasons of My Military Student: Practical Ideas for Parents and Teachers by Amanda Trimillos, EdD, and Stacy Allsbrook-Huisman.

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In the Season of Leaving, parents, teachers, and students work together to build an exit plan to cultivate a smooth transition from one school to another. A strong exit plan takes into account all the events, tasks, and actions leading up to the student’s last day of class, ensuring a healthy transition academically, socially, and emotionally.

If military orders require a student to leave before the school year ends, the student might miss final exam and project due dates or end-of-year celebrations. An exit plan helps the student-advocacy team to recognize potential conflicts and meet them proactively.

For any departure date, it’s essential for parents, teachers, and students to build the exit plan together. Elementary school students may have only one teacher, while middle and high school students will have several teachers and classes. A school counselor or lead teacher can help coordinate and consolidate all important dates, expectations, and events. A strong exit plan begins with team conversations and questions to consider on these key topics:

Exit Date

The date of a move is the starting point for building the exit plan, whether the student will remain until the last day of class or leave early. Talk about all important dates, such as packing household goods, family events, and farewell parties.  Questions to consider:

• When is the student’s last day of class?
• When is the earliest a student can depart and still receive credit for her courses?
• What activities, field trips, or school celebrations need to be considered?

Paperwork

As soon as orders are official, parents should initiate the process of withdrawing students from school. The Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children has provisions to allow military families to request hand-carried transcripts to avoid delays in enrollment at a receiving school. Questions to consider:

• What are the school’s withdrawal policies and requirements?
• How can parents obtain paperwork and transcripts to hand-carry to the new school?
• What paperwork does the receiving school require for enrollment?

Education Binder

Review and organize the contents of the student‘s Education Binder. Questions to consider:

• What materials should be added to the binder before departure?
• Does the binder include textbooks and curricula the student has used?
• Request teacher-to-teacher letters from sending to receiving educators.

Learning timeline

Discuss any learning gaps and academic challenges. Teachers can tailor final assignments specifically to the student’s needs. Parents and students can focus on areas needing attention. Questions to consider:

• Is information available about programs and curricula at the receiving school?
• Does the student need to focus on particular areas of skill or knowledge?
• Ask teachers to build a review pack to help the student build and maintain learning during the move.

Assignment due dates

Discuss what assignments and projects the student must complete before departure. Perhaps there are assignments the student can miss in order to focus his attention on the upcoming PCS. Questions to consider:

• What are the due dates, and do they need to be adjusted?
• What supplies will the student need to complete projects and assignments?
• Are those supplies and projects set aside at home so they won’t be packed with household goods?

Final exams

Planning ahead is essential when it comes to final exams and standardized testing. Special approval or waivers may be needed to provide alternate dates for state-mandated tests. Check the calendar as far ahead as possible to plan for any necessary accommodations. Questions to consider:

• Is there conflict between departure dates and final exams or end-of-year testing?
• What is the district policy for adjusting test dates for military students with conflicts due to PCS orders?
• Who is the point of contact for requesting date changes?

Good goodbyes

Last, but certainly not least, the exit plan should include opportunities for students to say good-bye to friends and teachers. Saying goodbye is important in the social and emotional component of departure. Ask and act on the student’s preferences as much as possible, and make goodbyes a priority in the busy Season of Leaving. Questions to consider:

• What class or school events does the student want to attend?
• How and when would the student like to say goodbye to classmates and peers?
• Are there some goodbyes the student would like to say one-on-one? In a large group?

A solid exit plan recognizes what the student needs for a strong Season of Leaving and allows the student’s support team to agree on how to meet those needs. The plan balances school responsibilities and time with friends with practical concerns, such as packing up household goods and cleaning out school lockers. The exit plan ensures projects and assignments arrive promptly on the teachers desk ready for grading, rather than accidentally packed in the back of a moving truck. The plan also offers the student opportunities for saying goodbye to friends, mentors, and classmates.

The exit plan brings closure academically, socially, and emotionally for the student in the Season of Leaving, preparing the way for success in the coming  Season of Arriving.

Amanda Trimillos, EdD, is a military spouse, mother, and National Board-Certified Teacher with extensive experience teaching military students in the United States and overseas. She is coauthor of Seasons of My Military Student: Practical Ideas for Parents and Teachers and wrote the essay “School Choices and Changes” in  Stories Around the Table: Laugher, Wisdom, and Strength in Military Life.

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Moves for military families are usually associated with spring and summer months, a natural break in the school calendar. However, almost half of military transitions are midyear moves, often during the winter holidays. No matter what time of year a military-connected student changes schools, the Seasons of Transition^TM cycle is in effect: the Season of Leaving, Season of Arriving, Season of Growing, and Season of Thriving. For a wintertime move, the anticipation that initiates the Season of Leaving may begin in August or September. This means a student could begin the school year with visions of moving trucks dancing in her head.

In a midyear move, students face challenges such as making friends in an established classroom and starting school work in midstream. When the curricula of sending and receiving schools are different—as is often the case—students may face gaps or overlaps in learning. Receiving teachers meet these challenges by adjusting lesson plans, class activities, and seating to accommodate the student’s needs. For parents, moving at midyear means that, in addition to all the tasks and stresses of a move, they must get students enrolled and on track at a new school, without the buffer of a long school break.

Preparation and planning will make any move smoother. Here are some tools and tips for creating smooth transitions when a midyear move kicks off another cycle of the Seasons of Transition:

Exit plan

Because the student’s last day of class may not coincide with a break in the school calendar,  having an exit plan is especially helpful for a midyear move. The exit plan includes a checklist and timeline for all the events and tasks leading up to the student’s departure: project and test dates, deadlines for withdrawal procedures, and farewell parties or events. Making time to say goodbye to friends and teachers is important. As soon as a military family knows about a move, it’s a good time to meet with teachers to create this plan. The exit plan should take into account the student’s academic strengths and weaknesses. Perhaps the student would benefit from a packet of supplemental work or books to read during transition, if he will be out of school for more than a few days.

Education Binder

Created by parents and teachers, the Education Binder helps the receiving school integrate a new student quickly in the Season of Arriving, which is especially important in midyear moves, when classes are already in full swing. The binder supplements a student’s official transcript with detailed academic and personal information. The binder should include work samples, letters from teachers, awards, documents regarding special programs or needs, copies of report cards, and more. When parents and teachers meet to create the exit plan, they should also consider how to update the binder, adding teacher-to-teacher letters, a list of current textbooks, and samples of student’s latest work.

Withdrawal and enrollment

Preparing for a move at midyear means knowing a school’s policies on early withdrawal. Middle and high school students may risk losing credits if they are withdrawn from school before the semester ends or before crucial test dates. Departure dates may need to be adjusted if possible. Parents may also contact the receiving school—if known—to find out if there are special requirements or considerations for midyear enrollment. When the student arrives at the new school, parents introduce their student with the Education Binder. The material in the binder will inform the receiving school and teachers quickly and efficiently about the student’s history, personality, and capabilities.

Resources

Every military installation has a school liaison officer, or SLO, who can help with information about local school systems, services and programs. For midyear moves, the SLO is also a good point of contact for information about the Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children. The compact provides accommodations for military students at public schools. It gives schools flexibility on some policies as applied to military students, particularly those related to enrollment, graduation, and program eligibility.

The bright side

A midyear move may be a fast and furious transition, but an up-tempo transition can be a good thing. There’s less time for the student to find new connections but also less time to worry about fitting in at a new school. Also, students who arrive at a new school in midyear get a bit more attention than those who start the first day of school. This offers a new student an opportunity to shine and get a little extra attention and not be lost in a crowd of new faces.

Whenever a military move happens, a healthy Season of Leaving and Season of Arriving set the student up for success in both the Season of Growing and Season of Thriving. For midyear moves, students, parents, and teachers can work together for a good transition with planning, preparation, and a positive outlook.

Stacy Allsbrook-Huisman is an Air Force spouse, writer, mother, and military child advocate. She is the coauthor with Amanda Trimillos of Seasons of My Military Student: Practical Ideas for Parents and Teachers.

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