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Survey Brings Attention to Experiences of Military Students
The Military Kids Now 2020 Survey conducted by the Military Child Education Coalition reflects what military families already know: military life creates real challenges for military-connected students. Dr. Amanda Trimillos and Stacy Allsbrook-Huisman, authors of Seasons of My Military Student: Practical Ideas for Parents and Teachers, say they’re hopeful the…
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Power of Education Binder Goes Beyond Graduation
An Education Binder holding key information about a military-connected student is a powerful tool for continuity—and the power of the binder goes beyond high school graduation. A complete Education Binder documents progress and can help students communicate their abilities and accomplishments to future employers, prospective colleges, and scholarship committees. Documenting…
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Game Plan: Adapting Strategies for Every Season
Even in a shifting pandemic environment, the Seasons of TransitionTM cycle continues for military-connected students. When a new situation means a new game plan, the strategies in Seasons of My Military Student: Practical Ideas for Parents and Teachers are still effective for healthy transitions. Here are some ways to adapt key…
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Student Resume: Collecting Skills and Materials
By Amanda Trimillos Resume-writing is a skill young adults often encounter for the first time when applying for college, scholarships, or perhaps their first jobs. Military-connected students can benefit from learning this skill much earlier, creating resumes as way to record and track their volunteer work, leadership roles, and other…
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Interstate Compact Reduces Risk of Graduation Delays
By Amanda Trimillos Moving can be a difficult time for any military family. We say goodbye to our friends, our neighbors, our routines, and our support system. But for high school students, changing schools because of a military move—or permanent change of station (PCS)—could mean saying goodbye to much, much…
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Proactive Communication for Students in Every Season
By Amanda Trimillos 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…
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New high school: Preparation is key
Stacy Allsbrook-Huisman for Military Spouse magazine — For military-connected students, the transition from middle school to high school can be compounded by a PCS move. Moving to a new community, loss of social support networks and unfamiliar academic expectations will be a heavy burden for budding teens. Planning for the…
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Midyear Moves: Transitions When School is in Full Swing
By Stacy Allsbrook-Huisman 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 TransitionTM cycle…
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Academic Gaps and Overlaps
By Amanda Trimillos In conversations between teachers of military-connected students, two issues come up repeatedly: gaps and overlaps. At one table in the teachers’ lounge, it might go like this: “I have a new student who has already completed the unit we’re working on now. What do I do?” Across…
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Education Binder: A Portable Teachers’ Lounge
By Stacy Allsbrook-Huisman Think of the Education Binder as a portable teachers’ lounge. One way teachers gain insights about incoming students is through informal conversations with other teachers. With frequent school changes, a military-connected student won’t always have the benefit of this kind of communication. Their past teachers are not…
