Military-connected students adjusting to a new school commonly experience feelings of isolation, confusion, and searching for support. Students switching schools during the COVID-19 pandemic seemed to experience these feelings even more intensely.

In an online round table discussion, Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona hosted a Zoom call with a dozen military-connected students from across the globe to chat about how their lives have been impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. What was learned from students and their experiences can be applied not only to schools that are still in hybrid or virtual environments, but also as a basis for programming to help military-connected students feel more welcome when entering a new school anytime in the future.

During the round table discussion, which included students ranging from elementary school kids to seniors in high school, every child, without exception, talked about their struggle to finding their footing after a move and the need for a universal student sponsorship program.

Erik,* a high school freshman in Northern Virginia, moved during the summer of 2020 during the height of the pandemic. He describes his experience as confusing and isolating.

“Moving from a state that stayed in person for five days a week to a state that went 100 percent virtual for seven months—it was confusing. The entire community seemed locked down. I understood why, but it felt like no one could see me. For a new student, how are kids supposed to process and embrace a new school when they don’t even know I’m here?”

Other students echoed Erik’s experience and concerns. Students and parents attending the call said there was a need for connecting new students with their school, peers, and community—especially during school closures. PCSing during the pandemic exaggerated feelings of isolation for new students. There was a resounding consensus that a student sponsor program would help new students—military-connected or not—feel more supported in school.

Many schools already have a student sponsor or student ambassador programs in place. And military kids remembered fondly their past experiences with sponsor programs and how they connected them with peers when they most needed it.

“One way our school helps military students is by having a military student ambassador welcome the new student. This helps ease some of the socialization stress we face from going from one school to another in such a short period of time,” says Elizabeth, a twelfth-grade student at Knob Noster High School in Missouri.

Abby,* a seventh-grade student in Virginia, says her experience with student sponsor programs made her feel more accepted into the school community more quickly. Her last school in Florida had a family match program set up by the Parent-Teacher Association (PTA), which matched similar families—fourth grade with fourth grade, military families with military families, and so on. Existing families in the district “sponsored” new families.

“It was fun. We had ice cream socials with our new friends, and they were someone we could call if we had questions, too. It really made a difference how new kids felt about being new,” Abby says.

Ways to Create a Student Sponsor Program

A student sponsor program can work at any age and any grade and through a range of platforms and executions. While PTAs are great for organizing sponsor programs because they are often more flexible in planning events and providing funding, a school can easily adopt a sponsor program in the form of a student ambassador program through their Student Government Association (SGA) or through after-school clubs. As a tool for SGA or a club, a sponsorship program can offer leadership roles for middle and high school students and allow new students, once settled, to pay it forward to the next family.

However, the most overlooked place for a student sponsor program is likely in the classroom. Teachers have an opportunity to let students take the lead in helping a new classmate feel a little more settled. Small gestures like sitting together at lunch, showing new students around the school, and handing out a helpful guide of the area can bolster confidence in students that are new to the school. The class can develop a living document, like a community fact sheet, where students can jot helpful tips and tricks, favorite places to eat, or best places to have a birthday party. That information can be given to new students upon arrival as a welcome packet.

Support Students Upon Arrival, During the Year, and When They Leave

A good start to any student sponsor or ambassador program is to support the student as soon as they arrive at a new school. Then students need support throughout the school year too—and many military students leave before the end of the official school year. A student sponsor program should help those students when they exit a school as well. In the military, it’s called “Hails and Farewells.” And it’s an easy way to emotionally support students who live a highly mobile lifestyle like military kids.

Hails: A student sponsor program’s priority is to welcome all new students—military connected or civilian—to their school with a welcome. It could be as small as assigning one peer to help the new student find their way around the building or have a buddy to sit next to at lunch. Or it could be a larger, broader program that allows student sponsors to have socials, school spirit wear, and more. The goal is to make new students feel welcome, connected, and included on their first day so they can focus more on school and less on being new.

Farewells: It’s hard to leave a school mid-year or before school has officially ended. A student sponsor program focuses on ensuring all moving students feel like they were valued at the school and will not be forgotten by giving them a send-off gift from the school. From ensuring they get a yearbook at the end of year to coordinating letters of farewell from their teachers or gifting a simple school t-shirt, any supportive gesture will help a student who is feeling anxious or emotional about leaving their school.

Benefits for Students Who Stay in the School

A school student sponsor or ambassador program is an essential program for supporting highly mobile students like military kids. But it’s also a great way to teach empathy and build leadership for students who will stay in the district for a long time—perhaps the entirety of their school career. Students who volunteer as sponsors will better understand the challenges of their military-connected friends, which will broaden their perspectives in their own lives while also helping them welcome the next new student even better.

Benefits for Military-Connected Students (and Other Mobile Students!)

It’s vital for the emotional well-being of tweens and teens changing schools to land at a school that understands the challenges of being in a military-connected family. Sponsor programs need to be more than a plan on paper. Programs need resources and commitment from school organizations like the PTA or from the school and parents themselves. Student sponsor programs help all new students thrive in school faster so students can focus on academics rather than the social and emotional part of settling into a new community. For military families that’s important, because orders to move often come when they least expect it.

In whatever way a school plans and executes its student sponsorship program, the most important aspect is to truly commit to helping new students and providing resources they need at the time they really need them. When the Secretary of Education asked for final comments, Abby said it best: “My school said they wanted to start a school wide student sponsor program, but they didn’t do anything that related to helping new kids settle. My mom did all the work for them, and they didn’t really try. Nice teachers, but they didn’t get us military kids.”

*Erik and Abby are the children of the author.

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 transitions:

• • Early Planning Helps School Transition
  • Five Ways Military Kids Clubs Help Students and Schools
  • How to join the Seasons of My Military Student Cultivation Team

The post New School Welcoming: Student Sponsorship Programs appeared first on Seasons of My Military Student.

Traditionally, the end of the academic year signals the beginning of summer camps and long hours at the pool for students. While the fun in the sun activities take place, parents express concern behind the scenes that academic skills begin to decline with each passing summer day. This decline in reading and math skills is often termed summer slide.

For military-connected students, this time of year often adds a different experience. Summer means packing the house and moving across country or an ocean to settle in at a new duty location. These students follow their active-duty parent to wherever the military determines is their next home and may miss opportunities for summer camps and extended hours at the pool.

Unfortunately, what they do not miss in a PCS summer is the summer slide conundrum. Military-connected students may not see a decline of academic skills because they were playing by the pool, but rather because they were in a car or plane relocating to a new home. For them, the summer slide becomes the PCS slide.

Thankfully there are several ways to beat both the traditional summer slide and military-connected student PCS slide!

Teacher Recommendation

Start planning ways to prevent a summer PCS slide by first talking to the student’s teachers. They know your student’s abilities and upcoming learning expectations, and they often have ready-made resources to support students. The partnership of the student advocacy team in creating a PCS slide prevention plan is pivotal to ensuring student growth.

1. Skill Recommendation: Ask if they have any recommendations on specific skills the student is either lacking or that will need strengthening prior to starting at a new school.
2. Teacher Resources: Ask if the teacher has any workbooks or skill packets she can build for the student prior to travel.
3. Online resources: Ask if there are school sponsored online resources the student can continue to access through the move that directly meet the student’s need. If the current school does not offer online resources for summer access, reach out to the new school and request early student access.

Read, Read, Read

The best way to beat a decline in reading skills is to ensure students have access to books and other reading material. Reach out to the new school to see if they have an already designed summer reading program, suggested reading list, or set of summer reading assignments.

1. E-reading: Help students download audio books as well as e-books. Since these books are downloaded on a device, they can go anywhere with the student without worry about returning to a physical library. A mix of audio and e-books allows students to alter between reading on their device and listening to a good book through headphones. Or enjoy a family audio book together to break up the trip. The Morale, Welfare, and Recreation (MWR) site offers a free digital library system. To access the resources, select from the featured items or use the search app. Certain libraries may require you to register and create your own account, but the resources are still free.
2. Magazines: Prior to the move, help the student stock up on reading material. Consider holding magazines back from moving boxes or purging exercises. Magazines are often small and light enough to travel in a student pack. The beauty of magazines is that as the student finishes reading, the magazines can be donated or recycled throughout the journey.
3. Incentive Reading: Use the base library at the PCS destination. Many base libraries participate in summer reading challenges through DoD-MWR Libraries Summer Reading Program. These reading challenges track how many minutes a day students read, and offer prizes for meeting weekly goals. It is possible to sign up with the program at the future base, keep track online of reading minutes, then collect prizes upon arrival at the new location. The reading theme for 2021 is Reading Colors Your World.
4. Car Games: Before heading out on the long PCS drive or flight, brainstorm travel reading games that help pass the time and support reading skills. Games like Car Bingo, I Spy, and the ever-favorite ABC sign games are all simple games that encourage reading as well as family conversations. To play Car Bingo, create or buy bingo cards with items you may see on your trip. Mark out those items as you drive. The first person with Bingo or a blackout wins that round. For Car ABC, search for road signs with the different letters of the alphabet, starting with A and ending with Z. Each family member calls out the word that has the next letter in the alphabet, and the first person to Z wins!

Everyday Math:

Just like supporting reading skills during a summer PCS, the best way to beat a decline in math skills is to ensure students continue practicing their daily math.

1. Flashcards: Bring or create a set of flashcards that support the student at their math level. These can be plus and minus math facts for younger students or multiplication and division for older students. High school students can create math flash cards that relate to the formulas and measurement conversions that best align to their higher level math classes like algebra, geometry, and calculus.
2. Gas Math: Before traveling, have the student calculate the number of miles to the end location. For multiple-day travel, the student can figure out how many miles will be traveled each day and estimate how much gas will be used throughout the trip. This exercise will lend itself well to determining price per gallon and estimating how much money should be budgeted for gas during the trip. Follow up with each gas stop to update actual calculations. By the end of the trip compare budget predictions with actual gas usage and cost.
3. Food Math: Use a similar budgeting practice for food vs actual cost of meal and snack purchases to help students learn real-life math and budgeting. Encourage students to practice quick calculations of taking family member meal orders, adding the menu price plus tax, and calculating the meal cost before the cashier or waitress delivers the bill. How close to the final bill was the student able to estimate, round, or calculate? Add in the next quick-check challenge of determining returned change when paying for snacks with cash.
4. Car Games: Math games in the car are often just as easy as reading car games. For younger students, Car 1,2,3 games (the ABC sign game above but searching for numbers one through 10 or 100), Shape Searches, and What’s My Number guessing game (one person thinks of a number, the others try to guess the number in as few tries as possible; after each guess the person says whether the number is greater or less than the guess).

Social Studies and Science

These two academically core subjects are not typically discussed in supporting students during a summer or PCS slide. The skills needed for these classes are often but not always supported through strong reading and math skills. But military-connected students have unique opportunities to support these skills during a PCS and can bring an atmosphere of extra fun during the trip.

1. Map Planning: Give the student several different maps and help them map out their route. If traveling across several states, a map that includes the entire trip helps the student visualize the move. When looking at the map, the student can point out geographical points of interest to include national parks and important cities or landmarks.
2. Research It: Prior to pulling out, help the student find books at the library about the end destination and any stopping points along the way. Grab a book for each state, historical event, or famous (or not so famous) location. The student can make notes from the books and prepare to be the tour guide throughout different stages of the trip. If you borrow physical books, remember to return the library books before the actual move!
3. Map It Bingo: Print off a map of the United States. Have players watch for license plates from different states and color in the map accordingly. By the end of the trip talk about if there were any states missing or states they did not expect to see on their trip.
4. Data Collection: Choose a category and a designated amount of travel time to collect data. Perhaps track car colors, building types, or animal sightings. Keep track through tally marks and compare data results at the end of the collection time. This game easily transitions into a classification game.
5. Classification Games: Pick a category (perhaps a category already determined by the data collection above). Categorize objects into classifications such as living/nonliving; species/classifications; food-chain placement.

While many military-connected students and parents worry about the effects of a summer slide and the even stronger impacts of a PCS slide, the good news is these times of transition can be used to open new opportunities for real-world learning. With a little planning and some creativity, military-connected students can use their PCS transition to strengthen skills. Summer does not have to mean a regression of academic skills. Rather than a slide backward, summer can offer opportunities to experiment with and practice real-world math, reading, social studies, and science skills even if a student is on the move.

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. Amanda has experienced multiple PCS transitions as both a teacher and parent, always looking for ways to make a PCS academically meaningful for her students and her own children. She is coauthor of Seasons of My Military Student: Practical Ideas for Parents and Teachers.

More about supporting students during transitions:

• Early Planning Helps School Transition
• Exit Plan Cultivates a Healthy Season of Leaving
• How to join the Seasons of My Military Student Cultivation Team

The post Tips to Avoid Summer PCS Slide appeared first on Seasons of My Military Student.

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

The post Early Planning Helps School Transition appeared first on Seasons of My Military Student.

Many schools across the nation developed grand plans for Month of the Military Child celebrations in April 2020, but the COVID-19 pandemic forced schools to cancel those plans with little notice. A year later, these same schools have adapted to virtual and hybrid learning environments—and Month of the Military Child celebrations must be augmented for social distancing environments and virtual atmospheres.

The good news is that with a little planning and a lot of creativity, celebrations for Month of the Military Child can still take place across the nation with just as much fanfare as previous years. To successfully celebrate Month of the Military Child, schools should plan ahead and include as many organizations as possible. Administrators and educators should have a record of how many military-connected students are part of their school community and be able to identify who those students are, but educators shouldn’t limit participation to just military-connected students or groups. Parent-Teacher Associations or Parent Partners, student clubs, school counselors, and student leadership groups can all take a part in planning events to recognize their students and peers connected to the military. When educators encourage student leaders and different clubs on campus to take charge in planning and participating, it builds school spirit and comradery. The more students who participate, the more their peers will want join in the fun! The more groups involved in the planning, the more fun and personalized events can be!

Highlight April as Month of the Military Child

Planning a celebration while managing the challenges created by the pandemic may seem overwhelming. The key is to remember that celebrating Month of the Military Child is about having fun, celebrating students, and offering resources and support that military families may not know are available through the school. Here is a list of ideas that can be a great foundation for planning your school’s Month of the Military Child celebrations—whether they are in-person, virtual, or a combination of both!

All Schools: In Person, Hybrid, or Virtual

With the variety of learning environments employed across the nation, it seems that nearly every school district has a different approach. Luckily, there are some ways to celebrate that are universal.

Purple Up! for Military Kids Be sure that all staff and students have the opportunity to wear purple in April. The official Purple Up! Day established by the Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) is April 15, but individual state calendars may designate a different day. Consider purchasing Purple Up! shirts, and if time allows, add the school’s name or mascot to make the shirts extra special. With students feeling disconnected from one another, a simple gesture like a t-shirt can remind them they are a part of a strong, supportive community.

Announce the Celebration

Update the school’s marquee to announce Month of the Military Child and Purple Up!

Write parent newsletters to highlight Month of the Military Child activities. Include facts about military families or military service. These facts can include insights specific to the school’s local military community.

Use social media platforms to offer daily highlights of the school’s approach to Month of the Military activities. Include pictures of daily fun as well as ways families can participate at home.

Engage the Students

Host an art, essay, or poetry contest focusing on the life of a military-connected child. Ideas can include pride in a parent’s service, military lifestyle, transitions/changes, or cultures experienced. Create a virtual space to display all pieces, and highlight grade level winners. Celebrate the winners by posting on the school website and feature entries on social media sites. Remember to honor school privacy policies for public posting.

Create library reading challenges that focus on themes about military life. Books can include stories about military kid’s experiences, the military lifestyle, and being the new kid.

Recognize, Highlight, and Educate

Highlight books about military life at the school library. Include books in library display cases and add highlighted books to the school’s library webpage. A great starting point for military family books is MilitaryFamilyBooks.com.

Sporting events salute. Ask the announcer to make special announcements before, during, and after an event to recognize all military-connected students. Encourage participation by asking students to raise the flag, sing the National Anthem, or recite the Pledge of Allegiance.

Host virtual book clubs for faculty and staff. Consider a month-long Seasons of My Military Student book club to build support strategies all-year long. Invite the authors to join one of the virtual meetings.

Make Resources Available

Add resources to the school website. Resources can include contact numbers for Military Family Life Counselors (MFLC), School Liaison Officers (SLO), and MIC3 state commissioners. Don’t forget to include an on-campus contact point for families.

Hold a virtual parent forum on Zoom or your school’s favorite platform. Invite military-connected parents, teachers, and MFLC to talk about ways the school supports military-connected students.

Host a parent educational session focused on challenges and supports for military-connected students. Be sure to talk about the Interstate Compact and how parents and teachers can unite to support military-connected students on campus.

Offer a faculty professional development day focused on supporting military-connected students in the classroom. Be sure to include time for teachers to work in breakout groups focusing on areas for each Season of Transition.™

Document the Celebration

Take pictures for the yearbook! Fill a page in the yearbook by taking as many pictures as possible of students and staff celebrating. Be sure to include any virtual and hybrid students by encouraging them to send in pictures to the yearbook staff from home. 

Hybrid Celebrations

These celebrations balance the experience of students who are learning both from home and at school. While they are on campus, they hope to find as much normalcy in celebrating as possible. Students learning at home can continue to participate as well.

Engage the Students

Host a spirit week leading up to Purple Up! Check your state’s calendar for the specific day to wear purple, and lets students and educators know in advance so they can prepare for the different days. Ideas for Spirit Week leading up to Purple Up! can include dress-up days like patriotic day, crazy camo day, superhero day, favorite military service day, and more.

Broadcast a daily or weekly announcement with facts about military families or service. Consider having military-connected students on campus read the announcements each day. Be sure teachers are logged in with their at-home students to ensure they can hear the announcements as well.

Create Displays

Create military-themed display cases and bulletin boards.  Ask military-connected students to loan pictures or items that reflect their experiences.

Display world maps. One map can pinpoint where military-connected students have lived, which encourages conversation about military students’ backgrounds and experience. A second map can pinpoint where military family members are currently stationed or deployed, honoring their service within the student’s own school community.

Chalk the school sidewalks with fun messages of encouragement. For added fun use as much purple chalk as possible!

Virtual Celebrations

These celebrations need to ensure that all students at home have the opportunity to participate in online-only activities. Be sure students have a way to upload and send pictures to a contact person on campus. Include as many pictures as possible in the yearbook and on social media. Consider prizes for top participants. These can include digital gift certificate prizes, certificates mailed home from the school, school swag, and more.

Engage the Students

Have students decorate their learning space. Ask them to turn their cameras on for a class screenshot. Students can have fun with this by exercising their creativity and personalizing their space. And they can choose to either be in or out of the photo.

Host a virtual game night for students and their families. Consider trivia or bingo with military-themed questions and prizes.

Create Community Connections

Collect audio or video messages from students and staff giving shout-outs of gratitude. Create a school video to share to the campus. This is a great opportunity to invite clubs to dedicate a club day to participate in building messages.

Mail home cards of gratitude. Sometimes the best encouragement is to send and receive actual mail. Spend time as a school writing quick postcards of gratitude and encouragement to students.

#MilKidTHX Have parents and teachers write thank you letters or messages on social media thanking their military-connected students for their commitment to their family and enduring the challenges of military life. Don’t forget to include #MilKidTHX

For more Month of the Military Child ideas for all school environments this year, join Seasons of My Military Student authors Dr. Amanda Trimillos and Stacy Huisman in the Seasons private Facebook group.

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. This year Amanda is building local partnerships to ensure Month of the Military Child celebrations occur even in a virtual and hybrid learning environment.  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.

More about supporting students during Month of the Military Child:

• Purple Up to Step Up in the Season of Thriving
• How to join the Seasons of My Military Student Cultivation Team

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As vaccinations roll out, health experts still urge families to stay the course and remain vigilant about COVID safety measures. After nearly a year of disrupted learning, research shows students are affected socially and emotionally as well as academically. For some military-connected students, all this upheaval comes on top of a move or deployment. Not much about this year has been easy. Connections—to friends, family, and feelings—can make the difference for students in the home stretch of the pandemic. The good news is that keeping kids connected doesn’t have to be complicated. It can be as simple as going back to basics.

Go Outside and Play

With so much of life happening via computer screen, it’s easy to get stuck inside all day. For healthy breaks, encourage kids to spend a few minutes outdoors each day—with a friend or a sibling, if possible. The combination of fresh air, a change of scenery, a little exercise and companionship—as simple as that sounds—can lift low spirits and break through boredom.

Pull out the warm coats and mittens if necessary. Amy Bushatz, army spouse and coauthor of Stories Around the Table: Laughter, Wisdom, and Strength in Military Life, made a commitment in 2017 to spend at least twenty minutes outside every day, no matter what—and she lives in Alaska.

“It’s never been more important to spend time outside,” says Amy who blogs and podcasts at Humans Outside. “It doesn’t have to be fancy. It doesn’t have to be complicated. It just has to happen.”

When possible, take indoor activities outdoors. To help her daughter make friends after a pandemic-season move, Air Force spouse Stacy Allsbrook-Huisman, coauthor of  Seasons of My Military Student: Practical Ideas for Parents and Teachers, created a backyard book club. Stacy wrote discussion questions to help break the ice. The girls read and discussed a book while socially distancing on the back patio.

Turn off the TV

The pandemic has offered families more time together, but it’s easy to slip into too much screen time. With everyone doing work and school from home, evenings might turn into extended work time, further isolating family members in the same house. Make a commitment to turn off screens, even the television, before dinner a few nights a week to talk or play a game together.

Corie Weathers, army spouse and author of Sacred Spaces: My Journey to the Heart of Military Marriage, experienced deployment in the midst of the pandemic. To connect with her two growing sons, Corie renewed her commitment to spend unplugged time with them. One night, for example, they gathered around the backyard fire pit to roast hotdogs for dinner.

Have a Cookie

Even simple activities have power to connect: baking cookies, sharing a pot of tea, playing cards. It’s not about the game or the cookies but the conversations that happen in those moments. Kids miss being with their friends, but time spent with parents and siblings is better than a substitute. It’s a healthy necessity that strengthens family bonds.

Create connections the old-fashioned way, by writing letters. Students can correspond with grandparents, cousins, or friends from other assignments. Social worker and professor Dr. Carolyn Curtis, writing for Edutopia, suggests connecting students from other states or other schools via epals.com.

Don’t give up on virtual connections either, even if the novelty of playing virtual games has worn thin. Seeing the faces of friends and family still makes a difference, so change it up a little. Dial back the technology and try a real activity together. Share a simple recipe with a friend or a group of friends and make plans to cook together by video. Set up a screen at the kitchen table and have dinner with grandparents or good friends.

Talk About It

When it comes to getting back to basics, connecting with friends and family is key. It’s also important for students to connect with their feelings about the experiences of the past few months, both good and bad. Discussing their feelings will also help them realize how they’ve grown and what they’ve learned. Here are some questions to consider when talking to kids about their experiences:

• What are you most looking forward to that you have missed for the past few months?
• Was there anything you give up during the pandemic that you didn’t miss that much?
• Has this experience changed the way you think or feel about going to school?
• What did you miss about going to school that you didn’t think you would miss?
• What did you learn or discover during the pandemic that you want to remember?

It might also help kids to make a list, write in a journal, or create a vision board for their hopes for the coming year. These questions and activities could provide openings to talk about how they feel, how they’ve changed or grown in this experience.

Playing outside, eating together, talking to each other. It’s pretty back-to-basics stuff, but for a complex problem like getting through a pandemic, the simple things might be the best. Right up there with cookies.

Terri Barnes is a veteran military spouse, journalist, and author of Spouse Calls: Messages From a Military Life. 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 supporting students in pandemic circumstances:

• Stormy Season of Leaving: PCSing During the Pandemic
• Online Resources for Learning at Home
• Bringing School Home: Focus on the Possibilities

The post Keep Kids Connected by Going Back to Basics appeared first on Seasons of My Military Student.

The summit opened with a video address by Dr. Biden, a teacher, military mother and grandmother, and the wife of president-elect Joe Biden. In 2012, as part of the Joining Forces initiative with then First Lady Michelle Obama, Dr. Biden created Operation Educate the Educator to bolster support and understanding for military-connected students.

“We made some important progress, but there’s still a lot of work to do,” she told MCEC summit attendees. “That’s why your Military Kids Now Survey matters so much. MCEC has brought the voice of the military child forward. Children responded with thoughtful answers about what they wished their peers and their parents and teachers understood about their experiences; and parents, counselors, and educators weighed in on what resources they needed to best serve military-connected children. With this critical information we’re going to be able to chart a better path for students, parents, and schools.”

The survey, covering students’ academic and social-emotional needs, polled more than 5,100 individuals. Respondents included military-connected students (13 and older), parents of military kids, and educators, from 21 countries. Students and parents were from all branches of the U.S. military, including active, reserve and guard components, as well as veterans. Educators in the survey included administrators, counselors, classroom teachers, and other education professionals, as well as school district personnel. Public, private, charter, virtual, and home school environments were included in the survey.

MCEC conducted the survey over several months in the spring of 2020 and intends to use the findings to deepen “understanding of ongoing education challenges for military-connected students” and to “meet the needs of military-connected children through research informed solutions,” according to the report summary.

Read the full Military Kids Now 2020 Survey Summary Report from MCEC.

More about the survey from Lisa Smith Molinari in Stars and Stripes: Military Students Seek Understanding, a Level Playing Field 

The post Jill Biden Joins MCEC for Military Student Survey Release appeared first on Seasons of My Military Student.

Documenting a student’s progress during high school years looks a bit different for military-connected students than for their more stationery peers, says experienced military mom and financial coach Kate Horrell.

“If they’ve moved, they can’t count on their current high school or community to have records of their accomplishments, awards, and community involvement,” says Kate. “That makes it more important that students keep their own folder or binder tracking volunteer hours, awards, and letters of recommendation.”

Start Early

Planning ahead can avoid a mad scramble in the weeks before an application is due. Students and parents can begin as early as middle school to consider accomplishments and involvements that provide positive preparation for the future. The Education Binder is the ideal place to file certificates, school honors, letters of appreciation, and document volunteer work. When it’s time to fill out an application or build a student resume, the binder becomes a valuable reference.

“Most college applications ask for information from your high school years, so definitely start keeping track once you start high school,” Kate advises students.

As far as what to save and record, the more the better, she says. Records of honor societies, athletics, clubs, faith group involvement, and community, charity, and volunteer work can all be helpful.

“Better to have too much information and the luxury of choosing than to be scrambling to find things at the last minute,” says Kate.

Be Intentional

Starting early to document activities also allows students to be more intentional about their involvements and achievements throughout their high school years. Students can review the binder occasionally to evaluate whether their grades and activities match up with their career and education goals. Regular reviews can reveal ways the resume could be bolstered and remind the student of their accomplishments.

Reviewing the binder is a good activity in the Season of Thriving, encouraging students to set goals and determine what they will do to meet them. Military kids, particularly if they move during high school, may need to be more proactive to show a pattern of involvement and personal development for future applications.

“Some military kids struggle because it can be hard to break into sports teams and leadership positions, so that’s a definite challenge,” says Kate. “If you can’t find something at school, perhaps look to the community. Things like scouts are great, because they’re typically available almost anywhere, so you can build some continuity there. You also might consider volunteering at the food bank, or local hospital, or animal shelter.”

Another consideration for students in a military community is that educators and other adults might also move away. Either way, Kate advises being proactive about requesting letters of communication, rather than waiting until it’s time to fill out applications.

“It may be hard to track down a letter of recommendation from the person who supervised a camp where you volunteered last year if that person has moved,” she says. “Ask those adults for letters of recommendation just after the event, or the award. And keep in touch with them. You never know when that connection will come in handy. Maintain those relationships.”

Use the Resume

If a student needs letters of recommendation when they are new to a school or community, having a solid Education Binder is helpful here too. The student can make an appointment to discuss their request for a letter and provide the letter writer with the student’s resume with relevant accomplishments at previous schools. It’s probably not necessary to bring along the whole Education Binder, but the student can provide certificates or documents as needed.

“Create a resume highlighting key points and interesting facts to help recommenders,” says Kate. “Include educational, community, and personal information, especially if it is unique or explains oddities in a student’s official record. Maybe your child moved from an international school to a standard US high school, and their transcript looks wonky, or they took a bunch of freshman classes their senior year to meet their new school’s graduation requirements. Make it an asset—this is a flexible kid—instead of a liability that they took freshman classes as a senior.”

Emphasize the Positive

Kate also suggests drawing on the experiences of military life when crafting essays for college applications. Military students may need some help to realize the way they grew up is unique, because it was simply normal life to them. Parents and educators can help students see what is unique about their experiences and offer positive perspectives.

The challenges of military life often have a positive flip side, offering opportunities for growth and learning. Some of those lessons are difficult to capture in the Education Binder, but an ongoing record of a student’s education provides a solid foundation for telling the unique story of life as a military-connected student.

Kate Horrell is an expert in military family finances, a military spouse and mother of two. She blogs at katehorrell.com and is also a contributor to the Paycheck Chronicles on Military.com.

Read More:

• Creating an Education Binder
• Student Resume: Collecting Skills and Materials
• Proactive Communication for Students in Every Season
• Advice from Kate Horrell on college finances and using the GI Bill

The post Power of Education Binder Goes Beyond Graduation appeared first on Seasons of My Military Student.

Amanda, Stacy, and their military families are in the thick of this pandemic-year experience. Both their families PCSed this summer to new communities and new schools. Amanda, a middle school teacher, is leading a combination classroom, with some students attending in person and others participating by video. Her own four children are also learning in various hybrid situations in their new schools. Stacy’s children are attending schools that offer only virtual classes for now.

Along with the challenges of adjusting to new classrooms, making friends can be difficult, sometimes leaving students feeling isolated. Supportive and involved parenting is more important than ever, Amanda and Stacy agree. They offer these encouraging ideas for families to improve their student’s social, emotional, and academic outcomes:

Find the positive. Don’t lock in on the hardship of the situation. Acknowledge that hardship and frustration exist, but also encourage students to find something positive to hold on to. Look for new positives each day, as well as positives that could come from the whole experience. Encourage students to write down what they discover.

Keep a journal. This is a historic time, so encourage students to write about it, to create their own historic record. Journaling can supplement learning, give students a way to practice writing, explore current events, and process their own experiences and emotions.

Create a routine and a schedule, even if kids are taking virtual classes at home. A schedule gives structure and creates normalcy, just as it does after any move. Making a schedule and keeping track of assignments will keep students on track and provide reminders for what is due and when.

Take regular breaks from screen time as part of the schedule. Get students outside for exercise and fresh air whenever possible. Take advantage of the mental health benefits of the family pet. If pets are too distracting to remain in the room during class time, let kids play with them and pet them during breaks.

Plan computer time as a family. If the whole family is working from home at different times, internet bandwidth and available screens may be at a premium. Regular family meetings help when planning who needs to be online and when. Determine who has priority, and let teachers know about any conflicts that might keep students from attending online class.

Keep teachers informed. Start a phone or email conversation, especially when in-person meetings aren’t possible. For new students, give teachers some background so they will know how to connect with students. Teachers may also be able to help connect new students with others who have similar interests or suggest ways to connect. A teacher will also know about other new students who are looking for friends.

Monitor homework. For some students, their ability and personality may not translate well in online homework or virtual class participation. If parents realize their student’s work or grades are not reflective of his or her understanding of a particular subject, they should let teachers know and discuss solutions.

Know the Interstate Compact. The provisions of the compact are still applicable and may be helpful in some situations. Read the compact and be familiar with what it covers and what it doesn’t.

Make friends. Creating opportunities for students to make friends is part of a positive school experience, and it’s hard right now, Amanda and Stacy agree. Parents may have to be more proactive than usual to help their students find ways to connect in a new place. They suggest plugging into sports and outdoor activities whenever possible and making a point to meet neighbors.

Many other families are also looking for connections, and it’s worthwhile to take the initiative to break through the walls to new friendships—now more than ever.

On Milspouse Matters podcast, Amanda and Stacy talk about their latest moves and experiences with remote learning. Listen to Milspouse Matters Episode 47 with host Jen McDonald for more ideas and encouragement for remote learning.

Latest COVID Information and Guidance from Military Interstate Children’s Compact Commission.

The post Remote Learning: Scaling Virtual Walls appeared first on Seasons of My Military Student.

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.

Building a strong student-advocacy team is essential for military-connected students. As the school year begins in a pandemic environment, now more than ever, the team-building strategy should include supporting teachers, as well as students.

Military-connected students at new schools won’t be the only ones navigating a new learning landscape this year. Teachers are also feeling uncertainty and stress. For educators, going back to school in a pandemic environment is a new frontier, whether classrooms are virtual, in-person and socially distanced, or a combination. In addition to welcoming new students, teachers are preparing new ways of learning for all their students, while balancing personal concerns about staying healthy and managing their own children’s education.

Becky, a military parent and a district school psychologist in Virginia, encourages parents to advocate for their children while also giving grace and understanding to teachers.

“There are a lot of uncomfortable feelings around the start of school in many places,” says Becky. “Things keep changing. The uncertainty affects everyone and can be unnerving for teachers and parents. If educators also have kids in the district, they may be feeling what parents are feeling. They’re struggling alongside parents.”

Educators who are also parents may be experiencing the same struggles as the parents of their students.

Sarah is a high school teacher in a military-heavy district in South Carolina, which has opted for in-person classes with a virtual option. She says there is some uncertainty around how the requirements for masks and social distancing will work out when classes actually begin in September.

“Our administration is trying to have a plan for as many contingencies as possible, but just not knowing how it’s really going to be plays a role in beginning-of-the-year fears.”

Becky’s district, which also serves many military students, is beginning the school year with virtual-only classes, which presents its own challenges. Like other working parents, teachers may also have their own children attending virtual classes from home.

“There’s also a learning curve for the technology,” says Becky. “It’s exciting, but also intimidating for those who haven’t been teaching in this manner to now have to do that. Offering that grace is so important. Remember a lot of these things that are frustrating (to parents) aren’t even in the teacher’s control. Technology issues, even decisions about virtual versus [in-person] school.”

Stress management and support are important for teachers as well as students, says Becky. As part of a clinical team in her district, she is available to support both students and educators, to be a listening ear, or offer professional development for stress management.

Stress management and support are important for teachers as well as students.

“There’s a big push for social and emotional learning (for students) in our school curriculum,” she says. “As our teachers are teaching their students, they are also reinforcing those skills for themselves, about feelings identification and how to manage big emotions. Emotional wellness is a critical part of learning. Your emotions will respond before your thinking and learning brain can activate.”

In spite of all the uncertainty, military-connected students and their parents can proactively help create an environment of understanding at a new school with good communication at the outset.

Becky and Sarah both advise military-connected parents to introduce their students to new teachers ahead of time, just as they would in any move. If a face-to-face meeting is not available, an email will serve to share any information that would be helpful for teachers to know up front.

“Let teachers know your concerns as a parent,” says Becky. “Put those in the first email, especially anything not in their records. Let teachers know your child is new. It’s true that everybody is new to this (pandemic) situation, but it’s important for teachers to know who is totally new to a community. Keep it short and clear.”

The pandemic situation is new to everyone, but teachers still need to know when students are new to their school and community.

Students attending class virtually may have a harder time connecting, Sarah adds, so an introduction, even by email, is even more important this year for connecting teachers and students.

“If the student is in middle or high school, encourage him or her to begin advocating for themselves, if they don’t already.” Older students can send an email to their teachers to introduce themselves.

Having an Education Binder of information about a student is ideal, says Becky, but if school is virtual and that’s not possible, send key information by email. Perhaps a face-to-face meeting can be planned at a later date, when parents can discuss the binder with teachers.

Sarah, who grew up in a military family and changed schools many times, knows from experience as both educator and student the importance of knowing a student’s military background. Limited contact in a virtual or hybrid classroom may make it more difficult to get to know students, so the more information a teacher has, the better. Knowing a student has attended multiple schools lets the teacher know to look out for potential gaps and overlaps in curriculum or learning.

Limited contact in a virtual or hybrid classroom may make it more difficult to get to know students, so the more information a teacher has, the better.

After classes begin, parents can support teachers by encouraging their students to engage fully in their new classes, whether virtually or in person.

“Work with your child, encourage them to participate,” says Becky. “Make sure your child is holding up their end of the bargain, getting work done, attending virtual or real classes. Teachers may feel deflated when they are trying to reach students virtually and don’t get a response back.”

Sarah will be teaching in person and will have students attending online as well.

“I am going to have to encourage those who are doing school at home to remember that they are in school,” she says. “I can only help students if they show up.”

Both students and teachers may struggle with the virtual environment, especially when it comes to getting to know one another, says Becky.

“Teachers want to be with kids, to build relationships. So much is missing when you’re doing it virtually. This is hard for them too,” she says. Becky offers a few more ideas for ways to show support for teachers while advocating for students:

• Extend extra grace, patience, and understanding whenever you can. Remember, everyone is traveling a new path together, and everyone is feeling more uncertainty and stress than usual.
• Let teachers know you are there to support them. Ask how you can support them and offer to share your areas of expertise or time if you are able.
• If you have concerns about your child, talk to the teacher, and don’t hesitate to reach out to school mental health resources as well: a counselor, social worker, or psychologist.
• Keep teachers informed about difficulties, whether technical, personal, or academic.
• When emailing a teacher about an issue or to request a time to talk, give the teacher 24 to 48 hours to respond. They may not be able to respond during non-class hours when they are at home caring for their families.
• Send teachers random notes and emails of gratitude and support. Let them know what is working well for your student and when you appreciate what they are doing.

“Remember that many of us are parents too,” says Sarah. “We came into this profession because we love kids. This is a super weird and stressful time for everyone. When we enter into community with anyone, the best default is to trust. … I want what parents want—the best for their kids. If we can keep an open dialogue, things will start better.”

Terri Barnes is the mother of three military children who attended a combined twenty-seven schools, K-12. She is the author of  Spouse Calls: Messages from a Military Life and editor of  Seasons of My Military Student: Practical Ideas for Parents and Teachers.

More about supporting families and educators:

• Q and A with School Superintendent Jesse Najera
• How Schools can Help Military Kids Moving in a Pandemic by Stacy Allsbrook-Huisman in Military Times
• The Pandemic’s Toll on Teachers is Palpable by Marc Brackett, Mark Cannizzaro, and Scott Levy in EdSurge

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