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Superintendent Emphasizes Support for Teachers, Students, Parents
By Terri Barnes Jesse Najera is the superintendent of Silver Valley Unified School District in California. He is also a member of the California State Council of the Military Interstate Children’s Compact Commission. Military-connected students make up seventy-five percent of Silver Valley’s 2,200 students. The district’s seven schools, Pre-K to…
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The Other Side of Goodbye: When Friends Move Away
By Terri Barnes In military communities, students who are not moving feel the effects of the Season of Leaving when friends move away. Whether they are leaving or not, students may have to say goodbye to good friends and even best friends. Children whose friends move away experience the same…
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Purple Up to Step Up in the Season of Thriving
Month of the Military Child is a time each April for communities to celebrate kids in military families. As the COVID-19 pandemic creates new challenges for everyone, two military spouses are calling on military kids to show support and kindness to their communities, With a nod to Purple Up, featuring…
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Bringing School Home: Focus on the Possibilities
By Terri Barnes As schools around the world respond to the spread of coronavirus by shifting to online classes for essential instruction, military-connected students and their parents are bringing school home. While schools create virtual learning environments and provide curriculum, parents find themselves involved in their children’s education in new…
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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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Seasons Book Clubs Engage Networks of Support
By Amanda Trimillos A good book club is an opportunity to gather with friends, enjoy favorite beverages, snacks, and good conversation. The best book clubs are those where everyone in the room is engaged in the book, eager to know more, and ready to dig into the content. This describes…
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Teacher Tips: Warm Welcome for Students Arriving Midyear
Being the new kid is difficult anytime. For military-connected students arriving midyear, when the academic year is in progress, the challenge is even greater. By the time they arrive at their new school, class routines are set, seats are assigned, and friends are made. No matter when they occur in…
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Holidays During Deployment: Tips for Teachers and Parents
Special occasions and holidays during deployment can be difficult for military-connected students and their families. For any celebration, adding a deployment subtracts a parent and raises the stakes. Teachers and parents can still make special days joyful and inclusive with awareness and thoughtful planning. In any season, says teacher and…
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Making a Difference for Military Kids, Families
Books Make a Difference magazine — When Michelle Anders’s military family moved from Hawaii to Georgia, her six-year-old daughter had to change schools in the middle of the school year. Michelle was concerned about the impact the transition might have on her little girl but found helpful information in Seasons…
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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…
