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Tips to Avoid Summer PCS Slide
By Amanda Trimillos 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.…
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Early Planning Helps School Transition
By Stacy Allsbrook-Huisman 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…
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Remote Learning: Scaling Virtual Walls
Virtual learning can create some very real obstacles, especially for military-connected students in the Season of Arriving. Navigating a new school and new home while trying to make friends in virtual classes may feel like facing a brick wall. Amanda Trimillos and Stacy Allsbrook-Huisman, coauthors of Seasons of My Military…
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Back to School: Supporting Teachers Strengthens the Team
By Terri Barnes 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…
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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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Start Early for a Strong Student-Advocacy Team
The Season of Arriving is a crucial time for military-connected students. As school transitions are happening alongside pandemic conditions, students and parents are facing the possibility of an academic year that is either partially or completely online–at a new and unfamiliar school. No matter what kind of classes are planned…
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Stormy Season of Leaving: PCSing during the Pandemic
By Terri Barnes 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…
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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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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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Kindergarten: Ready or Not?
Stacy Allsbook-Huisman for Military Spouse magazine — Kindergarten is a magical year, when eager little ones head to school for the first time. Ready to learn, ready to be independent, ready to grow. But not all children are ready to take the leap of freedom or pace of learning. Not all…
