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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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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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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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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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Building Strong Networks of Support
Military Family Life — When navigating and building support networks for military life, personal connections make all the difference. For all the moving pieces—transitions, mental health, school changes, deployment, and more—many avenues of support are available, and a few helping hands can bring those pieces together. Seasons of My Military Student…
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Buddy Programs Connect Students in the Season of Arriving
When students enter a new school, they have many questions. One of the most pressing is often: Who will sit with me at lunch? Making friends and feeling welcome is an important part of a student’s healthy integration into a new community and home. Buddy and sponsor programs are often…
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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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About the Seasons of Transition ™
Because of frequent moves, students in military families change schools six to nine times from pre-K to high school graduation, according to the Department of Defense Education Activity. Each move and school change initiates a cycle of the Seasons of TransitionTM. These seasons don’t always follow the school calendar, but…
