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New School Welcoming: Student Sponsorship Programs
By Stacy Allsbrook-Huisman 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…
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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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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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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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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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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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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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Back to School Advice: Look for the New Kid
Stacy Allsbrook-Huisman for Scary Mommy — “Look for the new kid.” A common saying I tell my children as I help zip up their backpacks, arrange their clothes and tie their shoes preparing for the first day of school. It’s a simple saying, but one that can change the trajectory…
