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

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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.

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.

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.

No matter what kind of classes are planned for the coming school year, building a strong student-advocacy team is essential, and it starts early. The foundation for that team begins with the initial communication between education professionals and incoming military families. Whether the first meeting happens in person, by phone or video chat, teachers and parents of military students want to make the most of their time together and cover essential transition topics.

For the first encounter, everyone on the student-advocacy team, including parents, teachers, and the student, should come prepared to talk about what concerns them most. Parents can streamline this conversation by sending an email to the school counselor to introduce the student before the first meeting. This email should detail past moves, curriculum changes, education needs, and any social-emotional concerns, particularly in light of moving during a pandemic. This sets the tone and agenda so the first meeting can focus on problem solving.

With pandemic concerns in mind, parents and students will want to know how the receiving state and district are approaching decisions about virtual school options. Many schools throughout the country are planning for possible on-site instruction and also offering online options for students who need or prefer to learn at home.

The receiving teacher needs to know about a military-connected student’s academic and personal history, including the number of moves, past schools, and possible upcoming family separations or deployments. Discussions should include any possible gaps and overlaps in a student’s learning, past experiences with virtual learning, and ways to help the student engage socially and emotionally with classmates.

Social and emotional adjustment is important to the overall well-being of any student but especially one who has just moved to a new place. Students want to make new friends and connections. Teachers hope build class camaraderie, perhaps starting in a virtual setting in preparation for an eventual return to face-to-face learning. The team should discuss strategies for helping the student connect and feel included at a new school.

Along with the social and emotional impact, parents, teachers, and students should also discuss the student’s academic experiences with online learning. What were the positive or negative effects of virtual classes or lessons? What strategies will help this student thrive, whether in a real or virtual classroom or at home?

Families and teachers should know the provisions of the Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Students and how they can help in any transition to assure educational services, appropriate class placement and more.

Student involvement in these conversations is helpful, especially for secondary students, but elementary students can also take part in parent-teacher conferences as a way to learn self-advocacy and good communication skills.

It’s important for everyone who participates to listen and respect one another’s unique perspectives. The coming school year holds many unknowns for everyone. Effective communication and a strong student-advocacy team is more essential than ever for military-connected students to thrive in all the Seasons of Transition^TM.

Adapted from Seasons of My Military Student: Practical Ideas for Parents and Teachers by Amanda Trimillos, EdD, and Stacy Allsbrook-Huisman (2018, Elva Resa Publishing)

• How Schools can Help Military Kids Moving in a Pandemic by Stacy Allsbrook-Huisman in Military Times
• New School: 5 Tips to Prepare Your Student by Amanda Trimillos

The post Start Early for a Strong Student-Advocacy Team appeared first on Seasons of My Military Student.

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 grief and need the same care and attention they would need if they were moving.

When friends move away, the familiar landscape of life shifts, even for kids who remain in the same place. The student left behind is surrounded by reminders of the friends who have moved—the soccer field, the neighborhood park, houses where friends used to live. Even a child’s own toys can become reminders of how much they miss spending time with a special friend.

No matter who is doing the leaving, being separated from friends is difficult. It’s important to recognize the pain for both those who are moving and the ones left behind. The emotional reactions of kids on both sides are very similar and need similar care and attention.

Make Time for Goodbye

Saying goodbye is very important, both for students who move away and those remaining. There are many ways to say goodbye, and kids need the opportunity to say it. A good goodbye acknowledges the importance and value of the friendship and validates the sorrow of being separated. When friends are moving, make time to say goodbye, whether at a party or in quiet moments together.

Plan ways for friends to stay in touch through technology, writing letters, or making plans for a visit if possible. A valuable friendship is worth the effort of staying in touch. Making this effort demonstrates the power of friendship to overcome time and distance.

Make Room for Feelings

Encourage children to discuss how they feel about a friend’s departure and let them know their feelings are real and recognized. Don’t dismiss their sorrow or try to remind them of disagreements or other negatives about the missing friend. Reassure them that friendship is valuable and important, and having friends to love is worth the pain of saying goodbye.

Let children have their own timeline for their feelings. Deal with waves of sadness as they come. Children may be overwhelmed by grief right away, or they may not seem so sad at first. The loss may hit them later when they see something or go somewhere that reminds them of their missing friend. They likely will experience a series of emotional ups and downs and will need comfort and reassurance as the need arises.

Make Friends for Life

After a friend has moved away, encourage children to connect with friends nearby and make plans together. Kids may be hesitant to seek out these connections out of loyalty to the friend who left. Let them know having other friends doesn’t change the love they have for the one who moved. They can enjoy friends who are nearby and stay in touch with those who are far away.

Children may also resist new relationships to avoid painful goodbyes in the future. Parents and teachers can’t push kids into making new friends, but they can offer reassurance that friendships are an important part of life. Saying goodbye is hard, but not having friends at all is much harder.

Many friendships in military life transcend time and distance, even—or especially—friendships formed in childhood. Sometimes military moves reunite friends from past assignments, and sometimes military families maintain strong relationships with good communication and occasional visits.

Helping children understand the value of friendships both old and new builds strength and security as they grow into adults. When children discover the sustaining power of friendship in spite of time and distance, they will treasure longtime friends and be more open to new ones.

Terri Barnes, senior editor at Elva Resa Publishing, has moved at least twenty times in her life as a military child, military spouse, and mother of three military children. 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 helping students in the Season of Leaving:

• Why saying goodbye is mportant: Good Goodbyes and Building Resilience
• Healthy tips for moving with kids: Healthy Ways to Handle PCS
• Benefits of journaling: Write it Out: Journaling Helps Kids Process Emotions

Vain kehonrakennus anavar kansallinen kehonrakennusvalmentaja pidätettiin Elchessä anabolisten lääkkeiden kaupasta.

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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 for Parents and Teachers.

Both Amanda’s and Stacy’s families are set to move this summer. Their permanent change of station (PCS) orders put their families in the Season of Leaving, in spite of temporary delays caused by the Pentagon’s stop-move order.

The milestones of the Season of Leaving are often set and scheduled weeks or even months in advance. Families move from anticipation of a move, to official orders, to preparation, to departure in a fairly predictable procession. For Amanda and Stacy and thousands of military families like theirs, coronavirus circumstances have complicated that process.

Plan and Communicate

“Storms can happen in any season, and this is a storm,” says Amanda. “Families might be in the Season of Leaving or getting into the groove in the Season of Growing, or even the Season of Thriving. Everybody right now is in the storm of this coronavirus, but they can still move forward by using helpful tools.”

In a stormy Season of Leaving, Amanda and Stacy say tools like an exit plan and good communication are essential. The exit plan should consider various possibilities when the outlook is uncertain, and communication keeps the family and school on the same page.

“Everybody right now is in the storm of this coronavirus, but they can still move forward by using helpful tools.”

–Amanda Trimillos

“For a while, our orders were on hold, and we didn’t know if we were moving,” says Stacy. “I had my son pre-register for his high school classes here in Florida for next year just in case we stayed here.” At the same time, she planned for the upcoming move so both her children would be ready for that possibility.

Amanda’s family is moving back from Germany, with all that goes into an overseas move plus four children taking online classes at their DODEA schools.  One week her oldest daughter had four projects due—the same week the packers were scheduled, so advance planning and good communication really paid off.

“I’m so glad we were communicating often with the teachers so she could do those projects in advance,” says Amanda. “Because we found out about the assignments ahead of time, we were able to get the supplies she needed, and she was able to complete them before our packers arrived.”

Build the Binder

Another important part of the exit plan is gathering documents for a student’s Education Binder.

“At a time when we are physically disconnected, it’s even more important to stay tuned in to the tasks of transitioning out of school properly and getting ready to enter a new school,” says Stacy.

“Now more than ever,” says Stacy, “the Education Binder is the only fall-back if there is a significant lapse in time the records are received. Parents must take on an advocacy role and not let their military kids fall through the cracks. Gather as much data as possible ahead of time, and hand carry records to assure their child’s academic continuity. Hand carry them. I can’t emphasize that enough.”

“At a time when we are physically disconnected, it’s even more important to stay tuned in to the tasks of transitioning out of school properly and getting ready to enter a new school.”

–Stacy Allsbrook-Huisman

Planning for different scenarios also includes different possibilities for the coming school year.

“We don’t know what back to school will look like next year,” Stacy says. “School situations will likely vary from place to place. It’s a good idea to research the situation where you are going, and mentally prepare for various possibilities.”

With the move coming up, Stacy says their family’s life is very task-oriented right now, but they are making time for fun for some necessary stress relief.

“Kids will pick up on their parents’ emotions, so we are having fun in between the serious,” she says.

Stick With the List

Amanda and Stacy suggest adding these items to any to do list for an upcoming move:

• Gather records for your students. Amanda: “Don’t wait. Ask now for teacher-to-teacher letters from significant educators in your student’s life.” Parents can also supplement the binder by documenting any online courses or projects their students are taking, even if they are not for grade or school credit. Use screen shots or print out certificates and student work to show proficiency.
• Plan ahead for next year’s school supplies. Stacy: “Think about what you will need if in-home learning continues next fall.”
• Pack masks and other protective supplies for travel. Stacy: “Flying overseas or driving through various states may make it difficult to purchase supplies while traveling.”
• Don’t forget the usual transition checklist, even in these unusual circumstances. Amanda: “Communicate with receiving schools. Find out what their outlook is for fall classes. Register your students.”

“Soon we’ll be in another Season of Arriving,” says Amanda, “and we hope the storm will seem less stormy. Even if this move looks and feels different than the last move, adjusting to a new place will present the same challenges, and some new ones. Good planning and continued communication will help us meet them.”

Terri Barnes is a veteran military spouse whose three military children attended more than twenty-five schools from Pre-K to high-school graduation. 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 the Season of Leaving:

• Military Kids and School Moves Through a Pandemic Amanda Trimillos and Stacy Allsbrook-Huisman for PCS Grades
• Moving Kids: 5 Healthy Ways to Handle PCS  Terri Barnes in Military Family Life

The post Stormy Season of Leaving: PCSing during the Pandemic appeared first on Seasons of My Military Student.

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 ways every day.

Amanda Trimillos, EdD, and Stacy Allsbrook-Huisman, military spouses and coauthors of Seasons of My Military Student: Practical Ideas for Parents and Teachers, say parents don’t need to panic about the class time their students will miss. They and other experienced educators agree this is the time to take a deep breath and focus on possibilities rather than limitations.

Give Grace

“First, give yourself, your students, and your school time and grace to settle into a new routine,” says Amanda, a teacher and mother of four, who is managing varying levels of instruction for her four children now at home. “We’ve had difficult days like everyone else. It will take time to find our groove but we will. We’re all on a steep learning curve, but we can come out of this with new skills and a new appreciation for each other.”

Stacy, whose two children are also learning at home, says establishing routines and keeping balance is essential for parents so they can provide stability for their children.

“My kiddos are looking at me for their emotional compass,” she says. “If I’m showing cracks, they’ll take it on themselves. So, my day is filled with lots of forgiveness and grace.”

Reassure

Home school mom and Marine Corps wife Lindsay Swoboda says parents who now have their children home during the school day should remember their primary role is to reassure their children, especially when they are affected by the uncertainty of the times.

“My hope is that they won’t just be their child’s teacher,” she says. “Be their parent. Be a safe place to land in all this craziness. For all of us, the best we can do is our best … in this time, what we have to give has to be enough. We are not required to be any more of a super-parent than we already are. What is required is more grace, more forgiveness, more resolve to rest in the love in front of us.”

Claire Wood is an army wife with experience in education, both as a classroom teacher and home educator of her three children. She reassures parents that a change in schooling method, even missed days of instruction won’t necessarily deter academic success. She suggests thinking about the possibilities now open instead of the schools now closed.

Find Fun

“Let it be fun,” says Claire. “Let this be a time to fan the flame of their own natural curiosity, love of learning, and engagement with the world around them.”

Both Claire and Lindsay emphasize that learning at home does not take as many hours as a day in a full classroom. Parents don’t have to fill every hour with schoolwork or feel obligated to provide entertainment.

“Let this be a time to fan the flame of their own natural curiosity, love of learning, and engagement with the world around them.”

–Claire Wood

“What might take more than a day with twenty-plus students in a classroom can be streamlined to mere hours are home,” says Lindsay. This means more free time, which calls for creativity, especially when getting together with friends is not an option.

Parents can give kids responsibility for filling some of their own time, providing age-appropriate parental supervision, of course. Parents also need to take time to keep themselves healthy and spend time doing things they enjoy. Getting outside for sunshine and fresh air when possible and incorporating movement and exercise each day—even when you have to stay indoors—helps create a healthy routine for both parents and kids.

Claire adds, “There is no right or wrong way to use this time. Let your kids do something they enjoy or study something they want to learn more about. Help them look for ways to engage their minds and their hearts.”

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.

Amanda, Stacy, Lindsay, and Claire offer these practical ideas for learning at home.

• Choose a historical period and read about influential people from that era. Watch a movie or documentary that highlights events and people. Talk about what was surprising, new, different from the world today.
• Read, read, read! Don’t forget audiobooks, ebooks, or movies about books and authors. Many libraries offer digital resources to check out online.
• Send (real) mail! Kids can write to veterans homes where residents can no longer receive visitors and to family members and friends who are far away. Handwritten letters and homemade cards are fun to create and always appreciated.
• Find science experiments online that can be done safely at home.
• Take a virtual field trip. Search online for virtual tours of museums, zoos, and national parks, and more.
• Play, read, or study outside when possible. Recharge with sunshine and fresh air.
• Involve kids in household chores. This teaches kids what it takes to keep a house in order and helps get chores done.
• Give creative time. Build with Legos; work on jigsaw puzzles; solve math or word puzzles; create art projects.

For more resources, see this list of Online Resources for Learning at Home.

To connect with Amanda, Stacy, and other supporters of military-connected students, join the Seasons of My Military Student Cultivation Team Room on Facebook.

Read Lindsay’s blog at Uplifting Anchor.

Listen to Claire’s Advice Not Given podcast and read her blog The Story of Our Lives.

The post Bringing School Home: Focus on the Possibilities appeared first on Seasons of My Military Student.

No matter when they occur in the school calendar, the first two weeks at a new school are crucial for the integration of military-connected students, say Amanda Trimillos and Stacy Allsbrook-Huisman, coauthors of Seasons of My Military Student: Practical Ideas for Parents and Teachers. Fortunately, teachers can ease this transition in the Season of Arriving with a few simple actions.

Amanda and Stacy offer these ways teachers can provide a warm welcome to students arriving midyear:

Seating Arrangements

In classrooms with assigned seats, keep a few open desks throughout the room if possible. When a new student joins the classroom at any time during the year, it’s nice to offer a seat surrounded by classmates, instead of an isolated, leftover desk. Consider changing seat assignments every month or so throughout the year, so that a new student is more easily integrated into normal procedures.

Welcome packets

Keep up-to-date welcome packets on hand for arrivals anytime during the school year, with a map of the school, schedules, calendar, and a supply list. Be sure to provide the new student with the same guidance about class and grading procedures the rest of the class received at the beginning of the year.

Conversations

Use the welcome packet information as the basis for friendly conversations with parents and students, rather than just paperwork sent home in the backpack. Set aside time to talk to the student about the map, schedules and more. If possible, include parents in these conversations and welcome them as well. Be sure the student knows the locations of bathrooms and the cafeteria, and bus pick-up areas. Teachers can also offer parents reassurance and ways to support their student through a midyear move. A warm welcome initiates healthy communication for the parent-teacher team.

Extra Supplies

Class supply lists may not be readily available to students arriving at midyear, so keep on hand a starter kit of classroom supplies just in case: paper, pens, notebooks, a calculator to borrow. Having the right materials helps the newcomer feel more comfortable right away. If the class uses composition books for daily journal time, for example, a new student will feel more at home if she has one on the first day.

Buddies

Connecting new students with peers one-on-one is another way to provide a warm, personal welcome. For younger students, a formal buddy system may be the best choice. Alternatively, perhaps for older students, a teacher make connections in less formal ways, asking a specific classmate to help a new student find the cafeteria or connecting students with similar interests in casual conversation during class.

Integrated roles

If there is a rotating list of classroom helpers, or a birthday list, adding a new student right away will help him integrate more quickly. Giving a new student a simple duty, such as delivering something to the office or to a nearby classroom, will give her a chance to navigate hallways on her own and gain confidence.

Military Kids Clubs

If the school has a group or club for military students, introduce new military-connected kids when they arrive. Military kids clubs are a good way for students to connect in a new community with peers and adults who understand their way of life.

When helping a new student integrate, be conscious of personality and preferences. Some students may welcome the attention of the whole class, while others respond to a quieter approach. All students will benefit from a teacher’s extra efforts to reach out. All year long, a thoughtful teacher motivates students to be thoughtful as well, and a few kind and simple actions make all the difference for each new arrival.

Some material adapted from Seasons of My Military Student: Practical Ideas for Parents and Teachers by Amanda Trimillos, EdD, and Stacy Allsbrook-Huisman.

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“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 of a new student. My children have moved six times, two countries in 12 years. They have attended five different schools as my oldest heads into eighth grade this fall. My kids, like most are well versed in being the new kid – but it never gets easier.

Read more at ScaryMommy.com

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