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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…
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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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New high school: Preparation is key
Stacy Allsbrook-Huisman for Military Spouse magazine — For military-connected students, the transition from middle school to high school can be compounded by a PCS move. Moving to a new community, loss of social support networks and unfamiliar academic expectations will be a heavy burden for budding teens. Planning for the…
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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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Purple Up for Military-Connected Students
by Stacy Allsbrook-Huisman In military life, the color purple represents all branches of service. In April, Month of the Military Child, the Purple Up campaign shines a spotlight on the unique lifestyle of military-connected students. Wearing or displaying purple during Month of the Military Child is a way to show…
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Bringing a Student’s Military Life into Classroom Learning
By Amanda Trimillos As teachers welcome military students into a classroom, they may also welcome the students’ military life into classroom learning with planned and purposeful lessons. A mobile lifestyle gives military-connected students unique knowledge of the world. They may have lived in and visited many locations, experiencing a variety…
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Teachers: Supporting Students Before, During, and After Deployment
By Amanda Trimillos When is the right time to inform teachers about a deployment? Before, during, after? The answer is all of the above. Teachers want to know about events in a student’s life that impact classroom behavior or learning. For military-connected students, this includes a parent’s deployment–before, during, and…