TIPS ON HOW SCHOOLS CAN ACCLIMATE MILITARY-CONNECTED KIDS USING INFORMATION GARNERED BY THE MILITARY STUDENT IDENTIFIER
By Christi Ham
During “back to school” periods, teachers and school administrators are often on the lookout for effective ways in which to better integrate military-connected students who are new to a school system.
There are effective efforts being implemented in several communities around the country, but this resource particularly highlights best practices from the Virginia Beach, Virginia and Knob Noster, Missouri school systems – both of which are home to sizeable populations of military students.
Schools and districts serving these students can use this list as a resource to help acclimate military-connected students into their school environments. Many are very basic and can be easily put into place, though they can always be expanded or improved for greater impact. Others require some modest funding to make them practical, but the resources available to underwrite such projects are ample.
These options provide considerations when designing outreach programs with information garnered from the military student identifier. The identifier provides school systems with information such as how many military-connected students are in any given school and their grade. These types of efforts pay big dividends by ensuring that military-connected students and their families are adequately served.
For school systems and teachers on the hunt for even more ideas about how to integrate military-connected students, take a look at states with the "Purple Star School" designation program. The accreditation is awarded to military-friendly schools that demonstrate a commitment to meeting the needs of military-connected students and their families.
BULLETIN BOARDS
Whether it is one which voices a bright “[insert school name] Welcomes our Military-Connected Students,” or one that recognizes the service of these students along with their families, this is an easy and inexpensive way to immediately create a sense of belonging. They can be done by PTA groups, student groups, or school staff and teachers and their messaging can be changed throughout the year.
One may be enough, but several are always better. Large or wall-size, they are the perfect backdrop to demonstrate a sense of welcoming and community. To allow for added customization and flexibility, a large chalkboard can be used, allowing messaging to be changed easily for any group that a school might want to address.
DISPLAYING MATERIALS
While most pamphlets, packets, and information sheets are available online, having those materials displayed and on-hand not only makes a family feel a responsiveness to their needs but also gives them instant access to information.
Groups that serve military families will often send their materials for your school to display as well as copies for handing out. It lends a sense of the school’s caring and forethought on the topics related to military-connected students. Displaying materials helps educate others who may not be aware of how military-connected students are impacted by issues facing their families.
Some schools make the materials easily available by mobile device, which presents a different twist on the same message and end-product.
REFLECTIONS ON BELONGING
At least one school with a significant military population hung a large mirror on a main wall that invites students to see themselves as part of where they are – with welcoming messages printed on the mirror to frame their reflection.
This easy and effective visual can include messages like “We are all [school name]“or “Look who’s part of [school name], or “Success begins with you at [school name]“ --- speaking to every student but allowing the military-connected child to “see” themselves as part of this caring whole.
MILITARY-RELATED LIBRARY SELECTIONS
Just as all students want to see themselves in the works available to them – stories from all cultures, races, backgrounds and situations –military-connected students can begin to feel part of their school by realizing they too are represented in the library offerings. Even a single shelf of these books can make a difference. Additionally, civilian peers can use those same titles to learn more about these students.
Titles on moving, leaving friends behind or finding new friendships in new places, being a service member’s child, military vehicles or about military heroes can enrich the library experience for every student and make these children see the familiar in a new setting.
ROCK GARDEN
A “rock garden” created in a fashion related to the school’s name, logo, mascot or at a special spot on the campus, can include a decorated rock left behind by a military-connected child moving on (again) while offering them the sense that they remain an important part of where they’ve been.
New military students arriving will see right away that they are important enough to be remembered and belong. This could take any variety of forms if rocks aren’t of appeal, including using pennies in a fountain or a shoelace tied to a tree branch that leaves the tree always “in bloom” with the remembrance of these students.
BRIDGING DISTANCE WITH TECHNOLOGY
Very often, the topics of military-connected students and military deployments intersect, and this can influence their academic progress.
Allowing parents who are at a distance from their children to experience their accomplishments, awards, and successes is vital. Using technology to keep deployed parents updated and involved is powerful. Facetime moments to view awards ceremonies, Skype with a child after a special event, call to share good news, or record wins that inspire pride – all can be done by school staff to highlight the student’s accomplishments and share with a parent who may not be nearby.
When accomplishments are shared by the school community, students feel recognized and the deployed parent is made to feel a part of their child’s school performance.
MEALTIME OPPORTUNITIES
Something as simple as school lunch can present an opportunity to help make military kids feel welcome. Schools can create days to celebrate military families in special ways. A few we’ve seen are: Hotdog/Hoagies for Heroes, Sandwiches for Service Members, Meals for Marines, Nu-wave MREs (Meals Ready to Eat), “Jet Fighter Franks and Beans.”
Service members should also be encouraged to come to school to share lunch with their child in uniform. Wearing the uniform highlights their role as a military parent and showcases the value of service to our nation to the broader school community.
SCHOOL AMBASSADORS
Creating a peer-led program for school tours and information sessions for new students is a wonderful welcoming strategy for everyone entering a school community. Certainly, military-connected students are made to feel at home, but the program can touch any newly enrolled child.
It offers student leadership opportunities, public speaking training, and school pride swells. Questions and answers taken from the student voice offers a different perspective of things that weigh on the minds and hearts of children who are new to a school setting.
Expand by offering these same once-new students the chance to join as an ambassador and the program goes beyond full-circle. The Military Child Education Coalition offers an outstanding program that can be adopted at any school site.
COUNSELORS
Some districts have secured grant monies for creating counselor positions to address the needs of military-connected children moving in and out of their systems. These positions assist the families in determining the right placement for their children, confirming advancement toward graduation, eliminating unnecessary repetition of coursework, ensuring access to athletic participation, and providing dedicated advocates to help them over the hurdles that might otherwise defeat them.
While such positions typically require a large military-connected population to justify the need, existing school counselors can provide similar assistance in communities with fewer military families. An awareness of who these children are, where they are located, and what their concerns are begins with utilizing the data from the MSI.
SCHOOL LIAISONS
The school liaison is typically attached to a military installation. Depending on the facility, some liaisons are fully engaged in providing information and contacting military-connected students. Others have additional duties and make themselves available when needed.
Bolstering the impact these folks can make on a school community is important. Ensuring that they use the MSI to calculate the size of the impact they need to make is critical. An active presence in their school communities is also necessary, as this is a vital role that should be a fully used asset to support all military-connected students.
SHARING LESSONS LEARNED
The data collected by the military student identifier is invaluable for each school. It is important that each school and district maintain awareness of the numbers - because they aren’t just numbers, they are students. The data can indicate where the greatest needs are for programs and services, while also specifying locations where small enrollments require focus.
Over time, the power of the data will reveal stories of success and best practices around utilizing the MSI. Efforts made for any group of children, when successful, can be replicated by another district for even larger numbers of students. Efforts based on information collected by the MSI in one school or district can offer viable options to serve military-connected children everywhere.