The season has arrived for military kids around globe – the PCS season. For military-connected students, this time of year means preparing to leave a supportive school and community, saying goodbye to beloved teachers, close friends and familiar homes. There is a distinct battle rhythm to this time of year and the feelings military-connected students have are universal across every military installation.
‘Tis the Season of Leaving.
Military-connected students experience a cycle of transitions as they change schools. This cycle includes four Seasons of TransitionTM: Season of Leaving, Season of Arriving, Season of Growing, and Season of Thriving.
No matter the age, grade or ability, military-connected students experience all four of these seasons when faced with changing schools due to a PCS. Whether students leave at the end of the school year or move in the middle of winter, these seasons follow the student, until the Season of Thriving at a new school signals the collective parental sigh of relief.
The Season of Leaving begins with the hint that PCS orders are coming and continues until the student and family physically move from their home. Right now, the Season of Leaving is in full swing for many military families as they frantically make lists and phone calls, and spend hours researching the right new school and the right new home.
Preparing military kids for changing schools takes teamwork. Parents, teachers, and schools partner to plan the withdrawal, create a timeline, and organize the student’s records.
Here are four important steps to create a smooth school transition during the Season of Leaving.
1. Build an Education Binder:
An education binder is a military student’s educational life story. The binder does more than hold a transcript – it shares the child’s educational history and should include important documents, notes and tests. The education binder should include information such as:
- School work samples
- Report cards
- Standardized test scores
- IEP and 504 documentation
- Transcripts highlighting different curricula at different schools
- Teacher conference notes
- Teacher-to-teacher communication
- Notes about deployments and homecomings, past and present, especially those that impact grades or attendance
- List of schools attended
- Student’s picture so counselors and teachers can put a face with a name
(Side note: The binder will grow with the child. Middle and high school students, a binder can be a collection of past work, test scores, description of past classes completed, volunteer hours, clubs and activities, employment and letters of recommendation. Organized well, this can help transition a student from high school to employment, trade school or college)
Build the education binder at home with input from teachers. Be sure to hand carry it through the move. At registration, or during the first week of school, give the binder to the school counselor to review and then to the classroom teacher. The goal of the education binder is not to let a student’s transcript be the only tie to a student’s academic history. Let the binder tell the story.
2. Make an Exit Plan:
Parents and teachers work together to create the exit plan, proactively creating a smooth transition for the departing student. When a move is imminent, parents will share the news with teachers. Teachers will be able to offer support academically and emotionally as the PCS deadline approaches.
The lists of things to do become long in this season, but critical items like updating medical records and sports physicals, withdrawal procedures and updating specialized education plans are important part of the exit plan.
Anticipating a move on a calendar can wreak havoc on grades, class assignments, testing and projects. Work with teachers to plan ahead so a student can exit a school with confidence. Teachers can also offer students a packet of assignments, activities and worksheets to maintain or polish academic skills during travel and transition.
And don’t forget about the goodbye. It’s essential to allow a student time and space to say goodbye to friends and fellow students.
3. Know Before You Go:
Public education and curriculum can vary wildly between school districts and states. It’s important that parents are armed with knowledge before they transfer to a new school. The Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children is an agreement between all 50 states to provide consistent education and enrollment policies for military-connected children in every school district.
The Compact addresses key educational transition issues that military families frequently encounter such as enrollment, placement, attendance, eligibility and graduation. There is a comprehensive list of guidelines every school should follow on the website of the Military Interstate Children’s Compact Commission, which oversees the compact, www.MIC3.net.
Parents need to know exactly what the Compact covers and what it does not. Print a copy of the compact and add it to the student’s education binder for easy reference. Find the local School Liaison Officer (SLO) assigned to your installation. A SLO can field common questions about new schools, transition issues, and the Interstate Compact.
4. Do the Homework:
Not all schools have the same education standards or curricula. In most cases, military-connected students spend the first six to ten weeks in a waiting period with their academics. A student is either playing catch up to the current curriculum or repeating material already studied. Either way, children continue to be in transition weeks after school begins.
Before a student leaves a school, find out what curriculum the new school district is using. Preparing for new academic expectations before school begins can save hours of frustration in the classroom, leaving more time and energy for the student’s social and emotional adjustment.
The Season of Leaving is the shortest yet busiest time for military families with school-aged kids. It’s filled with lots of emotions, parent guilt and family stress. Moving an entire household across states or oceans and changing schools are just some of the pieces of a very complicated puzzle families have to solve. The Season of Leaving is also the beginning of an adventure for military kids, a season filled with excitement and imagination.
Staying organized; planning ahead and documenting a student’s school history will help eliminate some of the challenges and allow them to embrace the journey ahead.
When the student completes the Season of Leaving, departing with a binder full of education history, a yearbook full of friends, and a car full of suitcases, it’s time to prepare for the Season of Arriving.
‘Tis Another Season.
Find more about Seasons of TransitionTM and other strategies for military connected students at www.SeasonsOfMyMilitaryStudent.com.
Seasons of My Military Student: Practical Ideas for Parents and Teachers is available at MilitaryFamilyBooks.com and other quality booksellers. LINK: https://militaryfamilybooks.com/products/seasons-of-my-military-student