NEW SCHOOL BLUES- I know my daughters have them:( I found a fantastic article which is very informative about the uprooting from one school to another. Don't hesitate to send any comments or questions my way. Sometimes, bouncing concerns or ideas on another person in the same situation helps greatly.
_____________________________________________________________
Tips and Tools for Smooth School Moves
PCS and School
posted: 6/12/2009
by: Pamela McBride

When you uproot your family for a PCS, it’s not just the furniture that can take a beating. Your children’s academics can suffer, too. Navy Child and Youth Programs sources say one high school senior who moved from Annapolis, Md., to San Diego was denied advanced placement calculus and chemistry in his senior year. Instead, he took badminton with ninth-graders and his third history course. Another high school senior arriving in Northern Virginia was told he would not graduate because his previous school had a lower credit requirement for physical education. The child was a three sport letterman with a 4.0 grade point average.Even kindergarten students in one state have been ineligible in their new state because the age requirements differ. First-graders have been denied enrollment into new schools for the very same reason. The Department of Defense and each of the military services say they are working diligently to help “level the playing field” for military students who transition from school to school as often as six to nine times by the time they graduate. But let’s face it: You’re the best advocate for your child. Get SmartThe Military Child Education Coalition (www.militarychild.org) has great resources to educate parents. Find out what your new school has to offer by visiting MCEC’s School Quest at www.schoolquest.org. The site not only contains school contacts, calendars and state testing requirements, it also generates student-specific reports and online portfolios with your child’s current performance, needs and other information. Use MCEC’s Interactive Counseling Center, a Web-based videoconferencing tool, to exchange information between schools.

For an extensive list of participating schools and instructions, go to www.militarychild.org/military-parent/interactive-counseling-center/.Get involvedLaunched in December 2007, the Interstate Compact on Education Opportunity for Military Children addresses the barriers children face when transferring schools. The participating states work together to make sure that inconsistencies in record transfers, enrollment requirements, immunizations, academic placement and testing, and even inclusion in extracurricular activities do not negatively impact military students. “We have made great progress in the past two years. Twenty states have officially joined,” said Amy Vandervort-Clark, policy analyst for the Council of State Governments. An Army brat who attended nine different schools herself, she cites two reasons some states have been slow to join: funding and fear of losing their sovereignty. “But the best thing military families can do is to talk to their state representatives,” she said. “Tell them your stories and why this is important to you. Send them to us for assistance, materials and other help.” Get Help“Your school liaison officer on base should be at the top of your list before, during and after your PCS,” said Chuck Clymer, Navy Child and Youth Education program manager. They work in partnership with parents, school personnel, military leadership and students to coordinate solutions that facilitate academic success despite military lifestyle barriers.

The directory of SLOs for each service branch is at http://militaryk12partners.dodea.edu/reference_SLOsexplained.html.Get the Kids InvolvedMilitary Youth on the Move (formerly Military Teens on the Move) contains age-specific advice for military youth, such as dealing with parental deployment and moving again as well as stuff all kids, military or civilian, want to know, like how to make new friends and how make a little extra spending money. This DoD Web site is a great way to engage the kids in the transition process. Send them to http://apps.mhf.dod.mil/myom.“Many schools have programs to connect children with others their own age through school-based sponsorship,” Clymer said. “For example, Student2Student and Junior Student2 Student is a student-led team with counselors and teachers.” Contact your new school and find out about academic and extracurricular sponsorship programs. Matching your child with at least one other child in the new school could make a positive difference. You can also contact the teacher and set up a pen pal even before your move. A friend to greet your child upon arrival might help smooth the move.

PCS Season Is Upon Us

Moving home is never an easy task. The organizing, the upheaval, the drama and the chaos is daunting and overwhelming at times. The calls that need to be made to organize the move and discontinue service, only to repeat the process on the other end of the move.

Not to mention, for those of us who have children, the difficult task of assurance and patience needed in dealing with the questions and concerns that rack their little brains. Oh, the whining! There's nothing to do. Where are my things? Why didn't you ship some of my things ahead of time? Where am I going to school? Why don't I have a bed to sleep in for 8 weeks? The list goes on....Ugh!

All I am concerned about is the truck and the HHG. Will they ever get here before I lose my mind with all the insane questions????

Saga to be continued...