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- Aynor High School
- Purple Star Military Families
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MCEC is the national advocate for Purple Star Schools, a program that supports military-connected children as they relocate to new schools due to a parent’s change in duty station.
Military children move every two to three years. The Purple Star School program is designed to help schools respond to the educational and social-emotional challenges military-connected children face during their transition to a new school and keep them on track to be college, workforce, and life-ready. Military-connected refers to children of service members on active duty, and in the National Guard and Reserves.
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BENEFITS OF PURPLE STAR SCHOOLS INCLUDE:
Dedicated Liaison
- The school liaison officer works in partnership with local school divisions and the leaders of military commands and installations to enhance the public school experiences of military children. The liaison officer equips school division staff with resources and information about the challenges faced by military children, while working in partnership with schools and community organizations to raise awareness about the needs of these students. The school liaison officer promotes parental involvement and assists parents, teachers and administrators and commanders in troubleshooting and finding solutions to education-related problems.
School Training
- Specialized training is provided for school counselors, staff and administrators.
Student Ambassador
- A student ambassador (peer-to-peer support) is assigned to your child to make your child feel welcome and help them navigate/learn about their new school.
Education Planning
- Get your child enrolled in classes as soon as possible. Bring us your transcripts before the official ones arrive to get your child enrolled quickly.
- Work to ensure your child receives transfer credit from previous schools so your child will not need to retake classes. We are committed to the Military Interstate Children’s Compact Commission (MIC3).
Extracurricular Activities
- To ensure your child develops a sense of belonging at their new school, we will work to help your child joins extracurricular activities, even if the period has passed to join.
- We will assign a personal contact at the school to your family to provide support the transition and ongoing success.
Military Family School Website
- Our website provides a listing of some of the organizations that offer resources to military families.
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RESOURCES FOR MILITARY FAMILIES
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Please see the following resources available to our Military Families. There are numerous organizations throughout the nation and worldwide founded on the mission of supporting military families. Below is a sample of some of the organizations offering resources to military families. Please note, these resources are shared for informational purposes only, and do not imply Horry County Schools endorsement. Should you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to Nicole Madensky, Military Community Liaison, by emailing nmadensky@horrycountyschools.net or calling (843) 488-7100.
MilitaryOneSource– Military OneSource is a free service provided by the Department of Defense (DoD) to active duty, Guard and Reserve service members, and their families with comprehensive information on every aspect of military life including deployment, reunion, relationships, grief, spouse employment and education, parenting and child care, and much more. For videos, articles and more geared to military kids and teens, please visit Military Youth on the Move.
- Military Kids Connect – Military Kids Connect (MKC) is an online community for military children (ages 6-17 yr old) that provides access to age-appropriate resources to support children dealing with the unique psychological challenges of military life. MKC offers informative activities, fun games, helpful videos, and an online community that can build and reinforce understanding, resilience, and coping skills in military children and their peers
- Tutor.com for Military - Tutor.com for U.S. Military Families, funded by the U.S. Department of Defense and Coast Guard Mutual Assistance, is a program that provides on-demand, online tutoring and homework help at no cost to active duty service members and their eligible dependents. With live, expert tutors available 24/7, military-connected students can receive academic help at their moment of need—anywhere they have an internet connection.
- Blue Star Families Association– Blue Star Families was founded by military spouses in 2009 to empower families to thrive as they serve by connecting them with their civilian neighbors - people and organizations - to create strong communities of support. The goal of Blue Star Families’ research and policy work is to increase the awareness and understanding of military family life trends and the ramifications for both our Armed Forces and our American society. Through this work they are inspiring meaningful engagement between military and civilian neighbors in our communities. They are accomplishing this through individual research projects, policy analysis, and the seminal Comprehensive Report from our annual Military Family Lifestyle Survey.
- Month of the Military Child– While April has been designated as the “Month of the Military Child,” schools are encouraged to take time throughout the year to recognize the nation’s military servicemen and servicewomen, their families and their children. See possible activities, download materials, and read why the Month of the Military Child was designated.
- Military Interstate Children’s Compact Commission (MIC3)– The Interstate Commission was developed to establish a uniform standard that eases the state-to-state transition of military personnel, their spouses, and primarily their children as these children transfer from one state to another and from one state to another and from one school system to another as a direct result of the military parent's frequent reassignments. The MIC3 website offers numerous resources related to the Interstate Compact including one page reference documents and training modules.
- DoDEA Educational Partnership– DoDEA's Educational Partnership provides outreach to the schools that serve military-connected children to support academic achievement and positive educational opportunities outcomes for military children. Through a variety of outreach initiatives, such as working collaboratively with the U.S. Department of Education, managing a robust grant program, and providing training and development opportunities, the DoDEA Educational Partnership champions quality educational opportunities for all military children.
- Military Child Education Coalition (MCEC)– MCEC's mission is to ensure inclusive, quality educational experiences for all military children affected by mobility, family separation, and transition. MCEC offers numerous resources for parents, information about leadership camps and scholarships, and extensive training for educators about the needs of military-connected students.
- National Military Family Association– Founded 43 years ago, the National Military Family Association is a non-profit organization focusing on issues important to military families, such as comprehensive child care, accessible health care, spouse employment options, great schools, caring communities, a secure retirement, and support for widows and widowers.
- Military State Policy Source– This site seeks to engage and educate state policymakers, not-for-profit associations, concerned business interests, and other state leaders about the needs of military members and their families
- Military Impacted Schools Association (MISA)– is a national organization of school superintendents to serve school districts with a high concentration of military children
Ed.sc.gov South Carolina Department of Education website.
https://www.niche.com/blog/what-is-a-purple-star-school/
Ft. Jackson School Liaison Officer Fred C. Henley can answer additional questions specific to military families. Please send emails to fredc.henley.naf@mail.mil
Dr. Tremekia K. Priester, Education Associate, Office of Student Support Services, Military Interstate Children’s Compact Commission, tkpriester@ed.sc.gov or (803) 734-1423.
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