VBCPS joins the Department of Defense, the DoDEA, Operation Military Kids, and the military community in celebrating April as the Month of the Military Child. Military children face many challenges unique to their situation, such as having a parent deployed for extended periods of time and moving frequently. Deployments and family separations can be stressful times for children.

Schools in Virginia Beach are part of the wide community support network available to families. Teachers, counselors, and psychologists guide honest and open discussions with students. Schools link deployed parents and students by email and other technologies, but the most important contribution VBCPS can make is to remain focused on the educational mission and provide a stable environment for the children in our schools especially during these times of stress.

This year, VBCPS is inviting everyone to “purple up”. Operation Military Kids (OMK), an organization dedicated to military families, is asking people around the nation to join them for an event they call, “Purple Up! For Military Kids.” They are encouraging everyone across the U.S. to wear purple on April 15 as a visible way to show support and thank military children for their strength and sacrifices. This is OMK’s fourth year of celebrating Purple Up. Purple is the color that symbolizes all branches of the military, as it is the combination of Army green, Coast Guard blue, Air Force blue, Marine red and Navy blue. Since Virginia Beach schools are not in session April 15, we are inviting students and staff to “Purple-Up” Wednesday, April 2.

This Purple Up will coincide with the Art of Being a Military Child art exhibit opening, which will be held April 2 at Lynnhaven Mall.

For some ideas on how you can best Purple Up next Wednesday, see the ideas below:

• All Administrative Staff:
  • Wear purple April 2, 2014 to support military connected students in VBCPS district.
• Principals and Assistant Principals:
  • Wear purple April 2, 2014 to support military connected students in VBCPS district.
  • Work with faculty, staff, and Military Family Counselors, to select 3 (or more) military connected students to “highlight” on the weekly announcements.
    • Administration can possibly read what military connected students have written
    • Administration can possibly share about a special achievement a military connected student has been awarded
  • Post on marquee “Purple Up! Proud to support ,Military Connected Students”
• School Counselors, Faculty, Staff Teachers, and Military Family Life Counselors
  • Wear purple April 2, 2014 to support military connected students in VBCPS district.
  • Encourage students to share why they are proud to be a military connected student at the end of each week in class.
  • Have civilian students illustrate, write, or compose a thank you to military students.
  • Have students illustrate, write, compose what makes them proud to be a military connected student. Some ideas:
    §  How many different posts or bases have you lived on during your life? How many schools have you attended?
    §  A military family may consist of many combinations of people. How would you describe your military family?
    §  How have the experiences you had moving shaped your life today?
    §  Why are you proud to be a military connected child? What experiences have you enjoyed the most because of your families connection to the military?
• Partners in Education Coordinators:
  • Extend an opportunity to Partners in Education to support military connected students and Purple Up! on April 2, 2014.