North Thurston Public Schools Proudly Supports Students of Military Families

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Submitted by Aaron Wyatt for North Thurston Public Schools

Did you know North Thurston Public Schools (NTPS) serves over 1,300 students affiliated with military families? Thanks to its proximity to Joint Base Lewis McChord, NTPS has many special structures in place to be sure these students are set up for success when they land in the classroom.

elementary students at Mountain View Elementary in gym with long tables set up, speaking to North Thurston board members
NTPS board members celebrate Month of the Military Child with students from Mountain View Elementary. Photo courtesy: North Thurston Public Schools

Vivian Lewis, an Air Force retiree, is the district’s military support liaison. She works from the Family & Youth Resource Center and maintains important connections with the community in Lacey. “Children of military families transition to new schools six to nine times during their educational career,” Ms. Lewis explains. “Some children who are of high school age may begin at one school and graduate in another; possibly located across the country or the globe!” These major life transitions, along with separation caused by parental or caregiving deployments, add extra social and emotional challenges to life at school.

NTPS has two staff members dedicated to coordinating and supporting military students. Ms. Lewis and her colleague Adrienne Perez form the district’s Military Support Team. Their work focuses on advocating for military-connected children and their families. They partner with the Military Family Life Counselors (MFLCs) to offer extra support to schools that have a high number of military students. Currently, four MFLCs serve students at eight schools around the district.

Ms. Lewis and her colleagues structure their efforts on the principles of the Purple Star School Program, including training staff members to ease student entry into new academic environments, creating student-led programs that build social connections, and hosting dedicated web pages for military family resources. Although Washington does not yet been officially designated a Purple Star state, the decision is being considered by the legislature.

Schools with a high number of military students have student ambassador programs. River Ridge High School, North Thurston High School, Horizons Elementary, and Olympic View Elementary currently have ambassador programs. Program planning is underway at Salish Middle School and Timberline High School and will be ready for implementation in the 2022-2023 school year. Committed groups of students form the ambassador program at each school. The ambassadors offer tours and establish lunch buddies to military students who arrive throughout the year. “The ambassador program connects new students to important resources and helps them build relationships to start their academic career strong with NTPS,” Ms. Lewis says.

NTPS is committed to supporting military students year-round, but there are a few special events the district is proud to celebrate. April was the Month of the Military Child. Ms. Lewis collaborated with the City of Lacey to host the “Paint the Town Purple” campaign, hanging purple ribbons around town in honor of military families. NTPS students of all ages were invited to submit artwork in celebration of military children. You can see the virtual art wall here!

In May, NTPS is sponsoring the First Annual Military Coin “Seek and Search” in partnership with the City of Lacey. The community is invited to hunt for 425 custom-made coins around parks, restaurants, and other outdoor locations in Lacey. The coins will be in clear plastic ornaments and hidden around Lacey on May 1. Each ornament will also contain a QR code that will pull up a map when scanned. “This is a chance for families to explore places in Lacey they may have never been, all while honoring military families,” Ms. Lewis explains.

NTPS is committed to supporting the unique needs of military-connected students. Regardless of the Purple Star designation, NTPS is proud to offer special programs and support to military-affiliated students as they carry out a portion of their educational careers in our community.

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