“We are honored and we’re pleased to be able to support military families. It’s so hard on families that move every two to three years. It’s hard on the kids and hard on the adults, so to have those supports in place, it’s easier on everybody,” Administrator Rebecca Reid said. “The most amazing thing about the award to me is that going through the process made us better about being a military-friendly school, which helps us serve our families.”
The award program recognizes a school’s commitment to serving and supporting students and families connected to the U.S. armed forces and Ohio National Guard.
“We’re very mindful of what kids go through, especially parents on deployment. ... We have a lot of supports in place to help those children be successful in school because they are worried about their families,” Reid said.
Out of the 68 honoree schools, 23 were first timers and 45 were renewals. This was a renewal for Risen Christ Lutheran School as it also received the award in 2018.
The Purple Star Advisory Board helps determine requirements for the award program. Schools must designate a liaison between military-connected students and their families and the school. The liaison then works with teachers to support the military-connected students in school and helps ensure families have access to necessary resources in the community.
“We had to submit all new material, all new evidence. It was not enough to do what we did the first time, so we improved the program to make our school more military friendly,” Reid said. “There were things we had to improve, and it made us more mindful of what our students need and what their parents need for the best learning opportunity.”
Reid said they have helped families that got stationed here from around the U.S., including California, Texas, Colorado and Alabama.
“It is an awesome asset to us. It gets our names out to the families transferring to this area,” she said. “It gives those families contact information and they can call and we’re able to give them a lot of information about the school and the community. Families can get a good picture of what our community looks like before getting here. We even invite them to visit and get them set up for stuff to do while they’re here to show our community off in a good light.”
About the Author
