Thursday, April 18, 2019

Diversity & Inclusion


April- The Month of the Military Child

Did you know the average child of a military parent moves 10 times a year? That is a lot of                  new friends to make and new faces to learn. 

Also, every county in Ohio has military families living in it! 

Celebrate the military families in your school by welcoming them and helping them make your hometown theirs as well!

-Display a large map of the USA as well as of a World map and allow students to mark their previous homes with push pins.

                        -Host a drink drive and collect drink flavor packets to send in care packages.
                        -Invite students to create cards and letters to send to the troops.

-Organize a clean up of local cemeteries, VFW halls, and memorial gardens to give back to those everyday heroes.

-Host a Military Career day and invite members of the military to talk and show off their uniforms and gear to the children.

- Invite “celebrity readers” (military parents) to read their favorite books to students during library time.  It could be live, via Skype, or recorded!

-Bring families together to help and support each other. Your PTA is a relevant resource in your school. Let it show!

Become a Purple Star School and PTA!
From the Ohio Department of Education:


The Purple Star Award for military-friendly schools recognizes schools that show a major commitment to students and families connected to our nation’s military. Schools that earn the award will receive a special Purple Star recognition to display onsite.
A school will be honored with the Purple Star Award if it completes all the required activities, plus one optional activity, listed below. The Purple Star Advisory Board, formed by the Ohio departments of Education, Higher Education, Veterans Services and the Adjutant General, helps decide a school’s eligibility for the award.

Other Military Resources from the Ohio Department of Education


Fast Facts
      Military youth live in every county in Ohio; they are concentrated in populated centers around the state.

      The majority of youth are associated with the Reserve Component: 34% National Guard & 27% Reserves. The largest portion of active duty service members are in the Air Force in the area surrounding Wright-Patterson Air Force Base.

      Ages: 36% are ages 0 to 5, 39% are ages 6 to 12, and 25% are ages 13 to 18 years old.

      The 18 counties with 500 or more account for approximately 2/3 of the military youth population.