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.
Source: https://education.ohio.gov/Topics/Other-Resources/Ohio-Network-for-Military-Families-and-Veterans/Supporting-Ohio-s-Military-Families/Purple-Star-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.
source:https://ohio4h.org/statewide-programs/operation-military-kids/about-omk/where-are-our-military-kids