Newsletter

January 2023 • courtesy the School Liaison • (Email: naswi.slo.cnrnw@navy.mil) 

Impact Aid Survey Cards

Every year local school districts must apply for Federal Impact Aid funds from the U.S. Department of Education. These funds compensate school districts for the loss of local tax dollars from tax exempt federal property in the area.

Schools must conduct a federal residence and employment survey on a yearly basis to obtain a current count of families in the district who live on/or work on federal property. This survey is critical to each district’s resources for students. The results of the Impact Aid survey help support each district’s request for these federal funds. 

The school district only reports the number of students living with families who live on and/or work on federal property. Schools do not report information about individual students in the Federal Impact Aid application. 

Contact your child’s school office if you need a new form or have questions about how to complete the survey.

For more information about the Federal Impact Aid program: How the Impact Aid Program Helps LEAs • Military OneSource

Tips to Navigate Special Education Process in Washington State

One of PAVE’s programs, Parent Training and Information (PTI), helps Washington families be the best advocates they can be for children who need special education support. PTI does this by providing information, training, resources, and individualized support to help parents/caregivers understand their rights and responsibilities, navigate school, and connect with community resources.

For families new to Washington State (or anyone wanting a refresher), this article includes state-specific information about special education systems. Information about how to contact PAVE for support is included at the end of this article.

Learn More ⇒

Scholarship Season

Do you have a graduating senior or college student? Do you have a high school junior that is planning to attend college? If so, take a look at the military connected scholarship list. Seniors and college students can apply for scholarships for the next academic year according to each organizations criteria. For juniors, reviewing the list and knowing what scholarships they can apply for helps be better prepared for next year. 

Read More ⇒

Kindergarten Registration 

If your child will be five years old on or before 31 August, you can enroll your child in school in Washington State. Even though kindergarten is optional in Washington, it is the first opportunity that all families have to participate in public education. If you need assistance in finding your child’s school, contact the School Liaison Office. To register for school, you will need the child’s birth certificate, vaccination records and proof of address (lease agreement, utility bill etc.) Most schools offer online registration through the district’s website. Each district opens kindergarten enrollment in the next month or two, so be watching their website or district social media.

The Washington Kindergarten Inventory of Developing Skills (WaKIDS) is a transition process that helps to ensure a successful start to the K-12 experience and connect the key adults in a child’s life. It has three components: Family Connection, Whole-child Assessment and Early Learning Collaboration. Teachers will contact families to set up one-on-one meetings as school starts in the fall as part of WaKIDS.

You can help your child prepare for kindergarten by using this checklist:

Download Checklist ⇒

MIC3 101

The Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children was developed jointly by The Council of State Governments’ National Center for Interstate Compacts and the U.S. Department of Defense, with input from policy experts, national associations, teachers, school administrators, military families, and federal, state, and local officials. The Compact eases interstate education transition challenges encountered by the children of active-duty service members such as enrollment, eligibility, placement and graduation. On average, military students will attend six to nine different school systems from kindergarten to 12th grade.

The Commission is offering free monthly Compact 101 training sessions on Zoom. The session's are open to anyone and provide a brief history of the Compact and how the provisions support education transition for military students. Attendees will receive a workbook and resource materials to assist them as they learn about the Compact.

View Calendar ⇒

Deployment Resources for Families

Military families know how to stand strong, but the stresses of deployment can bring extra challenges. Military OneSource has a wide array of information and services designed to support military families.

Check out the article, Supporting Your Military Children Through the Deployment Cycle, and find resources such as Sesame Street for Military Families at this link: Military Deployment Resources for Families • Military OneSource

Military Child Education Coalition Parent Programs

The Military Child Education Coalition announces a series of Parent Education Webinars for military-connected parents and professionals who work in support of military-connected children.These webinars are open to all interested participants and offer research-based information and ideas for participants.

Mark your calendars and register for the webinar that fits your needs. Once you’ve registered, you will be able to view the live webinar or watch a recorded presentation after the recording is processed.

Visit militarychild.org and click on the webinar topic to register. Most webinars Tuesday or Wednesday at 9 a.m.

Oak Harbor Elementary Adopts Anchored4Life

The Trevor Romain Company has teamed up with the United States Navy to bring Oak Harbor Elementary students comprehensive transition and resiliency training.  This training will make a significant difference in military and civilian children's lives by offering positive support, encouragement, and life skills to use as they face many unique challenges in their lives. Anchored4Life participants will be welcoming new students to Oak Harbor Elementary, showing them the ropes, and providing resources to help them integrate into their new class.  Students also participate in activity groups and utilize the program materials to make resiliency and peer support a foundation for all of the students in our school. 

Oak Harbor Elementary is the second school in Oak Harbor Public Schools to adopt Achored4Life.

Coupeville School District Welcomes New Military and Family Life Counselor (MFLC)

Coupeville School District welcomes their very own Military and Family Life Counselor (MFLC) to district campuses!

Military families face unique challenges. They may struggle with issues such as deployment-related stress, reunion adjustment, and homesickness. Military and Family Counselor Services provides short-term, non-clinical support for both children and adults at no cost. These services augment existing military support services. All counseling providers are Masters or Doctorate-level licensed counselors. Non-medical counseling services MFLCs are able to support include, but are not limited to: school adjustment, deployment and separation issues, reunion adjustment, anger management, coping skills, behavioral concerns, parenting, and more.

Families interested in receiving support services from the district’s MFLC are encouraged to complete and return the MFLC provided consent form. To learn more, contact your child’s school counselors at Coupeville Elementary, Coupeville Middle and Coupeville High Schools.

Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library Now Available

Washington adds to its rapidly growing list of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library affiliates, as they welcome Whidbey Community Foundation to the affiliate team! With the exciting launch of this new program affiliate in Island County, Whidbey Community Foundation’s support and commitment to supporting children in their community now rounds out coverage for all of Island County. Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library mails high quality, age-appropriate books each month to children from birth to five years old, at no cost to families. This early literacy program is proven to achieve equitable access to books, increase school readiness, foster a love for reading and books, and improve family engagement.

Families with eligible children in Island County are now able to register and begin receiving a free book for their child every month, mailed directly to their home until the child’s fifth birthday. Families can enroll online by visiting https://www.imaginationlibrarywashington.org/check_availability.

DoD official Tours ‘Substandard’ School Facility

Excerpts from a November 2022 article by Rachel Rosen of the Whidbey News-Times:

On November 15, 2022, Patrick O’Brien, director of the U.S. Department of Defense Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation (DoD OLDCC), visited two Oak Harbor Public Schools. The DoD OLDCC works to assist communities and local governments that are impacted by the DoD. Crescent Harbor Elementary School and Hand-in-Hand/Home Connection are located on NAS Whidbey’s federal property and have been selected to receive funding from the DoD to rebuild the schools.

On Feb. 14, 2023, Oak Harbor taxpayers will choose to approve or reject a bond that will cover 20% of the necessary funds to rebuild Crescent Harbor El. The DoD will provide the remaining 80% of funds required to rebuild the schools if Oak Harbor Taxpayers vote to approve the bond. To learn more information, visit: Bond 2023 Overview / Bond 2023 Overview (ohsd.net)

View the full article from Rachel Rosen on the Whidbey News-Times website. 

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