A large part of a school's goal is to make sure our students feel welcome, safe, invited and celebrated!  It's my hope students have at least one trusted adult at their school as well as feel connected to classmates through at least one club or activity.  At our schools, we offer a diverse array of clubs during and after school to help promote student well-being and support.  One of the elementary level clubs is the Military Kids Club.

The mission of the Military Kids Club is to provide a fun and safe place for our military kids to be encouraged, strengthened and connected to their school community.  The Club, led by the School Counselor, meets about once a month during lunch to engage in fun activities and connect with one another.  I was able to visit with the students during a Military Kids Club meeting earlier this week. 

It was National Cheeseburger Day, so I got my lunch from the cafeteria and joined students to eat.  I wasn't sure how many students would attend, and I also wasn't sure how the School Counselor would be able to create activities that would extend across the various grade levels in the same room.  

I was pleasantly surprised to see students sitting together across different grade levels.  Students greeted one another with smiles and invited newly arriving students into the room to sit with them; no one sat alone.  My heart leapt when a group of students sat with me and welcomed me to the Club.  We shared stories about our weekend, and the students affirmed to me the fun they had in previous years being part of this Club.

After eating, students cleaned their areas and wiped the tables.  The School Counselor then brought all of the students together to stand in a circle.  As I approached the circle, a student asked if I was in the military or if my parents were currently serving.  I told her no one in my family was serving in the military.  Immediately, she smiled and told me I could be invited into their Club anyway.  I was almost in tears!

The activity the Counselor chose was fun.  I marveled how the students treated each other with kindness.  Afterwards, the Counselor handed the students a sheet of paper to complete.  The paper included questions about their interests and hobbies, what other places they’ve lived in, and what they love about their parent(s) serving in the military.  The Counselor shared the papers would be used to spotlight them throughout the school year.  At the end, the Counselor went through the schedule of meetings with some important announcements.  

As I continue to immerse myself in the Oakwood Schools community, I am thankful for our Counselors and schools for welcoming our military families.  I realize there are a lot of emotions and questions navigating a new school district for any student, and I am appreciative to know we provide an environment for our students to feel seen and celebrated!  If you are a military parent of a Harman School or Smith Elementary student, I encourage you to reach out to your child’s School Counselor for more information.

#OneOakwood