Wayne County Public Schools wants to provide support to military students/families experiencing deployment. Please reach out to your child's school and make them aware of your family's deployment status. Without this knowledge, your child may miss out on key support within the educational setting. The school will only know about a deployment upon notification by the family. Contact your child's school today to work proactively in ensuring your child's success.
- Did you know that your child is allowed deployment-related absences to spend time with military parent pre-deployment or post-deployment/reunification?
- Did you know that your child's school counselor is available for deployment support? Some WCPS schools have the additional support of a Military Family Life Counselor (MFLC) to work with students whose families are experiencing deployment or other military life transition.
- Did you know that your child's teacher is a great resource for recognizing changes in your child during a time of deployment?
- Remember that your child's school depends on you to communicate about an upcoming deployment.
School & Deployment
School Notification: Families should notify the school about an upcoming deployment (including Family Care Plan details, AF Form 357) so that the school can provide any needed support.
Stay Connected: Wayne County Public Schools offer an online student information system, called Home Base, which allows you to see child's attendance & grades. Contact your child's school for parent login information.
Deployment-related absences: Communicate with your child's teacher/principal/school social worker prior to the absence.
Military Kids Connect (MKC) is an online community for military children, ages 6 to 17, providing age-appropriate resources to support children dealing with the unique psychological challenges of military life. Content includes things such as:
- graphic novels and mini-documentaries by military kids sharing their experiences;
- activities and online forums;
- modules for children and parents on handling grief, loss and physical injury; and
- lesson plans and military culture module for educators.
SCHOOL ATTENDANCE
Excerpt from MCEC's "On the Move" magazine, Special Topic Article, Volume 6 Issue 2
We all play a critical role in making sure we maintain the balance between providing adequate time in the classroom and supporting the special needs of military families. The following are recommendations that will lead to enhanced educational opportunities for the military dependents.
Let your child's teacher, or if your child is a secondary student with multiple teachers, the school counselor/principal know about your pending deployment and any special arrangements for care you have made that might be out of the child's normal routine. The earlier you notify the school about your future deployment, the more time they have to make sure they are prepared to support you in any way your circumstances may need.
As the time for your deployment to a combat area or a reunion with your family following a deployment nears and you would like your child to be excused to spend time with you, notify the school in advance of the absence. Putting your advance request in writing is probably good practice for everyone.
School district discretion is used when determining excused/unexcused absences. Some factors may include your child's previous attendance and whether or not your son/daughter is earning passing grades. Remain vigilant in tracking your child's grades during the months leading up to your deployment or reintegration, especially if you plan to ask for your child to be absent from school in order to spend time with you.