21st Century Strands & Strategies
Chapter: Strands & Strategies: Deep Dive
79
Characteristics of the Military Child
•
Have an authentic connection to other countries that offers cultural and
academic opportunities rarely experienced in other school settings.
•
Have a sense for local culture but may lack specific knowledge about the
places where their parents are deployed that might be assumed they know
about (i.e. Afghanistan or Iraq).
•
Attend smaller schools mostly where students have multiple opportunities to
participate in extracurricular activities as opposed to typical schools in the United
States that have greater competition due to large enrollments. This is particularly
true of middle and high schools. Involvement in many activities creates
challenges for students to find a balance between academics and other
interests.
•
Are culturally sophisticated but may not relate to the pop culture that permeates
the lives of the students who live the majority of their lives in the United States.
•
May experience social, emotional and academic stress due to the frequent
deployments and family moves.
Services provided by DoDEA Schools for Military Connected Students
Military Family Life
Consultant
Contracted mental health counselors who work directly with
children and families on an informal, on-going basis within DoDEA
schools.
School-Based
Mental Health
Professionals
Employees of installation hospitals who work with children and
families who are patients receiving mental health counseling.
School-based
Guidance
Counselors
DoDEA certified counselors who create school programming,
operate small groups, and give individual counseling on an as-
needs basis. Usually serve as a coordinator of all available
services within a school to help ensure that students’ needs are
met.
School
Psychologists
DoDEA certified employees who assess students for special
needs, and provide counseling and instruction for children.
Crisis Teams
School personnel who have received special training to deal with
students in severe crisis.
Student Support
Teams
School personnel who serve as advocates for children and their
special needs within the school setting.
School Nurse
Certified Nurses at DoDEA schools provide individualized quality
health care for students, emphasizes health education at all
levels and utilizes available community and school resources to
promote an overall healthy lifestyle for students, staff and families.
