Six local schools recognized for commitment to students from military families

Waynewood Elementary School is one of the first Purple Star-designated schools in the state.

Five public schools and one private school in the Richmond Highway area were recently designated as Purple Star schools by the state for their support of military children and their parents.

Clermont Elementary, Fort Belvoir Primary, Fort Belvoir Upper, Hayfield Secondary and Waynewood Elementary were among 14 Fairfax County Public Schools to receive the Purple Star designation from the Virginia Council on the Interstate Compact for Military Children on Oct. 24. St. Louis Catholic School in the Groveton area was also recognized as a Purple Star School.

To achieve the recognition, schools must apply to the Virginia Department of Education and meet various guidelines laid out by the state. A Purple Star school must have a staff member serving as a primary point of contact for military families and students. In addition to being a liaison between the school and the local military community, the staff member must conduct a school-wide professional development session on the unique needs of children from military families.

Purple Star schools also have a student-led transition program for children from military families in order to provide peer support for newly enrolled and withdrawing students that are connected to the military. Additionally, Purple Star schools maintain a special page on their websites devoted to supporting military families. The page includes information on enrollment and registration upon arriving to the school district, how to transfer if the family is moved, academic planning and other matters.

Fourteen Fairfax County public schools are among 59 schools in Virginia recognized as Purple Star schools, indicating they are military-friendly schools that have demonstrated their commitment to meeting the needs of military-connected students and their families. The recognition was announced by the Virginia Department of Education and the Virginia Council on the Interstate Compact on the Educational Opportunity for Military Children.

A total of 59 schools in Virginia were picked as Purple Star schools this year. The other schools in Fairfax County include:

• Colin Powell Elementary
• Flint Hill Elementary
• Hunt Valley Elementary
• Lane Elementary
• Longfellow Middle
• North Springfield Elementary
• Rocky Run Middle
• Sangster Elementary
• Sunrise Valley Elementary

The Purple Star designation is good for three years before schools need to reapply.