There’s a new place for parents and teachers of military-connected students to connect just in time for back to school. Created by two military spouses, Stacy Allsbrook-Huisman and Amanda Trimillos, EdD, the Facebook Group provides a meeting place for parents, teachers, counselors and School Liaison Officers to support each other and their students through school transition.
Stacy Allsbrook-Huisman and Amanda Trimillos, EdD, are also advocates, educators and authors. They recently co-authored the popular resource guide Seasons of My Military Student: A Practical Guide For Parents and Teacher published by Elva Resa Publishing which specialize in military family related books. Military Family Books
Allsbrook-Huisman and Trimillos believe parents and teachers are the boots on the ground support for military-connected students. “I believe if you combine the experience of our two families, we’ve moved our families 16 times, 18 school changes, and seven deployments and countless TDY’s between six kids. Plus, both our active duty spouses have been serving well over 25 years each and counting. We’ve experienced much of what our community has when it comes to military life and changing schools.” says Allsbrook-Huisman.
As military spouses, parents and professionals, they draw from the decades of experience advocating in classroom and at home while navigating the challenges of this unique lifestyle of military students. Their newly released book provides a fresh focus of how students move through school transitions by defining them as Seasons of Transition ™ : Arriving, Growing, Thriving, Leaving and Storms.
The book provides practical solutions that combines research and experience for parents and teachers of military-connected students.The group’s motto is to “Ask. Share. Support. Thrive.” and is described as a place to “engage in common experiences, share strategies that work, and support the military families and teachers who are on the frontlines of school transition.”
Group members can ask questions about school transition for the military-connected student, share experiences and support each other through the challenges of changing schools. Described as a, “group of strong voices, invested parents, amazing educators, caring counselors and rock star administrators” the group is passionate about helping military-connected kids succeed in school.
Trimillos believes the group has depth and is wide reaching for military families to tap into. “A challenge might pop up in DC and be answered by someone in Alaska, Japan or Europe. There are representatives from American bases all over the world.”
There are 1.3 million military-connected children in the United States and abroad according Department of Defense. And of these children many are expected to experience six to nine moves through their K-12 school life. “We know we aren’t alone when it comes to school transition and military life. We want to give parents, teachers and those who support military kids a place to communicate and share,” explains Trimillos.
The group shares weekly the latest research, tips and strategies for school changes, support for educators in the classroom, related news articles and lead discussions to garner thoughtful conversation about families, school and military-connected life. “Ask any question, chances are our 1000+ members have experienced something similar or can help find a solution. We have amazing hive of parents and educators,” says Allsbrook-Huisman.
To become a member of the group, admins have limited the group to parents, educators, school administrators and advocates of military-connected students. Find the group on Facebook at Seasons of My Military Student Parent and Teacher Group K-12
Or visit the book website at www.SeasonsOfMyMilitaryStudent.com
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