Also serving the communities of De Luz, Rainbow, Camp Pendleton, Pala and Pauma

Six local schools named Purple Star Schools

Includes 2 from FUESD, 4 from BUSD

Lucette Moramarco

Associate Editor

For the first time, 31 schools in the state have been named Purple Star Schools for their commitment to meet the needs of students connected to the military and their families. Those schools include San Onofre and Mary Fay Pendleton elementary schools, both on Camp Pendleton and in the Fallbrook Union Elementary School District, as well as Bonsall Elementary School, Bonsall High School, Bonsall West Elementary School and Vivian Banks Charter School, all in the Bonsall Unified School District.

State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond made the announcement Jan. 24. According to his office, "Purple Star Program schools seek to reduce the burdens on military-connected students and their families by providing support, creating transition programs, and offering staff professional development. This is the first year that schools are being recognized for this award, and the California Department of Education plans to make it an annual recognition program."

Of the announcement, San Onofre School Principal Lillian Perez said, "I am so proud of our school's commitment to our nation's military community. We have the unique opportunity to support the educational and social-emotional chal­lenges that our military families encounter. It is an honor to serve our students and families aboard Camp Pendleton."

Mary Fay Pendleton School Principal Brian Frost said, "Military connected students in our country deal with a very unique set of circumstances ranging from frequent moves to parents deploying with short notice. We are proud to offer systems of support through the many challenges this heroic career path presents to families and their school-aged children."

A statement from the district added, "FUESD is proud to serve military-connected families at every school. Military families can learn more regard­ing support and resources at fuesd.org/militaryfamilies."

BUSD Superintendent Joseph Clevenger said, "Bonsall Unified serves a significant number of military-connected students and their families who are asked to relocate frequently, often to a different state and, sometimes, out of the country. This can cause quite a bit of stress for children who must change schools, adjust their academic programs and extracurricular activities, and seek out new peer groups. This is where we come in. We strive to assist in making those transitions as simple and seamless as possible for students and their parents."

"Bonsall Unified is proud to host four out of the 31 schools across the entire state receiving the Purple Star School designation. It is a tremendous honor to be recognized for our efforts to provide meaningful support to the students of our active duty service members," Clevenger added.

As stated in the announcement from the state, "The military is one of the United States' largest workforces, with more than two million active duty service members and individuals serving in the National Guard and Reserves. Many of these service members are parents or guardians of minor children. In 2017, California had 184,540 active duty service members and 56,167 individuals serving in the National Guard and Reserves."

It points out that military-connected students have to change schools between six and nine times between Kindergarten and 12th grade, or three times more often than nonmilitary-connected children. Also, that "as military-connected students transition between schools, often to different states and countries, they must adapt to varying cultures, school populations, curricula, standards, course offerings, schedules, and graduation requirements. As a result, military-connected students often face unique academic and social-emotional challenges and struggle to stay on track to be college- and career-ready."

"Congratulations to the educators, staff, administrators, parents, and students at these schools," said Thurmond. "These schools are crucial to supporting our military-connected students and ensuring that they maintain their academic, college, and career aspirations while their parents serve our country."

 

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