Those PCS order just hit…cue the insanity. If you’re moving with school-aged children, the process just got a whole lot harder. School transitions are super hard!
Not only are you moving all of your things and your family, you’re also going to be searching for schools. With so many options out there, it’s a lot to take in.
Instead of freaking out, make your child’s school move as seamless as possible!
PCS Proof Your Military Child’s School Transitions
Now, just like regular PCSing, moving your child’s move easier is never a 100% guarantee. But when you follow this plan, those school transitions are going to be way easier! Scout’s honor.
PCS Binder
I know. You’ve already got one, or maybe four, of these bad boys floating around. Trust me, you need one more.
Here’s why:
Your child needs specific documents and forms in order to enroll in school at your next duty station. And you need to get those quickly at a moment’s notice. Instead of shuffling through the endless sections and folders of your current PCS binders, just make each child their own dedicated school binder.
Plus, having a school-only binder makes it easier to corral your research into finding the best school ever in your new hometown!
Make finding your next school way easier with MilFam Friendly School Concierge Service, exclusively from MilKids Ed
Do Your Research
You’ve been scouting out your next assignment since orders dropped, and maybe even before that. Now is the perfect time to drill down on finding a great school.
You’ll want to grab the School Comparison Worksheet to help you narrow down your choices. This worksheet is designed specifically for military families. The columns and sections make it super easy for you to track schools across a wide variety of categories:
- BAH and commute distance
- Online ranking sites
- Extracurriculars
- Special academic programs or options
Best of all? It’s 100% FREE and so easy to use!
Don’t stop with just the School Comparison Worksheet. Grab the whole Ultimate School Success Kit, too! It’s got the School Comparison Worksheet plus so much more, all designed to help busy families on the go find success in school year after year.
(PS: It’s also FREE!)
Call Ahead
Once you’ve found a great school on your own or selected one based on the School Concierge Service, it’s time to make contact. If you’ve worked with me to find a school, you’ll already have a contact person at the school and they’ll have a little background on you.
For those flying solo, reach out to the principal or admissions office. You can usually find their contact information on the school or district website. Let them know that your family will be arriving and when you expect to enroll your children in school.
Ask if you could receive a PDF copy of enrollment and medical forms required by the school. At the same time, you should also let them know if your child has any specific academic, social, or medical needs. This gives the school a chance to rally their forces and adjust to meet your child’s needs. (For Concierge clients: all of this will already have been sent to the school as part of the vetting process.)
Introduce Your Child on Day 1
This is really for those with younger children, especially in grades K-5/6 (depending on when elementary school ends in your district).
Inside the Ultimate School Success Kit, you’ll find the All About Me printables. These are perfect tools to get essential information out there!
The student letter allows your child (with your coaching) to share important information about themselves to the teacher. The parent info pages lets parents pass on important contact information as well as a little bit of history about their child’s school experiences so far.
For middle and high school students, you could encourage your child to join a club, team, or other extracurricular activity. MIC3 agreements (not laws, unfortunately) recommend that military children be allowed to join or try out even after the deadline has passed.
You could also reach out to other families at your new location to make advance social connections for your tweens and teens. Or at least find out what the social scene looks like from a parent’s perspective.
Join the Stress Free PCS Challenge Group!
Kicking off on February 19 and running for five whole days, I’ll be sharing some of my essential Stress Free PCS tips, tricks, and tools for military families.
What are you waiting for? Join the Stress Free PCS Challenge Group today! It’s absolutely FREE!
How do you make your PCS stress free with school aged children? Share your strategies in the comments!
~Meg
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