Every Thursday, my daughter goes to ballet. Except she doesn’t actually leave the house and has never met her teacher in person. Everything is 100% online, which is actually perfect for this summer.

Virtual Camps Offer Families New Option During Pandemic Summer

Virtual or online camps and lessons are one new option available to families in the US this summer. Across the country, sports and summer camps are largely cancelled for in-person. If “live” camps are happening, it is very likely that they are going forward under much different circumstances than last year.

The YMCA is one of the few major, nationwide- camp and child care providers that remained open this summer. While they have not seen a large spike in cases, all Y camps have been following strict social distancing and cleaning procedures.

In addition, the CDC released guidelines to help camps and summer child care centers limit the risk of exposure.

Despite the guidelines, many parents have opted to keep their children home from in-person camps or child care entirely. To help fill the void, families are turning to online classes, camps and even summer school.

Camps Pivot to Online Options Early

As quickly as mid- to late-May, many summer camps were shifting from in-person to online options.

In the DC area, major summer camp provider Baroody Camps shifted from their traditional model to a hybrid. They opted to offer limited, small group camps in person alongside online only options. The in-person camps are limited to less than 10 children from the same neighborhood.

Camps across the nation also made these adjustments in response to the pandemic. All camps are offered with streaming video along with other ways to engage.

Parade Magazine shared more than 45 options for virtual summer camps to keep kids busy this summer. Their list included online camps from the San Diego Zoo and SeriousFun Children’s Network as well as classes offered by individual makers or themed courses.

Virtual Camps Offer Exciting, Cheaper Opportunities for Kids

The influx online camping experiences has broadened horizons for children who are not co-located to the camp of their choice. For example, children can now “go” to camp in SoCal while living in Northern Virginia!

In addition, many of these online camps are free or very low cost when compared to the expense of in-person camping. According to data analyzed by Care.com, camps can be very pricey for families.

In summer 2018, families could expect to pay, on average:

• Day Camp: $314/week
• Sleep Away Camp: $768/week
• Specialty Camps: $500-$1,000/week

For families that needed multiple weeks or months of camp-based child care in the summer, costs can rapidly soar into the thousands of dollars quickly. Virtual camps, in many cases, are significantly cheaper or even free this summer. Some online experiences, like private music lessons or tutoring, cost about the same as pre-pandemic.

Some Districts Offer Free, Inclusive Summer School

In May, many districts in Northern Virginia and across the country announced that they were offering free summer school for 100% of their students. Alexandria City Schools, for example, released a plan that automatically opted all students into the summer school program. Parents could choose to remove their child from the online-only experience, but everyone was included with no academic benchmarks to be met.

This Northern Virginia school district used the same platforms that students were familiar with from distance learning in the spring. Students may return to those online learning platforms should distance learning return in the fall.

Many districts around the country, including New York City, followed suit.

Parents Still Juggling Child Care & Work

While online camps offer some options to keep children entertained while parents work from home, many families are still juggling all the things.

Some online summer camps require heavy parent involvement or prep work. Many, like PBS Kids, provide tips and activity ideas alongside streaming videos and games.

Not all children are able to be occupied or remain attentive during online camp or classes. Younger children in particular have shorter attention spans, not always conducive to all-day, every day virtual engagement.

While online learning and camping experiences do provide some measure of relief for busy families, it’s not the same as in-person versions.

The key seems to be to find an online course or camp that aligns with your child’s age level and interests. Which is why every Thursday afternoon my basement turns into a ballet studio and my daughter shows her plies to Madame via Zoom.

Has your family tried virtual summer camps? Sound off about your experiences in the comments!

By Marguerite Cleveland

     Military families face many challenges with their children enduring frequent school changes. They are either ahead or behind each new school. Many families are turning to homeschooling to provide more stability for their children. I turned to my friend, Mary (name changed to protect families privacy) who homeschool all five of her children. She currently has 3 college graduates who were all accepted to competitive schools and received scholarships, a junior and one in 8^th grade. With over 20 years of homeschooling under her belt, she has a track record of success.

Why is homeschooling a great option for military families?

     Living at Ft. Irwin, the school on post was very academically behind the Catholic school we had attended at our last duty station. The “local” catholic school was an hour drive each way on a long, thin, road in the desert.  We still had other small children and felt a 2 hour drive was not something we wanted.  So for us, the start of homeschooling was because we wanted a faith-filled education but it wasn’t accessible.

     We realized our oldest had gaps and holes in her math and science education from changing schools 3 times between Kindergarten & 3^rd grade. We found she could complete her entire day of school in 2 hours. This enabled us to travel all over CA, visit family, complete field trips, CA missions, Grand Canyon and see the giant redwoods. Real life became a bonus education.

     For the kids to have any time with their dad, we needed to be available whenever he was available.  This continued through 2011.  So when dad had block leave in October or February, the kids had school vacation.  When dad was gone, we did school through the summer and often on weekends. During this time, we also moved high schoolers in middle of fall and spring semesters.  We would have had to stay behind and miss out on time as a family.

     Since 2011, we haven’t lived in one place more than 20-30 mos. Homeschooling has made the moves and transitions smoother.  We started with an academic purpose, but continued because we became accustomed to the freedom of our own schedule.  Additionally, the kids had more time to participate in multiple extracurriculars such as sailing teams, swim teams, scouts, youth groups, etc.

When OCONUS stationed, what makes homeschooling so great?

    When stationed overseas, homeschoolers are able to participate in DODEA classes and sports.  We opted for sports.  Outside of the academics, we traveled to 15 countries in 20 months.  The kids were responsible for directing us to train platforms, airline gates, bus stations, etc.  I would make the itinerary and they would plan the transportation.  They also had the advantage of seeing so much history, culture:   They stood next to Caesar’s burial, walked through Mozart’s childhood home, stood 4 feet from Pope Francis and rode bikes to all the Sound of Music sights. I can’t type enough about the experience living overseas gave them.  All are capable of traveling the world.

What are the keys to success and how do you stay organized?

     Success is measured differently by each family. For us, we wanted our children to have a worldly view of life. We wanted them to know how to crunch numbers and write papers, as well as look people in the eye and speak to anyone of any age, lastly, but most importantly, we prayed they would be faith filled and good citizens.

     In order to accomplish our goals, we needed to be organized and we all needed to have good discipline. The discipline to get up on time (alarms) and do what is needed each day. If they didn’t finish their work due to their own laziness or disobedience, they did not participate in outside activities that day.  Anything not complete by Friday would earn them Saturday school.

     Our rule for curriculum has always been, “If it doesn’t work for mom, it’s not going to work for the child.”  We follow a schedule and a few rules.  We school 8am-1pm, sometimes less, sometimes more.  We have an annual goal for each child. Then we break it down into weekly goals. 

     We started our kids in 8^th grade with online classes. They meet weekly or bi-weekly in an adobe classroom with a teacher and 15-18 other students. The teacher goes over the material, gives assignments and deadlines, and grades the work. They’ve had teachers who broke up the class into debate groups. The groups coordinate who is covering which portion, pass information through emails and conduct the debate in class.

     When it came to the upper levels, I did not try to teach subjects I was unfamiliar with. Online classes for some kids included Chemistry, Adv. Chemistry, Calculus, and Physics. Some places we’ve lived the kids took classes with other homeschoolers in a family’s home or a co-op type environment.  Our kids have also been dual enrolled in community college courses. This year, our son will take Chemistry from another homeschool mom who used to teach science at the local university.  Our daughter will take a computer apps class from the same teacher.

So, while we started because one child was missing math topics, we continued because of the freedom it gave our family.  I never thought I would homeschool. Then I never thought I would homeschool high school. But here we are, 21 years later with 5 more years to go.

     If you decide to homeschool your children make sure to visit the School Support Services or Liaison Officer on your installation. They can help you make sure you are in compliance with state laws, for example Washington State regulates home schooling. Also check your local MWR which has many programs for homeschoolers. At JBLM, there are sports programs, art classes, and a school center with a gym, computer room, art room and even a cooking space all available to homeschoolers.

Marguerite Cleveland is a freelance writer who specializes in human interest and travel stories. She is a military brat, a veteran and now a military spouse.  Her military experience is vast as the daughter of a Navy man who served as an enlisted sailor and then Naval Officer. She served as an enlisted soldier in the reserves and on active duty, then as an Army Officer. She currently serves as a military spouse. She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and two sons. Visit her website www.PeggyWhereShouldIGo.com

You want to know what’s more complicated than a PCS? Try adding in the extra responsibilities of moving with kids in school. Yup, once your kids enter school, moving becomes a whole new ball game!

Between finding a good school, organizing the paperwork and making the best school work within your BAH or ideal commuting range, it’s quite a lot to juggle. Luckily, if you follow a few super simple tips you can make your PCS with school-aged kids so much easier.

PCS Success for MilKids in K-12 Schools

Now, making your move easier will (ironically) take a little bit of planning and prep. I promise that it’s so worth it!

Learn How to Triangulate

Over in the Stress-Free PCS Challenge, the first step is to connect the dots and triangulate your wants. What’s on your must-have and nice-to-have lists?

Here’s a peek at our family’s list:

• Commute, door to desk, under 30 min
• Walkable neighborhood with public transit options
• Homes available at/under BAH
• Parks & playgrounds
• Schools ranked average or higher

As we’re house hunting, these are the criteria we are looking for in our next community or neighborhood. Now, obviously, getting everything on this list is the best case scenario. So we’ve decided that having at least three of these five “wants” is going to be enough for us.

Before you even start your deep dive into which schools are “best,” get your priorities straight and start your house hunt. Keep your list of ideals in mind at all times.

Once you narrow down your search area based on your criteria, it will make your moving process so much simpler.

Narrow Down Your Child’s School Needs

Every child is unique. Not every school will work for every child. And that’s okay!

To figure out your child’s baseline needs, consider:

• Education Plans: IEP, 504 Plans, Gifted & Talented
• Athletics & Extracurricular Activities
• Personality
• Past Experiences – good and bad
• Future Goals: college, military, entering civilian workforce
• Academic Interests: science, tech, vocational, arts, humanities

Creating a small overview of your child will help you to rule schools in or out as you search. For example, you wouldn’t really want to send your soccer loving child to a school without a soccer program.

Get Organized

If you’ve been around the PCS block a few times, you probably already have a binder (or 10) floating around. You might not exactly want to add another binder to your collection, but it’s 100% worth it.

You can set up a binder for each child or just create sections in one master organizer. Either way, you’re going to include copies of:

• “Unofficial” school records: report cards, grades, attendance records
• Personal records: birth certificates, SSN card
• Education plans: IEP, 504 Plan, Gifted & Talented
• Medical records: medical plans, physical exams
• Legal documents: custody paperwork, adoption paperwork, etc.
• New enrollment paperwork
• Athletic & extracurricular records
• Recommendation letters
• Notes on the school search

You can grab a free binder organizer, along with other great checklists, in the Stress-Free PCS Challenge!

Having all your documents in one place makes it easier to find just the right item when you need it most. It’s also important to make multiple copies of essential info, like the academic records and any education plans.

Know What the Rankings Mean

There are three major ranking websites: Niche, GreatSchools and School Digger. Each draws on the same hard data, like state testing scores and demographics. The numbers are run in several different ways on each website, with the final “grade” based on a variety of factors.

These scores, plus the state Department of Education’s school report card, give a great snapshot of the school’s success. You’re looking for a high passing percentage on state tests, a high graduation rate, and average or better community reviews posted within the last five years.

When it comes to these scores and websites, you’re looking for consistency across platforms. It’s a red flag when a school is ranked average in several places, with a super high ranking on a different website.

It’s also important to remember that the ranking websites compare schools in one region or state against each other. So a 5/10 in a high achieving area, like Northern Virginia, may not mean the same thing as a 5/10 in another area. Before you right off a school because of a perceived lower ranking. Instead, check the actual percentage of kids in the school who are achieving proficiency or higher on state tests.

Always Connect with Schools Personally

A high ranking is great. Hearing positive things from other parents is good, too. But it’s not everything. A high achieving school with good reviews doesn’t mean your child will feel comfortable or successful there.

To really nail down your child’s options, always connect with the schools personally. That might mean sending an email or making a phone call. You should try to connect with:

• School principal
• Special education coordinator
• Gifted education coordinator
• Coaches or extracurricular mentors
• Grade level lead teachers
• Subject matter lead teachers – sciences, humanities, tech, vocational, arts

Building a personal connection can be the make or break factor in deciding where to live and send your children to school. Remember to keep notes on your conversations, storing everything in your binder.

What are your tips to PCS with school-aged kids?

As military families, we have a lot of complications and balls in the air. Consistently, one of our top worries is about our military kids and their education.

Between moving every three years during the K-12 years and saving for their college educations, it’s a lot!

April, being the Month of the Military Child, brings the focus onto the needs of our military kids, especially their education. It’s also a great time to find cool resources and opportunities to help support your military kid and their education!

Educating a child, through the K-12 years or at college, is expensive. Military families are always on the hunt for ways to make this more affordable and possible with budgeting and scholarships.

Give Your Military Child’s Education a Boost with Help from Nabisco and Coca-Cola

Every little bit totally helps. Which makes scholarships and grants a great resource for military families. In honor of Month of the Military Child, Nabisco and Coca-Cola have come together in support of military families to award scholarships to six lucky winners.

One Grand Prize winner will win $5,000 in the form of a check!
Or you could win one (1) of five (5) first prizes consisting of $1,000 in the form of a check!

We love a good scholarship, especially one that’s easy to apply for and comes with very few strings attached. That makes the scholarship from Nabisco and Coca-Cola so sweet!

There’s no purchase necessary to enter or win. And you can enter once daily through 4/30/2019!

Scholarships for Military Kids

Sending a child to college or paying for private school is expensive! Between tuition, fees, uniforms and supplies, the bills collect awfully fast. Having some financial support is often crucial to making quality education a reality.

There are lots of great scholarships for military kids, including this new opportunity from Nabisco and Coca-Cola. A quick Google search will bring you to lots of information about scholarships for K-12 schools and colleges, both generally and specifically for military kids.

With a little bit of financial support, there is so much opportunity for education and success!

Just thinking about what that $5,000 check or even the $1,000 check would do for a military child is incredible. We’re talking books and school supplies. Maybe even a decent chunk of tuition or fees.

Every little bit of financial support truly helps!

Enter for Your Chance to Win!

Throughout April, in honor of the Month of the Military Child, Nabisco and Coca-Cola are offering the chance to win one of five $1,000 checks or the grand prize, a $5,000 check, to help support your military child’s education.

To enter, please text PURPLE to 89884* for a chance to win up to $5,000 for your child’s education! You can also enter online at www.NabiscoMilitaryMonth.com.

This scholarship is 100% limited to military families.

Supporting Month of the Military Child

April is the Month of Military Child, honoring the support, service and sacrifices of our military connected kids. All month long, please Purple Up to show your support of military kids!

Nabisco & Coca-Cola are proud sponsors of the Month of the Military Child!

All month, look for Purple Up events at a military base near you! From major supporters, like Nabisco and Coca-Cola, to national supporters, like DoDEA, or local events, military kids are being celebrated and supported all month long.

Supporting military kids and their education is important. Having Nabisco and Coca-Cola on-board and showing their belief in education for military children is a huge deal!

It’s not just major businesses or organizations that can act to support military kids. Anyone can help military kids find support, resources and success. All it takes is just a little bit of action or one click to start making big changes for our littlest warriors!

You can show your support by:

• Celebrating the military child in your life
• Wearing purple, even just a small pin or scarf
• Sharing Month of the Military Child or Purple Up posts and articles on social media
• Donating to military child-specific non-profits and causes
• Volunteering to help military kids on base, at school or through non-profits
• Advocating for support for military kids at K-12 schools and colleges

This April, help support your military child’s education and future with a cool scholarship opportunity! And share Nabisco and Coca-Cola’s scholarship content with other military families.

How does your family support your military child at school? What do you do for Month of the Military Child?

*NO PURCHASE OR TEXT NECESSARY TO ENTER THE NABISCO MONTH OF THE MILITARY CHILD SWEEPSTAKES.  Making a purchase or sending a text will not increase your chances of winning. Sweepstakes starts 12:00 am ET on 4/1/19 and ends 11:59 pm ET on 4/30/19.  Open to residents of the 50 U.S. (& D.C.) and active duty U.S. military personnel and their families, stationed within U.S. or abroad, 18 and older. Enter online at www.NabiscoMilitaryMonth.com.  See Official Rules for free alternate method of entry. 1 Grand Prize: $5,000. 5 First Prizes: $1,000.  Odds of winning depend on number of eligible entries received during sweepstakes period. Void where prohibited. Sponsor: Mondelēz Global, LLC, East Hanover, NJ 07936.

Re: text messages. Std. msg. & data rates may apply. Text STOP to end. Text HELP for info. If you enter via text-messaging, you will receive 1 text message in response from an automated system; winners will receive 1 additional text message. Consent is not required to buy goods and services. To view the Sponsor’s Mobile Privacy Policy, http://bit.ly/2lt3IBr. To view Administrator’s Mobile Terms and Conditions, http://bit.ly/2g6zTZa.