We are starting this year with a common vision for everyone associated with the Department of Defense Dependents Schools (DoDDS) in the Pacific and the Domestic Dependent Elementary and Secondary Schools (DDESS) in Guam. Our renewed Community Strategic Plan places emphasis on highest student achievement which continues to serve as our road map for the students and families we serve. Efficient use of resources and offering quality services to support our students is the foundation of our programs.

Our students have unique opportunities and challenges as they move from one location to another. Approximately 30 percent of our students move on an annual basis across the four districts. In fact , in the Korea District the majority of our students move every two years.  As educators in DoDDS-Pacific/DDESS-Guam we serve a critical role by assuring that the children of our service members receive a quality education.  Often when family members are preparing to PCS it is our schools and our teachers who provide the consistency and stability for the children as they begin their transition process.  Although our students and families are better prepared, we need to be responsive to their needs.

Last February and during this summer we sent student and teacher representatives from the Pacific to attend special programs on student transition. The program entitle Student to Student (S2S) is sponsored by the Military Child Education Coalition (MCEC).  The second program, Making Connections, was sponsored by PACAF. The feedback we received from our teachers and students was outstanding.  Yet, it clearly demonstrates the need for us to remain proactive and responsive to the needs of our students, parents, and service members - especially at the beginning and ending of each school year. 

The Department of Defense recently produced an excellent guide designed to assist families as they transition.  We are in the process of duplicating copies of the CD ROM for each of our schools and districts.  During the interim, I would encourage principals and counselors to view the website at www.militarystudent.org. The toolkits, along with this website, were the work of Dr. Jean Silvernail.

The website features information and links about scholarships, parent resources, and other transition issues.  A recently produced video entitled, "Talk, Listen, and Connect," can be downloaded from the website. It is a sweet story about young children (ages 3 to school age) and the deployment of mothers and fathers.  The video features some of our military families as well as Elmo's dad, who is deployed.  The website also contains the parent guides that accompany this video.

As we begin a new school year, I encourage you to take the time to reflect on what you can do to assist your students and families as they transition into a new classroom and/or a new school.  It is often the little things that we do that can make a big difference in the lives our students.

Nancy C. Bresell
Director, DoDDS-Pacific/DDESS-Guam