MILITARY LIFE

STAYING CONNECTED WITH YOUR CHILD'S TEACHERS DURING A DEPLOYMENT

BEING THERE: Let your child know that school is important; kids tend to perform better in school when their parents are involved in their education.

No matter where you are around the country or the world, you can still support your child's education. With communication technology and strong interest, you can keep up with their grades and stay in touch with teachers. Let your child know that school and education are important – whether you're home or deployed. Set the stage for success:

• Meet with teachers prior to deployment. Set up a meeting before you prepare for deployment so you can work out a plan to stay connected.

• Use the school's online resources. Department of Defense schools use GradeSpeed ( dodea.gradespeed.net) to keep families up to date on grades and attendance. Civilian schools may have similar services. BEING THERE: Let your child know that school is important; kids tend to perform better in school when their parents are involved in their education.

• Ask your partner for help. Your partner can be your "boots on the ground" for all things educational. Reinforce your partner's role to your children — set your partner up for success. Kids tend to perform better in school when their parents are involved in their education.

PLAN AHEAD TO STAY INVOLVED

Make a plan to stay active and involved in your child's education at every stage.

• Discover technologies. Find out what communication technologies you can access once you deploy.

• Talk about how to stay in touch. Ask your child's teachers before you go about the best way to stay in touch. It might be through email, a school website or even texting.

• Share when you want to be informed. Tell teachers what specific issues you want to know about, such as a low grade or an unexcused absence. It's a good idea to let your child know, too.

KEEP IN TOUCH

There are lots of creative ways to stay in touch with your child and support his or her education. Try these ideas:

• Stay in regular contact with your child's teachers. Check in as frequently as your mission allows via email or telephone.

• Send a class gift. Pick up something special from the area of the world where you're deployed. You'll be the kids' favorite parent. If it relates to what the class is studying, you'll be the teacher's favorite parent, too.

• Ask your partner or child's guardian for assistance. Your child's designated guardian can oversee homework, talk with teachers and help your child get to school on time. Discuss successes and challenges with your care partner regularly. If your partner or child's guardian has difficulty speaking English, ask the school to provide a translator.

Find time during your deployment to work on strengthening your connection with your child's school. Your commitment to staying involved can set them up for success in the classroom and beyond.

Contact Military OneSource to speak with an education consultant ( militaryonesource.mil/confidential-help/specialty-consultations/education). Call 800-342-9647. OCONUS/International? Visit mili taryonesource.mil/international-calling-options for calling options. – Military OneSource