Welcome Military Families

At Menchaca Early Childhood Center (MECC) in Southside ISD, we work diligently to support military families and address their unique educational challenges. We recognize the value and importance that our military-connected students and families contribute to our communities. Children whose parents serve in the military endure high rates of mobility and the effects of multiple deployments. With frequent moves, children experience challenges associated with losing friends, teachers, and the comfort of a familiar environment. We are committed to supporting military children to address these challenges and promote the resiliency necessary to cope with military life.

MECC celebrates military events such as Freedom Week, Veterans Day, Hall of Honor, Purple Up! Day, and the Month of the Military Child.

Registration Help

TEA has a special section on its website to support military students and families!

https://tea.texas.gov/about-tea/other-services/military-family-resources

Campus-Based Military Liaison:

Dr. Melanie Morgan

melanie.morgan@southsideisd.org

210-882-1610 x 4078

Counseling Support

Because children experience a variety of concerns at different ages, we offer school counseling services to all children. In particular to help support our military children we offer a small group called The Dandelions. We also have children’s books and curriculum specifically designed to target handling change (i.e. deployment, moves, loss, and coping). We use these as a resource to develop guidance lessons, small group sessions, and individual sessions.

JBSA SLO (School Liaison Officer)

Joint Base San Antonio School Liaison Office (SLO) helps parents ease the transition of the mobile military lifestyle and can assist prior to your PCS, upon arrival, while at your installation and when you prepare to depart for your next duty station. They specialize in serving military families with K-12 school age children and are able to provide information about the local school systems and community. The SLO will support parents and school districts with the Interstate Compact for the Education of Military Students interpretation, information on schools and boundaries, Home School, Deployment Support, provide School and Community Outreach partnerships. These military dependent education professionals serve as a link between military families and all surrounding school districts ensuring maximum educational opportunities for academic success.

JBSA Fort Sam Houston 210-221-2214 | Ms. Nita Fordhightower Nita.J.Fordhightower.civ@mail.mil 210-823-6500

JBSA Lackland 210-671-8388 | Ms. Shenese Broadus shenese.broadus.1@us.af.mil

JBSA-Randolph 210-652-5321 | Ms. Angela Green angela.green.8@us.af.mil 210-652-3081

or email jbsa.slo@us.af.mil

or visit http://www.jbsa.mil/Resources/Military-Family-Readiness/School-Liaison-Office/

Twitter: @jbsa_slo

Facebook: JBSA School Liaison Office

PCS Resources

Resources for Transitioning

These web sites offer a variety of helpful resources for military families on the move.

AF Move: This site contains information and resources for military families preparing to move their personal property.

Automated Housing Referral Network: This Department of Defense sponsored site is designed to improve and speed the process of securing available housing for relocating military members and their families.

eMilitary: This site offers a comprehensive information and referral service to military families.

Families in Global Transition: FIGT strives to increase the success rate and decrease the stress of international transitions through leading-edge conferences and a dynamic Associates program, along with web resources and services for relocation facilitators, individuals and families.

Fort Sam Houston School Liaison Office: The FSH SLO Office helps ease transition by addressing issues related to military youth and their enrollment in area schools.

MilitaryAvenue.com: Search installation and local community information, as well as local businesses providing discounts to military families.

Military OneSource: Get a free personalized guide to resources you need in your next community, as well as other relocation information.

The Military Child in Transition and Deployment (MilitaryStudent.org): Whether you are a military child, parent, leader or educator, this site contains an abundance of information, tools and resources to help meet your unique needs.

Transition Assistance Online: Jobs for transitioning servicemembers and Veterans. . . and a whole lot more!

Organizations for Military Families

Army Reserve Family Programs
Armed Services YMCA
Blue Star Families mission is to Support. Connect. Empower-for military families by military families
Build a Sign provides one free sign to welcome your hero home. You only pay for shipping
Camp C.O.P.E. is designed to help young heroes cope with the effects of war and deployments
Find care and services for your children, adults, pets and for your home using care.com
The Comfort Crew for Military Kids helps with support for the social and emotional resiliency of military kids
Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress has resources and articles for military families
Fisher House Foundation provides housing when you have a service member hospitalized for injury, illness or disease
American Gold Star Mothers Inc. is an organization of mothers who have lost a son or daughter in the service of our country
Gold Star Wives of America Inc. provides support for widows/ widower of service members who died on active duty
The American Legion is the nations largest veterans service organization, committed to mentoring youth
Love and Logic has resources for parenting/raising responsible children
Screening for Mental Health is a resource for mental health tools
Military's Interstate Children's Compact Commission includes the Interstate Compact
Military Child Education Coalition (MCEC) Resources for military families
National Military Family Association provides free camps for children in military families
Military Impacted Schools Association serves school districts with a high concentration of military children
Military One Source has free books, DVDs, resources, handouts, etc.
Military Officers Association of America provides financial assistance for students who are children of former, current or retired military
National Resource Directory connects Service members, veterans, and their families with support
Clarity Child Guidance Center strives to educate the community, parents, professionals, and leaders about mental illness
Operation Military Kids provides support for children and youth impacted by deployment
Operation We are Here has resources for military families
Our Military Kids provides grants for the children of National Guard/Military Reserve who are currently deployed
American Red Cross provides emergency aid and support for military families
Sitter City Military Program provides child care programs for military families
Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS)
Tutor.com has online tutoring and homework help
United Through Reading helps parents record reading books online/via video/tape recorder to be sent to their child
United Way of San Antonio
USO Transition 360 Alliance is an initiative to help U.S. Military personnel and their families transition back into civilian life after service ends
The Trevor Romain Company has DVDs and curriculum for military families