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www.FredericksburgParent.NET 25 North Stafford High School, one of Stafford County's Purple Star designated schools, has implemented various initiatives to support their military-connected students, especially dur- ing April, the "Month of the Military Child." The school coor- dinated a tree mural where all students were encouraged to make a purple "thumbs up" print in support of their military- connected peers. Additionally, the school has hosted events like a popsicle party or "Purple Up" events for military-con- nected students to celebrate their sacrifices and help them build a sense of community. "The point is to have that school to family to community connection, and making sure that families feel safe to come to the school and talk to us about [their military connection], so that we can connect them to resources within our com- munity," says Suzanna Erlichman, school counselor and one of the program's points-of-contact at the high school. Osborn further highlights district-wide efforts to engage with military families, such as the "Purple Up" day, where everyone in the school district is encouraged to wear purple in support of military-connected children. The Purple Star designation has already made an impact on schools like North Stafford High. Initially, the high school only identified 62 military-connected students, which Erlichman knew was inaccurate for the area. However, after actively promoting the program, the school now has identi- fied 174 students, with more still to come. Yet even with these victories, one of the key challenges faced by these schools is identifying these students. Erlichman explains that many families may not realize they qualify or may not disclose their status all together. To address this, many schools have implemented outreach efforts, including targeted emails and newsletters, to ensure families are aware of the support available to them. Osborn encourages parents of military-connected students to contact their school's administration to identify their children, so that they can access the available resources and community support. "We want to hit everybody...military-connected doesn't just mean Army, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard, Marine Corps, or Space Force," adds Osborn. "It's also DOD, the State Department, the FBI, all of these federally-connected, tran- sitionary folks. We want to support you guys, too." When asked why the Purple Star designation is so pivotal to military families, Carrie replies, "Military children are strong and resilient…We must help those younger to strive in new lands, positively embrace new adventures, and aid in making new friends along their journey." To see if your school is a Virginia Purple Star honoree, visit doe.virginia.gov. Le : Suzanna Erlichman with a student at one of North Staff ord High's "Purple Up" events Below: A student at North Staff ord High shows support for military classmates on the tree mural during the "Purple Up" event.