Over the holidays is a busy time for schools as many current students transfer to new locations. Requesting unofficial records from the school’s office at least 10 business days prior to transferring will allow enough time for the school to make copies. Also, student obligations must be cleared before the release packet is given to the parent/guardian. This includes the following: return of technology, library books, textbooks, and other educational materials, payment for lost or damaged materials, and lunch account must be cleared.

Informing the front office at least 10 business days prior to leaving will ensure a smooth transition from the current school to the receiving school.

DoDEA Early/Accelerated Withdrawal Policy: The DoDEA School Principal approves the accelerated withdrawal request of a student who must withdraw from a DoDEA school with 20 or fewer days prior to the end of a semester. This policy is only for accompanied PCS moves by Active Duty or DoD civilian personnel. Parents must inform the school of their intent to utilize the accelerated withdrawal provision by presenting new PCS orders as verification of the date the student is required to depart from the school and ensure the conditions of the accelerated study program as outline by the student's teachers are met. Students who withdraw prior to the 20 or fewer instructional day accelerated withdrawal limitation policy will receive withdrawal grades rather than final grades.

The Military Family Life Counselor (MFLC) that offers FREE individual counseling, as well as group counseling to students for deployment support at  the local DoDEA school and Child and Youth Programs care centers.

The Military Student Identifier (MSI) is a datapoint established as part of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) of 2015. The stated purpose of ESSA is to “improve academic achievement of the disadvantaged.” This starts by identifying students from vulnerable segments of the population. Military children were identified, due to their struggles with disrupted learning and social-emotional struggles as a result of frequent moves.

This MSI data relies upon military-connected families to self-report military directly to their schools annually.

Now that states are required to collect and report assessment data for military-connected students teachers, administrators and schools will finally have a better, clearer picture of these students’ challenges and where they might need additional supports. Through identification, schools can better serve and support the needs of military-connected students.

The School Liaison is available to provide families interested in homeschooling their child(ren) with the required homeschool form for NS Guantanamo Bay. This form must be completed and returned to the School Liaison.

Service members are volunteering in the local schools by providing support for Back to School events, academic ceremonies, Veteran's Day events, fall festivals, Career Day events, Friday Family Fun nights, and other special events. Service members enjoy providing community service to the local schools and have provided years of support to W.T. Sampson K-12 School.

Transferability of the Post 9/11 GI Bill is a retention tool and in order to find out if you are eligible to transfer it, you must contact the VA. The School Liaison can provide you with the contact information. Additional information can be found at: www.GIBill.va.gov

The School Liaison is a liaison between the school and the military and cannot be an advocate for a family. There are other organizations that can, and the SL can refer to those organizations. The SL’s role is to assist families in navigating the special education system within the school district and to assist with connecting you to the right people at the school or district office. The SL can also connect you to military resources that are available.