Welcoming new students focus at DCS

Welcoming newcomers to Daleville City Schools was the focus of a day-long training for 18 middle and high school students held at Daleville High School Oct. 26.

Sponsored and created by the Military Child Education Coalition in 2004, S2S—Student to Student—is a student-led program that teams high school and middle school student leaders to welcome new students transitioning to the school.

“The purpose of the training is to ensure inclusive, quality educational opportunities for all military—and non-military—connected children affected by mobility, transition, deployments and family separation,” said Kim Kozel, the Fort Rucker Youth Education Support Services School Liaison Officer.

Kozel coordinates with the Military Child Education Coalition to bring the program to the school systems surrounding the Fort Rucker gates. Daleville City Schools has participated in S2S since 2011so the Oct. 26 training was billed as “a refresher,” she said. “It’s important to keep the program going and I’m happy to offer it and get everyone re-energized. The training is to energize and empower S2S leaders and sponsors to better assist the highly mobile student as they transition into their new school and community.

“We’re lucky in Alabama because we have a state grant that pays for the MCEC to provide the training,” she explained. “A lot of states don’t have the funding to do it so we’re blessed in Alabama to have it.”

The purpose of the day-long training, MCEC S2S Trainer Leslie Hufstedler-Alvaez explained to the 18 Daleville students, is to ensure inclusive, quality educational opportunities for all military-connected children affected by mobility, transition, deployments and family separations. “We stress how important it is to get that peer-to-peer relationship going as soon as possible so that new students feel as acclimated as they can for the first day of school and to minimize the stress of the transition.”

Hufstedler-Alvarez has been a military spouse for 19 years. “So this program is near and dear to my heart,” she said. “It makes me happy know that there are schools that have students that are dedicated to just be that welcoming connection for new students.”

“We’re very excited that you are here for the S2S training,” said MCEC S2S Trainer Erin Vance Brown who as a “military brat” attended eight different schools. “This is about making sure that you all have a place to belong and that new students coming in also know that they have a place to belong.

“You guys are going to make a huge impact by being part of this program,” Brown said. “Every move brings about its own set of opportunities and a lot of transition.

“Part of what we’re doing is engaging our vision to make sure that every military-connected child is college, work and life ready,” Brown said. “S2S team members make a big difference.

“Because the truth is that some of you have moved multiple times,” she added. “Each move brings changes so we want to make sure you and all new students have a level playing field where every person can find their place.”