Photo By Andrew Damstedt | Chanel Sharp, Naval Support Activity Bethesda's new school liaison officer, encourages...... read more read more
Naval Support Activity Bethesda’s (NSAB) new school liaison officer has only been on the job a couple of weeks, but is already looking at implementing new ways to help military families focus on their child’s education.
“A school liaison officer is an advocate for families who are transitioning,” said Chanel Sharp, who started as NSAB’s school liaison officer Feb. 2. “We’re an information hub.”
Some of the information she hopes to disseminate through new workshops is geared toward helping military teenagers make a smooth transition after moving. Topics will include how to adjust to moving to a new school, how to get ready for college, future employment and why it’s important to disconnect from social media.
“It’s hard, nobody likes to be the new kid,” Sharp said. “[Making friends] will add to their happiness and longevity.”
Sharp is also looking to set up classes to help parents motivate their children at school.
As a former school teacher, Sharp said she brings a different perspective to the school liaison officer position.
“A teacher sees a lot in the classroom,” she said.
That’s why she encourages parents to find time to help out in their child’s classroom — so they can see the interactions their child makes firsthand.
“You can find out a lot by just observing for one day,” she said. “It’s really important the perspective that is gained, you also get to see where the teacher is coming from. Carve out some time at least one time a year to volunteer at the school during school hours.”
She also recommends parents meet with their child’s teacher and principal after moving to a new area.
When moving to the National Capital Region, Sharp said many military families have a lot of questions about the 14 school districts in the area and her role is to provide parents with enough information to make decisions about their children’s education.
One advantage for parents, she said, is the Military Interstate Children’s Compact Commission, which is an agreement between all 50 states where school districts have to make appropriate accommodations for military families during transitions.
“So if a child was in a previous sport, that child doesn’t’ have to try out again for the football team or the basketball team,” she said. “Same thing for credits, if they took a Florida history, they don’t have to take a Texas history. What was found was a lot of our military teens were falling behind in graduating and having to retake a lot of classes.”
Sharp comes to the NSAB position from being Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall’s school liaison officer. She views her role as a sounding board where parents can come and talk through questions they have about education.
“Sometimes a parent already knows what they want for their child, but they just need to talk it out and look at the pros and cons,” Sharp said.
Sharp encourages parents to utilize her office as a resource.
“If parents have any questions, such as ‘This doesn’t sound right that my child has to take this class’ or ‘My child is looking for scholarships,’ just reach out to us,” Sharp said.
| Date Taken: | 02.15.2018 |
| Date Posted: | 02.16.2018 09:46 |
| Story ID: | 266301 |
| Location: | BETHESDA, MD, US |
| Web Views: | 30 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, NSAB’s New SLO Looks to Connect Families With Education Resources, by Andrew Damstedt, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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