FAIRMONT, W.Va. — The Marion County School system one of nine statewide to earn the Purple Star honor.
The Purple Star is awarded to school districts that provide emotional and other support to students with family members on active duty military service or temporary deployment.Administrative Assistant of Curriculum and Instruction L.D. Skarzinski said they have quite a few military families across the district.
“A lot of our students’ parents are in the Reserves and some of them are definitely in full-time service and West Virginia has always bee st
rong when it comes to military service and we’re very proud of that.”
The program offers support for students while go through the adjustment of a family member leaving or the extended absence while on military duty. Skarzinski said it’s a great learning tool for students of non-military families and helps them be part of the whole adjustment process.
“It’s also for all kids for them to understand how important it is that people are involved in military service and the sacrifice it brings to their families so it’s really it’s an all encompassing student support mechanism for all of our schools.”
In Marion County, the program is managed at the building level with familiar faces and some school leaders with military experience for students to interact with. Some of the programs include military themed celebrations on appropriate holidays so those students can honor their family members as well.
“All of our elementary, middle and high schools have a point of contact and some of those folks are actually military veterans and one is a reservist,” Skarzinski said.
Students react different ways when a family member leaves for a deployment. The program provides an outlet for students to express individual concerns in order to keep them engaged academically.
“There’s an adjustment that has to be made because that parent or sibling is not at home,” Skarzinski said. “That’s tough for some kids to understand, especially the little ones, our kidos struggle with that sometimes and go to school upset.”
The relationships built in the school through the program don’t stop when the students walks out the school door. Skarzinski said it’s a community that lifts up those who serve and their families.
“So, there are support mechanisms in place within the school, but it also branches out into the community to help the families also,” Skarzinski said.
The schools honored were Watson Elementary, Barrackville Elementary, East Park Elementary, Jayenne Elementary, Fairview Middle, Monongah Middle, and West Fairmont Middle.