LETTER TO THE EDITOR | Our duty to military families and kids

Lindsey Nedley, Lakewood

Our duty to military families and kids

As a nation we support and rally behind our military service members, who serve and protect our country. So what about the military children who don't just support, but actually live their whole lives behind their military parents? Who is supporting and protecting them while their parents are sworn to protect everyone else?

In my work with Kitsap County schools and families over the past few years, I've learned that as students move to different schools and communities with a military family they face social, academic, and emotional challenges in having adapt to new environments. Not only do they deal with new schools, teachers, and other children, they deal with the stress of having to adjust and readjust each time a parent deploys, is gone, and subsequently returns.

The Central Kitsap School District has the highest population of military children in Kitsap County. It was recently brought to the school board's attention that military students are not being acknowledged and attended to for their unique needs as children of military parents. Military children will process their experiences differently, and schools are being faced with challenging behaviors that not only impact the entire school environment, but also each military child's individual ability to succeed.

Schools want their children to be successful, and parents want their children to feel supported, connected, and understood for the challenges they face. As these families sacrifice and serve their duty to our country, we need to do a better job of fulfilling our duty to serve and educate these children.