RALEIGH — The Public Schools of Robeson County celebrated five schools earning Purple Star Awards during a special ceremony held recently at the North Carolina National Guard Joint Force Headquarters.
Purple Star schools receiving the military-friendly award designation within the district include: Parkton Elementary, Peterson Elementary, Rex-Rennert Elementary, St. Pauls High and St. Pauls Middle schools.
Each school will receive a banner and be celebrated during the May 12 PSRC Board of Education meeting.
“We are incredibly proud of these five schools for earning the Purple Star designation and for the intentional care they show our military-connected students and families each day,” said PSRC Superintendent Dr. Freddie Williamson. “This recognition reflects our commitment to ensuring every student feels supported, valued and connected as they transition into and through our schools. We are also excited to continue this work as additional schools come on board next year, positioning our district to pursue the Purple Star district-level designation.”
NCDPI is proud to continue the initiative as a way to honor schools that demonstrate military-friendly practices and show commitment to military students and families. Schools across the state applied for the special designation, and those deemed Purple Star Schools completed several required activities plus an optional activity aimed at ensuring strong support for students of military families.
Schools earning the Purple Star Award were required to have a staff member as a designated point of contact for military students and families, a designated central administration staff member supporting the point of contact in the school and also the provision of annual professional development addressing special considerations for military students and families. Purple Star schools also provide a dedicated page on their websites for military family resources or links to the district’s webpage with military family resources as well as a transition program to support inbound and outbound military students and families, along with a checklist for their use.
For the optional activities, awarded schools selected from one of five activities with many of the schools opting for more than one. These include a school-hosted annual military recognition event such as Month of the Military Child, Month of the Military Family, Purple-Up! For Military Kids!, Veterans Day and Memorial Day.
To learn more about Purple Star Awards, visit NCDPI’s NC Supports Military Children website.