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Luke Elementary Named First Purple Star School Candidate in Arizona
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - 10/06/2023
DYSART SCHOOLS - Luke Elementary School was named the first Purple Star School Candidate in the state of Arizona for their strong support of military families.
A Purple Star School Candidate designation indicates that a school is committed to supporting the unique needs for military-connected children by providing staff and programs to support students during their school transitions or deployment. Criteria to meet this designation include:
- Designated staff point of contact for military students and families
- A student transition program
- Dedicated web page with resources for military families
- Professional development for staff (70%) that helps familiarize and equip them to support the needs of military students
Luke Elementary School hosted a Celebration Assembly, Ribbon Cutting and Breakfast on October 6 to announce the news to the students, parents and staff in conjunction with Luke Air Force Base. The school and district have had numerous partnerships in place with Luke Air Force Base for many years due to the close proximity to the base and high number of military families served.
Currently, Luke Elementary School has a Student2Student Ambassador program, where students in 5th-8th Grade are enrolled in a leadership elective class designed to support any student transitioning into Luke Elementary. Ambassadors connect with new students throughout their first few days of enrollment to help answer questions, connect students and families to resources and ensure the transition is smooth.
Monthly Military-Connected Luncheons will take place throughout the year, and in April, the Month of the Military Child will be recognized and celebrated throughout the school. While there has been strong staff support at the school previously, school staff received specific Purple Star School support training in September. Additionally, Luke Elementary had a soft launch of a special Deployment Room on campus last spring. The new Deployment Room will be fully launched in November, and will provide a physical place at the school for students to go to when they need support before, during, or after a military deployment.
Luke Elementary is one of four schools that are part of a Purple Star School pilot program in partnership with Luke Air Force Base. Other districts that will also be designating a candidate school on or before Veterans Day include Agua Fria High School District, Litchfield Elementary District, and Great Hearts Arizona.
About Luke Elementary School
Luke Elementary School is an “A” rated school of over 500 preschool through eighth-grade students. Providing close access from the communities surrounding Luke Air Force Base, the school is located on Dysart Road, just North of Glendale Avenue with close access to the 101, 303 and Northern Parkway.
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