Student Transition Program
At DoWEA Pacific, military-connected children are at the heart of all we do. We recognize our military children move three times more often than their civilian peers, with many students attending six to nine different schools during their K-12 years. We also know frequent moves may cause stress and anxiety, adversely impacting students.
DoWEA Pacific’s Student Transition Program is designed to assist newly arriving elementary, middle and high school students with finding community within their new school.
Each Student Transition Program is served by a Program Coordinator and Student Ambassadors and provides:
- A lunch buddy and/or a dedicated place to hang out during lunch
- A personalized school tour from a Student Ambassador, who can answer questions about classes and programs from a student perspective
- Local culture trips where you can experience local food and customs
- Resources to assist following a PCS move
Each new student is assigned a student ambassador, whose main responsibilities are to escort new students for a week, eat lunch together and provide informal on-boarding (go over the content of the welcome pack, answer questions, hang-out and become a “buddy”).
Student Ambassadors Meet:
Every 1st and 3rd Tuesday plus one Saturday a month
When new students come into our school the families are greeted by school staff and provided with a tour of our campus.
In addition, new Students are paired with support buddies in each class.
Onboarding/Welcome Sessions (SY26-27):
1st grade – 11:00 to 11:10
2nd grade – 11:10 to 11:40
3rd grade – 12:30 to 1:00
4th grade – 12:35 to 1:05
5th grade – 12:40 to 1:10
Families are encouraged to email: Cennette.Vasconcellos@dodea.edu or elsa.oneal@dodea.edu if they have any questions.
The Student Transition Program counselors and ambassadors assist newly arriving students with finding community within their new school. Learn more about the Pacific Region’s Student Transition program
Contact Bechtel's STP Coordinator:
- Ms. Vasconcellos - cennette.vasconcellos@dodea.edu
Learn more about the DoWEA Pacific region's Student Transition Program
