Whiteman Elementary’s Student 2 Student (S2S) Chapter has been awarded Elite Team of the Year by the Military Child Education Coalition during its National Training Seminar.
Individual winners were selected for the elementary, middle, and high school levels, and First Lady Dr. Jill Biden surprised students by appearing during the award presentation to formally announce Whiteman Elementary as the overall Elite Team of the Year.
“Congratulations to these amazing programs on an amazing year, and thank you to the sponsors and schools for empowering these young leaders to dream big and support their goals,” said MCEC President and CEO Dr. Becky Porter. “Your accomplishments during a challenging year are inspiring. You have raised the bar and set a new standard for excellence that we hope all S2S programs will emulate.”
Whiteman Elementary won the award for making significant adjustments to support their school during COVID restrictions. S2S held special tours mid-year to help students transition from virtual learning to in-person instruction. New students received backpacks and a checklist to help with their tour. Students who left the school due to a move were provided with a special good bye to remember their time at Whiteman Elementary. Students demonstrated leadership by leading the Month of the Military Child assemblies, conducting meetings, and building community relationships. The team came up with the idea to host a virtual Veterans Day assembly to honor members of their community. The team also supported the needs of the community by donating funds they earned to the local food bank and when restrictions were lifted, they were able to conduct a food drive to provide additional resources to the local food bank. Whitman Elementary S2S members serve as exemplary role models for others at their school.
Dr. Jerrod Wheeler, Knob Noster Superintendent of Schools, shared, “The quality of public education serving service members’ families in the Department of Defense continues to emerge as a top tier priority for mission readiness. Quality can be defined in many ways, but few are more important than how students and parents feel about their school, especially following a PCS move. In Knob Noster Public Schools, our Student 2 Student (S2S) program embodies our commitment to easing transitions for military students by ensuring they are met at our doors by a team of students who help make them feel immediately welcomed and integrated into their new school. Nurturing caring relationships is an educational quality that is very important to us, and S2S helps that happen from day one when a new student arrives. We are incredibly proud of the Whiteman Elementary Team for being recognized by the Military Child Education Coalition as the Elite S2S Team of the Year, and we look forward to our ongoing success in making Knob Noster Public Schools feel like home for all students.”