VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. - Students at a Virginia Beach elementary school were greeted with high fives, live music and walked the purple carpet in celebration of military children on Wednesday.
The Virginia Department of Education named April 17, 2024 as "Purple Up Day" in support of kids who face the unique challenges that come with being the child of U.S. military members.
At Shelton Park Elementary, near Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek, the day holds even more meaning.
“It’s a cute school tucked back in the neighborhood and many people don’t know about us," said Principal Tara Brewer. "But, they do need to know about us, because 80 percent of our students are military-connected.”
That means living through parents suddenly getting deployed and moves in and out of different schools.
Wednesday, Shelton Park brought out servicemen and women from JEB Little Creek to give students high-fives and cheer them on as they arrived at school. A live band also played a set for the kids.
Brewer says it's all a part of making sure her students feel loved and supported.
“It’s also important to me to know their stories and know what’s going on in their life because, when kids are loved, cared for, safe — emotionally and socially — then, learning can happen," she told News 3.
She says there are programs in the school to ensure students in military families are getting what they need, including a club called Anchored For Life.
“This day is always very emotional for me," said Kristin Sheely, a first grade teacher and advisor for Anchored For Life. "It’s just cool to see these kids get recognized because, a lot of times, it’s their parents getting recognized, which they should be, but also the kids left behind for deployments or having to move to start all over.”
It's a way of life that's challenging for the whole family, but at Shelton Park Elementary, kids smiled knowing their teachers and the community were behind them.
