DMAFB School Liaison Program Manager

Sharing on behalf of Orion Military Scholars.....

Orion 2026 Application Season is OPEN!

Partner Military Organizations, Middle School Counselors, Military School Liaison Officers, DoD School Leaders, and Orion Ambassadors:

Hello again! I write to you every year at this time about Orion’s boarding school Military Scholars Program. Orion provides military teens with opportunities for stable, affordable, uninterrupted high school experiences regardless of where their active duty parent gets stationed, made possible through merit scholarships and school financial aid to 19 top US boarding schools.

Orion is accepting applications from August 1st to November 15th in 2026 for Fall 2027 enrollment in Orion’s 19 partner US boarding schools. Interested applicants currently in 8th or 9th (and sometimes 10th) grades should visit:

https://www.orionmilitary.org/how-to-apply

**The information in this post is provided as a resource and does not constitute an endorsement by AFIMSC, Davis Monthan AFB, the United States Air Force, or the Department of War of the external website, or the information, products, or services contained therein

Eligibility — Orion Military Scholars Applicant is the custodial child of a current member of the United States Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard or Space Force;

Deployment, relocation, and family separation are part of military life. For children, these experiences can carry a weight that is not always easy to see or name.

Military Child Education Coalition® has a free resource to help: Supporting Military Kids Through Trauma, Deployment, and Change. Designed for parents, educators, and counselors, this resource offers practical guidance for recognizing and responding to the emotional impact of military life on children.

Access it for free at the link below and share it with anyone who supports military-connected kids. https://heyor.ca/f2VAVW

Support this mission at https://heyor.ca/ZpVQiL.

Deaf Families Can Now Watch 73 Netflix Kids’ Titles With ASL Interpretation These include CoComelon, KPop Demon Hunters, Spider-Man: Homecoming, and more.

Applications are still open for MCEC's Caregiving Youth Student Leadership Program, a fully funded 5-day leadership experience at the University of Texas at San Antonio this October.

Caregiving youth, also known as Hidden Helpers, are high school students who are actively involved in supporting a wounded, ill, or injured veteran in their home. This program was built specifically for them. Students will engage in leadership activities, team building, guest speaker sessions, and lessons designed to prepare them for life after high school, all at no cost to their family.
MCEC covers round-trip flights, hotel, meals, and activities for the full 5 days.

October 2-6, 2026 | University of Texas at San Antonio
Application Deadline: August 27, 2026

Student/Parent Application and Adult Recommendation links are in the flyer below. Questions? Contact [email protected]

Learn more at MilitaryChild.org

Back-to-school season is here! 🍎📚 A little planning can help your child have a smoother transition, especially if they have medical or educational needs.

Here are a few simple ways to prepare:
✅ Review your child's IEP or 504 plan and share any new diagnoses or updates with the school team.
✅ Create a one-page "About Me" sheet with your child's strengths, needs and calming strategies to share with teachers.
✅ Organize important documents like IEPs, evaluations and progress reports.
✅ Ease into school bedtime and morning routines.
✅ Visit the school at a less busy time if possible to help your child get familiar or reacquainted with the campus.
✅ Use visual supports like schedules, social stories or countdown calendars to build confidence and excitement.

Encircle Families can help with IEP or 504 Plan tips! Contact us here: https://ow.ly/eUT450ZuEQn

Wishing all of our families a successful, happy school year!

Strong Schools. Stronger Partnerships.

Schools play a vital role in the success of military-connected students, and strong partnerships between education and military communities create lasting benefits for everyone involved.

School Liaisons serve as strategic partners to educators by building trusted relationships, increasing awareness of the military lifestyle, supporting student transitions, facilitating collaborative problem-solving, and connecting schools with resources that strengthen educational outcomes.

When schools, military leaders, families, and community partners work together, students experience greater educational stability, communities become stronger, and military families gain confidence that their children will be supported wherever military service takes them.

Education partnerships extend beyond the classroom—they contribute to quality of life and support readiness, retention, and recruiting across the force.
Supporting Military Families. Strengthening Communities. Enabling Readiness, Retention, and Recruiting.

This is the Core Four. This is how School Liaisons lead.

TUSD has updated their bus routes for the 26/27 school year. Below is the high school bus information for the following schools:

Palo Verde Magnet High School
Pick-up/drop off Location: Lightening and Mustang
AM Pick Up: 7:03 a.m. (Route 1)
PM Drop Off: 4:41 p.m. (Route 1)
**NO Friday bus as they are on a 4-day school week starting this year.

Tucson Magnet High School
Pick-up/drop off Location: E Lightening and S Crusader
AM Pick Up: 6:32 a.m.
PM Drop Off: 4:11 p.m.

Sabino High School
Pick-up/drop off Location: E Lightening and S Crusader
AM Pick Up: 6:29 a.m.
PM Drop Off: 4:29 p.m.

Transportation said to reach out to ensure your student is authorized to ride the bus.
They will not allow anyone not registered to get on the bus.
They can be reached at 520-228-6262 or https://www.tusd1.org/transportation-contact-form.
For route numbers for Tucson and Sabino, please contact transportation as this is not available on the website.

For any other bus information, please reach out directly to the transportation department. Please note the district does NOT provide any transportation for Borman K8 located on the installation.

Transportation Contact Form Form for question about a child's bus route, eligibility, or other transportation issue for the Tucson Unified School District.

The engineers, manufacturers, and innovators of tomorrow are sitting in classrooms today. Through a new partnership with NMSI, RTX is helping educators reach students across Arizona to build the STEM workforce that advanced manufacturing demands. Read the full announcement here: https://www.nms.org/news/nmsi-receives-150-000-grant-from-rtx-to-expand-stem-educator-professional-development-in-arizona

Verify your student for the new school year! Complete Back-to-School paperwork online for new and returning students now! Our annual student verification is OPEN and must be completed on desktop/laptop/Chromebook only; not available from phone. Student verification closes August 31. For additional assistance, contact your student’s school. Thank you for completing this important step! Learn more at

https://www.maranausd.org/news/musd-news-details/~board/district-news/post/register-for-school-complete-26-27-student-verification