Pine Meadow
Elementary School
Military Families
Military Family Resources
Emily Steiner, Guidance Counselor
esteiner@ecsdfl.us •
New to the area? Have questions about registering your child for school, or what documentation is needed for registration? Click here to visit our ECPS Enrollment Services department for this information, as well as the current Student Progression Plans.
Deborah Springer
dspringer2@ecsdfl.us
Click to visit the ECPS Exceptional Student Education department.
Sondra Hill, Program Director
shill@ecsdfl.us • 850-429-2977
Mrs. Simmons enrolls new students and requests enrollment forms from the school of transfer. She will let Mrs. Potter, the lead teacher for Safety Patrol, know that there is a new military student at PME. Mrs. Potter will assign a Safety Patrol member as a liaison for our new student.
We have a gifted cluster class in every grade level except Kindergarten. 3rd-5th grade have two gifted cluster classes, 1st and 2nd each have one.
We have aides for each grade level to help support ESE students in the classroom.
We provide parents with guidance on how to access the FOCUS Parent Portal. We use the student and parent portals as the main communication method with parents.
The Joint Military Council for Education Excellence was established as a partnership between the Escambia County School District and Naval Air Station Pensacola in the Spring of 2020. Its mission is: Improving educational services and communication between the Escambia County School District and military families.
The Military Council convenes quarterly to address topics of mutual interest and to solicit input from community stakeholders, including military families.
NAS Pensacola Fleet &Family Support Center
Military One Source connects you to programs, services and products developed for military life. Turn to Military OneSource for tax services, spouse employment help, webinars and online training, relocation and deployment tools, and much more.
Military One Source also has a link to a tutoring service designed specifically for military students.
Military Child Education Coalition
The Military Interstate Children's Compact Commission has a specific section for parents with resources detailing the role of the School Liaison as well as helpful articles on helping military children change schools and cope with moving, among others. They also have a section on supporting military families with special medical or educational needs.
The ASVAB CEP offers students a chance to explore all paths to careers - college, certifications, apprenticeships, licensure programs, and the Military - in one place. Contact your school counselor to find out when the ASVAB CEP is coming to your school.
Military Kids Connect is an online community for military children ages 6-17, and provides access to age-appropriate resources to support children dealing with the unique psychological challenges of military life. MKC offers informative activities, helpful videos, and an online community that can build and reinforce understanding, resilience, and coping skills in military children and their peers. Today's military kids grow up in a world where they face unique challenges such as multiple deployments of important family members and frequent moves to new schools and neighborhoods. They need a unique set of skills to draw on to get through long and often difficult separations and situations.
Pear Deck Tutor (formerly TutorMe) is an online service that provides one-on-one, on-demand, live homework and writing support in certain subject areas.
S2S students assist with the Veterans Day Program and serve breakfast to Veterans.
Additional Resources for Educational Opportunities
- Violin Program that meets weekly. Members of the Violin Club will learn the basics of playing the violin and will perform concerts periodically throughout the year.
- Technology Club meets weekly for one hour after school. Members participate in STEM activities, computer coding, and robotics.
- Academic Tutoring is offered periodically by classroom teachers and typically occurs once a week.
School Guidance Counseling can be accessed through a student, teacher, or parent referral. Teachers access a referral form in FOCUS. Parents and students may reach out to Emily Steiner to request services via email or phone. Additionally, PME students can access our District Overlay counselor, Gina Burke, as needed. Referrals for Mrs. Burke come directly from Mrs. Steiner, PME's Guidance Counselor.
About the Military & Family Life Counseling (MFLC) Program
Pine Meadow Elementary School is honored to offer non-medical counseling to our military-connected students. MFLCs support military families through the unique challenges of military life, including cycles of deployment and reintegration, by providing non-medical, short-term counseling. Through a partnership between the school district, the installation and the office of the Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Military Community and Family Policy, counselors will be assigned to various schools during the school year.
What is the counselor’s role in the school?
MFLCs provide consultation, training, and educational presentations/workshops to program faculty, staff, parents, and children. MFLC support augments services already in place at each school. Counselors take part in everyday school activities and events. They are available to support in areas related to deployment and reintegration; family dynamics; positive coping mechanisms; staff support and education; parent education and stress reduction. Counselors are also available to facilitate groups and trainings to build leadership skills; manage anger; build self-esteem and confidence and strengthen communication.
Counselors are selected for their demonstrated expertise and training and are under the management of the office of the Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Military Community and Family Policy. Counselors hold a master’s or doctoral degree, are independently licensed and have experience working with children and youth. Counselors go through rigorous background checks before being placed in schools.
Why are the counselors in certain schools and not others?
Schools were selected by the Service Branch to receive MFLCs based on the number of military connected students attending each school. Military families who have students in schools without counselors can typically receive the same support through the installation’s Morale, Welfare and Recreation Department, Fleet and Family Services or the A&FRC.
Do counselors keep records about students and families?
No. Services provided by counselors are private and confidential with the exception of mandatory federal and military reporting requirements (i.e., child abuse, domestic violence and other life-threatening situations). No counseling records are maintained.
The official flower of the military child is the dandelion. Why?
The plant puts down roots almost anywhere, and it's almost impossible to destroy. It's an unpretentious plant, yet good looking. It's a survivor in a broad range of climates.
Military children bloom everywhere the winds carry them. They are hardy and upright. Their roots are strong, cultivated deeply in the culture of the military, planted swiftly and surely. They're ready to fly in the breezes that take them to new adventures, new lands, and new friends.
Experts say military children are well-rounded, culturally aware, tolerant, and extremely resilient. Military children have learned from an early age that home is where their hearts are, that a good friend can be found in every corner of the world, and that education doesn't only come from school. They live history. They learn that to survive means to adapt, that the door that closes one chapter of their life opens up to a new and exciting adventure full of new friends and new experiences.
(Military Child Education Coalition, 2017).