Posted on: Monday, November 22, 2004
Many schools touched by deployments
| • | School makes days a little better at Wheeler |
By Rod Ohira
Advertiser Central O'ahu Writer
Wheeler Middle School isn't the only school dealing with deployed parents.
Others heavily affected include Wheeler Elementary, Mokapu Elementary, Solomon Elementary, Hale Kula Elementary and Leilehua High School, said Allen Awaya, the U.S. Pacific Command's education program manager and a coordinator for the Joint Venture Education Forum.
JVEF is a partnership among local military leaders, the Department of Education and business and community groups.
Awaya added that the recent deployments of Reserve and National Guard personnel have meant that many other schools statewide are dealing with the issue for the first time.
Many of the schools offer resources for students affected by deployments.
Wheeler Middle, for example, is one of four military base public schools in O'ahu's Central District, North Complex, where child psychiatrists from Tripler Army Medical Center visit twice a week. Col. Michael Faran is assigned to Wheeler Middle School, Dr. Al Saito is at Solomon Elementary, Lt. Col. Peyton Hurt is at Wheeler Elementary, and Lt. Col. Jeffrey Weiser is at Hale Kula.
Faran is at Wheeler Middle for a half day on Mondays and Thursdays, evaluating and treating students experiencing any type of behavioral health problems, including issues arising from deployments.
"The school climate at Wheeler Middle is excellent, and I base that on good leadership of the faculty and counselors working there," Faran said. "There's real excitement (among them), and it translates into taking care of the students. You can see it walking around the school."
Administrators at public schools with high military student enrollments also meet regularly with the military officials to discuss issues.
The focus of a recent meeting, for example, dealt with potential family stress-related problems that may arise with the return of soldiers from war in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Reach Rod Ohira at 535-8181 or rohira@honoluluadvertiser.com.
