Redland Middle School students learn skills in D.C. over the summer

Students at Redland Middle School are better prepared to help new students transition into the school thanks to a trip to Washington D.C. this summer.

Five students and two teachers described their experience to the Military Child Education Coalition Global Training Summit as a trip will impact them all for a lifetime. Katie Hagood is a RMS math teacher. She has been an educator for 22 years, seven in Elmore County, and called the trip exceptional.

“I’ve had many wonderful experiences in my educational career but this trip is definitely at the top of the list,” Hagood said. “I was so nervous to take a group of children not my own out of state on a plane and stay in a hotel. It was worth every single worry to see the positive changes and impact this trip put on these students was truly a gift to me.”

The students got to see the monuments and learn about history. But the summit was more than just visiting sites. It is used to teach students skills to help new students, especially those of military families as they move into a community.  

Eighth grader Jesslyn Oliver made new friends during the trip and the importance of tuning out social media.

“It can be addicting for youth,” Oliver said. “We should limit our use of it on a daily basis.”

Oliver also learned ways to connect quickly with new students.

“(We learned) quick and easy topics to discuss such as friends and family, places you have traveled or creating questions and transition questions to see how they are doing,” Oliver said.

Sixth grader Carson Christenson said he learned a lot about using an elevator speech to help develop connections to new people whether in school or not. 

“You start with a compliment or ask how they are doing,” Christenson said. 

Skills learned at the summit paid off for eighth grader Tysen Franks. He was in a session with senior enlisted advisor to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Troy E. Black who spoke on staying positive.

“He was in an accident and told he was never going to walk again,” Franks said. “He stayed positive through the ups and downs of recovery. Everyday he made the choice to be positive.”

Black not only walked again but ran. The Marine polled the students near the end of the session and Franks was rewarded with a challenge coin for his responses.

“They are very valuable,” teacher Hailey Bennett said. “They are very rare. It was a huge honor.”

Students recalled visiting monuments such as the White House and the Lincoln Memorial and taking an Uber ride to the wrong hotel. 

“We had to all fit in a smaller car to get to where we were going,” seventh grader Lucy Killough said. 

School has only been in session for a couple of weeks but Hagood can see the effects of the summit on the students.

“Our students not only learned how to help our new students, they learned many valuable life lessons,” Hagood said. “We saw these students come out of their comfort zones and have already seen a positive impact at our school since we have returned.”