VALDOSTA – Pine Grove Elementary School is one of seven schools in the state selected as a 2020-21 Georgia Military Flagship School. 

State School Superintendent Richard Woods visited the school earlier this month to present the award banner, school officials said in a statement. 

The award recognizes schools that “go above and beyond to provide a supportive environment for military students and their families,” school officials said. “Military Flagship Schools provide specific outreach to military families and recognize and accommodate their unique needs.” 

Schools are chosen through a yearly application process that is open to every school in the state. Applications are reviewed by members of the Military Interstate Children’s Compact Commission. 

Lowndes High School received the award last year.

At Pine Grove Middle School, establishing procedures and services to support military-connected students is a top priority, school officials said. School counselors work to ensure an “empathetic environment that focuses on the specific needs of military-connected students through individual counseling, small groups and referral to on-base or community counseling as needed.” 

The school partners with the Moody Air Force Base Youth Center to provide a bus route so students can participate in after-school programs. 

“Staff receives ongoing professional development to help them understand how to address the specific needs of military students and families,” school officials said. “Upon entering the school building, there is a display highlighting military students and their achievements, and Moody Squadron banners hang in the hallways.” 

The school also takes advantage of the specialized skills and technological abilities of airmen at Moody AFB. The Moody Weather Division has co-taught lessons to sixth-grade students studying meteorology and Pine Grove was the first middle school in South Georgia to receive Georgia Department of Education STEM certification – an accomplishment the school attributes to the efforts of Moody AFB as a STEM partner.

In addition to presenting the 2020-2021 Georgia Military Flagship Award banner, State Superintendent Woods visited the STEM lab and multiple classrooms. He inquired about lessons being taught and chatted with teachers about their greatest challenges this school year. He praised them for their hard work and dedication.