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Military Families
Arlington Public Schools is proud to serve students and families representing every branch of our nation’s military.
We are committed to ensuring that our educators and other faculty and staff are informed of the military-connected students in their school and that they understand the unique considerations offered to military students and families. Please visit your student’s school website for more information. Use the “Schools” drop-down at the top of this website.
Blue Star Welcome Week 2025, September 27 — October 5
Blue Star Welcome Week was created to recognize the 600,000 military families that move to new communities each year. This special week raises awareness and builds support for military families across the country. During Blue Star Welcome Week, it is our goal to proactively improve military families’ sense of belonging to their local communities by forging strong connections between our military family members and their local neighbors.
Month of the Military Child
- Purple Up Day – April 15, 2026 (Tentative)
Wear purple to celebrate military students! Purple has been chosen to represent all service branches, Active Duty, Reserve, National Guard, and Veterans. It blends each branch’s colors: Air Force, Navy, Space Force, and Coast Guard’s blues, the Army’s green, and the Marines’ red. - 2026 Military Child World Expo (MCWE) is excited to celebrate America’s 250th anniversary and will feature the following flagship events in Arlington, VA:
- Carrying the Torch of Care – Caregivers Breakfast at the Army Navy Country Club (Arlington, VA) An invitation-only event focused on caregiver wellness, policy briefings, and leadership recognition, with a special spotlight on teen caregivers.
- April 25 | Torchbearers of America’s Future – Military Child World ExpoHyatt Regency Crystal City – Independence Center A & B. *Main Expo Hall with over 150 exhibitors, keynote addresses, and family-focused symposiums. * Promise of the Six” Teen Pavilion featuring a teen summit, journaling & wellness zone, youth readiness stage, and civic identity programming.
- April 26 | Military Child ShowcaseFashion Centre at Pentagon City. A cultural and artistic celebration of military children, featuring music, art, and storytelling from around the world.For more information on the expo, visit www.monthofthemilitarychildworldexpo.com/
Use #MOMC and #MonthoftheMilitaryChild every April, and #PurpleUp for promotion and celebration of Purple Up Day.
APS Purple Star Designated Schools
Elementary Schools
Middle Schools
High Schools/Programs
Interstate Compact
Arlington Public School adheres to the Interstate Compact §22.1-360. The purpose of this compact is to “remove barriers to educational success imposed on children of military families because of frequent moves and deployment of their parents.” To this end, APS:
- Facilitates the timely enrollment of children of military families and ensures that they are not placed at a disadvantage due to difficulty in the transfer of education records from the previous school district(s) or variations in entrance/age requirements.
- Facilitates the student placement process through which children of military families are not disadvantaged by variations in attendance requirements, scheduling, sequencing, grading, course content, or assessment.
- Facilitates the qualification and eligibility for enrollment, educational programs, and participation in extracurricular academic, athletic, and social activities.
- Facilitates the on-time graduation of children of military families.
- Provides for the promulgation and enforcement of administrative rules implementing the provisions of this compact.
- Provides for the uniform collection and sharing of information between and among member states, schools, and military families under this compact.
- Promotes coordination between this compact and other compacts affecting military children.
- Promotes flexibility and cooperation between the educational system, parents, and the student in order to achieve educational success for the student.