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Bucknell Elementary School teacher Neika Smith knows how difficult it can be for military children to repeatedly leave behind familiar schools, friends and support systems.

Smith met her husband, Qadree, while attending Savannah State University. At the time, he was serving in the Army at Fort Stewart, about an hour away. They now have two children enrolled in Fairfax County Public Schools.

As a parent, Smith wants her children’s schools to support them emotionally and socially throughout the year.

“I hope that they feel welcomed, heard and seen,” she said.

Smith works to provide that same sense of belonging in her fifth-grade classroom. Bucknell Principal Rashida Green described her approach as structured and nurturing, with clear expectations that help students feel secure.

Green said Smith values every student’s background, helps children navigate transitions and creates an environment that feels like “a home away from home.”

Smith also wants educators to remember that every military family is different. When one parent is deployed or stationed elsewhere, the parent at home may be managing an overwhelming number of responsibilities.

“They aren’t ignoring emails,” Smith said. “They are juggling a million things.”

She encourages teachers to be patient with military-connected students and invest time in building relationships with them—even when they arrive in the middle of the school year. Some may have attended three schools in five years, she noted, but they remain resilient and capable of accomplishing great things.

Smith’s family is nearing the end of another long separation. Her husband is almost finished with a three-year assignment in Stuttgart, Germany, and is expected to return home in June. The family is counting down the remaining time.

The separation has been particularly difficult for their second-grade daughter during holidays. Smith notices changes in her behavior when classmates discuss plans involving their fathers. Her daughter carries a toy puppy named Commander as a symbol of her dad.

Frequent military moves have made Smith more aware of the upheaval some children experience. Her family relocates every two or three years, requiring them to form friendships quickly and rebuild their support network.

That experience has deepened her commitment to creating meaningful connections with students.

“I want my students to feel like they have at least one safe space,” Smith said.

She and her children understand what it means to be uprooted from everything familiar and live without relatives within 700 miles. Because relationships may be temporary, Smith said her family deeply values the time it shares with the people it meets.