The Foreign Service Journal - December 2017

92 DECEMBER 2017 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL EDUCATION SUPPLEMENT where they safe haven. By doing so while on evacuation status, families are able to keep up with the valuable structure and routines they have already established at post. It is a good idea to discuss with your family, before an evacuation happens, where you might want to safe haven. This type of planning will allow you to look at the schools in the area you might choose. Try to identify what schools will be able to accommodate your child’s particular course of study or individual needs. It is crucial for parents of teens in high school who have been enrolled in an International Baccalaureate or Advanced Placement program to continue in a simi- lar program during the period of evacua- tion at the safe haven location. In the Washington, D.C., metro area, the Family Liaison Office maintains a list of short-term housing facilities; each facility listing includes the name or names of the local high school(s), which are tagged IB, AP or both. We encourage parents to visit the school’s website to determine if the same IB or AP classes that your child has been studying are offered at these schools. Planning for Continuity M y son and I discussed the work he needed to complete each day. Assignments he was not able to complete between 9 a.m. and 12 p.m., he completed in the evening after dinner because I wanted him to be able to participate in extracurricular activities and have social time outside of the learning environment. The Brazzaville school opened up the campus after school hours, allow- ing our children to come play basketball, football, etc., as well as hosting a movie night. My son returned to school feeling confident and not left behind as a result of the plans that had been implemented during the evacuation. —Carmel Smalls, evacuated from Kinshasa to Brazzaville in 2016