CORRECTION: NJROTC Commander Adam Schlismann’s rank was misstated in the May 2025 print edition. Titan Legacy regrets the error.
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Students might have noticed a new flag waving over Papio South in April, the Month of the Military Child. The school currently has 180 students who come from active-duty military families, which means they may be new to the area and have different experiences. The Purple Star designation gives the school recognition for its efforts to meet the unique needs of these students who may be accustomed to frequent moves and extended parental absences.
A special Purple Star Committee formed this year among school staff and teachers to expand the school’s initiatives under the program, including the addition of a new flag to be raised by NJROTC cadets each school day in April. Instructional para Ms. Kimberly Prey, who has served as head of the new committee, said being identified with the Purple Star means “that the school values military students and families and that there’s things in place to help those students transition.”
Another way the school shows it is committed is with the appointment of the military liaison, Assistant Activities Director Mr. Bubba Penas, who works with military families to get their students set up in the school, such as classes and clubs that help the military students incorporate – especially if they transfer near the middle of the school year.
There are also different ways the school helps with the integration of these students within the school. The student liaisons, or Titan Ambassadors, who volunteer work directly with the new students by showing them around the school and getting them to their classes.
According to Penas, “We are excited to help support all students and families that are in the military. Anything we can do to help make the transition to a new city and new school is important to the support we provide our students.”
With the Purple Star school designation, the school is showing military families that it is right for them. Prey said teachers also receive special training in connection with the program.
“Mainly there’s an awareness throughout the whole entire school that we have military students, we have a large population of military students,” Prey said. ”Then when the teachers are trained, they receive information that they may never have known about military students.”
One such military student, John Schlismann, son of NJROTC Commander Adam Schlismann, has moved nine times while being a military child and developed his own approach to being brought into new schools.
He said it can be “kinda tough, you know, getting in, because usually people know each other since they were little, and just, you know, we got a new kid like me who just comes in there … don’t try to be the most known, just live your life don’t worry about what people think.”
That experience, common among many military students, is the reason it is important for schools to have open communication wIth the parents and students in military families.
In addition to the new flag on display during the school day and purple illumination of theschool entrance at night, the Month of the Military Child was marked with special Purple Star T-shirts sold at Titan Town and a spirit week, April 14-17, with different dress-up themes each day: “Branch Out” Monday (dress like your favorite military branch); Camo Day Tuesday; Red-White-and-Blue Day Wednesday; and Purple Up Thursday.
Prey said the school could always do more. “On the basis of students and parents … if they have ideas of things that may be helpful to their student or their family in general … just let us know, because we have a lot of things that are happening, but we also have a list of things that we’re working on and that we’re going to do in the future.“
