In the Bavaria District, we are proud of our deployed soldiers. They are the parents of our students, spouses of our teachers, and friends from our communities. We want our deployed soldiers to know that we understand the sacrifices that they are making for our country. Most of all, we want them to know how much we think of them. As always, we  appreciate working with their children and keeping learning as our first priority. 

 Our Bavaria Digital Video Initiative has allowed us to take advantage of digital video technology.  We are involved in many exciting projects to help with deployment and separation.

 For example, our Ansbach High School students, as part of their Video Communications class, are involved in a project called “Video Messages to the Front.” This project allows family members to schedule a time to come to the Ansbach High School Studio and video their messages to their loved ones who are deployed.

 The students, through the Professional Technical Studies program, are gaining experience and learning skills that will help them gain entry into post secondary or career entry-level programs in the fields of video, television, and film production.

 Ansbach High School's “Video Messages to the Front” is one of the many projects that the Bavaria Digital Video Initiative facilitates to provide support and assistance to military families affected by deployment.  The projects are as follows:

 “Students, Families and Deployment” is a deployment video for teachers that has been used to in-service teachers on the methods that they can use in their classes to ease deployment stress for students.

 Using our School Psychologist, we have created three videos on Deployment.

The first one was “Families in Deployment.”  The second was  “Children's Fear of Deployment.” This was a video for parents and teachers, and the third in the series was “Reuniting the Family after Deployment.”

 Because high school graduation only takes place once, we wanted our deployed parents to see the graduation exercises. The Bavaria Digital Video Initiative and our high schools' video programs broadcasted live to parents down-range. Our video programs also worked with AFN to broadcast a taped version to our soldiers in Iraq.

 Before parents were even deployed, the Wuerzburg High School Video Communications Class, in partnership with the Wuerzburg Elementary School and deploying parents, created a “Story Time” project. This was where deploying parents created a DVD of themselves reading to their children. The children can then play the videos anytime they want their parents to read to them even though they are downrange.

 “Walk to Iraq and Back” is a video created by the Ansbach Elementary School to make students and parents feel closer to their loved ones while becoming healthy in the process.

 Currently, many Video Email Projects are taking place across the district. Families and friends are scheduling time at many of our schools to create and send video postcards to their loved ones. 

Through these projects we hope that we can ease the time apart for our students and families.  In the Bavaria District, we are proud of our soldiers and wish them a safe return. Please know, as always, we are focusing on the education and well-being of the children we serve.