Attention Parents of High School Students

updated 09-11-08 from Karen Sackett 631-875-8647 www.spncr.active.ws During the months of September and October, high schools will be holding Open Houses for parents. Also during these months, military recruiters will be collecting contact information of students who do not hand in an opt out letter. Attached to this email is a flyer informing students of their right to opt out - one in english and one in spanish. In the flyer is an opt out letter that parents or students can hand in to their school to ensure their privacy from the military. There is also information (in the english version) about the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) which in actuality is a military entrance exam and is given in most Long Island high schools. Please use this important flyer to hand out at your district's open house, the date of which can be found on the school calendar or by calling the high school. You can also find out the date the opt out letter is due by calling the school (usually the guidance office) and indicate this date on the flyer. Help is also needed at highly recruited high schools on September 25th: Wyandanch and Bay Shore at 7:00pm and/or 9:00pm, and Central Islip at 6:30pm and/or 9:00pm. If you can assist others at any of these schools, please let me know. Your help is appreciated very much in these days of deceiptful recruiting. Bush announced the return of 8,000 soldiers the day a mother of a soldier spoke at a Veterans For Peace meeting informing us her son was re-deployed that same day. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ For everyone concerned about our children - here is something important you can do for them in the next few weeks. This is the time of year when the new school calendar and packet of school information arrive in your mailbox. Somewhere in there might be a notice about "Release of Directory Information to the Military." This notice will explain briefly that contact information relating to high school students will be given to the Department of Defense, unless a written statement by a parent or guardian is submitted to the school by a particular date. Once the military recruiters receive the contact information, they can be relentless in their mission to sign up recruits. The Department of Defense relies very heavily upon high school students to fill the major portion of their quota of recruits each year. The DOD goal is to sign up students in the Delayed Enlistment Program and then have the students take the official enlistment step as soon as possible after graduation. Problems: a) Information about the opt-out is not easy to locate either in the calendar or among the many notices sent and many parents are not even on the lookout for it. b) Some parents may feel uneasy writing a letter to the school, fearing that there might be repercussions. Important Action You Can Take Visit your high school on open school night and distribute copies of the flyer (see attachment) which has questions and answers and a sample opt-out form as well as information about the ASVAB test. Open school night is our best opportunity to reach the most number of parents and students with this information that can actually be a matter of life or death. Check your school calendar or call your school to find out the deadline for the opt-out form in your district. Add that date to the flyer so that parents have that very important information. If you would like additional information or help distributing the flyer, call Sheila (631-427-5823) or Karen (631-875-8647).