Hopkins Elementary has been recognized as a 2025-26 Purple Star School for its support of military-connected students and families. This is the third time Hopkins Elementary has achieved this designation.
The Purple Star designation is awarded to schools that demonstrate a strong commitment to meeting the needs of military-connected students through programs, staff training and community engagement.
Here are some of the ways that Hopkins Elementary supports military-connected students:
Each April, Hopkins Elementary celebrates the Month of the Military Child and Purple Up! Day to show widespread support of military-connected students.
Military-connected students are invited to participate in a Military Mornings group that meets throughout the year. This helps children connect with other children in similar circumstances.
The Military Mornings group helps promote schoolwide support for military families. For example, they made placemats for a Veterans Day breakfast, which they and their families attended in 2024. They also created a bulletin board showing where their families have been stationed.
This year, Hopkins also started a student ambassadors program to support students who transition to Hopkins midyear. In each classroom, one student connects with the new student, gives them a tour of the school, plays with them during recess and joins them for lunch.
Since 2018, the Virginia Department of Education and the Virginia Council on the Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children have awarded 1,083 Purple Star designations. Of those designations, only 132 schools have been recognized three times.