April is the Month of the Military Child, and a local school will commemorate it this week.

Students at T.O. Rusheon Middle School will support their classmates who are military dependents by wearing purple and hosting a ceremony in their honor.

Some may wonder about the significance of wearing purple. The color symbolizes all branches of the military -- the combination of Army green, Coast Guard, Navy and Air Force blue, and Marine red. It's a visible way to recognize military children for their strength and sacrifices.

Military Student Transition Consultant Georgette Price told KEEL News there are a lot of challenges these military kids face. One of them is making new friends and another is learning the language of the new area.

"Every place that you move, the way that they do things is different. So if you moved here to Bossier Parish Schools as a high school student, you probably go from seven periods a day to four periods a day," Price said. "So it's making that transition and making sure they keep all their credits and they don't lose anything. And then it's also just understanding those things about the community that only people who live here know."

The Purple Up Day ceremony starts at 9 a.m. Friday in the Rusheon Gym. Louisiana Representative Henry Burns will present a Gubernatorial Proclamation and remarks will be made by Col. Keith Schultz, Vice Commander of the 2nd Bomb Wing at Barksdale Air Force Base.

The Rusheon Band, Choir and Advanced Orchestra will also perform, and students will learn the history of the Month of the Military Child and information about the school's Student 2 Student program.

Price said each middle school in the area is expected to get a chance to host this event.

Take a look at this PSA by DoDEA talking about Purple Up Day.

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