Rockin’ Back to School: DoDEA Americas E.A. White Elementary Kicks Off 2025-26 with Music, Bubbles, and Big Dreams

Across the Southeast District of DoDEA Americas, schools welcomed students back to classrooms on August 4, 2025, marking the start of the 2025-26 school year with enthusiasm and promise. From Fort Campbell, Kentucky to Maxwell Air Force Base Alabama, the district’s military-connected students, stepped into a new chapter, ready to learn and grow. At E.A. White Elementary School, located on historic Fort Benning, Georgia, the day was transformed into a vibrant festival of music, bubbles, and boundless excitement. The Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) school welcomed students with a rockin’ twist, as the Fort Benning Army Band blared electric guitar riffs and drumbeats, setting the stage for a memorable return. Principal Jessica Thorne captured the mood perfectly: “Today is the first day of school. We are motivated, excited. This is our opportunity to welcome our students back to the building and to provide those quality educational experiences for them to learn, develop, grow, and make innovative decisions, be creative.”

The school’s playground was a spectacle, with bubbles floating skyward and a cast of costumed characters greeting students as they hopped off buses and out of cars. Student clutched their backpacks and the hands of young siblings as they danced through a bubble storm, grins wide as they high-fived the school mascot and Principal Thorne.

A Parent shared, “My daughter was over the moon about starting school. She had her backpack packed a week ago, and her clothes picked out, sitting right next to it in her room, ready to go.”

Adding star power to the festivities, special guests included Col. M. Jordan Inman, Commanding Officer of Martin Army Community Hospital, who joined the fun to welcome students.

The Army Band kept spirits soaring, playing rock anthems as students danced in a storm of bubbles, then strolled into the building. Their enthusiasm and drive aligned with Thorne’s vision: “The best part of DoDEA is that we have a leadership team and a blueprint that is directly designed to excel and help our students, our staff, our leaders, grow. This year is going to be a wonderful educational experience.”

Inside, classrooms buzzed with teachers, inspired by the morning’s energy, rolled out lessons to ensure students could thrive in a community that feels like family, no matter where the military takes them. As the band played their last song and Col. Inman waved goodbye, E.A. White didn’t just open its doors; it launched a year of dreams with a rock ‘n’ roll beat. Here’s to a school year filled with growth, giggles, and gold stars!

DoDEA operates as a field activity of the Office of the Secretary of Defense. It is responsible for planning, directing, coordinating, and managing prekindergarten through 12th-grade educational programs for the Department of Defense. DoDEA operates 161 accredited schools in 9 districts in 11 foreign countries, seven states, Guam, and Puerto Rico, serving over 67,000 military-connected students. DoDEA Americas operates 50 accredited schools across two districts on 16 military installations, including Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Coast Guard bases in seven states, Puerto Rico and Cuba. Committed to excellence in education, DoDEA fosters well-rounded, lifelong learners, equipping them to succeed in a dynamic world.