Social & Emotional Learning

Research suggests that children who develop strong social skills—the ability to make friends, resolve disputes, work with others, and adapt to changing situations—are more likely to thrive in school, in their chosen careers, and throughout their lives.

The understanding that social skills help a person navigate through life has always made intuitive sense. Recently, a more direct connection between social and emotional learning (SEL) and academic performance has been brought into prominence. SEL gives students the tools to engage with their school work and strive for academic success.

Each of our three academic divisions emphasizes age-appropriate social and emotional learning, and research shows that SEL works best when students begin at an early age. For our youngest learners, we introduce SEL through an emphasis on character awareness, character development, cooperation, and friendship.

The Lower School highlights one virtue each month. A word, such as ‘kindness,’ ‘service’ or ‘gratitude’ is posted on the bulletin boards, and teachers help the students make that idea concrete—whether through a story they are reading in class, a teachable moment on the playground, or a discussion about something happening outside of school.

By focusing on a specific virtue each month, teachers help students identify what ‘generosity’, ‘thoughtfulness,’ or ‘forgiveness’ looks like in a day-to-day context. Lower School Town Meetings give students and teachers a chance to talk about character and reinforce the school’s core values. Teachers also utilize aspects of the student-centered Responsive Classroom approach to social-emotional teaching and learning.