Social Emotional Learning
Helping Your Child Access Supports for Success
Social Emotional Supports for Students
This year at the Greene School we will offer a tiered level of support for student’s social emotional needs. The purpose of this newsletter is to inform you of the levels of support and provide instructions on how your child can access these resources. If you have additional questions, please reach out to Ann Marie Brubaker brubakera@sycamoreschools.org.
What is Social Emotional Learning?
Social emotional learning (SEL) is a crucial part of education and human development. SEL is the process through which all young people and adults acquire and apply the knowledge, skills, and attitudes to develop healthy identities, manage emotions, achieve personal and collective goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain supportive and healthy relationships, and make responsible and caring decisions.
People with strong social-emotional skills are better able to cope with everyday challenges and benefit academically, professionally, and socially. From effective problem-solving to self-discipline, from impulse control to emotion management and more, SEL provides a foundation for positive, long-term effects on kids, adults, and communities.
Check out this video for more explanation.
At Greene School, we have several tiers of support for helping our students grow in their social-emotional skills.
Tiers of Supports
Universal Tier One Supports - All students will receive SEL instruction through our PBIS (Positive Behavior Intervention and Supports) program, morning meetings, Adapt for Life Lessons, as well as quarterly lessons provided by the school counselors.
Targeted Tier Two Supports- This year we will offer a class to support the social emotional needs of our students. Our Social Emotional Learning class is a pilot program designed to target students who will benefit from more direct instruction targeting specific skills, as well as providing coaching and practice around social emotional well-being. Students taking our Social Emotional class will come on either A/C or B/D days, and it will be in place of one of their specials.
How can my child access this class?
You will need to fill out this application. Applications are due by Friday, September 3rd. If selected, you will be contacted to provide some more information and decide which special your student will drop in order to be placed into our Social Emotional Class.
Intense Tier Three Supports - Some students need more intense, one-to-one teaching for SEL skills. These students may be referred to our district student assistant counselor, Jeff Thamann, or to our Children’s Hospital therapists. Again, parents are an integral part of this process and will be involved as partners in the students’ social-emotional learning.
How can my child access these supports?
You will need to reach out to your child’s counselor for information on how to access these supports.
Students with the last name A-K: Jennifer Asher asherj@sycamoreschools.org
Students with the last name L-Z: Tracey Bachmann bachmannt@sycamoreschools.org
Why SEL?
The short and long term benefits of SEL:
Students are more successful in school and daily life when they:
Know and can manage themselves
Understand the perspectives of others and relate effectively with them
Make sound choices about personal and social decisions
These social and emotional skills are some of several short-term student outcomes that SEL programs promote.
Other benefits include:
More positive attitudes toward oneself, others, and tasks including enhanced self-efficacy, confidence, persistence, empathy, connection and commitment to school, and a sense of purpose
More positive social behaviors and relationships with peers and adults
Reduced conduct problems and risk-taking behavior
Decreased emotional distress
Improved test scores, grades, and attendance
In the long run, greater social and emotional competence can increase the likelihood of high school graduation, readiness for postsecondary education, career success, positive family and work relationships, better mental health, reduced criminal behavior, and engaged citizenship.