SELF Newsletter
Fall 2021
What is SELF?
SELF is a four-year program at Gunn that focuses both on building community and strengthening students' social-emotional skills in order to benefit them during high school and beyond.
Three years ago, the SELF mentors (teachers) came together to jointly write the following mission statement:
The purpose of SELF is to develop students’ empathy, resilience and other core social-emotional skills; help students build trusting relationships with their peers and mentors; and establish spaces where they feel safe and supported. We believe that students will benefit from challenging their assumptions about the world and each other by asking questions, having meaningful discussions, and remaining open-minded while maintaining their core values. In so doing, each cohort will develop its own identity, without the pressure of formal grading or assessment, and with every effort to play, explore, and appreciate diversity. Our goal is to help our students realize that each of them is immeasurably valuable not because of what they have achieved but because of who they are and who they can become.
Much more information can be found on our website:
What are the SEL competencies that we focus on in the SELF program?
Washington State SEL Standards
We have also incorporated the Learning for Justice standards, as part of our effort to increase inclusivity, equity and respect for diversity here at Gunn.
What curricular resources are used as part of the SELF program?
After a complete overhaul of the themes and progression of SELF lessons and topics guided by staff and student input this past spring and summer, and a revised approach to incorporating the standards and competencies referenced in the section above, the SELF program is one semester into the process of creating an entirely new curriculum to work from as we continue to refine and improve for the future.
Curious about what your student is doing in their SELF class?
Additionally, please check out our blurb in Titan Talk each week for a quick description of our activities by grade.
Our website also has descriptions of all lessons to date under the "SELF Archives" tab.
Some highlights from this semester have been the legacy project for seniors, which incubated a variety of student-generated projects that improve their school community, the Homecoming lessons led by 11th and 12th grade "Titan Ambassadors" and volunteers for 9th and 10th graders, and dozens of guest speakers discussing their various educational and career paths--including many alumni--for the 11th and 12th grade cohorts.
Seniors Playing Tug-of-War on PSAT Day
Students Playing Board Games in SELF
11th and 9th Grade Students on Buddy Cohort Day
SELF by the Numbers
For more data, including analysis from our recent focus group, see our full report on our Fall 2021 feedback survey (which includes links to raw data) here.
Looking Ahead to Next Semester
9th: Exploring Identity: Who Am I?
10th: Equity and Empathy
11th: Empathy and Action
12th: Practical Skills for Life After Gunn
We will be consulting with the students on the SELF Advisory Board, as always, but we will also be specifically targeting improvement in the following areas, as per the 9th-12th student focus group held on 11/19/21:
- More games, competitions and Buddy Cohorts/intercohort interaction
- More TED Talks/videos
- Working to create spaces for discussion that feel more organic/natural and student-driven: "less information, more communication" (a goal held over from 2019 feedback, but still in focus)
- More art-based projects
SEL Resources We Recommend
Brene Brown, "Boundaries" (in relationships) (10th grade)
"Top U.S. Companies: These Are the Skills Students Need in a Post-Pandemic World"
(EducationWeek, Special Report, March 2021):Who can I contact if I have questions or feedback?
Tara Firenzi (tfirenzi@pausd.org) and Kat Catalano (kcatalano@pausd.org)
Assistant Principals Michalis Gordon and Courtney Carlomagno oversee the program as well:
Michalis Gordon (mgordon@pausd.org); Courtney Carlomagno (ccarlomagno@pausd.org)