Lower School Families,
Panorama Screening This Week
We thank you and your family for being our valued partners as we work together to educate the children in our community. Building our social-emotional learning skills is an important goal for our school this year. Such skills are inextricably connected to student achievement, well-being, and the creation of thriving communities. Students and teachers regularly participate in discussions to better understand these concepts and to reflect on how they perceive these skills in themselves.
This past week, we have been asking our students to reflect on their own mindsets and approaches to learning via an online survey completed here at school. The survey content asks students to self-reflect on self awareness, self management, social awareness, supportive relationships, and well-being.
Students are given this survey at the beginning and end of each school year. Their responses provide invaluable insights into their experiences and how we can improve and adapt our school to their needs. The individual responses to these surveys are completely confidential. As with last year, we are partnering with a third-party vendor, Panorama, to support us in administering these surveys.
SEL
Social Emotional Learning (SEL) is part of the curriculum as determined by the North Carolina Department of Instruction. As a public school, we are required to create and implement a School Mental Health plan each year, and our plan includes the implementation of SEL. During SEL time, we focus on building skills for students in the areas of Self Awareness, Self Management, Social Awareness, Relationship Skills, and Responsible Decision Making. We use Second Step (Second step scope and Sequence, Second Step Family Resources) for the majority of our SEL instruction. Additionally, we have a lesson tied to our Inclusivity Statement each week. In our JEDI lessons this week, we are starting our focus on Hispanic Heritage Month with an introductory lesson.
The Staff Appreciation Committee would like to remind you that you have the opportunity to express your appreciation for our teachers by sharing words of affirmation. Simple words of gratitude, recognition, and encouragement mean a lot to our teachers and staff. The Committee is gathering your quotes throughout the year to decorate workroom doors and walls. You can write something today that will bring a smile to someone's face.
Have a wonderful weekend!
All our best,
Jamie Williams & Ellen Girardi
Lower School Principals
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