SEL Defined

Social Emotional Learning is

Self-Awareness: knowledge, attitudes, and skills to understand and manage emotions

Self-Management: set and achieve positive goals

Social Awareness: feel and show empathy for others

Relationship Skills: establish and maintain positive relationships

Responsible Decision Making: make constructive and respectful decisions

Social-emotional learning (SEL) is an integral 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 and achieve personal and collective goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain supportive relationships, and make responsible and caring decisions.

SEL advances educational equity and excellence through authentic school-family-community partnerships to establish learning environments and experiences that feature trusting and collaborative relationships, rigorous and meaningful curriculum and instruction, and ongoing evaluation. SEL can help address various forms of inequity and empower young people and adults to co-create thriving schools and contribute to safe, healthy, and just communities.*

*via CASEL's updated 2020 definition of SEL

At Encinal School

At Encinal, we have a robust SEL program that has included a teacher committee, as well as a parent committee. These groups help determine specific areas of concern at Encinal. They also plan enrichment activities such as guest speakers, assemblies, and opportunities for parent learning. (some of this work most recently has been suspended due to the pandemic)

Our program also includes a balanced curriculum that addresses several key aspects of SEL, including important life skills, self-regulation, social norms (The Encinal Way), common language, restorative practices, and tools for problem-solving. Counselor Bloom teaches many of these lessons, and they are reinforced by classroom teachers and school-wide activities, such as Circle Up and the use of Awesome Me tickets and assemblies.

For more information about SEL follow this link: What's New for SEL in 2020-21 ?