Social and Emotional Learning at Shenendehowa

Shen Learning Framework

Sets the quality standard for curriculum, instruction and assessment, centered around the personal experience of students.

Instruction in social and emotional learning (SEL) helps all young people and adults to 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. Socially-emotionally competent students have more positive attitudes toward themselves and others, show more positive social behaviors in school, and have fewer conduct problems. This results in greater school connectedness, which helps keep students safe and out of trouble. (Second Step, Success Stories, Creating Successful Learners). At Shenendehowa, our SEL programs help us meet the needs of all learners.

Social and emotional learning programs have been developed for the elementary, middle and high school levels at Shenendehowa. Programs for all levels are based on the CASEL Framework which describe the five competencies of social and emotional learning.

Visit Second Step to learn more about the program.

View the Middle School Second Step Scope & Sequence to learn more about the units

and lessons.

Elementary Level

Elementary school counselors and teachers have selected the Second Step program to provide classroom-based, lessons for Kindergarten–Grade 5 that nurture children’s social-emotional competence and foundational learning skills. Elementary schools implemented Second Step in a variety of ways, including Read Alouds. Counselors and teachers created a Second Step Scope and Sequence and in the 2021-2022 school year are working toward consistent implementation in all elementary schools. Goals for the 2021-2022 school year include creating pre and post-assessments for Second Step units of study, and beginning the work of identifying a bank of district approved Tier 2 interventions. For more information about SEL at the elementary level, contact Becky Carman, Director of Policy and Community Development, or your school counselor or building principal.

Middle School Level

A tri-building SEL committee was formed in the 2020-2021 school year and selected the Middle School Second Step program for the 2021-22 school year. The program was introduced to middle school faculties on Superintendent's Conference Day. Interdisciplinary teams have been given the flexibility to select the lessons that will be taught each month. Second Step lessons reinforce the SEL content and skills taught in FACS and Health classes. Goals for the 2021-2022 school year include offering professional development on the Second Step program, and administering surveys to monitor the effectiveness of the program. For more information about SEL at the middle school, contact Stacy Vadney, Assistant Principal at Koda.

High School Level

At the High School, a committee comprised of teachers from many academic departments, school support counselors, school counselors and administrators gathered and vetted resources for classroom teachers to integrate into all subject areas. A website was developed for high school faculty to share activities and lessons for all five competencies. Goals for the 2021-2022 school year include highlighting SEL at faculty meetings, conducting baseline surveys and involving students in the HS SEL committee. For more information about SEL at the high school level, contact Lisa Kissinger, Academic Administrator, Social Studies or Cathleen Drago, Associate Principal at East.

June 8, 2021 Presentation to the Shenendehowa Board of Education about our SEL initiative

BOE Presentation - SEL K-12.pdf

Visit CASEL to learn more about the five competencies and the CASEL Framework shown below.

For more information about mental health and wellness, visit the District's Mental Health and Wellness website.

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