Social Emotional Learning
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Social Emotional Learning at Waltham Public Schools
Waltham Public Schools SEL work consists of multiple initiatives designed to help students build their capacities and skills in the Five Core Competencies. Staff work collaboratively to support students' and families’ social and emotional learning needs through our PK-12 curriculum, schools, after school and enrichment opportunities, and wraparound services within our district and community.
Below are some of the ways we foster the acquisition and development of these skills at each age group.
Elementary Schools
Elementary schools offer a variety of resources, depending on the individual school's needs.
Open Circle - learn more here
Weekly lessons following the Open Circle curriculum are led by counselors and teachers in K-5 classes. The curriculum develop skills for recognizing and managing emotions, empathy, positive relationships and problem solving. It also helps us to develop a community where students feel safe, cared for and engaged in learning.
Froggy & Friends
Lessons following the Froggy & Friends curriculum are introduced in elementary classrooms by counselors and teachers. These teach students social skills and provide them with interactive opportunities to practice them.
Zones of Regulation - learn more here
The Zones is a systematic, cognitive behavioral approach used to teach self-regulation by categorizing all the different ways we feel and states of alertness we experience into four concrete colored zones. The Zones framework provides strategies to teach students to become more aware of and independent in controlling their emotions and impulses, manage their sensory needs, and improve their ability to problem solve conflicts.
Social Skills Groups
Counselors offer groups for students needing support around specific topics or areas. Groups are held at varying frequency, depending on student needs, and are primarily focused on gaining and practicing social skills.
Grief Groups
Groups for students dealing with a loss are available in all schools through our partnership with The Children's Room. The Children's Room is an independent non-profit located in Arlington, MA that is solely dedicated to supporting grieving children, teens, and families.
Mindfulness
Classes provide daily opportunities to practice mindfulness. Solid scientific evidence suggests that mindfulness interventions improve attention, self-control, emotional resilience, memory and immune response.
Project Adventure
Waltham Public Schools uses Project Adventure within its K-12 physical education curriculum. Project Adventure helps to bring "adventure" into the classroom. Below are the common age group/themes in which help to consistently and effectively build upon student's social emotional competencies.
Middle Schools
Our two middle schools offer these resources, depending on the individual school's needs.
Homeroom Time
Time is allotted for checking in with students and helping them best prepare for their day.
Health Education Curriculum
Curriculum is aligned with the Massachusetts Department of Education's standards to incorporate social emotional learning and mental health awareness.
Positive Behavior Interventions & Supports (PBIS) - learn more here
Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) is an evidence-based three-tiered framework for improving and integrating all of the data, systems, and practices affecting student outcomes every day. It is a way to support everyone – especially students with disabilities – to create the kinds of schools where all students are successful.
Two Schools, One Story (Summer Reading Program)
Our summer reading program focuses on community experience. For Summer 2020, students at both middle schools were encouraged to listen to the podcast titled The Unexplainable Disappearance of Mars Patel in addition to reading 2-3 other books of their choice from a list of titles suggested by the dedicated staff. Learn more about each school's program below:
Social Skills Groups
Counselors offer groups for students needing support around specific topics or areas. Groups are held at varying frequency, depending on student needs, and are primarily focused on gaining and practicing social skills.
Grief Groups
Groups for students dealing with a loss are available in all schools through our partnership with The Children's Room. The Children's Room is an independent non-profit located in Arlington, MA that is solely dedicated to supporting grieving children, teens, and families.
Project Adventure
Waltham Public Schools uses Project Adventure within its K-12 physical education curriculum. Project Adventure helps to bring "adventure" into the classroom. Below are the common age group/themes in which help to consistently and effectively build upon student's social emotional competencies.
High School
Homeroom Time
Time is allotted for checking in with students and helping them best prepare for their day. Short lessons related to the SEL core competencies are also introduced during this time.
Health Education Curriculum
Curriculum is aligned with the Massachusetts Department of Education's standards to incorporate social emotional learning and mental health awareness.
Project Adventure (Physical Education Curriculum) - learn more here
Waltham Public Schools uses Project Adventure within its K-12 physical education curriculum. Project Adventure helps to bring "adventure" into the classroom. Below are the common age group/themes in which help to consistently and effectively build upon student's social emotional competencies.
ChangeMakers Academy - learn more here
CMA is used to deliver lessons that prioritize content skills and 21st century skills, such as creative thinking, collaboration, and problem solving, as equally important. They provide many opportunities for students to work together, to improve on working together, to create in a variety of formats, and to connect with the greater community.
Restorative Justice Circles
Students participate in circles that are held to reflect restorative justice goals. The purpose of these circles is; (1) to identify and take steps to repair harm, (2) to involve all parties in making decisions, and, (3) transform the traditional relationship between people, communities, and leaders.
Social Skills Groups
Counselors offer groups for students needing support around specific topics or areas. Groups are held at varying frequency, depending on student needs, and are primarily focused on gaining and practicing social skills.
Grief Groups
Groups for students dealing with a loss are available in all schools through our partnership with The Children's Room. The Children's Room is an independent non-profit located in Arlington, MA that is solely dedicated to supporting grieving children, teens, and families.
Challenge Day
The Challenge Day Program is a powerful, high-energy program in which youth and adult participants are guided through a series of experiential learning processes. The overall goals of the program are to increase personal power and self esteem, to shift dangerous peer pressure to positive peer support and to eliminate the acceptability of teasing, violence and all forms of oppression
One School, One Story - learn more here
Each year, One School, One Story embraces all mediums of storytelling. For Summer of 2020, we listened to the podcast, Serial, and it was one of our most successful years ever. A podcast allows us to be in the story, hearing the voices of real people with real emotions. This year a podcast seems even more imperative. It allows us to easily distribute stories, even when we cannot physically hand out books.
What is Social Emotion Learning (SEL)?
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 consists of Five Core Competencies that are developed in the classroom, school, home, and community. These competencies include: Self-Awareness, Self-Management, Social Awareness, Relationship Skills, and Responsible Decision Making.
What is Social Emotional Learning?
The Five Core Competencies
Self Awareness
The ability to accurately recognize one’s own emotions, thoughts, and values and how they influence behavior. The ability to accurately assess one’s strengths and limitations, with a well-grounded sense of confidence, optimism, and a “growth mindset.”
Identifying emotions
Accurate self-perception
Recognizing strengths
Self-confidence
Self-efficacy
Self Management
The ability to successfully regulate one’s emotions, thoughts, and behaviors in different situations — effectively managing stress, controlling impulses, and motivating oneself. The ability to set and work toward personal and academic goals.
Impulse control
Stress management
Self-discipline
Self-motivation
Goal-setting
Organizational skills
Social Awareness
The ability to take the perspective of and empathize with others, including those from diverse backgrounds and cultures. The ability to understand social and ethical norms for behavior and to recognize family, school, and community resources and supports.
Perspective-taking
Empathy
Appreciating diversity
Respect for others
Relationship Skills
The ability to establish and maintain healthy and rewarding relationships with diverse individuals and groups. The ability to communicate clearly, listen well, cooperate with others, resist inappropriate social pressure, negotiate conflict constructively, and seek and offer help when needed.
Communication
Social engagement
Relationship-building
Teamwork
Responsible Decision Making
The ability to make constructive choices about personal behavior and social interactions based on ethical standards, safety concerns, and social norms. The realistic evaluation of consequences of various actions, and a consideration of the well-being of oneself and others.
Identifying problems
Analyzing situations
Solving problems
Evaluating
Reflecting
Ethical responsibility