Social-Emotional Learning
What Is Social-Emotional Learning?
Social-emotional learning (SEL), as defined by the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) is “the process through which children and adults acquire and effectively apply the knowledge, attitudes, and skills necessary to understand and manage emotions, set and achieve positive goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain positive relationships, and make responsible decisions.”
While educators have always focused on nurturing student well-being and helping students build social skills, research findings now support the strong connections between academic performance and social-emotional learning. When students are taught empathetic conflict resolution methods, self-awareness tools and effective social strategies, they deepen their social-emotional intelligence and are better equipped to lead happier, more productive lives.
At St. James, our mission is to educate the whole child and prepare each student to be a lifelong learner equipped with a well-developed social and emotional intelligence.
Our SEL curriculum includes a specially-developed program :
Second Step
This program, taught to students in grades kindergarten through eight, includes lessons from four categories: Skills for Learning, Empathy, Emotion Management, and Problem Solving. The Second Step program encourages children to integrate social justice and morally correct behavior into their daily lives.