Students in Mary Urosovich’s classroom at Swanson Elementary sat together in a circle near the end of the school day. During this weekly class meeting, the second grade teacher talked about making choices. She asked the class, “How many people think you will make choices to be the best you can be?”

 

Conversations like this one are happening at elementary classrooms throughout Westside, as part of the District’s Social/Emotional Learning (SEL) Curriculum. The program is part of the Caring School Community National curriculum. The SEL program is designed to reduce behavioral issues at school and give all students a greater sense of belonging. SEL coordinator Jolene Johnson says. “If kids feel a sense of community, they’re much less likely to act out, because they don’t want to be outside the community.”

 

The program is two-pronged, consisting of the weekly classroom meetings and regular “buddy” activities, where younger students are paired with older students. This pairing gives younger students someone to look up to; it allows older students to act as role models. The classroom meetings allowed for a structured setting for students to develop behavioral norms and to solve problems with other students. Students are responsible for creating some of these norms, giving them a sense of ownership in the process. Paddock Road Principal Jim Otto says, “We’ve always done something with community building. With this curriculum in place, the community building is more focused.” Urosovich agrees, “It gives students a time to talk and share ideas. We offer them strategies they can use in real life situations.”

 

The SEL program promotes students’ academic, social, ethical, and emotional growth. Johnson says research indicates that having a school SEL program helps to raise test scores and reduce bullying incidents in a school setting. Swanson teacher Urosovich adds, “Ultimately, we want to teach kids to be independent problem solvers.”


A Lovland first-grader and fourth-grader work together to learn about more each other and how to make positive choices using our district's SEL program.