Social Emotional Learning
We believe that students’ social emotional development is just as important to their education and future success as their academic development. Our teachers utilize a Responsive Classroom approach to build a strong sense of collaboration and community in the classroom.
Students work with teachers at the start of the school year to collaboratively set goals and guidelines for how they will learn, grow, and work together throughout the year to come. Students explore core Social-Emotional Learning skills and strategies as part of their Morning Meetings and core classroom work in Primary and Secondary, and through the Advisory program in Upper School. Each year, they build and expand upon the tools and strategies introduced to meet the ever-evolving developmental, social, and cognitive needs of students.
Character Strong
Sea Crest has adopted the Character Strong curriculum as a core resource to guide our SEL JK-8th program. Character Strong is a research based, child centered curriculum, that focuses on providing students with tools and strategies to further character development and key SEL competencies (self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making).
In the Primary and Secondary grades, the curriculum focuses on one character trait per month that connects to three overarching student outcomes: Be Kind (social skills), Be Strong (executive functioning), and Be Well (emotional regulation).
In the Upper School, this work is expanded with an emphasis on student Belonging (How can we create a place where everyone feels like they belong?), Well Being (How do I develop personal well being and how does it affect our relationships with others?), and Engagement (How do we practice engaging meaningfully in our lives, our friendships, and in our school?).
Each month, the entire JK-8th school community gathers in the gym for an All-School Assembly. Assemblies offer an important opportunity for students to build community across the grade levels, cultivate school spirit, and share some of the exciting learning taking place in their classrooms. Each month a group of students from each division are honored at the assembly as "Super Seals" for exemplifying the previous month's character trait of focus. Families are always invited to assemblies to join in the celebration.
Each year, students are also partnered together with a cross-grade level Learning Buddy. Learning Buddies offer a valuable chance for students to build friendships across divisions and for older buddies to serve as a mentor to their younger partners. In addition to specially planned activities around holidays and school events, Learning Buddies meet each month to make connections, share about themselves and their learning, and explore our Character Education themes.
Monthly character traits
August KINDNESS
September RESPECT
October RESPONSIBILITY
November GRATITUDE
December EMPATHY
January PERSEVERANCE
February HONESTY
March COOPERATION
April COURAGE
May CREATIVITY
June JOY