This year, our Kindergarten students will be using a new program called Second Step in class with their teachers. It is a social skills curriculum focusing on much needed skills that will educate the total child. The picture below provides a little preview of the materials and topics that will be covered. "When little people are overwhelmed by big emotions, it's our job to share our calm, not to join their chaos." We have a responsibility to educate the WHOLE child by focusing on academics AND social/emotional skills like empathy, good character and winning/losing with grace. We must teach our students how and why to be kind and use language that expresses their emotions in an appropriate and productive way. When we explicitly teach these skills, we are taking positive and preventative steps towards reducing anxiety and bullying, as well as making our schools a safer place for learning. We will be sending out more information regarding this program and I hope you will join in our efforts by supporting these important skills at home, just as you would support your child in learning math and reading/language arts skills.
No comments:
Post a Comment