Social Emotional Learning

Understanding Social-Emotional Learning

Social Emotional Learning (SEL) is the transformative process through which children develop the skills to understand and manage emotions, set and achieve positive goals, demonstrate empathy, foster positive relationships, and make responsible decisions. At Hiawatha Academies (HA), we prioritize creating safe, inclusive, and supportive environments that nurture the well-being of the whole child.

Alignment with CASEL Standards and Benchmarks

Hiawatha aligns with the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) Standards and Benchmarks to achieve our goal of providing comprehensive SEL. These guidelines serve as the foundation for explicit opportunities for students to develop SEL skills throughout the school day.

Curriculum | Second Step (K-8): In Kindergarten through 8th grade, we utilize the Second Step curriculum. This classroom-based universal support focuses on crucial skills such as learning strategies, goal setting, empathy, emotion management, and problem-solving/peer conflict resolution. Second Step aims to improve students' overall success – socially, emotionally, behaviorally, and academically – while reducing problem behaviors. The curriculum also includes a dedicated bullying prevention unit, teaching students how to Recognize, Refuse, and Report bullying behaviors.

Curriculum | Everyday Speech (9-12): We implement the Everyday Speech curriculum for grades 9-12 Advisory classes. This vertically aligned curriculum covers social-emotional skills, including self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making. Additionally, character development lessons focus on essential attributes such as patience, kindness, honesty, respect, selflessness, forgiveness, commitment, and humility. By imparting these skills, we prepare our students for a successful future beyond high school.

Working Together for Success

We emphasize collaboration because education is a partnership involving students, families, and the community. Each student is unique, and diverse learning styles enrich our school community. Our commitment lies in acknowledging and valuing the diversity within our community and improving our ability to implement educational goals. We believe in creating an environment that embraces what is familiar while guiding students toward a deeper understanding of the world around them.