Grow, Evolve and Thrive, With SEL by Your Side.

Funded Aug 30, 2023

My school has a responsibility to promote an understanding of certain values that will provide students with the attitudes that favor personal and social well-being. Values education is, at heart, learning to make connections between judgment and action. Therefore, Diversity, Empathy, Respect, Collaboration and Community have been identified as core values, which are essential to our school culture.

These values will help to promote a community that is safe, nurturing, and creative, as well as enable our students to reach their highest potential. At my school, we strive to provide students with the opportunity to see and be part of a community where positive values are given weight in their daily interactions, which give the school its characteristic atmosphere.

Every other month one of the above stated core values are chosen. Selected books, which you helped to purchase, along with lessons from our SEL program are then used to teach the new value. At the end of the month, presentations in the form of songs, poems, skits/reader's theater, movement/dance, visual arts, and etc., are shared during the Values' Assembly.

As the School Social Worker, I then work collaboratively with the staff, teachers and students to present an engaging program that highlights the key components of the selected value of the month. In addition, each teacher from grades 3k - fifth, identifies at least two students that have consistently exemplified the specific value of the month.

During the month of October, we celebrated our first Values' Assembly. We highlighted the value "DIVERSITY." Students learned more about the value through the books we purchased on that value. The books were colorful, engaging and promoted great discussions about the value, DIVERSITY!

Once again, I truly appreciate your support on our "Grow, Evolve and Thrive, With SEL by Your Side" project. You are helping our scholars grow socially and emotionally!!”

With gratitude,

Ms. Abel