4 minute read
Threads of Empowerment Social-Emotional Learning is Woven into the Fabric of HB
During the early quiet mornings on HB’s campus before the carpool lines form, before a chorus of voices is heard in the hallways and before the school day commences, you’ll find a lively group of Upper School students greeting the children coming to school early as part of the Before Care program. Familiar hellos and hugs are exchanged between the older girls and the young children from Early Childhood and the Primary School, and these special friendships grow throughout the school year. “It’s a great way to start my morning,” Lauren Raiz ’25 shares. “It’s a full circle moment since a lot of their parents have been teachers of mine at HB.”
After wrapping up their morning job, Lauren and the other Upper School students head to their mentor group where the school day begins for them. They are no longer the “teachers,” but now the students. They take a break from being a mentor to the younger students, and are mentored themselves through a robust mentoring program in the Upper School. “To mentor and to be mentored is an amazing gift,” shares Head of School Dr. Fran Bisselle.
“Education must touch not only the minds of students, but also their hearts,” Dr. Bisselle further explains. “Socialemotional learning speaks to the skills we need to teach and model for students, like empathy, authentic listening, and instinctual kindness as these are foundational to our students’ character.”
Social-emotional connection happens daily throughout campus and is naturally supported in the environments where students feel a sense of belonging and trust. They experience connection through the interactions with teachers, librarians, dining hall staff and numerous caring adults; through the friendships created on the all-girls campus where students of all ages pass each other in the hall or work together on a project; and through the celebrated community of parents, caregivers and alumnae whose presence on campus is always a special treat.
“In many ways, social-emotional skills develop organically as they are woven into the fabric of who we are at HB,” shares Dr. Bisselle. “And there is also a tremendous amount of thought given to how we support our students’ holistic development, mentalwell being, character building and leadership training. As HB’s current Strategic Plan states, ‘We hold holistic development as a currency of equal value as academics.”
A Prime Example
On a recent Friday morning, first-grade students in Alaina McCourt’s classroom settled into their “rug rows” and reflected on a story they had read about children playing soccer on the playground and taking turns. “We can be respectful by waiting in line, continuing to be patient until it is our turn, and cheering on our friends when it is their turn,” Ms. McCourt reminded her students before asking, “What do you think it looks like to take turns?”
“Asking kindly,” Penelope shared. “Being respectful while waiting,” Lupita added.
Next, they put their knowledge in action through a partner activity where they asked each other, “Would you rather eat macaroni and cheese or cake?” The girls excitedly discussed with their classmate before coming back together on the rug to discuss how it went. “Was it easy to wait your turn to talk?” Ms. McCourt asked. “Were you able to listen and not interrupt?”
Social emotional lessons like these help foster the development of a first-grade student’s ability to listen and understand others’ opinions. The lessons are part of the designed instruction that happens every week in the Primary School through the implementation of Fly Five, a research-based SEL curriculum developed on the core belief that, for students to be academically, socially, and behaviorally successful, they need to learn a set of social and emotional competencies.
”Through our Fly Five curriculum, teachers incorporate the values of cooperation, assertiveness, responsibility, empathy, and self-control into our Responsive Classroom approach and provide students with numerous opportunities to practice these essential skills,” Kelly Stepnowsky, Director of the Primary School shares.
“These skills are used throughout the classroom day, whether it’s at our daily Morning Meeting or Closing Circle or during a cooperative work time such as Math Workplaces or Literacy Workshop.”
Students in Ms. McCourt’s classroom also spend time each week practicing yoga and mindfulness through the Wellity Education curriculum. Teachers are provided the training to teach yoga as a way to help students regulate their emotions, manage stress and show empathy and kindness to others. “Since implementing our yoga curriculum, students are more able to recognize when their emotions are heightened and when their behaviors are unexpected,” McCourt shares. “They are then able to utilize breathing and movement strategies to self-regulate and return to listening or working.”
