Social Emotional Learning (SEL)

Social Emotional Learning (SEL)

Social and emotional learning (SEL) is an universal, classroom-based explicit instruction of a specific curriculum that teaches foundational social-emotional and self-regulation skills to all students.  SEL is the process through which all young people and adults acquire and apply the knowledge, skills, and attitudes to develop healthy identities, manage emotions and achieve personal and collective goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain supportive relationships, and make responsible and caring decisions.  In Queen Bee, we rely upon Second StepⓇ as our Core Social Skills resource for classroom and Home Connection lessons and we have added some topics and skills that we believe will serve our students well.  Below lays out the main topics and the order of their presentation throughout the year.

• August: Classroom Expectations & Relationships

• September: Digital Citizenship

• October: Anti-Bullying and Empathy

• November & December: Emotion Management

• January: Review Expectations and Anti-Bullying and Empathy

• February: Conflict Resolution

• March: Friendship Skills

• April: Stress Management

• May: Positive Mental Health

Second StepⓇ

Second Step® is a research-based social-emotional learning (SEL) program designed to improve students’ social-emotional skills, including growth mindset, goal-setting, emotion management, kindness and empathy, and problem-solving.  Second Step lessons are taught in the classroom, to all students, and help students develop a common set of skills and strategies that can be practiced, used, and reinforced throughout the school community, including at home.  Our classroom teachers and building administrators will share Home Links and updates throughout the school year with families.

Anti-Bullying

In the Second Step® Elementary Bullying Prevention Unit students learn how to recognize, report, and refuse bullying.  In the Second Step® Middle School Recognizing Bullying and Harassment Unit, students learn how to recognize bullying and harassment, stand up safely to bullying, and respond appropriately to harassment.  Our teachers engage in professional dialogues to learn to recognize and respond appropriately when they observe bullying or receive a bullying report, all while gaining insight into teaching the unit to children.  

Safe2Help Illinois offers students a safe, confidential way in which to share information that might help prevent suicides, bullying, school violence or other threats to school safety.

Digital Citizenship

Kids today may seem like experts at using technology, but the digital world requires all kinds of skills and habits that kids don’t just pick up as they go.  In Queen Bee, we teach Digital citizenship with Common Sense Education to help our students learn those skills. Lessons for students in grades K–2 develop healthy media habits and learn how to be safe online. Lessons for students in grades 3–5 continue to focus on screen time and online safety. Lessons for students in grades 6–8 reflect on their tech use and make thoughtful choices about how and when they use it. Kids also learn about how to stand up to cyberbullying, use social media carefully, and look critically at the news.  Information will be shared with families