Social Emotional Learning
Cultivating Emotional Intelligence for Lifelong Success
Equipping Students for Life's Challenges
Social Emotional Learning (SEL) equips children and adults with the tools to understand and manage emotions, set and achieve goals, demonstrate empathy, foster positive relationships, and make responsible decisions.
SEL focuses on five core competencies and can be seamlessly integrated across various settings and platforms. SEL lessons are designed to empower students with the mindsets, knowledge, and skills needed to handle strong emotions, make sound decisions, form meaningful friendships, and effectively manage or de-escalate conflicts.
Core SEL Competencies
Essential Skills for Emotional and Social Growth
Self-Awareness
The ability to accurately recognize one’s own emotions, thoughts, and values, and understand how they influence behavior.
Self-Management
The ability to successfully regulate one’s emotions, thoughts, and behaviors in different situations. This includes effectively managing stress, controlling impulses, and motivating oneself.
Social Awareness
The ability to take the perspective of and empathize with others, including those from diverse backgrounds and cultures.
Relationship Skills
The ability to establish and maintain healthy and rewarding relationships with diverse individuals and groups.
Responsible Decision-Making
The ability to make constructive choices about personal behavior and social interactions based on ethical standards, safety concerns, and social norms.
District-Wide Social Emotional Learning Strategies
Building Strong Foundations for Every Age
Elementary School
The Second Step curriculum, Second Step Bullying Prevention Units, and the Capturing Kids' Hearts Process are provided to every FSPS elementary student. They consist of evidence-based lessons that teach emotion management, empathy, kindness and problem solving. The bullying prevention units focus on recognizing, reporting and refusing bullying both in person and online.
Middle School
FSPS middle school counselors teach evidence-based lessons on emotional awareness, empathy, respect, responsibility, conflict resolution, collaboration, positive communication, goal-setting, and self-confidence, fostering personal growth and positive relationships, through the Capturing Kids' Hearts Process.
High School
Using the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) Mindsets & Behaviors Action Plan, FSPS high school counselors implement a framework that guides students in developing critical social-emotional skills such as self-awareness, self-management, responsible decision-making, relationship-building, and social awareness. This plan helps students understand and regulate their emotions, build positive relationships, and make responsible choices.
Belle Point Alternative School
Belle Point follows the FSPS middle and high school counseling models, incorporating the Capturing Kids' Hearts Process for middle school students to teach social-emotional skills, and the ASCA Mindsets & Behaviors Action Plan for high school students to support their development of key skills such as self-awareness, emotional regulation, and responsible decision-making.