Social Emotional Learning
August 3, 2023
School climate can be thought of as how a school feels to those who attend and their families. School climate is a critical component to consider as it gauges whether your school community feels safe, welcomed, included, respected, and engaged. The National School Climate Center says in the Symbiotic Relationship between SEL and School Climate, “Because school climate is grounded in the experience of every person in the school community, it is also centered in supportive relationships and an open embrace of all of the differences that school community members bring.” School climate is grounded in cultural restorative practices and equity, pillars of SEL.
Click or tap the image below to see the video, or follow this link: Stories from the Classroom: Finding Belonging
 The Finding Belonging discussion guide and the video interview with Xuan Truong can be used to facilitate staff discussions about fostering belonging and the important role of relationships. The discussion guide includes information to support conversations and reaction to questions that will support teams in reflecting and sharing their perspectives. The application questions are designed to build understanding and action, and additional resources to support further focus on this topic.
For more information on creating healthy schools, read Ten Key Ideas for the Social and Emotional Learning and School Climate Community from the American Institutes for Research.
The next SEL Advisory Committee meeting is Tuesday, August 22, 9:00AM–12:00PM. The meeting will be held via Zoom (link attached).
We encourage the public to attend and provide time for public comment. You may also share public comment to the SEL Advisory Committee at any time by using the comment link on the SEL website.
More information is available on the SEL Advisory Committee webpage. If you have questions, please email tammy.bolen@k12.wa.us.
Want to make a difference in Social Emotional Learning in Washington?
The SEL Advisory Committee is accepting applications for new members to fill vacant seats. We would love for you to apply if you have the following:
- A passion for helping our students and for social emotional learning
- You have the time and capacity to fill the position for a year (The Advisory Committee’s 2023–2024 schedule is in the application.)
If you apply for a seat that is currently filled, we are happy to hold applications to fill future vacancies. Our current vacancies are:
- One representative from a nonprofit organization with expertise in developing social-emotional curricula
- One representative to represent the Washington State Commission on Hispanic Affairs and requires approval from the Executive Director. This representative would need to be approved by the Commission and would report to the Commission on the activities of the SEL Advisory Committee.
- One representative from a coalition of youth-serving organizations working together to improve outcomes for young people
- Two Tribal representative members who have experience working in and with schools—one member from east of the crest of the Cascade mountains; and one member from west of the crest of the Cascade mountains (Tribal approval required)
- One representative from a foundation that supports social emotional learning
For more information on the SEL Advisory Committee, please visit our web page. If you have any questions, please contact diane.stead@k12.wa.us.
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The SEL module is currently hosted on Moodle and is being transferred to a new platform, Canvas. If you are currently working through the module in Moodle, or have not yet submitted your Clock Hours, we encourage you to do that soon. The online modules will become inaccessible on August 30, 2023. We will link to the new platform on our website when it is available. If you have questions, please reach out to diane.stead@k12.wa.us. |
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 August 2023: Setting Up Your School & Classroom for Belonging
The first day of school takes a lot of preparation. When a student walks into your school or class how do you want them to feel? What can you do to set yourself up for yearlong success? We’ll be looking at these questions with research, notable teachers, and resources to help you get started.
Wednesday, August 9, 10:00AM–11:30AM
We’ll learn from Nick Yoder from the American Institute of Research (AIR) about a framework for positive school climate and the practices that will help you start the year as a community builder. We’ll also have master teacher, Sally Anvari, an Evergreen State College Field Supervisor, with us to share her moves on setting up her classroom and the practices that she uses in the first weeks of schools to create a classroom culture of kindness and belonging. Click the image above to register or visit the Zoom Registration page to sign up for the webinar series. To review previous sessions, visit the Graduation Equity Webinar webpage.
August is American Artist Appreciation Month. The Arts are uniquely positioned to support social emotional learning as SEL Standards are inherent to both arts content and pedagogy. To learn more, read OSPI's Connecting the Arts to Social Emotional Learning.
Art of Belonging Conference
Join OSPI’s Migrant and Arts Education programs for the Art of Belonging conference in Yakima. This event promises to be inspirational and practical – with lots of ways to bring arts learning into the classroom.
Thursday, August 17 & Friday, August 18, 2023
The conference is free and clock hours are available. Registration is available online through pdEnroller. Please note, registration closes August 8. If you have questions, please contact ceair.st.onge@k12.wa.us.
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Discover how children’s picture books can be used to teach personal finance!
Monday, August 14, 1:00PM–2:30PM
This resource-based online training will introduce participants to the FEPPP Library, a diverse collection of titles with personal finance themes and SEL opportunities, as well as the Bilingual Spanish Library, featuring bilingual read-alouds and dual language resources. In addition, educators will receive Lesson & Resource Guides featuring no- or low-prep text-aligned lessons and activities. Click the photo to register or follow this link. Registration closes on Saturday, August 12.
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Join Attendance Works for their upcoming webinar focusing on creating a supportive and welcoming environment that encourages a sense of connection and community as students and families return to school.
Wednesday, August 9, 2023, 12:00pm–1:30pm
This webinar is part of the 2023 Attendance Awareness Campaign webinar series with the theme, Showing Up Together! Register for the webinar via Zoom.
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From June to November 2023, American Institutes for Research is inviting students, educators, parents, and community members to share their stories about K–12 education in their communities since the onset of the COVID–19 pandemic. For more information, visit the COVID-19 and Equity in Education (CEE) Initiative website.
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