Social Emotional Learning
August 13, 2024
This month's blog comes from Debra Parker, SEL Program Supervisor at OSPI.
 The first few weeks of school can be challenging, tiring, and exhilarating for students, teachers, and their families! Teachers can prepare themselves by setting clear goals, including how to build classroom expectations and norms with their students. Research tells us that students feel a greater sense of belonging and invest in their own learning when they work together on creating and committing to expectations and norms. The foundation of positive learning environments begins with co-creating spaces that meet the needs of all students, and the benefits include greater engagement, students holding themselves accountable (fewer discipline or office referrals), and it helps students build self-efficacy, self-management, and social management skills. If you'd like to learn more about this topic, read Establishing Classroom Norms to Enhance Students' Collective Efficacy and A Starter Pack of Resources for New Teachers from Edutopia.
For Athletic Directors and Coaches
Fall sports are well underway across our state, bringing together student athletes, coaches, parents, volunteers, and fans. Extracurricular opportunities are often a place that keep kids engaged in school and promote connections with peers and adults. Coaches recognize the role they play in promoting youth development, yet don’t feel supported in doing so. The Million Coaches Challenge initiative is intended to build adult capacity, which is one of the three essential elements of the WA SEL Framework (WA SEL Implementation Guide). The Susan Crown Exchange (SCE) is committed to funding initiatives that provide opportunities and access for coaches to learn how to coach social emotional skill-building techniques that help kids succeed on and off the field. Challenge yourself and your coaches by learning more about this amazing opportunity through SCE!
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“Together, we can build a future where our kids know how to work together, celebrate success, manage failure, and are equipped with the skills they need to thrive.” - SCE
The next SEL Advisory Committee meeting is Tuesday, August 27, 9am–12pm via Zoom.
We encourage the public to attend and include time for public comment. You may share public comment to the SEL Advisory Committee at any time by using the comment link on the SEL website.
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 2024–2025 schedule is in the application.)
If you apply for a seat that is currently filled, we hold applications for one year to fill future vacancies. To learn about all representative positions on SELAC, review RCW 28A.300.477. Our current vacancies are:
For more information on the SEL Advisory Committee, please visit our web page. If you have any questions, please contact Debra Parker or Emme Williamson.
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 This month Dr. Chuck Salina, who served as the “turnaround” principal at Sunnyside High School, will present at the Graduation Equity Webinar. Dr. Salina works with schools across the state and has co-designed and implemented a leadership network with OSPI. He and his colleagues created rapid growth in Sunnyside’s graduation rate and raised morale among administrators, teachers, and students.
Wednesday, August 14
10–11:30AM
Register for the Zoom Webinar online
Join the webinar to deepen leadership behaviors that demonstrate living your values through concrete actions that create a powerful school culture. A culture where adults and students connect to school, build powerful relationships, and envision their future. Dr. Salina has co-authored two books about his time at Sunnyside with Dr. Suzann Girtz, and Joanie Eppinga, Powerless to Powerful and Transforming Schools Through Systems Change. Sunnyside School District will share how they’ve been living the change in a culture for learning and how it’s impacted the way they plan and lead. Get free Equity Clock Hours for your participation.
Presenters
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Dr. Chuck Salina, author of Powerless to Powerful, Associate Professor Emeritus, Gonzaga University, salina@gonzaga.edu
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Dave Martinez, Student Life & Athletics Director, Sunnyside High School, david.martinez@sunnysideschools.org
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Dixie Grunenfelder, Executive Director of Student Engagement & Support, OSPI, Dixie.Grunenfelder@k12.wa.us
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Brisa Sanchez Cornejo, Project AWARE Program Supervisor, OSPI, brisa.sanchezcornejo@k12.wa.us
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Students from Sunnyside High School
With the Consolidated Grant Application (CGA) launching mid-August, OSPI is hosting an optional training session for the Title IV, Part A portion of the CGA. We are offering this space as an opportunity for LEAs to review the updated Title IVA forms, receive a refresher on program planning and entering your program plan in EGMS, and peer to peer sharing with other Title IVA coordinators.
This session will take place on Wednesday August 21st, from 11-12pm. Please register via Zoom prior to the event. If you have specific questions or topics you’d like the team to cover, please email Title IV, Part A staff.
Did you know? The new revisions of the learning standards will include implementation documents on how to intentionally embed social emotional learning across disciplines!
To learn more about the benefits of SEL in literacy, read: The Role of Social and Emotional Learning in Improving Literacy Development (CASEL)
These resources may contain links to websites operated by third parties. These links are provided for your convenience only and do not constitute or imply any endorsement or monitoring by OSPI.
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