Social Emotional Learing in Grades K-5

At Oak Grove School, students receive explicit instruction around SEL concepts and skills in grades K-5. Students receive a 30-minute lesson at least once a week directed by the SEL teacher, Susie Kiefer.

What's Going on in SEL this week?

Soaring Eagles Theme: Empathy

Grades K-5: Foods/Perspectives/Empathy

Empathy is to understand how someone feels. If you say something hurtful it can change someone's perspective or feelings about something they enjoy. This week, all students K-5 will participate in a fun lesson practicing how to have conversations about new foods. K-4 students will draw foods that are unique or special to their family. Grade 5 will use Google Slides to share foods that may be special to their family or culture but also foods that they dislike, foods that they are allergic to, or cannot eat. We will practice how to have a conversation with someone without being rude or disrespectful.

HOME CONNECTION

When you are at restaurants, family dinners, or dining, and you see new foods, practice asking questions and making comments that are inquisitive and kind. Here are some of the questions the students came up with: 

• Is that spicy?
• Do you cook it at home?
• What are the ingredients?
• Where do you get it? 
• Do you eat it warm or cold?

Soon, we will present the foods to the class and practice these questions and the tone we use when asking them. Our empathy song teaches us how feelings can be told through our voice, face, body, and more. We need to pay attention to how we sound and look when we ask questions as well.  All of this supports the Soaring Eagles theme of the month, empathy, understanding how someone else feels. 

Books we will read:

• Kindergarten: Yoko by Rosemary Wells
• First Grade: The Sandwich Swap Queen by Raania Abdullah
• Second Grade: A Yummy Lunch by Mercer Mayer & Manners in the Lunchroom by Amanda Doering Tour
• Third Grade: The Peanut Free Cafe by Gloria Koster
• Fourth Grade: This Is How We Do It by Matt Lamoth
• Fifth Grade: The Barefoot Book of Children by Tessa Strickland, Kate DePalma and David Dean

Grades 6-8: Habitudes

The lesson called Porcupines and Koalas focused on empathy. Students learned and practiced approaching others with empathy and understanding.  The next lesson is called Fountains and Drains and focuses on perspective. What kind of person are you: a fountain or a drain?