In addition to ongoing staff professional development, we brought in a staff member to provide SEL instruction, their role was facilitate small group SEL sessions with students. Over the course of the year, we successfully ran five cycles of approximately six weeks each, providing students with consistent, structured opportunities to develop and practice self-regulation skills.

Using the “Everyday Speech” program as a foundation, students engaged in role play, cooperative games, and guided lessons that were both engaging and impactful. These sessions created a safe and supportive environment where students could explore emotional awareness, communication strategies, and problem-solving skills. Feedback from participants and observations from staff highlighted the program’s effectiveness in fostering meaningful growth in students’ social-emotional competencies.

In their end of cycle reflection, students indicated the following:

Question: What have I learned?

• I have learned to only think about the things that you can control and not the things you can’t
• How to be nice to friends and family
• We learned new games and it’s ok to lose
• We learned that if we don’t listen it will hurt their feelings
• How to play new games and take turns
• I learned compromising.  I was playing with my friend and then my other friend came and said “can I play with you” then my friends said why.  My other friend said I can play with you today and you can play tomorrow.  We said ok

Question: How has it helped?

• I changed my thoughts to just think about the positive things about myself
• It made me change my thought to having a more calm mindset and it has helped by knowing all these things and it makes me more kind and listen more now
• It has helped me to have more fun outside
• Recognizing when someone is being a good friend

Question: Why is it important?

• It is important because if you only think negative you will only think that other people are better than you
• It’s important because it is important to be kind and nice to other people and it’s important to be nice to yourself, not just others
• So I can make friends
• Because if you take turns and share, you will make new friends
• It’s important for partnership, friendship and student-ship