Social-Emotional Learning

At Community Partnership School, we believe that the social-emotional learning (SEL) curriculum is as important as academics.  Students are taught weekly, explicit lessons on skills such as self-regulation, empathy, and mindset.  In addition to the weekly lessons, classes also meet once a week to have a problem-solving meeting.  Students practice relaxation techniques and mindfulness, then choose a problem to discuss and solve as a class.  The school counselor has created vocabulary that is shared and displayed in the classrooms so that common language is used in grades Pre-K-5. Mindfulness, breathing, and sexual health are also taught during this time.

Lessons have included:

  • Identifying and telling an adult about dangerous and destructive behavior

  • Knowing how to speak up and to be an ally

  • Recognizing commonalities and understanding and accepting differences

  • Learning to respectfully disagree

  • Developing feelings vocabulary

    Open Circle


Our social-emotional learning curriculum is based on the Open Circle curriculum developed at the Stone Center at Wellesley College. Learn more about Open Circle here: http://www.open-circle.org.