Social Emotional Learning

Morning Meetings

Fulfilling the Need for Connection

Morning Meetings are an avenue for students to connect with their teachers, peers, and school community. Elementary schools often use morning meetings to deliver Social Emotional Learning instruction, check in with students, and prepare students for a successful day.

The morning meeting will include:

  • Check-ins to see how students are doing

  • Opportunities to build community with their peers

  • Social emotional learning messages and themes (some lessons will be geared toward managing big emotions, such as stress, loneliness, or boredom)

  • A brief weekly screener to assess social emotional wellness

Social Emotional Screening

Morning meetings sometimes include screening to support schools in identifying students who may need additional supports. At any time, a student or parent can opt-out of the screening.

Questions on this screening may include…

  • How are you feeling?

  • Are there topics you would like to talk to an adult about? (Topics such as sadness, anxiety, stress, friendship issues, family supports)

  • One question related to getting to know the students (Ex. Something that helps me learn is…)

  • Is there anything else you would like your teacher to know?

Cheri Simpson

Director of Student & Family Support Services

Cheri Simpson

Cheri.Simpson@kent.k12.wa.us

(253) 373-7235

Grades K-5

Second Step Curriculum

Kent School District (KSD) students learn skills to support their emotional development, social skills, safety, and well-being using Second Step curriculum from kindergarten to eighth grade.

In kindergarten through fifth grades, the Second Step units focus on skills for learning, listening, empathy, emotion management, problem solving, friendship skills, and bullying prevention.

Skills for Learning

Students learn strategies to focus attention, listen, be assertive, and use self-talk so they can voice their needs to teachers or other students and advocate for their learning needs.

Empathy

Students learn to have compassion for other students by using body language and facial expressions to understand emotions and the impact their actions can have on others.

Emotion Management

Students learn to recognize their emotions and use strategies to regulate them or calm down.

  1. Stop – Use your signal

  2. Name your feeling

  3. Calm down: breath, count, use positive self-talk

Problem Solving

Students learn steps to support decision making that can be reinforced throughout the school day and at home.

  1. Say the problem without blame

  2. Think of solutions

  3. Explore consequences

  4. Pick the best solution

Friendship Skills

Students learn how to play fairly with others and how to invite others to play or ask to be included. How to use empathy, problem solving and emotion management to be a good friend.

Bullying Prevention

Students learn how to recognize, respond to, and report abuse. This positive approach to bullying allows students to understand the bystander; how they can support the victim as well as discourage the behavior from the bully.

Discover information, resources, and the reporting process for bullying in the Kent School District. 

Resources

Find videos and tools to support social emotional learning for elementary students through Second Step.

Second Step Tool Codes

Visit the Second Step website and input the specific code for each grade level.

  • Kindergarten: SSPK FAMI LY70

  • Grade 1: SSP1 FAMI LY71

  • Grade 2: SSP2 FAMI LY72

  • Grade 3: SSP3 FAMI LY73

  • Grade 4: SSP4 FAMI LY74

  • Grade 5: SSP5 FAMI LY75

Bullying Prevention Tool Codes

Visit the Second Step website and input the specific code for each grade level.

  • Kindergarten: BPUK FAMI LY00

  • Grade 1: BPU1 FAMI LY01

  • Grade 2: BPU2 FAMI LY02

  • Grade 3: BPU3 FAMI LY03

  • Grade 4: BPU4 FAMI LY04

  • Grade 5: BPU5 FAMI LY05

Grades 6-8

Second Step Curriculum

Kent School District (KSD) students learn skills to support their emotional development, social skills, safety, and well-being using Second Step curriculum from kindergarten to eighth grade.

In grades sixth through eighth, the Second Step lessons have four main focuses: mindsets and goals, values and friendships, thoughts, emotions, decisions, and serious peer conflicts. 

Mindsets & Goals

Students learn how to plan for their futures.

Values & Friendships

Students reflect upon their own experiences and gain new skills to build stronger friendships.

Thoughts, Emotions, Decisions

Students learn they are not alone in their feelings and gain strategies to deal with powerful emotions such as dealing with frustration, calming down, handling rejection, and managing anxiety.

Serious Peer Conflicts

Students learn strategies for recognizing, avoiding, and resolving conflicts such as bullying and harassment.

Minor Conflicts

  • Easy to resolve, if you try

  • Not a big deal

  • No one gets hurt 

Serious Conflicts (often require the help of school staff or other adults)

  • Hard to resolve

  • Have serious consequences

  • Cause physical or emotional harm

Resources

Find resources to support social emotional learning for middle school students through ParenTeen Connect. 

Grade 6 Tool on Second Step

Visit the Second Step website and input the code SSP6 FAMI LY12.