Social Emotional Learning - Deer Creek Middle School

Social Emotional Learning in Jeffco

Jeffco Public Schools creates and maintains a positive climate and culture in schools that is inclusive and safe for students, families and staff. With a commitment to empowering successful and productive citizens, the district supports the growth of students through leveled, evidence-based implementation of social emotional learning programming.

What is Social Emotional Learning (SEL)?

Social and emotional learning (SEL) is the process through which students and adults gain and apply the knowledge, attitudes and skills necessary to deal effectively with daily tasks and challenges.

Jeffco has adopted the five core competencies of SEL outlined by the Collaborative for Academic, Social and Emotional Learning (CASEL).

Self-Awareness
Self-Management
Social Awareness
Relationship Skills
Responsible Decision-Making (CASEL, 2020)

SEL happens in safe and supportive school, family and community environments that support development and provide opportunities and recognition for successfully applying skills.

Social Emotional Learning at Deer Creek Middle

Deer Creek values the social and emotional development of all students and provides programs to support social emotional learning (SEL).

SEL Counseling

The SEL specialist works collaboratively with staff to develop and deliver social and emotional instruction. Counselors provide support for all students through classroom, small group and individual settings. Students keep the same counselor through their three years of middle school. The Deer Creek counseling team works to:

Coordinate transitions from elementary and to high school
Consult with students on academic needs
Address personal and social needs
Promote and use restorative practices
Provide instruction on various topics
Support career planning through the Naviance system for high school and beyond
Intervene in crises at school and throughout the district
Meet with their grade-level teams weekly
Collaborate with teachers to develop interventions
Manage student 504 plans and advanced learning plans (ALPs)

Schoolwide SEL Supports

Restorative Practices

Deer Creek uses Restorative Practices (RPs) and Proactive Circles throughout the school year. RPs use a relationship-oriented approach (rather than a punishment-oriented one) to resolve issues that arise in school.

The five Rs

There are five Rs in restorative practices: relationship, respect, responsibility, repair and reintegration. The goals are to:

Address and discuss the needs of the school community
Build healthy relationships between educators and students
Reduce, prevent and improve harmful behavior
Repair harm and restore positive relationships
Resolve conflict, hold individuals and groups accountable

Circles and conferences

Proactive circles happen weekly in the classroom for connection and belonging. Usually, everyone participates in a question with a brief answer.
Responsive circles happen as needed in classrooms to address incidents that may cause harm (bullying, playground conflict or unsafe behavior) or denote a change in the community (a new student or student’s last day).
Informal conferences with an individual or small group address an issue (student-teacher conflict or habitual tardies, etc.) using four questions to reflect on the effects of the behavior:
- What happened?
- Who did it affect?
- What might you have done differently?
- What is a solution so it doesn’t happen again?
Preconferences are fact-finding reviews of the four questions with each individual in conflict to determine whether to put them together in a formal RP conference.
RP conferences are for two people in conflict or reintegration of a suspended student. They result in a signed, mutually agreeable and student-generated solution.

Support your student at home

Use the four restorative practice questions to help your student solve a conflict at home.
Take turns answering relationship-building questions around the dinner table.

MindUP

MindUP is a social-emotional learning program that gives children the knowledge and tools they need to manage stress, regulate emotions and face challenges with optimism, resilience and compassion.

Get Focused	Sharpen Your Senses	It’s All About Attitude
How the brain works	Mindful listening	Perspective taking
Mindful awareness	Mindful smelling	Choosing optimism
Mindful breathing	Mindful tasting	Appreciating happy experiences
Focused awareness: core practice	Mindful seeing	Expressing gratitude
	Mindful movement

Random Acts of Kindness

Random Acts of Kindness (RAK) resources are designed to help schools create a culture of kindness. RAK is rooted in the belief that everyone can connect through kindness and that it can be taught.

Six core concepts

RAK promotes six core kindness concepts:

Respect	treating people, places and things with kindness
Caring	feeling and showing concern for others
Inclusiveness	including others, inviting them in and welcoming them with open arms
Integrity	acting in a way you know to be right and kind in all situations
Responsibility	being reliable to do the things that are expected or required of you
Courage	being brave when facing new or difficult circumstances

SecondStep

SecondStep is an evidence-based and district-approved social-emotional curriculum taught by Deer Creek team teachers throughout the year. The program consists of four units critical to success in school, work and life: social awareness, self-awareness, self-management, relationship skills and responsible decision-making.

Unit 1: Mindsets & Goals

Students learn how to develop a growth mindset and apply research-based goal-setting strategies to their social and academic lives. The content helps create classrooms that are connected and encouraging by helping students set and achieve collective and personal goals, learn from challenges, recognize their personal strengths and explore the unique aspects of their identities. Unit 1 contains seven lessons per grade.

Unit 2: Recognizing Bullying & Harassment

Students learn how to recognize bullying and harassment, stand up safely to bullying and respond appropriately to harassment. The content helps students develop empathy, understand the impact of bullying and harassment on individuals and their communities and examine social and environmental factors that contribute to negative behaviors as well as identify solutions for preventing those behaviors. Unit 2 contains six lessons per grade.

Unit 3: Thoughts, Emotions & Decisions

Students learn how to recognize strong emotions and unhelpful thoughts and apply strategies for managing their emotions and reducing stress. The content helps students understand that all emotions are valuable because they provide us with information about our environment. Students learn to respond to their emotions in ways that help meet their wants and needs. Unit 3 contains six lessons per grade.

Unit 4: Managing Relationships & Social Conflict

Students learn strategies for developing and maintaining healthy relationships, perspective-taking and dealing with conflict. The content helps students learn to honor and understand differences based on varied personal, familial and cultural backgrounds. Unit 4 contains seven lessons per grade.

Code of Conduct

Resources

Jeffco Mental Health Supports, including suicide prevention and virtual calming room
South Jeffco area resources to support social-emotional wellness
Jefferson Center: a nonprofit, community-focused mental health care and substance use services provider.
Colorado Crisis Services: provides free, confidential and immediate support from trained professionals and peer specialists 24/7/365 by calling 844-493-TALK (8255) or texting TALK to 38255. Colorado residents can also seek services in-person at our walk-in centers, regardless of ability to pay.
Safe2Tell: takes reports any time, any day of the year from students or other community members who are concerned about their safety or the safety of others.
Call 211: the most comprehensive source of information about local resources and services in the country. Speak with a live, highly-trained service professional in your area. All calls are confidential.
Child Care Assistance: 303-271-4484
The Action Center (food and housing): 303-237-7704
Family Tree (emergency shelter for women and children in crisis): 303-467-2604
Jefferson County Juvenile Assessment Center: 720-497-7799