Social and Emotional Learning Supports

Dear Ouray Elementary School Families,

We want your child to be as successful as possible at school. Success in school is not just about reading
and math. It is also about knowing how to learn and how to get along with others. We will be using the
Second Step program in your child’s classroom to teach these critical skills.

The Second Step program teaches skills in the following four areas:

     1. Skills for Learning: Students gain skills to help themselves learn, including how to focus their
 attention, listen carefully, and be assertive when asking for help with schoolwork.
     2. Empathy: Students learn to identify and understand their own and others’ feelings. Students also
 learn how to take another’s perspective and how to show compassion.
     3. Emotion Management: Students learn specific skills for calming down when experiencing strong
 feelings, such as anxiety or anger.
     4. Problem Solving: Students learn a process for solving problems with others in a positive way.

Your child will be learning a lot this year—and they will need your help! Throughout the year,
your child will be bringing home Home Links that go with several of the Second Step lessons. Home
Links are simple, fun activities for you and your child to complete together. They are a great way for
you to understand what your child is learning and for your child to show you what he or she knows.
If you have any questions about the Second Step program, please do not hesitate to contact me for
more information. Thank you for supporting your child in learning the skills that lead to success in
school and in life.
Sincerely,

 

P.S. Make sure to join www.secondstep.org with the following activation keys:

SSPK FAMI LY70 (kinder); SSP1 FAMI LY71 (1st grade); SSP2 FAMI LY72 (2nd); SSP2 FAMI LY73 (3rd) and/or

SSP4 FAMI LY74 (4th) to watch videos about the Second Step program and get information about what your
student is learning. 

Expect Respect establishes a school-wide expectation
for common respect. Expect Respect is designed to achieve the following objectives:

A. Students will Acquire and Use the Five Core Skills
     1. Discriminate respectful from non-respectful behavior.
     2. Use a “stop” phrase if someone is not respectful to them
     3. Use a “stop” phrase and remove a recipient if they are a bystander (physically or
virtually)
     4. Use a “stop strategy” (stop what you are doing, take a breath, move on, no-big-deal)
if asked to stop by another.)
     5. Get help from an adult safely (if someone is disrespectful, if you witness disrespect)

B. Adults will
     1. Discriminate respectful from non-respectful behavior
     2. Label and interrupt non-respectful student behavior when encountered
     3. Use student and faculty forums to adapt Expect Respect to the local context

     4. Teach the five core student skills
     5. Mediate conflict if presented with a problem situation
* Did the reporting student deliver the “stop” signal?
* Did the perpetrating student “stop” when signaled?
* Protect the safety of all
     6. Collect and use information to continually improve the social climate of the school.