Students Celebrate Responsibility with Social-Emotional Learning Fun

Lower Schoolers are embracing important values through activities that promote their Social-Emotional Learning. Throughout the month, they have been tapping into their newest Character Strong trait, responsibility, as well as engaging in pre-Thanksgiving reflections on gratitude. They increase their mindfulness of these values through all kinds of exercises and projects, including the beautiful new initiative in which fourth graders lead tefillah for second graders each day. This is an amazing opportunity for students to gain confidence and help motivate each other, and students feel honored and excited to be mentors and mentees.

To further energize themselves about these key themes, students played a special game of Bingo, using boards that focused on executive functioning skills of organization and time management. Their boards were full of examples showing responsibility, such as "I can clean up my room" and "I can ask my parents if there is anything I can help with." If a student felt confident that they could commit to an act, they would fill in the square: a perfect way to get students excited about the importance and positive impact of each act. Bolstered by the spirit of Thanksgiving, students have even been strengthening their attentiveness and acknowledging their responsibility to give thanks for the good things in life, as they engage in thoughtful discussions with each other about what they care about and appreciate.