Mental health skills and social engagement, longstanding priorities at Friends, will have renewed emphasis in 2022-23. It is widely understood that stressors on students are greater now than 25 years ago. At the same time, a growing body of research shows the critical connection between mental wellness and academic success. Associate Head of School for Teaching and Learning, Will Hopkins comments, “When kids are stressed, struggling to manage emotions, or coping with trauma, they don’t reach their potential. There is solid science behind this. We also know that self awareness of emotional patterns and a grounded sense of identity are the foundations of healthy social and emotional well being.”
The pandemic took its toll on everyone but especially students. Will comments, “We are seeing gaps and deficits in students’ emotional learning and social skills. Routine social interactions are often less harmonious and, in the extreme, we are seeing more anxiety and risky choices.” The results of a community-wide survey, conducted in April to assess wellbeing, validated the need for more social and emotional learning (SEL) resources. It will also serve as a baseline for future assessments of emotional wellness and social connection.
The School has been quick to take action. This year the Friends is partnering with the Institute for Social and Emotional Learning (IFSEL) to create programming around self care, happiness, compassion and resilience. IFSEL will lead a whole-community approach to equity-rooted SEL for adults and students. The divisional SEL curriculum will offer opportunities for teachers to tailor teaching to meet student needs. Parents and caregivers will have the opportunity to participate in programming that will empower them to support student development.
This work, along with initiatives focused on diversity, equity and belonging (DEB), will form the core of professional development for the year. Will comments, “By naming and supporting SEL we create connections and multiply everyone’s knowledge and efforts. It complements DEB work because, when we deepen awareness of our own identities, it helps us appreciate others and increase the sense of belonging. It’s critical that we grow as individuals and as an institution.”
In addition, the number of staff psychologists has been increased from one to three, with one for each division. Head of the Lower School Erin Gordon comments, “Last year our students showed us they needed our support in ways that were new and different, and our faculty showed a deep commitment to support their students. IFSEL professional development and daily access to a dedicated Lower School psychologist will work in tandem to help students identify and regulate their emotions. This makes them available for academic and content based learning.”
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