Social-Emotional Learning at Atlas

At Atlas, we focus on educating the whole child. Not only do we want our students to excel academically, we also want to equip them with the social emotional skills, character traits, and 21st century skills they need to thrive in our changing and diverse world. 

Per our expanded definition of student success, graduates of Atlas Elementary will be: 

1. Creative & Critical Thinkers
2. Lifelong Learners
3. Culturally Competent Citizens 
4. Well-Rounded Individuals
5. Collaborative Team Players
6. Academically Exceptional Scholars

In order to achieve these graduate outcomes, we explicitly teach social and emotional skills. Social and emotional learning (SEL) provides a foundation for a safe and positive experience at school and enhances students' ability to succeed independently and in groups.

Crew is a structure at Atlas for developing positive relationships and supporting students socially, emotionally, and academically. Every morning, Explorers gather in a circle on the carpet and engage in an intentional meeting to make connections and positively start their day. 

For the past few weeks during Crew, Ms. Valentine and Mr. Flores’ kindergarten class has been discussing gratitude. Because they learned that showing appreciation can make people feel good, the Explorers wanted to make a Gratitude poster for a teacher in the school. They chose to celebrate their math teacher, Ms. Dorie!

Atlas Honors is a school-wide celebration of students who show excellent character. Every academic session, we recognize students who are model citizens living out one of our core values: kindness, respect, integrity, excellence, stewardship, and responsibility. 

Teachers in each grade level, plus the Math, Related Arts, and Special Education teams, each nominate a student who best exemplifies the trait being celebrated in that session. Student nominees and their families are then invited to a special awards breakfast where their nominations are read. They receive a certificate and a t-shirt. Ms. Kristine chooses a class to perform a song before the ceremony begins, and Ms. Carolyn has a class display their artwork about the celebrated theme. Nominees’ names and pictures are displayed in our hallway for all to see.

Atlas is partnering with the Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri to provide their Project Anti-Violence Education (PAVE) program to our second graders! Once a week in their classrooms, PAVE educators come in to lead discussions, read books, and create artwork. Explorers are learning and practicing the following skills:  

• Understanding emotions and feelings
• Strengthening and flexing their “empathy muscles,” in support of nourishing their relationships with others
• Speaking up for the things and people they believe in, while also actively listening to how others think and feel

Students love the chance to dig deeper into their feelings and connect with their classmates.