Social Emotional Learning

Growing up is hard and children and teens today experience heightened anxiety due to a variety of factors. As their brains and bodies rapidly change and develop, Kindergarteners and Seniors alike navigate ideas and influences, some old and some new, that shape their personal and educational path. Add technology and social media to the list of influences and we can begin to see how what once was a closed and limited circle of influence is now an open and expansive field of ideas to negotiate.

According to a 2018 Pew Research Center survey of children ages 13 to 17, anxiety and depression are seen as major problems among peers. This and other research highlight the need to address mental health across the school day. Additional research shows that students need to be ready to learn before they are able to actively engage in the learning process. With today’s influences and pressures, social-emotional learning is an essential component to the educational experience across the grade levels. As a result, beginning in PreKindergarten, various developmentally appropriate tools, experiences, curricula, and structures are implemented to ensure our students are ready to learn. Below is an overview of some of the supports in place at our schools for the current school year.

Lisle Elementary School

Responsive Classroom is a school-wide approach to instruction, building a community and growing positive relationships. Classrooms at all grade levels incorporate daily Morning Meetings and Ending Circles that include activities and interactions that provide students opportunities to develop empathy, cooperation, assertion, responsibility, empathy and self control.

A variety of quiet spaces are available as well as specially designed noise-reducing furniture should the need arise to find a calming space. Classrooms also share “huddle rooms” that are noise-reducing, providing quieter spaces to work.

Student Services staff includes nurses, social workers, and school psychologists who are trained in supporting students’ mental health and social-emotional needs.

Lisle Junior High School

Trauma-Informed Schools is an approach to providing learning environments that consciously take into account students’ various backgrounds and experiences, which may include traumas. Students may exhibit behaviors as a result of these factors and providing safe, calming learning spaces, building relationships, and predictable routines are hallmarks for creating learning environments that are responsive to students’ needs.

The Second Step curriculum supports social-emotional learning through research-based lessons designed to reinforce all students’ empathy, emotion-management, and problem-solving skills. At LJHS, students receive this instruction during their homeroom every Tuesday and Thursday throughout the school year.

Student Services staff includes nurses, social workers, school psychologists, and an intervention specialist who are trained in supporting students’ mental health and social-emotional needs.

Lisle High School

Trauma-Informed Schools is also part of Lisle High School’s approach to supporting students. LHS is collecting data, educating all school staff about the prevalence of trauma and the implications for schools, its impact on children and youth, and educating staff about the concept of trauma-sensitive schools to ensure all staff recognize the effects of trauma on students, families, and staff, and understand student responses to trauma.

Learning to Breathe is a mindfulness-based curriculum taught in Ninth Grade Physical Education class. Mindfulness is the practice of becoming aware of one’s present-moment experience with compassion and openness as a basis for wise action. The Learning to Breathe curriculum supports the Social Emotional Learning competencies of self-awareness, self-management, fostering empathy, relationship building, and responsible decision-making.

The Ending the Silence Program is presented to Tenth Grade Health classes each semester in conjunction with the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). The presentation, designed for middle and high school students, includes warning signs, facts and statistics, and how to get help for themselves or a friend. Research has shown that NAMI Ending the Silence for Students is effective in changing high school students’ knowledge and attitudes toward mental health conditions and toward seeking help.

Mindfulness Days are held throughout the school year in the LRC. During students' study halls, students can come to the library to participate in calming activities and use the virtual reality headsets to practice relaxation techniques.

Student Services staff includes nurses, social workers, school psychologists, and guidance counselors who are trained in supporting students’ mental health and social-emotional needs.

Parent Resources

If you or your child needs assistance with finding resources for any social-emotional concern, please contact your child's school to be connected with the Student Services Team.

Parent Resources:

ISBE Social-Emotional Learning Information

CASEL Social Emotional Supports & Information

SEL 101 Video

National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI)

National Suicide Prevention Hotline - 1-800-273-TALK (8255)

Lisle 202 Wellness Resources Page

Visit the Lisle 202 Wellness Resources Page