Dianella Heights Special Programs
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Social Emotional Learning
Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) is the process through which children and young people acquire the knowledge, attitudes and skills associated with the core areas of social and emotional competency.
SEL programs set out to explicitly teach a range of skills, including those necessary to:
- understand and manage emotions
- set and achieve positive goals
- feel and show empathy for others
- establish and maintain positive relationships
- make responsible decisions
These skills are dynamic and inter-related and underpin both personal resilience and healthy relationships.
(Durlak et al. 2011, CASEL, 2013; Frydenberg, 2010; Hromek & Roffey, 2009)
These understandings and skills can be grouped into five key areas:
- Self-awareness
- Self-management
- Social awareness
- Relationship skills
- Social decision making
Benefits of an integrated, whole school approach to SEL include:
- Resistance to negative peer pressure
- Improved social behaviour and cooperation
- Decrease in antisocial and risky behaviours
- Decrease in emotional problems (anxiety and depression)
- Increase in health and improve academic success
Dianella Heights Primary School researched and trailed a program, Friendly Schools Plus, which suited the needs of our students and wider community. Friendly Schools Plus is an evidence based, internationally and nationally recognised SEL program.
Virtue Awards
Virtues are behaviours, which show the highest moral standards. Starting in 2016, Dianella Heights Primary School will be introducing a reward system, which acknowledges exemplary behaviour around the school. Promoting specific desired behaviours helps promote these positive and desired actions. There are eight virtue focuses for 2016, these include:
- Friendliness
- Responsibility
- Perseverance
- Tolerance
- Assertiveness
- Honesty
- Cooperation
- Courage
You will find virtue posters around the school and in classrooms; providing a definition of the virtue and examples of what it looks like in action. Students will be rewarded with a slip acknowledging their positive behaviour and one winner from each phase will be announced at assemblies.