Overview
In response to the pandemic, Renton School District in Washington state sought to support the health and wellbeing of students by creating “Start Safe SEL” to embed social-emotional learning practices in the day-to-day school experience.
Approach
District leaders updated lesson plan templates to include dedicated time for social-emotional learning. “Start Safe SEL” was designated as the first 15-minutes of every class, during which students would do a variety of activities including:
Breathing exercises
Feelings checks
Active activities
Class discussion questions, etc.
The district also identified additional social-emotional learning best practices for staff to use with students, such as consistently greeting students by name and creating calm-down spaces in classrooms and at their homes.
This strategy is a part of TLA's Hop, Skip, Leapfrog release, which explores the concrete ways in which schools and systems pursued student-centered innovation during COVID-19. Explore the full guide to find additional strategies, insights, and resources.
Spanning 32.5 square miles, Renton School District provides a safe and challenging learning environment for a diverse population of approximately 15,500 students in pre-K through 12th grade at 4 high schools, 4 middle schools, 15 elementary schools, and an early childhood learning center. District programs also address the special needs of disabled, academically gifted, and artistically talented students