Social and emotional learning

Social and emotional learning (SEL) is the process through which children and adults acquire and effectively apply the knowledge, attitudes, and skills necessary to understand and manage emotions, set and achieve positive goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain positive relationships, and make responsible decisions.

SEL serves as a coordinating framework for how educators, families, and communities partner to promote students’ social, emotional, and academic learning.  SEL is not a single program or teaching method.

SEL at EPS is woven into the fabric of the entire community.  A concentrated effort to begin SEL programming began in 2015. Over the last year three years the school has committed to sending faculty members to the Institute for Social-Emotional Learning, added an SEL component to Advisory, Trained faculty in SEL on PDD days, enhanced fall overnights using SEL activities, and assigned an SEL coordinator to grades 5-8.