Connections - Spring 2021

REAFFIRMING OUR MISSION:
CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT
SOCIAL EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE
This was from a lesson on stress reduction, reflecting
on what is in your head and what is on your heart
Hybrid students connecting through a game called, "Connections",
a social emotional learning version of UNO
All over the country the 2020 - 2021 school year has presented unique
challenges and stressors. These challenges have impacted students,
parents, teachers, administrators, and all who are part of a school
community.
At Jacksonville Country Day School these include the obvious changes of
everyone wearing masks, keeping social distance, and parents not being
able to join on campus. There are also the indirect challenges that include
uncertainty around the course of the school year, students not being
able to spend time with friends from other classes, the responsibility of
maintaining their health, and the typical emotions of development now
compounded with the stress in their global and local environments, to
name a few. In fact, as the mission statement of Jacksonville Country Day
School states, we are preparing students for a productive and healthy
lifetime of learning, and key to meeting our mission is making certain that
we are deliberate in our efforts to include social emotional learning as an
integral part of our school’s curriculum.
The community of JCDS has reflected, adjusted, and grown to support
our students even more during this time. We are proud to share these
continued initiatives such as: 7 Mindsets, Conscious Discipline, and social
emotional learning provided by the teachers and our school counselor.
Each morning, classes begin with a Morning Meeting
where students have meaningful connections with
their classmates to begin their day. This also provides
the students with safe and creative ways to socialize
with their peers. The school counselor, Liz McNairy,
continues to be a resource for students to talk about
the things that are bothering them, even if those
things are not related to school or schoolwork.
This year we have created new opportunities for
children to feel supported through expanded
offerings such as the Team Lead teacher position and
the addition of our Enhancement Class for 5th and
6th graders. These serve as an integrated approach
for our students to receive an education that includes
social and emotional learning to prepare them
for their future. The Team Lead position is filled by
master teachers who are not only trained to teach
academic skills but also have the expertise to support
children socially and emotionally. Their goal is to help
students strive to do their best while at the same time
navigating the unique stressors they face. Teresa Gore,
8
WWW.JDCS.COM | SPRING 2021