Mustang Connection: GMMS Parents as Partners

Issue 3: Self-Awareness: SEL Competency #1 Governor Mifflin Middle School believes that the development of self-awareness skills equips students to recognize their own strengths and weaknesses, empowering them with an essential piece of the framework for self improvement and healthy self image. While Socrates may or may not have been the first to encourage one to "Know Thyself," he was certainly not the last. The topic of self-awareness has had its fair share of focus from researchers in the fields of developmental and behavioral sciences. Developmental research shows that self-awareness is crucial in  learning self-advocacy and resiliency, building positive self-esteem, monitoring and controlling emotions and behaviors, and developing a growth mindset.  In examination of the CASEL SEL Framework , self-awareness can be considered the first of five competencies essential for the social and emotional development of school-aged children and adolescents. CASEL refers to self-awar...

Issue 2: Social and Emotional Learning (SEL)  Governor Mifflin Middle School believes that social-emotional skills are foundational to human development, and should be an integral part of the educational experience.  Social and emotional learning, while not new in schools, has become more of an explicit focus across the country in recent years. According to CASEL, a leading authority on social and emotional learning, SEL is the process through which all young people and adults acquire and apply the knowledge, skills, and attitudes to develop healthy identities, manage emotions and achieve personal and collective goals, establish and maintain supportive relationships, and make responsible and caring decisions. In addition, addressing social emotional skills in schools with a meaningful curriculum that addresses the development of the whole child can advance educational equity and excellence. While SEL can be implicit and/or explicit, its integration within and outside the schoo...

Mustang Connection:  GMMS Parents as Partners Greetings Parents and Guardians!  As part of the Governor Mifflin Middle School mission to partner with parents, I would like to introduce you to a periodic mini-newsletter you will be receiving. The intention of this newsletter is twofold. First, we believe it is important to keep you informed of the great things our school is doing to address equity and social-emotional learning. As some of you know, twice per cycle during their flex periods, the students participate in activities and explicit instruction regarding equity, diversity, social-emotional learning, habits of mind, collaboration, and academic advisement. We believe that the explicit incorporation of these things will help our students’ social and emotional development and connection to the school community.  During these difficult times, it is more important than ever to address these skills with our students. Hopefully, these communications will give you a better...