Mustang Connection: GMMS Parents as Partners

Governor Mifflin Middle School believes that social awareness is an important skill for living and working productively and collaboratively in a school and community setting. Social awareness skills provide people the ability to approach problems from different perspectives, and understand others' thoughts and feelings. “Awareness is about improving social intelligence. If you can't see, hear, or feel the dynamics of a conversation, you can't manage them.” ― John Stoker   Friday, March 26th is PA Social Emotional Learning Day , so it is fitting that we close out our discussion on SEL with this week's communication. In this, the last piece of our examination of the  CASEL SEL framework , we will look at the fifth and final CASEL competency, social awareness. CASEL defines social awareness as the ability to understand the perspectives of and empathize with others, including those from diverse backgrounds, cultures, & contexts. This includes the capacities to feel comp...

Governor Mifflin Middle School believes that relationship skills are an important part of a person's social development and contribute to a more successful academic, professional, and personal life. Strong relationship skills help individuals interact with others appropriately and can reduce stress in school, the workplace, and social interactions. “Whether they stem from business or personal situations, our relationships are what support us, connect us, and allow us to progress in all aspects of our lives.” ― Michelle Tillis Lederman.   Success can be measured in many ways depending on ones values and goals. How successful a person becomes however, may depend in part on the manner in which they interact with others. Whether it is checking out at the grocery store, playing a game with a peer, or handling a business transaction, the foundation of appropriate interactions is built on mutual trust and respect. For middle school students, this can be a challenging task. Developmentally...

Governor Mifflin Middle School believes that learning to make responsible decisions is a necessary skill in life. It is a part of the problem-solving process and a skill that needs to be taught and learned so students can navigate the challenges and responsibilities they encounter in school and life.  The difference between who you are and who you want to be is what you do (and what you have to do to get there isn't always easy). This quote from author, Bill Phillips exemplifies the law of cause and effect that directs the path one takes in life, based on the decision-making process. Considering all the decisions a person makes in the course of a day in today's fast-paced world, for adults and children alike, it's no wonder why stress and anxiety rates are through the roof. Granted, many of these decisions might be as menial as deciding what to wear or what to eat for breakfast. However, even the seemingly menial decisions contribute to outcomes. For example, choosing a hea...

Governor Mifflin Middle School believes that the development of strong self-management skills contributes to better outcomes in school, and career-readiness. In addition, students with strong self-management skills foster better relationships throughout their lives, and are much less likely to drop out of school.  Are GMMS students future ready? The National Honor Society identifies self-management, along with other executive functioning and developmental skills, as key to building a successful future in college, careers, and relationships ( NHS Future Ready ). In fact, it has been shown that self-control in children as young as age 5 can predict important life outcomes such as high school completion, physical health, income, single parenthood, substance dependence, and criminal involvement ( Transforming Education, 2014 ) . Self-management can also be known as self-regulation, or self-control. In further examination of the  CASEL SEL Framework , self-management can be conside...