Character Ed / SEL

Teaching students skills to navigate a constantly changing world

We know there are valuable life skills outside of academic study, the arts, and athletics that will serve our students well as they transition into high school and beyond. In fact, these skills are not “outside” at all, but imbued within our daily lives. They have been studied and analyzed, and more clearly understood through centuries of civilized education, and they can come with different names.

Many call it character development, and here at All Saints it furthers Father Farmer’s vision since the day he established the school in 1961, of educating the whole child.

We became even more intentional by adding the latest character development methods to our curriculum. Middle schoolers devote time each week to what is known as the five competencies of social and emotional learning: self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making. We are proud to have been selected and recognized as one of only three schools in the country that exemplifies excellence in ethics and education by the Center of Spiritual and Ethical Education.

Not only can these skills serve individuals throughout their lives, but they can also be learned, and here at All Saints we teach them early and the results show. Beyond the well-established reputation All Saints graduates have for high achievement in academics, arts, and athletics, the respect they give and receive here on the Central Coast, and throughout the world, is spoken of often and word finds its way back to us nearly every day.

We are excited about this aspect of our school program and know these skills will give our All Saints students significant, early preparation to navigate a constantly changing world.

Our Character Ed Curriculum

List of 2 items.

Lower School Character Education Curriculum

Based on the belief that community building occurs through relationships, the Big & Little Buddies Program is a beloved tradition at the school. Each year older students are partnered with younger students, giving older students the opportunity to experience role modeling and leadership skills, and younger students the pleasure of having a special big buddy to look up to. Activities together encourage empathy, concern, and appreciation for others.

All Saints K-5 students participate in Character Education utilizing the curriculum, PurposeFull People. This program teaches skills that will help students be successful in school and in life. Each month, the elementary classrooms focus on the same character trait. This allows parents to partner with the school in reinforcing and extending the lessons beyond the classroom with siblings and friends across the grade levels. The goal is to create a place where students feel like they belong and learn skills that will help them be the best they can be!

PurposeFull People has three main goals for students: Be Kind, Be Strong, and Be Well.

- Be Kind: Social skills like listening, friendship, solving conflicts, and leadership. These skills are taught alongside Empathy, Respect, & Cooperation

- Be Strong: Skills that help students focus, stay organized, and set goals. These skills are taught alongside Responsibility, Courage, & Perseverance

- Be Well: Skills that help students handle their emotions and deal with stress. These skills are taught alongside Gratitude, Honesty, & Creativity
Middle School Character Education Curriculum

Social and Emotional Learning
Building our students’ social and emotional skills is at the heart of our character education program. Throughout their middle school experience, our students become more self-aware and develop the skills to manage their emotions. Students also develop ways of expressing their feelings honestly and begin a productive dialogue with their peers about resolving a difference. This also encourages conflict resolution rather than hurt feelings, misunderstandings, or feeling bullied or left out.

Advisory
This program is made up of eight to ten students and a teacher facilitator and the goal is to create a safe place where these students can discuss issues or concerns they may have. Each session begins with a group lesson, which is aligned with the character education curriculum, followed by related questions and discussion around the topic. Each student is given an opportunity to contribute their ideas, and the other group members respectfully listen. The small group environment creates a safe place for these students to share ideas and have meaningful discussions.

The Character Education curriculum in sixth grade is designed around the five competencies of social and emotional learning: self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making. Through various class activities, students also develop ways of expressing their feelings honestly and begin a productive dialogue with their peers about resolving a difference. This emphasis on positive relationships, based on honest communication and respect, is at the core of the character education curriculum.

In seventh grade, students are familiar with the five competencies of social and emotional learning, and we continue to expand on the importance of understanding our emotions and how to manage them in productive ways. During this year we also focus on the influence our culture has on our life experiences and on our perceptions. A unit on media literacy highlights the ways in which products are marketed and sold to adolescents. This in-depth study of the media and its powerful influence prepares our students for their role in the economy and also increases their level of social awareness.

The focus of character education in eighth grade is on relationship skills and responsible decision-making. As they begin to think about transitioning into high school, they become acutely aware of the different challenges and opportunities with which they will be presented as they leave the safety of a familiar school environment and prepare to head to start a new school life. We spend much of our class time discussing scenarios and different possible outcomes, depending on the choices being made. The goal for our All Saints graduates is to have them enter high school feeling confident in their abilities to recognize their feelings, manage those feelings effectively, be aware of what is happening around them, and possess the ability to make good decisions, even in challenging situations.

Character Ed in Action

7th Grade '3 Word' Project
Enjoy this inspirational '3 Word Project' video, our 7th graders created while exploring the power of expression in their Character Education class.