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SEL Goals

SEL Support Staff

Morgan McDonald, Carrie Wyatt

SEL Mission Statement

We exist to enrich the wellbeing of our students, faculty and community.

Value Statements

  • A positive climate and culture of learning is fostered by a combination of social and academic experiences.

  • All members of our learning community benefit from social emotional support.

  • All learners are on an individualized journey requiring skills supporting self-management, social awareness and decision-making.

  • Learners thrive when there is a balance of clear expectations and empathy.

  • Mental wellness impacts physical, emotional, social, and academic success.

Social Emotional Learning Support Team

Who We Are:

Morgan McDonald

Morgan McDonald

Educational Support Specialist

mmcdonald@pikeland.org

Morgan grew up in Pittsfield; where she still currently resides with her husband and children. She first earned her associates degree at John Wood Community College before transferring to Grand Canyon University. There she completed her bachelor's degree in Behavioral Health Sciences, and is currently working towards her Master’s of Education in School Counseling. In her free time, Morgan enjoys spending time with her family, friends, and pets. 

Over the past school year and summer, Morgan has enjoyed working with the SEL team and getting to know the students at Pikeland. She is looking forward to continuing this journey in the upcoming school year.

“We have to become a wellness model instead of a sickness model. We have to teach skills to all students so they have them before challenges escalate to crisis.” - R. Keeth Matheny

What We've Done:

  • Panorama Survey Pilot

  • SMART Goal Setting with D-Pod Students

  • Assist Administrators with Covid Screenings and quarantine exit needs

  • Provide SEL hours for D-Pod and South Summer School students

  • Work with CASEL representative and SEL Leadership Team on future project plans

  • Staff feedback survey on current SEL and PBIS practices

  • Conscious Discipline Training

  • Created a digital workbook for remote learning

Summer School with D-POD

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student holds stacked items

What we did:

  • Identify personal strengths and weaknesses

  • SEL Digital Citizenship Game

  • Executive Functioning games

  • Team building escape room and cups game

  • Time management activity

  • Relationship building icebreakers

  • Deep breathing techniques

  • Minute to win it games

  • Digital SEL notebook: journaling, growth mindset, career exploration, coping mechanisms, gratitude, emotion identification, empathy, responsible decision making

Skills targeted:

  • Time Management

  • Team building

  • Self awareness

  • Self regulation

  • Resilience/Perseverance

  • Attentiveness

  • Executive Functioning/Metacognition

Summer School South

What we worked on:

  • Read and did activities from the Little Spot of Emotion 8 book Box set to develop emotion identification and regulation

  • Played games to encourage development of self control/impulse control

  • Read books and did an activity on importance of digital citizenship

  • Read “What Should Danny Do?” And “What Should Darla Do?” interactive book series to show the impact of the choices we make and encourage responsible decision making

  • Read “Enemy Pie” and discussed the benefits of conflict resolution

  • Worked on various coping mechanisms and made sensory “calm down” bottles

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students work on calm down bottles

Summer School South

photo collage of students raising their hands during the discussion of the book "A Little Spot of Confidence"

What we worked on:

After reading “A Little Spot of Confidence”, the students grew their confidence spots using play dough and repeating the confidence spot saying:

“Today’s a new day! I will have a great start. I will listen to the voice inside my heart. I will let good thoughts inside my mind and tell myself: I am brave, I am loving, I am kind.”

image of book "A Little Spot of Confidence"

Our Plans for the 2024-2025 School Year

  • Provide resources for transitional year classrooms (2nd-3rd grade, 5th-6th grade, 8th-9th grade)

  • Create and distribute Panorama Universal screener surveys for staff and students

  • Provide SEL resources for staff

  • Classroom observations for current SEL practices

  • Work with CASEL representative and SEL Leadership team on project plans