Superintendent Kimberly Rizzo Saunders and Principal Heather McKillop are pleased to announce that Grade 9 students and teachers at ConVal High School have begun School-Connect curriculum to cultivate critical Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) skills.
This year, CVHS implemented new curriculum 一 School Connect 一 in Grade 9 Teachers in Academic Support Centers (TASC) homerooms. The program is designed to address and develop the most critical SEL skills that students need to be successful in school and in life.
Grade 9 TASC students began the curriculum on Monday, Sept. 25 and will engage in lessons twice a month until June 2024. The lessons are delivered to small groups of students by two educators per group – the TASC homeroom teacher and either a counselor or administrator.
Lessons range from improving communication skills to setting and achieving long-term goals. Students will also explore how to boost academic skills and motivation, support empathy and inclusion, collaborate on group projects, and build skills for mental health and well-being.
Results have shown that students in first-year seminars with School-Connect had relatively higher grades and pass rates and significantly fewer discipline referrals for class disruption and rudeness to an adult than students without School-Connect.
“No matter what career our students will enter, they will need to have social-emotional skills like communication, teamwork, and motivation to be successful,” said Principal McKillop. “School-Connect is an evidence-based and effective curriculum program that will help our CVHS students develop and cultivate these important skills. We are excited to see how our students grow with School-Connect over the course of the school year.”
