Open Circle

This year our class is piloting the Open Circle Curriculum, a comprehensive social and emotional learning program that support children in developing the skills they need to be successful learners and build positive relationships. Twice each week, the class will meet in a circle for about 15 minutes. Lesson topics will include listening well, including one another, cooperating, understanding feelings, teasing, recognizing differences among people, getting calm, problem solving, positive self-talk, and more. The goals of the lessons are to create a safe, caring and highly engaging classroom environment and to give children the skills they need to succeed academically, solve interpersonal problems and build positive relationships. We will begin these official "talks" this week. I'll let you know what skills we are working on in my email for the end of the week wrap up. This week will only be an introduction on how the group will come together and how we must take turns talking.