Building Strong Skills Through SEL at SAS ES
Monday, November 10th, 2025: At the start of each month, the Syracuse Elementary School Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) Team visits every classroom to teach students about the monthly character trait and other important SEL skills. These lessons help students develop self-awareness, manage emotions, foster stronger relationships, and grow into confident learners.
This week, School Counselor Ms. Cahalan visited the Kindergarten classrooms to introduce coping skills—strategies students can use to calm their bodies and minds when they feel sad, angry, or worried. Learning how to recognize and regulate emotions is a crucial part of child development, contributing to stronger academic performance, improved behavior, and healthier social interactions.
During the lesson, students learned that they can manage “big emotions” by taking the following steps:
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Identify the feeling by “scanning your brain and body.”
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Determine what is needed in the moment (e.g., alone time, movement, cheering up, or distraction).
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Select a coping strategy that fits the need (such as taking a water break, reading, coloring, or talking to a friend).
Some useful coping strategies students practiced included taking alone time, getting up and moving around, finding a distraction, and talking to a trusted friend or adult.
By integrating SEL into daily learning, SAS Elementary School ensures that students not only grow academically but also develop the emotional tools they need for success in and out of the classroom.
