BELONGING BEGINS HERE!

In order to ensure each ICSJ student feels known, valued, and included, all ICSJ classrooms took the time recently to work together to create classroom "charters." What is a charter? It's a set of agreed-upon norms for how people want to feel and how they can help each other to experience those feelings while they're together in the classroom and at school.

The idea for a Classroom Charter comes from our social and emotional learning (SEL) program, RULER. RULER is an evidence-based approach to SEL that teaches "emotional intelligence to people of all ages, with the goal of creating a healthier, more equitable, innovative, and compassionate society."

RULER is an acronym for the five skills of emotional intelligence:

Recognizing emotions in oneself and others
Understanding the causes and consequences of emotions
Labeling emotions with a nuanced vocabulary
Expressing emotions in accordance with cultural norms and social context
Regulating emotions with helpful strategies

RULER skills help people of all ages to use their emotions wisely, opening opportunities for us to succeed in school, at work, and in life. These skills are both personal and social, such that a network emerges with positive changes reinforced.

FINS UP for a great year, where every Dolphin feels they belong!