Social And Emotional Learning

Strong Resilient NYC

Social-emotional skills are vital for student success inside and outside of school. Research has consistently shown that SEL supports:

Academic Achievement
Student Well-being
Success in School and Life
Positive Social Behavior

To support our students in developing these essential skills, NYCDOE is implementing an SEL screener and intervention program that will help in providing targeted, highly responsive support to each individual student. We will build on each student's strengths while identifying skills they need to further develop.

This year, a student in your care will be assessed by their teacher or counselor using the DESSA, a suite of research-based screening tools and assessments used with students K-12 created by Aperture Education.

The DESSA will measure your student’s grasp of important skills that will help them succeed during their school years and even after they graduate from high school. These skills are known as social and emotional skills and include taking responsibility for their actions, and working well with others.

The 8 skills measured by the DESSA can easily be taught and learned by students of all ages.

Family Resources to develop SEL skills: Strong Resilient NYC Family Resources

Social Emotional Focus Week 30:

All Grades:

Learn: Self-Management

Practice: Goal Setting

Dive Deeper:

6th Grade – Get SMART!

7th Grade – SMART Goals

8th Grade – Plan SMART

Social Emotional Focus Week 29:

All Grades:

Learn: Self-Management

Practice: Problem Solving

Dive Deeper:

6th Grade – Think Solution!

7th Grade – From Problem to Solution

8th Grade – Evaluate Your Options

Social Emotional Focus Week 28:

All Grades:

Learn: Self-Management

Practice: Focus

Dive Deeper:

6th Grade – Focus at Home

7th Grade – Focus with Active Learning

8th Grade – Visualize for Success

Social Emotional Focus Week 27:

All Grades:

Learn: Self-Management

Practice: Stress Management

Dive Deeper:

6th Grade – Making Stress Work for You

7th Grade – Negative Thinking

8th Grade – Find the Funny

Social Emotional Focus Week 26:

All Grades:

Learn: Self-Management

Practice: Self-Control

Dive Deeper:

6th Grade – Managing Stress

7th Grade – Goals With Self-Control

8th Grade – Let’s Delay

Social Emotional Focus Week 25:

All Grades:

Learn: Self-Management

Practice: Resilience

Dive Deeper:

6th Grade – Building Resilience

7th Grade – Recognizing Agency

8th Grade – Connect to Your Values

Social Emotional Focus Week 24:

All Grades:

Learn: Social Skills

Practice: Friendship

Dive Deeper:

6th Grade – Lean on Me

7th Grade – Friends and Peer Pressure

8th Grade – Be Yourself

Social Emotional Focus Week 23:

All Grades:

Learn: Social Skills

Practice: Relationships

Dive Deeper:

6th Grade – Collaborative Relationships

7th Grade – Needs and Relationships

8th Grade – Peer Pressure in Relationships

Social Emotional Focus Week 22:

All Grades:

Learn: Social Skills

Practice: Respect

Dive Deeper:

6th Grade – Ripples of Respect

7th Grade – Respect with Active Listening

8th Grade – Respectful Communication

Social Emotional Focus Week 21:

All Grades:

Learn: Social Skills

Practice: Fairness

Dive Deeper:

6th Grade – Our Rights and Responsibilities

7th Grade – Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness

8th Grade – Speak Out for Fairness

Social Emotional Focus Week 20:

All Grades:

Learn: Social Skills

Practice: Conflict Resolution

Dive Deeper:

6th Grade – Resolving Conflicts

7th Grade – Conflict Happens

8th Grade – Healthy Conflict

Social Emotional Focus Week 19:

All Grades:

Learn: Social Skills

Practice: Cooperation

Dive Deeper:

6th Grade – THINK in Groups

7th Grade – Let it SLIDE!

8th Grade – Operation: Cooperation

Social Emotional Focus Week 18:

All Grades:

Learn: Self-Care

Practice: Healthy Boundaries

Dive Deeper:

6th Grade – Setting Boundaries to Be Yourself

7th Grade – Healthy Boundaries

8th Grade – Too Much of a Good Thing?

Social Emotional Focus Week 17:

All Grades:

Learn: Self-Care

Practice: Self-Efficacy

Dive Deeper:

6th Grade – Build Your Belief

7th Grade – Be Positive

8th Grade – Who Believes In You?

Social Emotional Focus Week 15:

All Grades:

Learn: Self-Care

Practice: Self-Advocacy

Dive Deeper:

6th Grade – Speak Up for Fairness

7th Grade – Be Your Own Advocate

8th Grade – Get What You Need

Social Emotional Focus Week 14:

All Grades:

Learn: Self-Care

Practice: Self-Compassion

Dive Deeper:

6th Grade – Be Kind to Yourself

7th Grade – Quiet the Inner Critic

8th Grade – Breathe Through It

Social Emotional Focus Week 13:

All Grades:

Learn: Self-Care

Practice: Optimism

Dive Deeper:

6th Grade – Random Acts

7th Grade – Optimistic Thinking

8th Grade – Look for the Good

Social Emotional Focus Week 12:

All Grades:

Learn: Awareness of Self and Others

Practice: Growth Mindset

Dive Deeper:

6th Grade – What’s in a Mindset?

7th Grade – Growing from Feedback

8th Grade – A Good Mistake

Social Emotional Focus Week 11:

All Grades:

Learn: Awareness of Self and Others

Practice: Learning Skills

Dive Deeper:

6th Grade – ASK Quality Questions

7th Grade – Attention to Learning

8th Grade – My Study Skill

Social Emotional Focus Week 10:

All Grades:

Learn: Awareness of Self and Others

Practice: Wants and Needs

Dive Deeper:

6th Grade – Safe Boundaries

7th Grade – Belonging Needs

8th Grade – Know Your Worth

Social Emotional Focus Week 9:

All Grades:

Learn: Awareness of Self and Others

Practice: Values

Dive Deeper:

6th Grade – My Personal Values

7th Grade – Mind Your Media

8th Grade – Our Values

Social Emotional Focus Week 8:

All Grades:

Learn: Awareness of Self and Others

Practice: Emotions

Dive Deeper:

6th Grade – Sparks of Emotions

7th Grade – My Emotions

8th Grade – My Emotional Brain

Social Emotional Focus Week 7:

All Grades:

Learn: Awareness of Self and Others

Practice: Self-Knowledge

Dive Deeper:

6th Grade – Social Strengths

7th Grade – Learning Strategies

8th Grade – Ignite Your Spark

Social Emotional Focus Week 6:

All Grades:

Learn: Social Awareness

Practice: Actions & Consequences

Dive Deeper:

6th Grade – OWN Your Actions

7th Grade – Actions Have Consequences

8th Grade – Positive Patterns

Social Emotional Focus Week 5:

All Grades:

Learn: Social Awareness

Practice: Social Contributions

Dive Deeper:

6th Grade –Passions to Contribute

7th Grade – Aligning Social Contributions

8th Grade – Community Contributions

Social Emotional Focus Week 4:

All Grades:

Learn: Social Awareness

Practice: Support Systems

Dive Deeper:

6th Grade – Who Supports You?

7th Grade – Support Systems

8th Grade – My TRIBE

Social Emotional Focus Week 3:

All Grades:

Learn: Social Awareness

Practice: Safe & Ethical Behavior

Dive Deeper:

6th Grade – Bullies Bully

7th Grade – Stand Up Against Bullying!

8th Grade – Speak Out

Social Emotional Focus Week 2:

All Grades:

Learn: Social Awareness

Practice: Cultural Competence

Dive Deeper:

6th Grade – Be Cool: INCLUDE

7th Grade – Challenge Prejudice

8th Grade – SPOT the Stereotype

Social Emotional Focus Week 1:

All Grades:

Learn: Social Awareness

Practice: Empathy

Dive Deeper:

6th Grade – Listening with Empathy

7th Grade – Empathy for Connection

8th Grade – Developing Empathy