• SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL LEARNING GUIDING PRINCIPLES
     
    These principles reflect what we as a school community believe about children and about the responsibilities we share in helping them learn and grow. 

    We are a compassionate, faith-based professional learning community dedicated to nurturing the growth and strengths of every child through building and maintaining strong relationships with students, our colleagues, our families and our community.

    We believe that children are all unique in their strengths, talents, skills, needs, and learning styles. We believe that all children want to learn, are motivated to learn and are capable of learning. We believe that children and adults do the best they can at any given time.

    We believe that children learn most effectively when they feel safe, connected and cared for in their school and in their community. We believe that when children feel trusted and challenged, when they are given clear expectations and structure, and when they are given choice and independence, then they can build confidence and grow as learners.
     
    We have a responsibility to model relationships and communication as we constantly reflect on our own skills and beliefs. We have a responsibility to know our children very well and to differentiate our teaching and policy for individual children. We have a responsibility to teach to the whole child.  
     
    We believe that academic excellence means fostering critical, higher-order thinking and problem-solving skills about real-world issues. It means fostering curiosity, perseverance and resilience.  It means recognizing that each child’s growth is relative to where they are on the learning path. It means placing an emphasis on process while still setting and achieving goals. It means growth in all areas: academic, social and emotional, so that students become confident, compassionate citizens.
     
    We believe that a relationship between home and school must be a true partnership based in trust, empathy, mutual respect and transparency. We believe that this partnership is essential to the success of students and faculty as we create and communicate clear, consistent and safe expectations for our children. We also believe that when any relationship faces challenges, it remains our responsibility to support children to the best of our ability.  We believe that students, staff and families are always learning, and regardless of struggle, are oriented toward growth and a desire to succeed.
     
    We believe Social and Emotional Learning provides a secure foundation for teaching and learning, represents our Catholic beliefs and values, and emphasizes teaching to the whole child. We believe a relationship-focused school provides community and safety whichallows students to face challenge and take risks, manage conflict, build positive relationships and develop independence.