Dear Families and Caregivers:
Throughout the year, I will be introducing the students to a program called the Choose Love Enrichment Program©. This program teaches Social and Emotional Learning, Character Education traits, along with related Neuroscience. This program will play an important role in promoting student academic and personal success.
There are over 30 years of research showing the benefits of teaching Social and Emotional Learning. Students who actively participate, practice, and apply skills and concepts learned in Social and Emotional Learning programs have higher self-esteem, stronger communication and relationship skills, greater pro-social behavior, better class participation and attitude, and an increase in academic performance and test scores. All of the evidence points to Social and Emotional Learning as being very beneficial for our children. For further information on Social and Emotional Learning please visit the Collaborative for Academic, Social and Emotional Learning (CASEL) website, http://www.casel.org/.
The Choose Love Enrichment Program© teaches 4 character values and Social and Emotional
Learning skills that help to cultivate optimism, resiliency, and personal responsibility. Each unit provides lessons which include important concepts and skills associated with Social and Emotional Learning and connections to neuroscience and mindfulness, and activities for students to put learning into action and to have a lot of fun while doing so!
The Social and Emotional Learning Competencies that children will develop include:
- •Self-Management
- •Self-Awareness
- •Social Awareness
- •Relationship Skills
- •Responsible Decision-Making Skills
The 4 character values include:
Courage: Students will learn what it means to have courage in any situation. They will develop a great confidence in themselves to help them strongly face adversity and do the right thing even when it is hard.
© 2017 Jesse Lewis Choose Love Movement
Gratitude: Students will learn what it means to be grateful for all of the good in their lives. They will discover the many people and things they are grateful for and better understand how to express gratitude. This will nurture a positive attitude and inspire them to be kind and giving to others.
Forgiveness: Students will understand what it means to forgive someone who has hurt you.
They will learn that forgiving does not mean you forget or accept the hurtful actions as OK. But instead, students learn why forgiving is important as it will free them from bad feelings and helps them to have a positive mindset that will help them in school and life.
Compassion: Students will understand that compassion is LOVE in action. They will understand what it means to have empathy and be sensitive to the feelings of others. And then, they will move beyond that to realize the importance of being in service to those who need help or support.
We hope you will share in this experience with your children, ask questions about what they have learned, and enjoy the benefits from this program as well. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact me for more information. Thank you for your continued support in helping promote your child’s academic, social, emotional, and personal well-being. We all need to work together to help our children become healthy, happy, successful individuals with the tools and skills to make their positive mark on the world!
Jesse Lewis Choose Love Movement
© 2017 Jesse Lewis Choose Love Movement