“Are you curious?” Through Agency Hour the objective is to facilitate opportunities for goal setting, cultivate reflection, foster independence and build skills for communication and collaboration. Building on the foundation from the elementary buildings, MMS grounds our language and learning experiences in the four academic mindsets.
Using SELweb data and CASEL competencies, MMS uses building-wide routines such as PRIDE Assemblies and Agency Hour to embed self awareness, self management, social awareness, and relationship skill building into activities.
I am self aware and am intentional about my responses.
5 Strate-G’s for Resilience
Learning the 5G’s will help you overcome obstacles so you can keep growing and getting smarter.
Additional Resources
Themes / Essential Questions
Assessment
Grade 5
Themes: Self Awareness and Self Management
EQs:
What is self awareness? What is the consequence of how I respond to my emotions?
Why is it important to identify and manage my emotions and my response to those emotions?
How do I use strategies to manage my emotions?
Grades 6 and 7
Themes: Social Awareness & Relationship Skills
EQs:
What is friendship? How do I identify healthy and unhealthy friendships?
What is conflict? How do I develop conflict resolution skills?
How do you effectively work in a group?
SELweb - Two times a year learners take a digital assessment to provide data to teachers regarding their current SEL strengths and needs based on the CASEL standards.
Agency Hour Reflections
Playbook Entries
Common Language
For Teachers
5Gs - A progression of skills that learners can use to get them through situations. For example, a learner may have a “Gut Check” when faced with a difficult exam, and they would “Gear Up” to face the challenge, sets goals, “Take a Leap” (action step) and finally reflect on how they did.
Pride Assembly - Three times per year, school level assemblies that follow a “news format” to report on happenings at the middle school, celebrate success, and bridge SEL practices between our Agency Hours.
PRIDE Cards - Positive affirmations given to learners that yield prizes at the assemblies.
Agency Hour - About 6 times a year, hour-long “Advisory” style lessons that are connected to the 5Gs and CASEL frameworks. These activities incorporate resilience routines and activities centered on the academic mindsets.
Playbook - Operates both as an agenda book and is full of “plays” that are SEL based strategies learners can use to tackle various challenges that arise as they grow as adolescents.