Civil Municipal - April 2024

The district’s approach transcends traditional academic metrics, emphasizing social-emotional learning (SEL) and neural education. Lewis elaborates, “Recognizing the challenges faced by our military- connected students and all learners alike, we’ve prioritized the integration of SEL into every aspect of our educational framework.” SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL LEARNING There is a strong emphasis on meeting students’ social-emotional needs, recognizing these needs are just as important as academic ones. The focus involves extensive professional development for staff and active engagement with families on anxiety, social well-being, emotional regulation, and co-regulation. The commitment is underlined by adopting a neuroscience-informed approach, the science of social-emotional learning, which emphasizes the interconnectedness of cognitive and emotional development. By framing social-emotional learning within the context of brain science, the district has garnered significant support from stakeholders, leading to increased buy-in and interest in Dr. Kathi Weight 269 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 5, ISSUE 04 STEI LACOOM HISTORICAL SCHOOL DISTRICT