What Makes Our School Unique?

At Black Pine Circle, our faculty implement important SEL programs to address student social and emotional growth and development. Our faculty emphasize personal reflection, establishing the foundation for a child to develop skills for empathetic reasoning, problem solving, and conflict resolution.

At the upper school, student advisory is a place for students to build community, develop a strong sense of belonging, and learn essential social and emotional skills through Second Step. At the lower school daily morning meetings, positive teacher language, and ensuring opportunities for students to make proactive choices in their learning are key elements of Responsive Classroom methodology.  Responsive Classroom, a research- and evidence-based approach to elementary education, reinforces a harmonious and safe learning environment, achieves greater teacher effectiveness, and supports student achievement. To prioritize social and emotional learning, we have also adopted Kimochis (K-3) and Second Step (4-8), two comprehensive SEL programs to teach kids how to manage feelings, build emotional awareness and literacy, and develop strong relationship and friendship building skills. Both SEL programs are aligned with the five core social and emotional learning competencies developed by Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL): self awareness, self management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision making. Our teachers also guide students through role plays of common dilemmas faced on the playground and in the classroom.

Our lower school cross-grade buddy program allows students the opportunity to be a ‘big sister’ or ‘brother’ to a younger child, promoting a sense of family across our cozy campus. For example, third graders are paired up with kindergarten students: throughout the school year, they share craft activities, field trips, and other experiences that facilitate friendship, mentoring, and shared responsibility for the well-being of the community as a whole.

In the Upper School, social and emotional learning is woven into everyday school life, since we know that the most valuable lessons occur both inside and outside of the classroom. We also schedule advisory meetings three times a week, where a teacher assumes the role of mentor, advisor, and advocate to small gender-mixed groups of students. The faculty advisor oversees each child’s academic, social, and emotional growth and encourages students to set goals and reflect on their progress. They also serve as the primary point of communication for the family.

The role of advisory is to build community, create a sense of belonging, and implement important social emotional learning skills. Our advisory curriculum is derived from Second Step, an evidenced-based social emotional learning program that focuses on CASEL’s five core competencies: self awareness, self management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision making.

Second Step® Middle School helps students build emotional literacy, learn how to set goals and follow through on good decisions, develop skills to resolve conflicts, and establish strong friendships. The Second Step curriculum focuses on the following areas of social and emotional learning:

• Mindsets and goals
• Recognizing bullying and harassment
• Thoughts, emotions, and decisions
• Managing relationships and social conflict

Additionally, each grade explores topics most germane to navigating middle school life and adolescence: identity, relationships, change, healthy body image, compassion, bully-proofing, internet safety, and cultivating happiness. A one-week, age-appropriate unit on puberty and sex education is taught each year by nationally renowned educator and specialist, Ivy Chen.

Sixth grade advisory focuses on study skills and the transition from elementary to middle school. Seventh grade advisory takes a strengths-based approach to stress management and investigates what intellectual and social growth each student wishes to strive for. Eighth grade advisory focuses on friendship scenarios, body image, and their leadership role among students.

Each grade comes together regularly as an entire class cohort to explore topics most germane to navigating middle school life and adolescence: identity, relationships, change, healthy body image, compassion, bully-proofing, internet safety, and cultivating happiness. A one-week, age appropriate unit on puberty and sex education is taught each year by nationally renowned educator and specialist, Ivy Chen.