Navin program targets social and emotional growth of students
With a B grade on the latest state report card, Marysville’s Navin Elementary is finding success at expanding young minds.
A new Social Emotional Learning (SEL) program put in place at the school is seeking to expand hearts.
Navin Principal Lynette Lewis told the Marysville School Board Thursday that educators in the school have adopted principles, programs and in-school clubs to ensure that no child feels alone.
She said the mentality starts with “Navin’s 5 Simple Rules” for the staff:
•Love your kids.
•Love them more when they’re difficult.
•Love them the most when they push you away.
•Every child who walks through our doors belongs to all of us.
•Every child deserves our best everyday.
Lewis said it takes a combination of caring adults at home, in the community and in the schools to help with the emotional development of students. In short, she said students need good role models.
With that in mind, the school’s SEL committee reinforced the need for Navin’s mentorship program, that involves firefighters from the nearby Decker Fire Station and representatives of Big Brothers/Big Sisters.
The school also continued use of the PAX program, which encourages student good behavior. A student welcoming committee was put in place to help ease the anxiety of incoming students and a program called Heart Kids was created in which staff spend time with children who need additional emotional support.
The staff has also adopted what it calls “mindful practices” which help students deal with pressure through activities that can be as simple as deep breathing exercises.
Lewis said the importance of weaving reading into a student’s emotional development was also a focus, so staff created a pair of related programs.
The One School, One Book project involves students reading and discussing the same piece of literature, while the Bedtime Stories program is more personal. One staff member per week volunteers to make a video of themselves reading a selected bedtime story and the recording is then uploaded and made available to all students. Often the staff members will involve their own families, and even pets, to give the videos a more personal touch.
Lewis said the students then have a series of digital stories which can be viewed, if a family member is not available at bedtime.
“When you think of someone not having anyone to read them a bedtime story,” Lewis said before pausing. “…We could fix that.”
Lewis said another idea that developed from the SEL program is a series of in-school clubs that span a variety of topics and activities. Nearly 30 clubs are lead by staff and community members.
Lewis leads a club that teaches sign language and she said Lieutenant Keith Watson of the Marysville Fire Department runs a popular Building Club which receives support from local home improvement stores.
Other clubs include Read to Rover, Yoga (two groups), Exercise, Jazzercise, Lego, Art (two groups), Walking, Slime, Climbing, 4-Square, Cooking, Fort Building, Board Games, Science, Music/Dance, Pen Pal/Autographs, Hot Wheels, Theater, Coloring/Word Search/Sodoku, Bracelet Making, Kindness, Puzzle, Dress-Up and Sewing.