Rice Lake: It's Fall, Y'all!

“Autumn! A time of hot chocolatey mornings, and toasty marshmallow evenings, and, best of all, leaping into leaves!” — Winnie the Pooh

Happy fall! 🌰 🍂

🏫 Rice Lake Elementary Newsletter

From the Principal’s Desk – Social Emotional Learning (SEL) at Rice Lake

“When children feel seen, heard, and valued, their hearts open to learning.” 💛

🌟 Growing Together Through Social Emotional Learning

At Rice Lake Elementary, we are dedicated to nurturing the whole child. This year, our staff and students are engaging in our Social Emotional Learning (SEL) plan—a shared journey that helps every child grow in understanding themselves, connecting with others, and building a positive school community.

Our work is guided by the CASEL Framework, which centers on five key skills:
🧠 Self-Awareness 💪 Self-Management 💬 Social Awareness 🤝 Relationship Skills ⚖️ Responsible Decision-Making and PBIS School wide positive programming

🗓️ Monthly SEL Focus Themes

Each month brings a new opportunity for students to learn and practice skills that strengthen both classroom and school-wide relationships.

🍎 Sept Community BuildingLearning our school expectations, creating calming corners, and building a sense of belonging together.

🎃 Oct Self-Management & RegulationUnderstanding our emotions and practicing strategies to stay calm and focused.

🍂 Nov GratitudeShowing appreciation for others through Gratitude Grams and reflection activities.

🎁 Dec Compassion & EmpathyPracticing kindness and understanding others’ feelings and experiences.

🤝 Jan Relationships & CooperationBuilding teamwork and communication within classrooms and buddy groups.

💗 Feb KindnessCelebrating I Love to Read Month and spreading acts of kindness across the school.

🌈 Mar Conflict ResolutionLearning respectful ways to solve problems and rebuild trust.

🌿 Apr ResponsibilityRecognizing how our choices affect ourselves, our classroom, and our community.

🌸 MayCelebration of Learning & CultureHonoring growth and celebrating the diversity that makes Rice Lake strong.

“SEL helps our students find their calm, their voice, and their confidence.”

🧩 What’s Happening in Classrooms

Twice each week during Morning Meeting, teachers lead lessons from Harmony SEL, a program that helps students build social and emotional skills through conversation, role-play, and reflection.

• 🪞 Calming Corners and Take-a-Break Chairs help students self-regulate and reflect.

• 🧸 The Zones of Regulation guide helps students recognize feelings and find strategies to return to calm.

• 💬 Teachers and Educational Support Professionals (ESPs) collaborate during WIN Time to provide targeted SEL support.

Students also take part in our Big & Little Buddy Program, connecting younger and older students for fun, friendship, and leadership activities that model empathy and cooperation.

💡 What Staff Are Doing

Our teachers meet in Professional Learning Teams (PLTs) each month to discuss how SEL connects to academics and student success. Together, we ask:

• What do we want our students to learn?

• How do we know they’re learning it?

• What will we do if they need more support—or are ready for a challenge?

This collaboration keeps our SEL work “tight”—consistent, equitable, and student-focused across the school.

💬 Partnering with Families

We know that strong SEL growth happens when school and home work together. This year, we are looking for more ways to include family voice in our SEL work.

Families can look forward to:

👂 Opportunities to share feedback and ideas
🏡 Family SEL nights and classroom showcases
📘 Home resources to support emotional learning and connection

“SEL doesn’t stop at the school doors—it grows stronger when families and schools learn together.”

If you’d like to share ideas or get involved in our SEL journey, please reach out—we’d love to hear your voice!

💙 Together, we’re building a Rice Lake community where every student feels safe, valued, and ready to learn—academically, socially, and emotionally.