Award Recognizes Social Emotional Learning Program In Mendham Schools

MENDHAM, NJ — The Social Emotional Learning program at Mendham Township Elementary School was recognized as part of the New Jersey School Boards Association's Annual School Leader Awards, which highlight innovative and effective programs in New Jersey schools.

Out of 19 entries, the judges of the 2022 School Leader Award program chose one school district for exemplary program recognition and five recognized programs this year.

Mendham Township School District was one of the five recognized programs.

Entries for the School Leader Awards were evaluated based on the level of innovation, how well the program addressed specific student needs, and the program's relationship to the New Jersey Student Learning Standards and results.

Mendham will be honored with a plaque at an upcoming county school board association event and will be featured in a future issue of the School Leader magazine, a NJSBA publication.

Since its implementation in 2021, the Social Emotional Learning (SEL) program has grown to become a critical component of the elementary school's curriculum, officials said.

The program was created in response to the difficulties that students were experiencing prior to the pandemic in managing peer relationships, regulating emotions and dealing with anxious and worrying behaviors.

The school's faculty, school counselor and the administration collaborated to develop a method for students to improve their problem-solving and interpersonal communication skills.

“Throughout the 2019-2020 school year, pre-pandemic, it became evident that our students were experiencing increasing difficulties managing peer relationships, regulating emotions, and showing higher levels of worry and anxious behaviors,” MTES principal Dr. Julianne Kotcho said. “We knew we needed to move quickly to apply a different approach to help support students' emotional wellbeing.”

Students in the SEL program learn skills such as conflict resolution, citizenship, responsibility, and safety. The fundamentals of these skills are taught through an exercise called "Morning Meeting," in which students engage in greeting, sharing, activity, news and announcements to one another and teachers.

Students are also getting hands-on experience through "Tiger Leaders" and "MTES Safety Patrol," two groups formed for fourth-grade students to take on leadership roles for their younger peers.

Older students visit younger classes to help with school spirit days, skits, and team-building exercises as "Tiger Leaders." The "Safety Patrol" attended meetings with teachers to learn about recess safety and conflict resolution protocols.

“Our school counselors, teachers, and staff worked hard to implement a comprehensive program to strengthen the five SEL competencies and create a strong positive school culture,” Kotcho said. “We believe that the results of the post-test survey will show growth in our goal areas and the actions taken during this process will allow us to provide continued and sustainable support to all students post-pandemic and, in the years, to come.”

Because of the program's success, MTES has decided to expand it and begin building a new "SEL and Health and Wellness Center" for the school to facilitate these programs and provide space for future growth.