NewsSEW program knits wellness with academics
Nov. 23, 2015
The students sit in class, eyes forward staring at a
large hand-drawn clock on the board. As the teacher calls
out, “One! Seven! One! Seven!” their eyes dart from number
to number.
They’re not anxiously watching the clock and waiting for the
class period to end. Rather, these students are in the
middle of a session with Joseph Prestianni, one of
Monticello Central School District’s Social and Emotional
Wellness (SEW) facilitators. The program initially began
last year at Rutherford Elementary School, and became so
successful that the district decided to expand it to each
elementary school.
“OK, rub your hands for five seconds,” Prestianni calls. The
students rub their hands together furiously as he counts
down, “Five, four, three, two, one. Now that your hands are
warmed up, place them over your eyes.”
It’s
all part of an exercise to stimulate students’ brain
function before delving into this week’s activity. With a
SEW facilitator in each Monticello elementary school, each
class receives a visit once during each six-day cycle.
Visits can include writing projects, field trips, technology
activities or physical exercises. This week, Prestianni
reads a book called “Enemy Pie,” where the protagonist of
the story learns that with kindness and cooperation, even
enemies can turn into best friends.
“The goal of this program is to equip all of our students
with emotional and social skills,” said Prestianni, who has
taught in the Monticello School District for 14 years. “When
students learn the social skills necessary to work together
and treat one another with respect and kindness, they learn
the skills that are critical to succeed at life.”
Aside from the social skills, students learn how to calm
themselves and focus through techniques such as deep
breathing, yoga poses, and even hand-eye activities such as
the clock and hand-rubbing activity. Incorporating physical
motion into the lesson helps students gain a sense of
mindfulness and awareness that may help them succeed in and
out of the classroom.
“I love [the SEW program],” said Chase Elementary 4th grade
teacher Maryann Swenson. “It teaches the students how to
deal with each other and any issues they may have at school.
And the lesson carries over throughout the day. If there
ever is an issue, we draw from these lessons to deal with
it.”
The lesson doesn’t just extend throughout school day, it can
extend throughout the child’s life. Parents of elementary
students can help emphasize the importance of having these
skills at home.
“I think that parents can reinforce what we're doing in
school by helping their children to learn to slow down
(breathe), and think about the best way to approach a
situation before acting,” said Elisa Mendels, SEW
Facilitator at Cooke Elementary. “They can encourage their
children to label and express their feelings. They can also
encourage positive peer relationships by helping their
children to find positive attributes in others.”
“If students are not comfortable with their surroundings,
they’re not going to learn,” said Lynn Selkirk, who is the
SEW facilitator at Kenneth L. Rutherford School. “When
they’re open-minded and happy, they can learn more. Wellness
is about giving students the tools to keep themselves happy
and therefore more receptive to learning.”
“I like when Mr. Prestianni comes into our class,” said C.J.
Poitras, a 4th grade student at Chase. “Sometimes, people
work hard in school and struggle and then they get stressed
out. But, when Mr. Prestianni comes, he helps us learn how
to relax.”
