Charlottesville City Schools

Teaching skills for positive relationships and mental wellness

We think of schools teaching the “three Rs,” but Charlottesville City Schools is also committed to a fourth R — relationships. Our counselors teach social and emotional skills when they visit classrooms, work with small groups or individuals, host clubs, and organize activities. Since 2015, we have also begun adding social-emotional learning (SEL) to our regular classroom curriculum to teach specific behaviors, such as the ability to recognize and regulate emotions. We recognize that social and emotional skills are a key element of mental wellness.

Social-Emotional Learning Resources

Our primary resources are:

RethinkED
Second Step
Zones of Regulation
DBT Skills in Schools
The DESSA system for assessing social-emotional competencies (Devereux Student Strengths Assessment)
Trauma-responsive practices
Wildrock ecotherapy park and our City Schoolyard Gardens

Many professionals recognize five core competencies in SEL:

self-awareness
self-management
social awareness
relationship skills
responsible decision-making

SEL Connections

Social-emotional learning and mental health are part of a broader commitment to wellness in Charlottesville City Schools as supported by our Wellness Policy and our Strategic Plan.

This includes:

encouraging physical wellness
creating systems of supports at our schools to promote positive behavior, academic success, and mental wellness
establishing trauma-responsive practices
fostering a positive school culture and community
empowering our school counselors and Student Services staff such as social workers and psychologists
promoting safety