“Our hope at Angus Valley Elementary is that the social emotional skills [our students] learn here, especially early on, will make a lifelong impact on their growth and development,” said Ashley Canterbury, the school counselor at Angus Valley Elementary. During the 2017-2018 school year, the Angus Valley Elementary Principal, Angelia Noel, added a social skills segment to the specials rotation, which also includes PE, music, and technology. A district-wide character education committee from Sand Springs Public Schools helped identify key character traits deemed critical for students to discuss and learn in the socialemotional portion of the specials rotation.
how they are feeling. As the year progresses, components of the program focus on social and relationship skills, which the students practice by playing games and discussing how to take turns, exhibiting good workmanship, and identifying how to work together.
“Personal growth is the intention behind the entire program. We take seriously our responsibility to teach our students more than just academics” - Ashley Canterbury
The program honors select students each week and month based on the current trait being taught, plus it invites members of the community to present engaging programs on various topics. The ParentChild Center of Tulsa and the Tulsa Health Department have visited to discuss everything from identifying and preventing bullying to practicing personal hygiene.
At the beginning of each new school year, the rotation begins with teaching students self-regulation skills that will help them be successful in their classrooms. These lessons show students how to be good listeners, how to identify feelings, how to stay in control of their emotions, and how to appropriately communicate 28 WeAreSandSprings.com | March 2020
“Personal growth is the intention behind the entire program. We take seriously our responsibility to teach our students more than just academics,” Canterbury said, “and of course, academics are a priority, [but] we want to see our students develop into well-rounded adults one day and that requires so much more than just reading and math.”
