This past month at Kennedy High School, YESS Institute students have been learning a ton about emotional intelligence, communication, and connection. To start, YESS students at Kennedy have been focusing on the Road to Success curriculum's Healthy Relationship Unit. While this unit focuses heavily on the social-emotional learning (SEL) domain of Relationship Skills, students also focus on SEL skills such as self awareness and self management.
Healthy relationships offer a safe space for individuals to express their emotions and learn how to regulate them effectively. Through interactions with others, we gain insights into our own emotions and develop strategies for managing them in different social contexts. Healthy relationships serve as the cornerstone of SEL. Through cultivating healthy relationships, we are better equipped to navigate life's challenges, build meaningful connections, and lead fulfilling lives.
Here is what one YESS student said about their experience in learning about SEL topics in the YESS Classroom:
YESS Student Voices
"My experience with SEL topics and activities has been informative and refreshing. It’s refreshing in the sense that my teacher will ask me questions about how I am feeling on that certain day or random get to know me questions. In a school setting for my teacher to truly care or be concerned about a student's mental load for the day is rare. It feels refreshing to be in a setting at school where it’s not strictly teacher on student but person to person. I get to learn more about mental health, communication skills, and collaboration."
-- YESS Student - Kennedy High School
Playing Telephone
The YESS students at Kennedy High School have engaged in many building activities over the last month. They played a game of telephone (which many students had not played before!). In this activity, the first player thinks of a sentence, then whispers it into the ear of the player next to them. That person whispers what they thought they heard to the next person, and so on down the line, until the last player reveals what was whispered into their ear. Usually, the message has dramatically changed between the message the first player thought up and the message the last player heard, often with humorous results.
Students were surprised at the end of the game to see how different the end message was from it's original form in the beginning. This activity is aimed at improving communication skills. In particular, students come to better understand the reality of miscommunication and false information.
Effective communication is essential for building and maintaining healthy relationships. These skills enable individuals to express themselves authentically, navigate interpersonal conflicts constructively, and foster positive connections with others.
Hot Buttons
In addition to playing telephone and learning about effective (and ineffective) communication, students learned about their "hot buttons". Students filled out worksheets where they reflected on what pushes their buttons and makes them feel angry. They also wrote about things that calmed them down and made them feel less angry ("cool buttons"). This gives students a chance to practice self-awareness and really consider their own needs and become more mindful of the right times to implement their "cool buttons" and manage their emotions effectively and appropriately.
When we can effectively manage their emotions, we experience greater emotional resilience and are better equipped to handle challenges and setbacks in relationships, promoting mutual support and growth. By cultivating self-awareness, managing emotions effectively, and practicing empathy and understanding, we can build stronger, more fulfilling connections that promote mutual respect, trust, and well-being.
Monday Study Hall
At Kennedy High School, every Monday is a designated study hall and check in day. Students utilize Mondays to focus on the SEL domain Responsible Decision Making. Students are asked to pick one class they feel they need to focus on in order to have a better grade or understanding of the class, and that is the class they will work on for the day. On some Mondays, students will complete a grade check and reflection. Having a designated Study Hall and Grade Check allows students to create a habit of checking their grades and making sure they are on top of their school work; this also gives the students an opportunity to reflect on not only which classes they might need help with, but also which classes they feel the most confident in. These days also provide space for our mentoring students to check in with their mentees and act as a tutor if the mentees need them.
Goal-setting & Financial Literacy
To carry on the "Responsible Decision-making" domain, Kennedy students also introduced lessons in YESS' "Wealth Unit" of the Road to Success Curriculum. During the Wealth unit, students make short-, mid- and long-term goals. Students are also encouraged to define their own definitions of wealth.
Students were divided into three groups. The first group was given money at the start of the activity, and did not have to do anything further. Groups two and three were then asked to collect as much money as they could from the ground. The second group had a 10 second head start from group 3. During and after the activity, students discussed wealth disparity and its impact on communities.
Guest Speakers
YESS Classroom at Kennedy also had their first guest speakers join them during the "Wealth Unit" of the YESS Classroom curriculum. The guest speakers talked to the classes about different career opportunities post high school. The guest speakers included Shawn Culton (JFK Class of 2012 Alum), and Alicia Scully from Queen Bee Realty. Shawn is a realtor who served as a guest speaker last year, discussing opportunities in real estate with YESS students. He was thrilled to return and address the students again this year. Many of our returning YESS students were excited to have Shawn back in the classroom.
Hearing from Parents
YESS Institute's social-emotional learning programs make lasting impacts on youth. Here is what one Kennedy High School Parent said about the benefits of YESS:
"The main benefit I’ve seen this year of my son having YESS mentoring is the support he gets on a whole-child scale approach. This meaning that they definitely meet the child’s needs on their level and identify areas in which my son needs to improve. This course has been a godsend for my son in keeping his 3.9 GPA. I hope future Kennedy students will be able to experience the positive impact YESS creates for their students. My son has been able to find balance to focus on academics while also being a student athlete."
- Parent of a YESS Student at Kennedy High School
Student Perspectives
Kennedy High School YESS Students shared some of their insights that emerged recently in their classroom. One student reflected on "Hot Buttons," a core lesson taught in the YESS Classroom.
"A challenge I believe I had to go through was self reflecting on hot buttons and trying to find ways to create cool buttons in order to keep calm. Some notable insights that occurred were navigating through relationships and having a deeper understanding of what different types of relationships look like. When looking at the relationships I also began understanding how to better your relationships and get them to an ideal place in order for all participants in the relationship to benefit."
- YESS Student - Kennedy High School
A special thank you to Kennedy High School, YESS Students, and YESS' talented Program Manager, Jocelyne!
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