At Parkwood Hill, we believe the emotional intelligence (EQ) of our students is just as important as their IQ.  The skills associated with EQ are necessary for anyone to become a healthy, well-adjusted adult, and intermediate school presents a unique opportunity to focus on these things.  This is the first time our students meet hundreds of new peers from multiple elementary campuses, and a time when their levels of independence and personal responsibility increase dramatically.

On our campus, we have adopted the RULER Approach, developed by Yale University’s Center for Emotional Intelligence.  Through RULER, students learn to Recognize, Understand, Label, Express, and Regulate their emotions.  There are at least 3 evidence-based tools that our students learn as part of this approach. The first is the Class Charter, which allows students in the classroom to articulate how they want to feel at school, then work together to agree upon behaviors that support those feelings.  The second is the Mood Meter, which helps students do regular check-ins to recognize and understand how they are feeling.  It can also help them understand patterns in their emotional experience and where they may struggle during the day.  Finally, students navigate difficulties with others by using The Blueprint.  This RULER tool helps students resolve conflict by seeing other points of view, and considering alternative ways to deal with the situation should it come up again.

In addition to these incredible tools, our day includes some intentional time for mindfulness and connection with others.  Students start every school day with Nexus, a time for connection with their teacher and classmates.  The Nexus morning meeting can include a class discussion, a game, or another activity which adds depth to relationships within the classroom. 

Each afternoon ends with a moment of mindfulness. This "Mindful Moment" is a transition time developed to provide peace, quiet, and deep breathing for our students as they prepare to move from school to home, soccer practice, or any number of afterschool activities.  There is little quiet in a child’s world, so we know the practice of making time for quiet and calm can have a major impact on stress levels and the ability to self-regulate emotions.

We want our students to be confident, connected to others in our school, and able to find ways to manage stress/conflict when life gets tough; therefore, we believe these tools are imperative for the development of healthy young people, who will become healthy adults.