“Look at Chang in the photo. How do you think he feels?” asked Gina Cusimano, Bush Elementary School counselor. “Look at the context of what he is doing in the photo. Who is he being approached by?”

“His teacher, maybe he feels shy or frustrated,” said a third-grader.

“Try looking at his body language and facial expressions. Remember when we talked about having empathy for someone? What does that mean?”

“It means to understand what someone is feeling,” said another student.

“Yes. Why do you think he might be frustrated?”

“It looks like he forgot his homework and his teacher is upset with him,” said another third-grader.

“You are right. Have you ever forgotten something important like your homework or having a paper signed?”

Everyone raised a hand.

“That means we are all empathetic to Chang’s situation,” Cusimano said. “What would Chang’s first step be, so he won’t keep forgetting his homework at home and be frustrated at school?”

Cusimano was working with a group of third-grade students on character education through the Second Step program, which helps build skills for academic and social success. The program has been offered in the Jamestown Schools for many years but has been updated this year with new resources including songs, CDs and video clips to add a more interactive component to the program. At Bush School, every student in kindergarten through fourth grades receives Second Step training at least two times a month for 50 minutes with Cusimano. Second Step is only one aspect of Cusimano’s job as a school counselor, but it gives her the opportunity to meet with every child in the school on a monthly basis.

Social-emotional skills – like academic skills – build on each other. Second Step’s universal, classroom-based program is designed to teach children how to understand and manage their emotions, control their reactions, be aware of others’ feelings, and have the skills to problem solve and make responsible decisions. Each grade-level kit includes easy-to-teach, short weekly lessons, engaging songs and games, and daily activities and take-home materials to reinforce learning. All grade levels learn skills for listening, more about empathy, emotion management and problem solving. The JPS Strategic Plan directly addresses the district’s intent to educate the whole-child in Goal 2, and the Second Step Program helps towards that goal. It is also a good compliment to Bush School’s PBIS (Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports) program. Cusimano likes to enhance her lessons with supplemental materials, such as reading books with the students that correlate with the social-emotional skill they are studying.

“We are introducing life skills that the students will need to succeed every day,” Cusimano said. “All of the lessons tie into the school’s motto of, ‘I am Respectful, I am Responsible and I am Peaceful.’ It also reinforces our expectations of how students should be acting both inside and outside of school. There is a common language that we all speak at Bush School, which will help prepare our students to become responsible and productive citizens.”