Consistent with the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) and Collaborative for Social Emotional Learning (CASEL), the District describes Social Emotional Learning (SEL) as the process through which all young people and adults acquire and apply the knowledge, skills, and attitudes to develop healthy identities, manage emotions and achieve personal and collective goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain supportive relationships, and make responsible and caring decisions.
SEL skills help all young people and adults thrive personally and academically, develop and maintain positive relationships, become lifelong learners, and contribute to a more caring and just world.  
The district has adopted the CASEL Framework and school-wide approach to SEL to help cultivate the skills and environment that advance student learning and development.
The CASEL Framework addresses five broad and interrelated areas of competence including self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making. The CASEL competencies align with the competencies we have identified through the Portrait of a Needham Graduate and can be taught and applied at various developmental stages from childhood to adulthood and across diverse cultural contexts.

When fully implemented, you will see SEL woven throughout all classrooms, across the school building, and in the broader school community.  Our goal as a district is to ensure every student learns within an environment that provides: explicit SEL Instruction, SEL integrated with academic instruction, opportunities for youth voice and engagement, supportive school and classroom climates, and partnerships with family and community members that enhance and support the learning experience of all students.