• Curriculum: Educating The Whole Child
• Healthy Choices
• Social and Emotional
• Learning Through Expression
• Meeting Individual Needs
• Resources To Enhance Learning
• Community Service Program
• After School Program

• Elementary School
• Middle School
• Upper School

Social and Emotional Curriculum Provides Readiness for Academic Learning

More and more studies are showing that student success is linked not only to academic achievement, but to emotional intelligence.  To support these findings, the MMFS staff developed a curriculum to directly teach social and emotional skills.
Students with learning disabilities are particularly vulnerable to low self-esteem which impacts directly on their ability to take the risks necessary to acquire knowledge. Current research shows that social and emotional readiness is a prerequisite for readiness to learn.

In Social and Emotional class, students are learning skills to help them build the self-esteem and confidence necessary to take the risks inherent in learning new information; and teachers are helping students to develop age-appropriate social skills. The curriculum is structured around four goals for our students:

• To read and identify feelings;
• Build communication skills, both verbal and nonverbal;
• Develop social awareness;
• Manage emotions.

The Social and Emotional Curriculum grew out of the annual Learning and the Brain Conference hosted by Harvard and Stanford Universities. Many of our teachers have attended this conference, and the information learned there continues to inspire curriculum development.

The work of Dr. Rick Lavoie has also informed the curriculum. Dr. Lavoie is an expert on educating students with special needs and a creator of award-winning films about learning disabilities. He conducted a half-day training with our staff, served as a consultant, and presented at the Mary McDowell Teaching and Learning Center's Prominent Speaker Series. Dr. Lavoie provided extremely helpful information and guidance.