Social Emotional Development

Social Development includes learning the values, knowledge and skills that enable students  to interact with others effectively and develop positive relationships.  Social development has been flagged as one of the key characteristics in successful leaders.

As part of social development at Akiva we tailor our programming to meet the social, emotional and developmental needs of our students. Our program is grounded in Akiva’s 5 promises, which sets the tone for the climate and culture of our school.  The 5 promises, clear action statements that are meaningful to children, are used as a point of reference in all social emotional learning. Our goal is to be proactive and reinforce positive self-esteem, self-awareness and the importance of building healthy relationships. We are committed to each student’s academic and personal growth. We believe that social emotional learning is essential in helping our students develop the life skills necessary to be successful members of our community.

Our social development department offers the following:

Programming by cycle:

Cycle 1:

• Social skill building
• Bullying prevention programs
• Prosocial activities focusing on compassion, empathy and kindness

Cycle 2:

• Conflict resolution
• Building healthy relationships
• Emotional self-regulation

Cycle 3:

• Leadership and community building
• Puberty education
• Stress management

In addition to these grade-specific programs, Akiva School also runs school-wide educational initiatives with respect to social development including:

Anti-bullying day

• School wide activity based on prosocial themes such as kindness, leadership and community.
• Integrating activities within the curriculum

Workshops and Professional Development

• Parent information sessions
• Workshops with staff around classroom management and social strategies

Akiva Social Emotional Learning Department

With a strong focus on social emotional development, Akiva has invested in a strong team of professionals to teach and guide our students across all grades. The social development department shares and collaborates with students, teachers to help each student grow and succeed. For more information on our social development department and services we offer, please contact the Social Emotional Learning team:

• Jaimee Kravitz – Director of Counselling
• Stephen Lord – Director of Student Culture and Climate
• Stephanie Gliksman – School Counsellor
• Lisa Bornstein – Mind and Movement Instructor