SEL at North Marion Intermediate School

By Jillian Daley

You know the saying about going to that happy place in your head when your world feels like it's imploding? If you really do imagine that balmy beach or quiet cabin by the lake, research shows that you actually feel better.

It works so well that the Intermediate School, which encompasses grades 3 to 5, added a real-life happy place, well, more of a soothing place. Students step into the Zen Den in school when emotions threaten to overwhelm them, and there’s a calming corner in each classroom. That “aloe” feeling has soaked into the walls of the Intermediate School, where a Culture of Care radiates an air of welcome. 

This is the result of a great staff along with SEL tools: RULER, MTSS, and Sources of Strength. The Intermediate School also adopted other tools, including Sanford Harmony, which shows students how to recognize and respect each other’s differences and similarities, and PAX, which helps students to improve their behavior and environment by visualizing what they would see, hear, do, and feel in their ideal classroom.  

Because of these SEL efforts, the students are excelling at understanding and regulating emotions. Principal Cory Gaub says that all of these measures help his students shine.

“This year, we are seeing a reduced number of responses needed for unexpected behaviors and students applying positive skills within interactions at school,” Gaub says. “Our staff does an excellent job of creating the conditions where kids can thrive.”

Among the key staff members helping students to thrive is Intermediate School Counselor Jordan Rayburn, who teaches the students about Sources of Strength once a week in every classroom. Rayburn explains that SEL establishes “a safe and supportive community in the classroom in which students can feel seen, heard, and valued.”

“This supports students in being present, engaged and motivated,” Rayburn says. “SEL also teaches students how to be regulated learners, so they can better access academic materials. While there are many academic benefits to SEL, it goes far beyond that. SEL also makes a positive and lasting impact on our students’ lives by helping them to develop the skills they need for the development of a healthy identity and healthy relationships.”

How is the School District practicing SEL? How is your school practicing SEL? Find out:

• SEL at North Marion High School
• SEL at North Marion Middle School
• SEL at North Marion Intermediate School
• SEL at North Marion Primary School

To share a story about the North Marion School District, email Communications Specialist Jillian Daley at jillian.daley@nmarion.k12.or.us.