ACE Academy’s Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) program fosters self-awareness, empathy, and resilience through intentional, developmentally appropriate practices woven into daily life across all grade levels.
WHOLE CHILD APPROACH
We pride ourselves on an effective Social Emotional Learning (SEL) curriculum that embeds respect, cooperation and responsibility into our daily lives.
ACE values social emotional learning (SEL) as a core part of our curriculum as well as the practice of embedding it into daily teaching practices.
To emphasize the importance of this, our evaluation process includes meaningful criteria that builds from Pre-K to 8th grade.
Teachers use an emotional intelligence philosophy that aligns with the needs of their particular class. The School Counselor supports the teacher and class by teaching weekly lessons and meeting with individuals and small groups as needed.
Research shows that SEL programs not only promote social skills and emotional development in the short-term, but also future wellness as students graduate from high school and enter into their career fields.
Restorative Practices
In August 2024, all ACE staff were trained in restorative practices as a proactive and responsive approach to building community, resolving conflict, and fostering student growth. Rooted in the values of relationships, respect, responsibility, repair, and reintegration, these practices aim to strengthen connections, prevent harm, and promote accountability.
Restorative practices at ACE fall into two categories: đźź Proactive Practices (e.g., daily check-in circles, empathy-building discussions) are used regularly to build trust, emotional safety, and belonging within the school community. đźź Reparative Practices (e.g., peer mediations, formal conferences) are used to resolve conflict and repair harm through structured dialogue, emphasizing reflection, accountability, and learning rather than punishment.
The overall goal is to create an inclusive environment where all students feel seen, heard, and supported, while equipping them with lifelong communication and conflict-resolution skills.
You'll find thoughtful and educational content written by our school counselor on our SEL resource page, The Nest. These articles will give you insight into how ACE supports the gifted student and their social emotional learning.
ACE Academy's SEL Program individualizes the Social and Emotional supports for all students.
You may have noticed that the phrase all students is bolded and underlined above. That’s intentional—at ACE, the role of the counselor extends far beyond one-on-one sessions with a select few. Our SEL program is designed to support and engage every student in our community.
ACE supports the gifted student as an individual through regular touch points. ACE Engage is a signature course that helps students develop a sense of connection toward themselves, their peers and their community.
Students participate each week in one of the three key engagement areas: health & wellness, executive functioning, leadership, and team building. These skills are critical to the overall well-being of gifted children.
Upper School Advisory
Our upper school students are each assigned an advocate and a mentor. Through weekly meetings we are able to connect with students in a personal, meaningfulway.
These weekly check-ins foster a gifted child’s academic and social emotional growth and build strong, positive relationships with adults outside of their immediate family. When possible, advisors stay with their advisees throughout their upper school experience.
SpACEs
SpACEs is ACE Academy’s reimagined classroom model designed to naturally integrate sensory and active learning accommodations into the daily environment, creating a supportive and flexible space for all students.
Key components include flexible seating (such as wiggle stools and bean bags), alternative lighting to create a calming atmosphere and fidgets to help students stay self-regulated and focused.
The Sensory Room at ACE Academy is a calming space designed to help students recognize their emotions and regulate their energy. In this supportive environment, students first identify what emotions they are feeling, then select two activities to help them return to the "green zone," where they feel calm, focused, and ready to learn. The room offers a variety of sensory tools and choices to meet individual needs and promote self-awareness and emotional balance.
