Stafford County Public Schools (SCPS) is committed to supporting the growth and development of the whole child.  The social and emotional, physical, and behavioral health of our students are always primary factors in decisions, efforts, and initiatives to support their academic and life success. The Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) defines social and emotional learning (SEL) as “the process through which children and adults understand and manage emotions, set and achieve positive goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain positive relationships, and make responsible decisions.”  SCPS has incorporated the Social and Emotional Health of students into the district's Continuous Improvement Model which guides decisions, initiatives, and programming to support the success of our school community. The Virginia Department of Education’s social-emotional learning (SEL) efforts are driven by a commitment to ensure that every student in Virginia attends a school that maximizes their potential and prepares them for the future: academically, socially, and emotionally.

As an integral component of the learning process, Social-Emotional Learning has been intentionally incorporated into the daily schedule of all SCPS students.  Lessons, activities, and strategies to support the social-emotional health of all students will be shared with students in various formats to ensure the learning is seamlessly connected to their growth and development.  To support the delivery of this learning, a Social-Emotional Learning Framework (SELF) has been developed based on the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL).  CASEL is a trusted source for knowledge about high-quality, evidence-based, social and emotional learning (SEL). CASEL supports educators and policy leaders and enhances the experiences and outcomes for all PreK-12 students. SCPS’s SELF includes weekly focus topics and sample lessons/activities for classroom implementation.  The SELF is based on the five core competencies of the CASEL framework: Self-Awareness; Self-Management; Social-Awareness; Relationship Skills; and Responsible Decision Making. 

One exciting resource available for all SCPS staff to access and use to support the SEL of students is Panorama.  Panorama is an online resource intended to help school districts support student and adult SEL with research-backed screeners and actionable data reports.  It is also aligned with the CASEL framework and provides educators with a vast amount of SEL resources.  It allows students to complete a brief SEL screener to answer a few questions that provide us with information to help focus our efforts on some of their more immediate social-emotional needs.  The screener is available to students in the language of their choice to allow for the most reflective responses possible and will be conducted at least twice per year to monitor and adjust efforts and programming. For our younger students in grades PreK-2, their teachers will share reflections on what they have noticed about the students, and they will also have access to resources to help guide their support. In addition to the survey and its data, Panorama provides an educators' Playbook that includes lessons and activities that are directly aligned with each area of support identified in the screener and aligned with our district’s SELF.  We know the feedback from this communicative tool and the resources provided through the Playbook will greatly support our teachers and staff as they work to enhance the social and emotional learning, growth, and development of all students.  Frequently Asked Questions about Panorama.

Each school is supported by Specialized Instructional Support Personnel (SISP) who are focused on the social-emotional, physical, and behavioral health of our students; these professionals are School Counselors, School Social Workers, School Psychologists, School Diagnosticians, School Behavior Support Specialists, and School Nurses.  All of these professionals have primary responsibilities for supporting the needs of students and their families. However, a segment of the group is responsible for supporting specific, social-emotional needs of students and they represent the Mental Health Teams (MHT) at each building; these groups are School Counselors, School Social Workers, and School Psychologists.  Together, all of these professionals are great resources for students, staff, parents, and the community and are ready to help! 

Please visit the school website(s) for your family for more information about the MHT members available to support your needs. Please note: Staff members are expected to respond within 24 hours on workdays; this does not include weekends, holidays, or non-workdays; therefore, these resources should not be used for emergency situations.  In the case of an emergency situation, please reach out to a trusted family member who may be able to provide immediate help.  You may also find emergency resources at these numbers: