Our Story
In 2019, a dedicated team of BMSS staff members who recognized the importance of students' social and emotional wellbeing to their overall development, came together to form a working group with the view to implementing a school wide social emotional learning program at BMSS.
Rather than adopting a ready-made commercial program, the group spent 12 months identifying the essential elements needed to support the social and emotional wellbeing of BMSS students. At the conclusion of this process, explicit lessons were created by an appointed PERKS teacher who began delivering explicit PERKS lessons across the school in 2020. This ensured that the program was both effective and tailored to the unique needs of our students, creating a comprehensive and impactful learning experience.
The project name, "The PERKS Project," evolved from a set of core values and beliefs. The word "PERKS" was chosen for its positive connotations and its ability to inspire confidence. The term Project was preferred over Program due to its implication of fluidity and continuous evolution, as opposed to the more rigid and scheduled nature of a program.
The content used in The PERKS Project draws from multiple disciplines, integrating insights from developmental and positive psychology, neuroscience, education, success research, mindfulness, and change theory.
The working group agreed that a common language and artefacts associated with PERKS were crucial to the project's success, and this became the focus of all lesson planning. To foster parent understanding and involvement, regular newsletter articles are shared, with the ultimate goal of embedding the common language at home as well.