June Experiential Connection Calendar
- Kikori Support
- Jun 1
- 8 min read
Updated: 11 minutes ago
This June, Kikori's theme is "Reflect & Shine: Embracing Leadership and End-of-Year Achievements!" It’s time to celebrate the growth, leadership, and resilience students have shown throughout the year. This month invites students to reflect on their accomplishments, recognize their impact on others, and step confidently into leadership roles—ready to shine in the next chapter of their journey!
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🌟 What is the Kikori Experiential Connection Calendar?
The Kikori Experiential Connection Calendar is a research-based resource designed to help PreK–5 students build essential life skills through meaningful and joyful experiences. Aligned with CASEL’s core competencies and grounded in Kolb’s Experiential Learning Cycle, the calendar features daily activities inspired by national days, monthly themes, and reflection prompts that encourage self-awareness, empathy, teamwork, and leadership. Each month includes four age-appropriate learning intentions, making it easy for educators to bring connection, reflection, and growth into the classroom—no extra prep needed!
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June Calendar + FREE Morning Meetings
💻 How to Access the Kikori Experiential Connection Calendar for Free:
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Click "Sign Up" or "Log In" to create your free educator account or access your existing one.
Enter your email to subscribe and unlock instant access to the calendar and companion resources.
Download Kikori’s CLICKABLE June SEL Calendar below with one FREE Morning Meeting and Advisory session every week designed to foster connections, community and belonging.
This June, let’s reflect, celebrate, and shine! 🌟
As the school year wraps up, it’s the perfect time to recognize how far students have come—individually and together. Let’s help them reflect on their growth, celebrate their accomplishments, and step into leadership as they prepare for what’s next. June is all about honoring progress and empowering students to shine bright as confident, compassionate leaders!
Elementary (K-5) SEL Calendar
Advisory (Middle / High School) SEL Calendar
Daily Morning Meeting and Advisory Activities to Transform Your Classroom
The Kikori SEL Calendar makes it easy to weave social-emotional learning into your day, every day. Each calendar is packed with experiential, research-backed activities to support your students’ growth.
Here’s what you’ll get with Kikori’s eSEL Calendar:
Morning Message or Advisory Announcement: Start the day with inspiration and focus.
Sharing or Acknowledging Activity: Foster connections and celebrate each other’s achievements.
Greeting Activity: Practice essential social skills through engaging group interactions.
Interactive National Day Activity: Have fun while learning through activities like “Pretend to Be a Time Traveler Day” or “World Kindness Day.”
BONUS: Every activity aligns with CASEL's Social Emotional Learning standards, ensuring that your students build skills for the classroom—and life.
What ready-made resources bring the Kikori SEL Calendar to life in your classroom?
🌟 Leaders in Full Light: Why June is the Perfect Time to Celebrate Growth and Leadership
As the school year draws to a close, June offers a meaningful opportunity to pause and recognize how far students have come—not just in what they’ve learned, but in who they’ve become. The habits, reflections, and responsibilities they've practiced all year have laid the foundation for something powerful: leadership.
With strong roots in skills like empathy, collaboration, self-awareness, and decision-making, students are now ready to lead—both by example and through action. They’re stepping up to support others, reflect on their impact, and take initiative with confidence and purpose.
June invites us to shine a light on this transformation. Through leadership showcases, gratitude circles, goal-sharing, or “I used to… but now I…” reflections, we can help students recognize their own growth and the ways they’ve helped others grow too. Like the sun at its highest point, their leadership is bright, bold, and ready to illuminate the path ahead.
Let’s help them reflect, celebrate, and step forward as the leaders they’ve become—and the changemakers they’re on their way to be.
Explore the June SEL Calendar
Morning Meetings / Advisory marked with a ⭐ are available for free!
Week 1:
Mon, June: National First Lady Day | Women's History Quotes
Tues, June 3: Repeat Day | Mirror Dance
Wed, June 4: Audacity to Hope Day | Hope Jump
Thurs, June 5: World Environment Day | Nature Check-in
Fri, June 6: Gardening Exercise Day | Movement Meditation
Week 2:
Mon, June 9: Donald Duck Day | DUCK!
Tues, June 10: Herbs & Spices Day | What Flavor Are You Today?
Wed, June 11: National Making Life Beautiful Day | Simply Draw: Mandalas
Thurs, June 12: National Peanut Butter Cookie Day | Peanut Butter & Jelly
Fri, June 13: National Weed Your Garden Day | Weed Your Garden
Week 3:
Mon, June 16: Fresh Veggies Day | Vegetable Check-in
Tues, June 17: National Mascot Day | Pig
Wed, June 18: National Panic Day | Wind in the Willows
Thurs, June 19: Juneteenth | Host a Poetry Jam
Fri, June 20: World Productivity Day | Kaizen
Week 4:
Mon, June 23: Let It Go Day | Simply Breathe: Body Scan
Tues, June 24: International Fairy Day | Outdoor Art
Wed, June 25: Global Beatles Day | Acoustic Rock Stars
Thurs, June 26: Forgiveness Day | Categories and Line Ups
Friday, June 27: National Bingo Day | Appreciation Bingo
Choose Kikori for Transformative SEL
Kikori isn’t just a resource—it’s your partner in creating a culture of kindness and connection in your classroom.
Here’s why educators love Kikori:
Daily SEL Activities: Access Morning Meeting slides, National Day activities, and more—all research-backed and easy to use.
Aligned to Standards: Every activity supports CASEL SEL Standards, 21st Century Skills, and Sustainable Development Goals.
Flexible for All Ages: With calendars for Elementary, Middle, and High School, Kikori meets students where they are.
Bringing the World into Your Classroom
Every day is an opportunity for discovery with Kikori’s National Day activities! These engaging themes invite students to learn about the world around them, weaving history, STEM, nature, and storytelling into daily classroom experiences. Whether it’s supporting emotional well-being on Children's Mental Health Awareness Day (May 8), exploring words on Alphabet Magnet Day (May 9), connecting to global kindness on Fair Trade Day (May 11), buzzing with ideas on World Bee Day (May 20), or practicing empathy through expression on National Creativity Day (May 30), May is filled with meaningful opportunities to spark curiosity, compassion, and creativity in your classroom.
Authentic school communities are built on connection, recognition, and care. By taking time to celebrate the educators and staff who make a difference every day—whether it’s School Principal Day (May 1), School Lunch Hero Day (May 2), National Teacher's Day (May 6)or School Nurse's Day (May 7) —we create space to truly see one another, share appreciation, and strengthen relationships. Each activity in our Appreciation Day Calendar offers a unique, new activity to help students get to know and celebrate the people who help schools thrive.
By bringing these moments into the classroom, students not only develop their social-emotional skills but also build meaningful relationships and a greater understanding of the world. This blend of connection and learning aligns with the ultimate goal of SEL: to help students grow into empathetic, curious, and confident individuals ready to thrive in their communities.
Want More?
Go Pro or School-Wide
Kikori Pro Membership: For the cost of a single printable, unlock a whole month of fun, ready-to-go activities, helpful resources, and downloadable slides. It’s like a treasure chest of SEL goodness for your classroom! 💎
Kikori School-Wide Solution: Ready to bring Kikori to your whole school? Our School-Wide Solution includes everything you need—Tier 1 Morning Meeting curriculum, trauma-informed training, and a library of SEL playlists for all levels. It’s the perfect way to support every student on their SEL journey, from the first day to the last! 🌱
🌟 The Power of Student Leadership: Research-Backed Insights on Cultivating Confident Changemakers 🎓🌱
As the school year comes to a close, June offers a powerful opportunity to reflect on more than academic progress—it’s a chance to recognize the emergence of leadership in every student. Grounded in years of research, the qualities that define a strong leader—resilience, empathy, initiative, and a commitment to growth—can be taught, nurtured, and celebrated.
Leadership isn't a title or a trait reserved for a few; it's a mindset and a practice that all students can develop through intentional support, experiences, and reflection. Below are research-backed insights showing how educators can help students recognize their leadership potential and finish the year ready to step into new roles with purpose and confidence.
1. Leadership Begins with Belief: The Impact of Growth-Oriented Thinking 🧠🌟
The belief that skills can be developed is essential—not only for learning, but for leading. When students see themselves as capable of learning from mistakes and rising to challenges, they build the confidence to guide others and take initiative.
Study Insight: In a foundational study (Blackwell, Trzesniewski & Dweck, 2007), students who were taught a growth mindset made measurable academic gains. More importantly, they developed self-efficacy—the belief that their actions matter—an essential trait of effective leaders.
2. Leadership and Motivation: The Drive to Keep Going 🚀🔥
True leadership means continuing to lead even when things get hard. Students who are motivated by purpose, not just performance, are more likely to persist, adapt, and lift up others.
Study Insight: Paunesku et al. (2015) found that growth mindset interventions significantly boosted motivation among high school students—especially those at risk. This suggests that developing a leadership mindset starts with helping students believe in their own ability to improve and impact others.
3. Emotional Resilience: The Inner Strength of a Leader 💬💪
Great leaders aren’t fearless—they’re resilient. They respond to stress with curiosity, take feedback constructively, and model vulnerability and perseverance for others.
Study Insight: Yeager and Dweck (2012) discovered that adolescents with a growth mindset were more emotionally resilient, less aggressive, and better able to cope with academic and social pressures—equipping them for leadership in and out of the classroom.
4. Equity in Leadership: Empowering All Voices 🗣️🌍
Leadership isn't about who speaks the loudest—it’s about making space for every voice to be heard. When we teach all students that they are capable of making a difference, we begin to close opportunity gaps and foster more inclusive communities.
Study Insight: Claro, Paunesku & Dweck (2016) analyzed over 160,000 students in Chile and found that low-income students with a growth mindset outperformed higher-income peers with fixed mindsets. The lesson? Belief in potential fuels action—and opportunity.
5. The Language of Leadership: How Feedback Shapes Identity 🗨️🌱
Students internalize the messages they hear. When adults focus praise on effort, strategies, and impact rather than natural talent, they reinforce the idea that leadership is learned, not inherited.
Study Insight: Mueller & Dweck (1998) found that children praised for effort were more willing to take risks, face failure, and persist—while those praised for intelligence were more likely to give up. The language we use helps students step into leadership with courage.
6. Creating a Leadership Culture: Routines That Reflect Responsibility 🏫✨
Leadership grows when it’s modeled, practiced, and expected. Whether through classroom responsibilities, student-led celebrations, or reflective routines, students thrive when schools consistently nurture leadership values.
Study Insight: A report from PERTS (Project for Education Research That Scales) shows that when schools adopted mindset-based programs at scale, students became more engaged, motivated, and connected—key signs of emerging leadership.
Why Student Leadership Matters 💫
Leadership isn’t just about preparing students for the future—it’s about empowering them to shape the present. June is a time to shine a light on this growth and guide students to reflect on the moments they’ve led: when they spoke up, supported a classmate, or made a tough decision.
By fostering leadership through reflection, celebration, and vision-setting, we help students see themselves not just as graduates of a school year—but as contributors, connectors, and creators of what comes next.
📚 Books to Encourage Student Leadership and Voice
“What Do You Do With a Chance?” by Kobi Yamada – A story about courage, opportunity, and stepping up.
“Say Something” by Peter H. Reynolds – Encourages children to use their voice and express themselves as leaders.
“All Are Welcome” by Alexandra Penfold – Promotes inclusion, community, and shared leadership in the classroom.
“Be a Leader Like Michelle Obama” by Caroline Moss – Highlights leadership traits through real-life inspiration.
📑 References
Blackwell, L. S., Trzesniewski, K. H., & Dweck, C. S. (2007)
Claro, S., Paunesku, D., & Dweck, C. S. (2016)
Dweck, C. S. (2006)
Mueller, C. M., & Dweck, C. S. (1998)
Paunesku, D., et al. (2015)
Yeager, D. S., & Dweck, C. S. (2012)
PERTS. (https://www.perts.net/)
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