March Experiential Social Emotional Learning Calendar
- Kikori App - Kendra Bostick & Bryn Lottig
- Feb 16
- 8 min read
Updated: Mar 1
🌊 Mindful & Mighty: Perseverance in the Current
In Japanese tradition, the koi fish is known for one thing above all else: swimming upstream. It doesn’t rush or thrash or fight the current in panic. It moves steadily, intentionally and powerfully.
There is a legend that says when a koi swims upstream and leaps the waterfall at the Dragon Gate, it transforms into a dragon. The message is simple but profound: strength is not the absence of resistance - it is perseverance through it.
March is Women's History Month, and this month is so much more than a celebration of accomplishments. It’s a recognition of currents — social, political, cultural — that many women had to navigate, challenge, and swim against. Progress didn’t happen in calm waters. It happened because individuals stayed steady in the current.
And that is where mindfulness meets might. Mindfulness is often misunderstood as quiet or soft. In reality, it is regulation under pressure, choosing composure when chaos would be easier, and responding instead of reacting. That kind of steadiness is powerful! Resilience is not always loud. Sometimes it looks like showing up again tomorrow, persistence no one applauds, and staying grounded when the current pushes back.
This March, our theme - Mindful & Mighty - invites students to build that kind of strength: perseverance, calm under pressure, and the ability to support one another through challenge. Like the koi, we may not control the current. But we can choose how we move through it together.
Here’s what you’ll love about the March Calendar!
Students build skills in:
Bouncing back after setbacks 🌱
Staying calm under pressure 🌊
Supporting each other through challenges 🤝
Through experiential, evidence-based activities, students don’t just talk about resilience - they practice it!
✔ Easy to FIND and USE in Morning Meetings, Advisory, and beyond
✔ Aligned to CASEL SEL Competencies
✔ Grounded in research on self-regulation and executive functioning
✔ Supports healthy group development and classroom community
✔ Aligned with Responsive Classroom practices
BONUS: Every activity aligns with CASEL's Social Emotional Learning standards, ensuring that your students build skills for the classroom—and life.
What click-and-play resources bring the Kikori SEL Calendar to life?
How It Works: Accessing the Kikori March Experiential Connection Calendar
There are two easy ways to access the January Experiential Connection Calendar:
Once logged in, navigate to the National Day activity you want.
Click on the Slides in the Materials section.
Play the slides directly for your students - ready to go, no prep needed!
Click below to download the Calendar for Your Grade Level Band
Open the calendar PDF and click into any activity listed for the month.
Each activity includes instructions, materials, and reflection prompts so you can easily guide your students through the experience.
Prek-K Calendar | 1st-2nd Calendar | 3rd-5th Calendar | Middle School Advisory | High School Advisory |
With both options, the calendar makes it simple to bring empathy, kindness, and SEL experiences to your classroom every day in February.
Explore the Kikori March Experiential Connection Calendar
Morning Meetings & Advisory marked with a ⭐ are available for free!
🌿 March – Week 1
SEL Focus: Self-Awareness | Identifying Emotions
"I can notice and name my feelings when I am stressed or trying something new."
⭐Mon, March 2: Read Across America Day
⭐Tues, March 3: Simplify Your Life Day
⭐Wed, March 4: National Grammar Day
⭐Thurs, March 5: Name Tag Day
⭐ Fri, March 6: Day of Unplugging
🌊 March – Week 2
SEL Focus: Self-management | Impulse Control
"I can use mindful breathing and positive self-talk to manage my feelings and keep going."
Mon, March 9: National Get Over It Day
Tues, March 10: Int'l. Day of Awesomeness
Wed, March 11: National Dream Day
Thurs, March 12: National Plant a Flower Day
Fri, March 13: National Good Samaritan Day
🌿 March – Week 3
SEL Focus: Social Awareness | Empathy
"I can recognize strong emotions in the group and help others feel supported with kind actions or words."
Mon, March 16: Act Happy Day
Tues, March 17: World Social Work Day
Wed, March 18: Global Recycling Day
Thurs, March 19: Int'l Read To Me Day
Fri, March 20: Won't You Be my Neighbor Day
🌟 March – Week 4
SEL Focus: Relationship Building | Teamwork
"I speak up about my needs and listen carefully to help my team succeed."
Mon, March 23: World Math Day
Tues, March 24: International Day for Achievers
Wed, March 25: National Omazing You Day
Thurs, March 26: Solitude Day
Fri, March 27: World Theatre Day
🌼 March – Week 5
SEL Focus: Responsible Decision-Making
"I can consider the results of my actions and make choices that help everyone do their best."
Mon, March 30: National Pencil Day
Tues, March 31: Crayon Day
Bring March Resilience to Your Classroom
Kikori offers flexible options for individual educators or whole schools.
Are you an individual educator?
Kikori Pro Memberships give individual educators access to all Morning Meeting and Advisory slides, printable activity resources, and playlists curated to support student growth.
Are you and other educators in your school using Kikori?
Kikori's School-wide Solution provides every educator in your school with the platform, training, and bonus resources for school-wide culture-building.
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 and 21st Century Skills.
Flexible for All Ages: With calendars for Elementary, Middle, and High School, Kikori meets students where they are.
What You Get with Kikori’s March Calendar
Daily routines designed to increase engagement, strengthen SEL skills, and reduce classroom management challenges (while having FUN!)
Kikori’s Experiential Connection Calendar gives educators simple, consistent practices that boost belonging, focus, and readiness to learn. Each component is intentionally designed to produce measurable outcomes - academically, socially and behaviorally.
🌀 Start Your Day with a Strong Morning Meeting or Advisory
Morning Meeting and Advisory daily sessions are aligned with the Responsive Classroom framework and sets the tone for connection and learning. With a consistent structure, students know what to expect, feel safe, and begin the day grounded and ready.
Welcome Message (1–2 min)
Begin with a warm, joyful message tied to the daily National Day theme. This gentle “hook” captures attention, creates anticipation, and helps students transition smoothly into learning mode. Here at Kikori, we believe SEL happens in the world around us, which is expressed through fun National Days!
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 celebrating "Optimist Day," exploring the science behind "Darwin Day," or reflecting on personal experiences during "International Mother Language Day," each activity fosters authentic connections—with each other and the wider world.
Sharing (3–5 min)
Daily sharing gets every student thinking, speaking, and connecting—which boosts engagement for the rest of the day. Each day offers a different style to support diverse learners:
Monday – Popcorn: Low-risk way to encourages initiative and confidence.
Tuesday – Partner Share: Strengthens communication and peer bonds.
Wednesday – Round Robin: Ensures every voice is heard.
Thursday – Journal Write: Gives space for reflection and quieter expression.
Friday – Small Group: Builds collaboration and connection.
When sharing becomes a habit, participation becomes the norm—not the exception.
Greeting (3–5 min)
Start with joy. Fun, inclusive greetings invite movement, eye contact, and social connection - helping students feel seen, welcomed, and ready for the day. March's free greetings include:
🎯 Weekly Experiential Activity (15–25 min)
Each week features an engaging, hands-on activity that strengthens January's CASEL SEL Skill-building learning intentions. Choose the version that fits your classroom:
Tier 1: Builds whole-class community (SEL or Wellness block)
Tier 2: Deepens teamwork and problem-solving (small group counseling)
Tier 3: Challenges students to reflect and stretch individually (individual SSW or counseling sessions)
These activities align with the weekly learning intention and provide meaningful opportunities to practice real SEL skills.
🧰 SEL Tools to Use All Week
These flexible, plug-and-play tools support smoother transitions, better self-regulation, and stronger focus, leading to more instructional minutes and less redirecting.
Check-In: Helps students name their feelings and identify what they need to be ready to learn.
Energizer (brain break):A quick movement burst that resets attention, boosts mood, and supports executive functioning—perfect between lessons.
Calmer: Mindfulness and grounding practices that help students refocus after high-energy moments.
Call & Response: A fun, community-building way to get attention quickly and reset focus during transitions.
🔄 Weekly Closing Circle (5 min)
End the day the same way you started - together. Students reflect on their growth, celebrate small wins, and reconnect to the weekly intention. Closing circles create a sense of completion that smooths the transition home and prepares them for the next day.
How does Kikori ensure these activities build social emotional skills like self-awareness and relationship skills?
Each activity follows the Kikori Experiential Learning Cycle by actively engaging youth and guiding them through reflection afterward.
These questions help youth:
Reflect by building self- and social-awareness (what happened during the activity?),
Connect by making meaningful connections to their own lives (how did what happened during the activity connect to other experiences?), and
Grow by engaging in personal growth (what are they going to take from this activity into their lives?).
March Shout-out to Art
March is also Youth Art Month, founded in 1961 by the Art & Creative Materials Institute, Inc. (ACMI) in partnership with the National Art Education Association to "emphasize the value of participating in art for all children."
Art matters because expression builds resilience. It gives shape to emotion. It creates space to process challenge. In many ways, creativity is another way of swimming upstream — turning pressure into perspective.
Just like the koi moving steadily through the current, art reminds us that growth doesn’t always look loud. Sometimes it looks like reflection. Sometimes it looks like color on a page. Sometimes it looks like persistence through the creative process itself.
Idols of Ash is a first-person horror descent game that focuses on movement and environmental tension rather than combat. Players navigate a vertical structure using a grappling hook, carefully controlling momentum while descending through dark, ash-filled environments.
I really enjoyed reading this March SEL calendar—it feels practical, creative, and genuinely doable for educators who are trying to weave emotional learning into everyday routines. What stood out most is how each activity encourages reflection without overwhelming students, which aligns nicely with Rolfe’s Reflective Model, especially the simple “What? So what? Now what?” structure. It makes me think how these prompts could help students not just participate, but actually process their emotions and actions in a meaningful way. The variety also keeps things engaging, which is often a challenge with SEL initiatives. I can see this being especially helpful in building consistent classroom habits around empathy and self-awareness. It’s refreshing to see a resource that balances structure with flexibility,…