We decided to trial a primary version of the Girlfriends!
program at GIPS due to the small number of female year 6 students in this
particular year. With only a small group of 8 girls, we found their
connectiveness to the school, its teachers and the other students was
suffering. The girls were tired of spending time confined to such a small
social group but were not making any effort to connect with the girls in year
5. As such the younger students were also missing out on the valuable
friendships of the year 6 girls.
Our first Girlfriends! group consisted of 4 year sixes and 8
year fives. The combination of the group was formed on what the upper school
teachers considered to be a ‘needs’ basis. The group allowed some of the more
introvert students to have a voice in an environment where they felt safe and
supported.
The ‘rules’ of the group were decided by the girls and
adhered to during all sessions. All the girls had the right to say anything
they felt and the responsibility to contribute to discussions.
The girls LOVED their Girlfriends! kits of funky folders, book, clips and pens to
reflect on the sessions and speakers. Photos were included where possible and
collages created.
Our sessions consisted of speakers on topics such as future
planning and goal setting, body changes and the ideal friend. As a group we
talked about our feelings on a variety of topics and created visual futures for
ourselves.
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| Bags made by 2010 group for homeless young people donated to STEPS. |
We also decided on a community project of creating a blanket
to give away. This was a fun challenge, especially for those of use with
minimal knitting and sewing abilities, a great opportunity to involve other
(more skilled) teachers into the group for assistance and do something
worthwhile for the community.
As this was our trial group, we have discovered where
modifications to the program can be made. The next group of ‘girlfriends’ will
begin next week and the program will continue next year. We are also open to
the possibility of trailing a similar male program, if the need arises. NV GF Coordinator
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| Together we have presented 12 programs over the past 5 years and Girlfriends! was a CDAA finalist in 2010. |
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