13 May 2022
Earlier in the year I wrote about the challenges faced by children to develop and strengthen their relationships with others. At St Peter’s College we utilise the Visible Wellbeing Framework developed by Lea Waters to explore relationships as a key element of the SEARCH Wellbeing pathways. As a school we continue to develop our ‘language of friendships’, providing the students with the skills and strategies to help them on this important learning journey. These explicit skills are taught by Junior School staff through the URStrong program develop by Dana Kerford.
This program challenges us to understand the four friendship facts and the Friend-o-Meter, an important visual tool at the heart of the URStrong program, which teaches children the key aspects of a healthy friendship. How do the students know they are in the healthy friendship zone? What can they do if their friendships become ‘unhealthy’?
Throughout the learning conversations that occurred between parents and teachers this week, there was often the question about what could parents do to support their child’s social development.
On Thursday 19 May I would like to invite Junior School parents to a URStrong parent information session to share some of the strategies outlined throughout this program. The Junior School Friends of Saints will be serving Morning tea from 8.00am with Barista coffee from the Barista boys. Please click on this link to register for the session.
Ben Storer
Deputy Head of Junior School – Wellbeing and Administration