Our Primary students began their Peer Support program this term with our Year 6 students leading the groups. The topic for this year is - Keeping Friends.  This module supports children in developing knowledge, skills and attitudes enabling them to make friends more readily and maintain those friendships. Keeping Friends provides children with opportunities to discuss different types of friendship, the importance of friendships and how to play well together. Keeping Friends is underpinned by the premise that resilient children have a broad range of supportive networks as opposed to a single best friend. They are able to move from group to group as the situation arises without relying on the presence of only one other student to influence the quality of their day. 

Parents can assist their children by encouraging them to play with many different children, hence strengthening their social capacity and ability to cope. The following is a list of key behaviours parents can encourage in their children to help promote friendship skills: • talking with others during play • offering encouragement • taking a genuine interest in others • being willing to share with others • smiling often • learning how to move graciously into or out of a group.

Well done to all of our Year 6 students who have displayed outstanding leadership skills in presenting these sessions. 

Megan Turnbull - Peer Support Coordinator