URStrong Friendship Program

We are excited to share some wonderful news about Oxley’s participation in the URSTRONG Friendship Program. This award-winning program is designed to empower children with essential friendship skills, fostering a culture of kindness and respect within the Oxley community.

URSTRONG is a whole-school strategy that has been implemented in schools worldwide, connecting students, parents, and teachers with a common language of friendship. The program is based on the belief that children with healthy friendships perform better academically, have higher self-esteem, and build stronger connections.

Through a series of engaging lessons and activities, URSTRONG teaches children how to build and maintain healthy friendships, manage conflicts with kindness, and increase their overall resilience.

Weekly Lessons for K-4: Our K-4 students have been participating in weekly lessons that cover key concepts from the URSTRONG curriculum. Here are some of the topics they have been exploring:

Friend-o-Meter: This tool helps children understand how they feel about their friendships and what they can do to improve them. It encourages self-reflection and helps students identify the qualities of a good friend.

4 Friendship Facts: These facts provide children with a clear understanding of what to expect in their friendships. They learn that friendships have ups and downs, and that it’s normal for friends to have disagreements.

Mean on Purpose: This lesson helps children differentiate between conflicts that are accidental and those that are intentional. It empowers them to stand up for themselves in a kind and respectful way.

Friend-o-Cycle: This concept teaches children how to resolve conflicts and strengthen their friendships. They learn strategies to “put out Friendship Fires” and make their friendships closer and stronger.

We believe that the URSTRONG Friendship Program will continue to have a positive impact on our students, helping them develop the social and emotional skills they need to thrive. We encourage you to talk to your children about what they are learning in these lessons and support them in applying these skills in their daily lives.

Thank you for your continued support in making Oxley a nurturing and inclusive environment for all students.

Peter Ayling
Deputy Head Junior School