Assistant Head of Primary P-4 and Curriculum Leader P-4

PASTORAL UPDATE 

As the term continues and with the end of year fast approaching, we have continued to support the students to build and maintain strong connections. This has been done through the pastoral themes, Healthy Friends and Friendship Groups and Positive and Respectful Relationships.

HEALTHY FRIENDSHIPS (K-2) AND FRIENDSHIP GROUPS (3-4)

Making new friends is challenging for many children. Knowing what to do when a friend is unkind, can be even more challenging. Students in Kindergarten to Year 2 unpacked these issues by exploring four foundational concepts at the heart of a healthy, respectful friendship at school and beyond. Understanding what to expect in our friendships, makes it much easier to understand and accept the ups and downs.

As children mature, the intricacies of forming friendships grow. Children are faced with building and maintaining friendships individually and within larger friendship groups. They will naturally have stronger connections with some group members and weaker connections with others. Students in Years 3 and 4 unpacked these challenges through key lessons about how to be an includer and role playing scenarios of inclusion and exclusion at school, and brainstorming ways to resolve them.

These activities brought to light an understanding of the difference between fitting in and belonging. Fitting in often means changing ourselves to meet group expectations, while belonging is about being accepted for who you are. Healthy friendships make us feel valued and respected and build our sense of self-worth.

They also learnt the importance of body language in social settings through the metaphor of horseshoes instead of circles. A horseshoe formation invites others in, promoting inclusivity and openness. This metaphor helped students understand how to create welcoming environments for new friends.

POSITIVE FRIENDSHIPS & RESPECTFUL RELATIONSHIPS

Sometimes, children may feel overwhelmed in their friendships, causing their worries and negative feelings to seem much larger than they actually are. This can hinder their ability to resolve conflicts, or what Friendology calls ‘putting out a Friendship Fire.’ If they let their worries accumulate, these messy emotions can spiral out of control, making the Friendship Fires feel insurmountable.

Thinking this way can be counterproductive, trapping children in their negative emotions. Perspective-taking is a crucial skill for keeping Friendship Fires and big emotions in check. Children need support to develop the habit of asking themselves, ‘How big is this Friendship Fire really?’

Practising realistic thinking enables them to manage friendship issues more effectively. It helps children keep friendship issues in perspective and ensure their reactions align with the situation. Before being able to problem solve and sort out friendship issues, it is important that children calm their own emotions and regulate their feelings so they can look at the issue with an open heart and an open mind, consider both points of view and find ways to resolve the problem. Taking a deep breath, maintaining a clear mind, allows children problem-solve together.

Lauren Petroni
Assistant Head of Primary P-4 and Curriculum Leader P-4