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Girlfriends! connections camaraderie community

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.
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

Together we have presented
12 programs over the past 5 years
and Girlfriends! was  a CDAA finalist in 2010.


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