PEER SUPPORT AT NEDDIES

 

Peer Support has commenced at Nedlands Primary School. The Year 6 students were all trained as Peer Leaders during a two day workshop in Term 1.The whole school participates in Peer Support on Friday at 10am, for 30 minutes each week of Term 2. Two Peer leaders from Year 6 work with a small group of 10-11 younger students (from Years 1-5). Students work together on fun activities which practise important skills. Teachers supervise 1-2 groups in their classroom. We started with a ‘Getting Ready’ session. The first session helped students get to know who was in their group, who their Year 6 Peer leaders are and in which classroom their Peer Support will be held. The Module Year 6 students are presenting this term is called Keeping Friends. Students are learning about the importance of cooperating, that is helping, supporting and encouraging others. We have also discussed what might make it difficult to cooperate and the importance of taking turns.

 

It has been great working with younger students who happily share and learn from each other. After each session Year 6 students reflect to improve our leadership. We read carefully the feedback from our supervising teachers. We are all enthusiastically developing skills to motivate and ensure younger students in Years 1-5 learn about keeping friends and building relationships.

 

So far in Peer Support we have looked at the qualities our friends have and how we choose friends based on the qualities we admire in them. We have also explored the skills of cooperating and listening in friendships. Active listening skills, like looking at the person talking to us, are very important to practise.

 

Types of friends has also been a focus of a Peer Support session. Students explored what encourages them to form friendships with different people (eg common interests and admirable qualities). Through various activities we identified that our friends can fall into the categories of ‘best friends’, ‘friends’ and people we know’. We also focused on the importance of support networks and the role that friends play in each other’s lives. We discussed the different friends we have in our lives and how friendships may change. Some friends may be more important at different times in our lives.

 

If you have any feedback you would like to share with us about Peer Support please email Mrs Morris-Hall: daryl.morris-hall@education.wa.edu.au

 

Thank you

Tomo, Max and Ava

2021 Health and Wellbeing Councillors