Friends Program

As part of our focus on student wellbeing, mental health and the development of social and emotional skills, Year 11 students engaged with a resiliency program during Term 3 as a part of their VCE Ethics class or Integrated studies VCAL class.

The FRIENDS program ran over several weeks and taught a positive approach to dealing with issues or stresses by learning skills to cope more effectively. This program has been endorsed by the World Health Organisation and has been shown to successfully develop students’ social and emotional skills to help support them as they embark on early adulthood.

The learnings students gained from this program include:

• Control and regulate intense emotions
• Relaxation techniques
• Mindfulness skills and exercises to stay in the moment, focus and relax
• Prevent bullying for both victims and bullies.
• Technique to resist peer pressure and develop positive relationships
• How to compromise in tricky situations and avoid conflict
• How to choose appropriate role models
• Set realistic and achievable life or study goals
• Organisation and focus skills
• Develop non-internet-based friendships and relationships

Students accessed the program workbooks via the FRIENDS online portal and completed components of the adult resiliency program over several weeks.

Further information about the Friends program can be found on their website. If parents or carers would like any further information about this program please contact your child’s Ethics or Integrated studies teacher, or us at the College.

Mr Matthew Angove, Director of Learning & Teaching