Whole School Friendology Incursion
On Friday 15th May, students participated in an engaging and highly valuable Day of Friendship incursion facilitated by Tyson Greenwood from URSTRONG. Across the day, students took part in interactive workshops designed to strengthen their understanding of healthy friendships, emotional awareness and positive relationship skills.
Throughout the sessions, students explored the idea that friendships are an important part of wellbeing and that, like all relationships, they require communication, empathy, trust and resilience. Using URSTRONG’s “Friendology” framework, students developed a shared language and practical strategies to help them navigate social situations both at school and beyond.
Students in Prep-Year 2 enjoyed a Fuzzies and Friends session, which focused on helping students understand the importance of kindness, inclusion and positive social interactions. Through role-play (what a delight to see the teddies at play here!) and collaborative activities, students reflected on what makes someone a good friend and considered how they can contribute positively to their friendship groups and classroom communities.
Students in Year 3 and 4 unpacked the qualities that form the foundation of strong and healthy friendships. They explored concepts such as trust, loyalty, honesty, kindness and mutual respect, and discussed how these qualities help friendships grow and remain strong over time.
Students in Year 5 and 6 were part of a session that looked more deeply at friendships as they grow older and what that looks like as they move into high school. Students were encouraged to think deeply about the types of friends they want to be and how their choices and behaviours influence the relationships around them.
Across all year levels, the workshops were tailored to students’ developmental stages and provided opportunities for discussion, reflection and active participation.
Students learnt the four friendship facts:
- No friendship (or relationship) is perfect
- All friendships are different
- Trust and respect are the two most important qualities of a friendship
- Friendships change, and that’s okay
They explored the Friend-o-meter which looked at healthy and unhealthy friendships and how to identify if a friendship is healthy and the Friend-o-cycle which is the normal cycle of a healthy friendship and learnt how to use these to reflect on their own friendships.
All workshops also looked at friendship fires - URSTRONG’s child-friendly term for conflict or friendship challenges. Students explored the understanding that conflict is a normal part of friendships and were explicitly taught strategies for responding calmly, respectfully and constructively when difficulties arise. They learnt about Mean on Purpose behaviours and were explicitly taught how to navigate this and how to seek help.
It was wonderful to see students so engaged as they built their understanding of friendship, strengthened their interpersonal skills and developed strategies to support positive peer relationships.
At Glen Waverley Primary School, we recognise that strong relationships and a sense of belonging are essential foundations for learning and wellbeing. The Day of Friendship provided students with meaningful tools and language that will continue to support a positive, inclusive and connected school culture. We are looking forward to continuing the discussions in the classroom and on the playground!
Vicki John
Assistant Principal
Wellbeing