Hackham East Primary School Newsletter

HELPING KIDS BUILD HEALTHY FRIENDSHIPS WITH URSTRONG

T1 2025

We are excited to be implementing the URStrong Friendship Program in our school. This program is designed to equip children with the skills to build and maintain healthy friendships. By focusing on social and emotional learning, URStrong provides a supportive framework for children to navigate the complexities of friendships. 

 

The program equips children with the language and tools to express their feelings, resolve conflicts, and recognize the difference between healthy and unhealthy friendships.

 

The program aligns with our school High Behaviour Expectations of being, Respectful, Inclusive and being a Learner. It also aligns with the Play is the Way program and values as it encourages positive communication, supporting students to articulate feelings in a respectful way,

 

Already we are hearing the URStrong language being used around the school by students and adults to help identify and solve friendship ups and downs. One tool from the program is identifying if a problem with a friend is, ‘Mean on Purpose Behaviour or A Friendship Fire.’

 

We encourage you to Use the ‘Friendship Fire’ Strategy: 

Please talk to your child about addressing issues directly but kindly, instead of avoiding conflict or holding grudges. Ask your child questions to identify if an unkind behaviour, was mean on purpose or a friendship fire.

  • Mean on Purpose: This refers to intentional actions or words that are hurtful or unkind. It involves deliberate behaviour aimed at causing harm or distress to another person. Recognising this helps children understand when they are being targeted by bullying or malicious behaviour.
  • Friendship Fires: These are conflicts or misunderstandings that occur naturally in friendships. They are not intentional acts of meanness but rather disagreements or hurt feelings that arise in any relationship. Teaching children to identify and resolve friendship fires helps them maintain and strengthen their friendships through effective communication and problem-solving.