Friendology

At Scoresby Primary School, we know that friendships are an essential part of every child’s school experience. They help students feel connected, confident and ready to learn. That’s why we teach Friendology, a whole-school program from URStrong that gives children the skills, confidence and language to develop healthy, respectful and lasting friendships.

 

Friendology is taught across all year levels and builds on itself as children grow. Students learn that friendship ups and downs are a normal part of life, and that they can be solved in positive ways. The program introduces shared language that empowers students to navigate social challenges, including:

  • Friendship Fires – everyday disagreements or misunderstandings between friends. Students learn how to “put out” these fires through open, honest conversations, listening to each other, and finding a way forward together.

  • Mean on Purpose – when someone intentionally says or does something hurtful. Students learn strategies for responding assertively, seeking help when needed, and supporting others who may be targeted.

  • Friend-o-Meter – a simple visual tool that helps children reflect on how a friendship makes them feel. Green means the friendship is kind, fun and respectful; yellow signals occasional issues that might need attention; red means the friendship is consistently hurtful or unsafe. The Friend-o-Meter empowers students to make healthy friendship choices and set boundaries.

Through regular Friendology lessons, role plays and discussions, our students build important social-emotional skills: conflict resolution, empathy, resilience and the confidence to be a good friend. Because the language is taught school-wide, it becomes part of our daily conversations – students, teachers and families all using the same terms to talk about friendships.

 

We encourage parents to learn more about the program so you can reinforce the strategies at home. You can visit the URStrong website at: https://urstrong.com for free resources, tips and videos to help you support your child’s friendships.

 

By giving our students these lifelong skills, we’re helping them develop relationships that are kind, respectful and strong – now and into the future.