PEER SUPPORT Program

This term, Middle School students began running their Peer Support sessions with their Year 7 classes. This exciting new opportunity allows the Middle School students to partake in mentor-like sessions that they organise, run, and collaborate with their designated Year 7 classes to help them during their early years at Frankston High School. Middle School Students are getting to know the Year 7 students and help them around the school, as well as teach them characteristics of being a role model.

Prior to Term 2, students, part of the Peer Support Program, undertook two full days of training on the last two Tuesdays of Term 1. These training sessions were ran by Mrs Sarah Bahramis, Mrs Melissa Donegan and Ms Erin Gooding. These sessions taught them valuable skills and strategies that they can apply in not only the classroom with their class but also in their everyday lives and their school journey. This included topics such as the difference between empathy and sympathy, how to communicate effectively, how to collaborate as a group, and how to improve their leadership skills. These sessions ran through activities where they learnt to collaborate as a team and get to know each other. An example activity was students had a set list of words and we had to try and describe them without saying their word. 

During the first session, our group faced a lot of challenges, we realised that standing in front of a classroom and trying to run a full period of activities that included everyone was not as simple as it sounded. We faced challenges along the way, trying to get the classes attention, trying to explain activities, trying to reach common ground and many more. However, thanks to our training days we were able to adapt and alter the session so that we not only included everyone but also made the class fun for the Year 7 students whilst still getting through the required module sessions. We quickly learned that the Year 7 students learn a lot different than us, and we must change and revolve around their learning style.

Overall, our experience with the Peer Support Program so far has been outstanding, the support we received from the Peer Support Leaders, and the classroom teachers has made this program easy to understand and run. This opportunity is one that will not only build our own skills but will hopefully build skills that the Year 7 students can use for the rest of their lives and continue to do their best always.

Callum Rae and Blake Alford-Ryan

Year 10 Peer Support Leaders