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Posted on September 18th 2023
Year 7 Take Part in Special Transition Workshops
This week we held a transition workshop for our new Year 7s, looking at topics such as ‘change and transition’ and ‘making positive connections with each other’.
Find out about all our Open Events this term for Year 6 students and parents.
Ruthie Moore, our Student Counsellor, was helped by Janay, our Mental Health Worker, and Nina, one of the Learning Support Team. Session one, Managing Transition and Change, invited students to look at, for example:
- what were the best things about primary school?
- what are you looking forward to about joining HAB?
- what are you worried about in terms of joining HAB?
Change is an inevitable part of life. We can’t avoid it. There are exciting changes and difficult changes. Most changes bring new opportunities as well as challenges. Transition to secondary school is a change that most people experience. During the workshop, students looked at what new opportunities and challenges they might face, and the session ended with a 'trust game'.
Session two, on developing and maintaining positive connections, looked at the factors involved in making a positive friendship. One factor that we think is vital is being kind to each other. Kindness is an action. It is something we do – we show kindness.
Sometimes it is easy to be kind to people – it can be easier to be kind to people we like and care about. It is not so easy to be kind to those we are frustrated by, or irritate us, or are not always kind to us.
Something that can help us to be kind is to develop empathy for our peers. Empathy is about taking the time to imagine what life is like for someone else. How do you think they are feeling? Asking yourself how something might have affected someone. Being empathic also involves an action, it is something we do – we show empathy.
Top Tips
Notice when another student doesn’t seem quite right! What signs might you look for?
Check out how they are doing. Listen and try not to judge.
Support them if needed or get someone else to support. Let a trusted adult know.
Try not to compare your struggles, or minimise anyone’s struggles.
Look out for those students who might be feeling on the outside.
Being kind when using social media
Take your time responding to messages. Give it some thought.
Perhaps get others to check over how you are planning to respond.
Don’t say something online or through messenger that you wouldn’t say to someone’s face.
The workshop looked at topics such as ‘change and transition’ and ‘making positive connections with each other’.
Ruthie Moore, our Student Counsellor, ran the session helped by Janay, our Mental Health Worker, and Nina, one of the Learning Support Team.
Session two looked at developing and maintaining positive connections and the factors involved in making a positive friendship.
