Club Isis Seeks to Support Girls as They Navigate Sometimes Rough Relationship Roads
Growing up is hard to do. OK – so there’s no getting around that fact, but Haverford Middle School teacher Kim Alexander and guidance counselor Ronna Scheier wanted to find a way to give girls the tools they need to make these transition years a little bit easier – and have fun doing it.
“Girls need a place where they could come and talk about the things that are bothering them – a safe, caring place,” Scheier says.
Scheier and Alexander, trained as both teachers and guidance counselors, are providing just such a place. They call it Club Isis and 15 to 20 girls are spending an hour or so together each week in a middle school classroom munching on a few healthy snacks while taking on more than a few weighty topics. Discussions led by the teachers, journal writing and participation in all sorts of games and exercises that makes them think are part of the plan. Respect and support for each other are paramount.
Communicating – how we talked to each other both verbally and non-verbally – was the main topic at the club’s second meeting.
The focus quickly became non-verbal actions or movements that can be more cutting than words. “Your body language can mean different things to different people,” Scheier says and then encourages the students to talk about the times when someone’s look or gesture caused a rift between them and one of their friends.
“Kids at this age deal with peer pressure just about every day,” Alexander explains. “Covert bullying through non-verbal communications can be so insidious that a girl can hardly realize it’s happened and then suddenly she just feels terrible – add in self-esteem and relationship issues, growing up becomes a difficult route to navigate through.”
Over the next several weeks, through open discussion, journal writing and other exercises, Alexander and Scheier will provide their club members with the tools they need to develop and enhance their self-esteem, communicate more assertively and be able to navigate the difficult relationship issues that emerge in middle school.
“Kids need coping skills,” Alexander says. “Here in this room, they are getting to know themselves better while they get to know each other better while practicing those skills. We hope Club Isis will create lasting relationships that will see them through these years and make them a memorable time in their lives.”
Many studies have examined the impact of programs that focus on empowering girls with healthy communication skills, tools to resist peer pressure, facilitate supportive relationships between peers and building self-esteem based on strengths and abilities rather than physical appearance. These skills and tool building models have been identified as successful both in long-term academic and career success, and immediate personal and social growth.
It seems to be working. When asked the girls all agreed they looked forward to coming back to the meeting and then got busy writing in their journals.
Alexander and Scheier were able to start their club thanks to a grant from the Haverford Township School District Education Foundation.
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Haverford Township School District Education Foundation PO Box 788, Havertown PA 19083 (610) 853-5900 ext. 4555 info@haverfordedfoundation.org
