Late in Term One, Alia College held its second Respectful Relationships information session, and the first for 2018. The information session aimed to bring together parents and staff, to let them know what the Respectful Relationships initiative is and why the school is part of it, and to discuss the sorts of activities and content that will start to be implemented in classrooms this year. We were also lucky enough to have attendance from former long-term English, Health, and Psychology teacher, Kirsty, whose efforts managed to secure Alia College as a partner school in the initiative in 2017.
Kim started off the session by giving a very informative presentation on the background of the initiative and what’s been implemented so far at Alia, before turning it over to questions and comments. There followed a healthy, very Alian, discussion on gender and stereotypes, with parents and staff contributing ideas and feedback.
After this, Janet kicked off the activities with an exercise in body language, and the way that makes others feels and behave differently. Amanda led an activity that looked at character strengths, where participants ranked a certain set of character strengths by usefulness within the context of a hypothetical scenario, such as a job interview. Finally, Chloé took everyone through a guided relaxation exercise that was part of the stress management and positive coping strategies in the framework of the program. It was a great way to wrap up the session.
Alia College, and the Respectful Relationships team, wishes to thank all the parents and staff who attended the session. This initiative is all about building respectful relationships across the wider school community, and it is your participation that help the school to do this. See you next time!