Bruriah High School’s guidance department recently ran a multitude of programs throughout the junior high and high school divisions to develop skills for social and emotional health. Drs. Tzippora Wallach, Shoshana Friedman and Mrs. Debbie Oratz facilitated class-wide activities and discussions.
The seventh grade participated in a two-session workshop addressing the topics of friendship and empathy. Students engaged in an interactive discussion about what qualities in a friend are important and how they themselves want to be treated. The seventh graders were then introduced to the five skills for developing empathy: Watch and listen: what is the other person saying? What is their body language?; Remember: when did you feel the same way?; Imagine: how might you feel in that situation?; Validate: acknowledge the wide range of emotions that come up; Ask: “How are you feeling?”; Show you care: let them know through your words and actions.
Students then were given optional homework to practice empathy for a week following the workshop. Those who completed the homework were rewarded with prizes.
Healthy body image the topic for the eighth grade. The impact the media has on our body image and self-esteem was addressed, as was the gap between how others perceive us and how we perceive ourselves.
Internet safety was discussed with the ninth grade, specifically the importance of setting privacy settings, not posting your location, only following or friending people they know and thinking before they post pictures or comments on social media.
Bruriah 10th graders recently concluded a multi-session self-awareness workshop run by Mrs. Oratz using the Project Safe curriculum. Each session consisted of a discussion and interactive activity—a story, scenario, exercise or video from Project SAFE materials. The issues addressed included trust-building, positive self-perception, learning styles and unhealthy and healthy ways to cope with uncomfortable emotions. The trust-building class focused on new relationships and how to rebuild trust once it is broken. In the second session, the students explored ways in which they could identify and focus on the positive things about themselves. They learned what strategies can help them maximize their environment to learn better and develop better study habits.
A subsequent two-part session focused on coping skills in which students discussed why they think teenagers turn to drugs and alcohol to deal with their problems. They learned how harmful drugs and alcohol can be and that it only makes problems worse. The students then problem-solved better coping strategies for dealing with uncomfortable emotions including: developing hobbies, reaching out to others, learning relaxation techniques and healthy distracting activities such as music, sports and exercise.
The 11th grade students are currently taking part in a multi-session workshop on healthy peer relationships which includes self-esteem and body image, how they want to be treated by others, assertiveness, and red flags in relationships. The girls will have a session where they explore the discrepancy between what they show on the outside versus what they keep to themselves on the inside. A discussion will be led about reasons why people might wear a mask or maintain a poker face. They will be encouraged to think about how they portray themselves to others and what they choose to keep hidden. A second session will focus on the important qualities that they want in a friend and how they wish to be treated by their friends. The third session will enable the young women to pinpoint the differences between healthy and unhealthy friendships. Warning signs of abusive friendships will also be discussed. Lastly, they will participate in an activity to help them determine how assertive they are at asking for what they want or need from their friends. The difference between being assertive and being aggressive will be disussed.
