Student Services Counselling Focus 28
by Claire Holmes and Kendra Frazier, School Counsellors Student Services is made up by the Careers, Nursing, Counselling and PSHCE team, a group of staff who work hard to support students (and sometimes parents too) in so many areas of school life. This issue of The Voice focuses on the Counselling Department. Since last year, the Counselling Department has been running a series of parenting workshops based on The Virtues Project. This project was founded in 1991 by Linda and Dan Popov and Linda’s brother John Kavlin. Over the past three decades, The Virtues Project has taken root in 91 countries around the globe, helping families of all creeds lead more positive, peaceful lives. In 1994 the United Nations recognised this growing initiative for being a ‘model global program for all cultures.’ The strategies of the Virtues Project are now used as a parenting approach, a classroom resource and as a tool in the corporate world for personal development. As certified Virtues Project facilitators, our school counsellors, Claire Holmes and Kendra Frazier, have been running workshops in the Junior School with great success. Due to the positive feedback of parents, Claire and Kendra will be extending this service to the Infant School in Term 3 of this year. We asked Claire and Kendra if they could give a brief overview of the workshops for this issue of The Voice.
The Virtues Parenting approach is something that we are both very passionate about in our work as School Counsellors but also as mothers, with our own families. We have both known about the Virtues Project for some time but a couple of years ago the opportunity came for us to train to be facilitators of the project. After completing this training we were then keen to introduce this framework to our Tanglin families. We began by running a pilot of the course for Year 3 parents about 18 months ago. Our course consists of four two-and-a half hour sessions; it’s imperative to commit to attending all fours sessions as they build on each other. We were astounded with the response that we got for the workshops, with all places filled within 45 minutes of the advertisement going out. We realised then that this was something that the community wanted to learn more about. After the hugely positive feedback from our first cohort we also realised we were going to be running a lot more workshops. Since that first course we have now trained over one hundred parents in the Junior School and counting. As we go to print, we look forward to offering our first series of workshops in the Infant School as well.
the premise that we are spiritual beings having a human experience. What seems to appeal to many is the simplicity of the approach, or, as Dan Popov states The Virtues Project is “profoundly” simple. The Virtues Project embraces five strategies. Through these strategies we can understand the different hats that we wear as parents – educator, counsellor, guide and authority, highlighting the complex role that we enter into when we become parents. The five strategies are:
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Using the language of the Virtues Recognising Teachable Moments Boundary Setting Honoring the Spirit Companioning
In session one, we address the first two strategies of Using the Language of Virtues and Recognising Teachable Moments. This is about using positive language to inspire our children naming virtuous behaviour as opposed to shaming children with disempowering labels. Recognising Teachable Moments
The Virtues approach offers a framework which brings out the best in children and in ourselves. By coming together in a group, parents also enjoy sharing their common struggles and wisdom. So much of our work as counsellors is centered around helping students to feel good about themselves and what we love about the Virtues Project is that, by its very nature, it raises self-esteem in children and confidence in the adults who parent them.
Claire Holmes, School Counsellor
The Voice Magazine_vol11.indd 28
One of the basic tenants of the programme is that we all have The Virtues within us, in potential, some more visible and others in need of nurturing. The Virtues Project starts from
Kendra Frazier, School Counsellor
4/13/12 4:11 PM