Dear parents/guardians,
We will be starting the “Fun Friends” programme in the Infant classroom in the coming days. It is a unique and wonderful opportunity for your child to learn vital life skills that will help him/her to cope with little stresses and situations which may happen in their childhood.
In today’s society children and families are faced with a number of stresses and challenges on a day-to-day basis. Research has shown that children who are resilient are more likely to succeed in school and develop healthy friendships with their peers.
The FUN FRIENDS programme was created to assist children to build resilience and self-esteem and to learn important life skills and techniques to cope with feelings of fear, worry and anxiety. The word FRIENDS helps children to remember each of the skills taught throughout the programme (i.e. each letter stand for a new skill learned).
You, as parents, play a vital role in the development and maintenance of the skills taught in the FRIENDS programme. Each week your child will be introduced to specific skills to help build their resilience. These skills need to be reinforced in the home in order for change to occur. Each week there will be a parent information sheet and family activity sent home to be completed.