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URSTRONG CLASSROOM: Friendship Groups

Keeping Kids Connected
Video Glossary

Glossary of Terms

At URSTRONG, we believe it’s important to use kids’ language for kids’ problems. That’s why we have our very own, unique language of friendship. Here are some important terms that children, parents, and teachers learn in our program.

Friendship Fire®: Any situation between you and a friend that results in negative feelings.

Mean-on-Purpose: When someone is intentionally unkind to someone else.

Quick Comeback: A very short word or phrase that is used when someone is Mean-on-Purpose. Quick Comebacks are designed to let the other person know that you heard/saw what they did and you’re not okay with it.

Friend-o-meter: A visual tool that assesses the health of friendships, ranging from the healthy zone to the unhealthy zone.

Friend-o-cycle: The normal cycle in a friendship that brings the friendship back to the healthy zone after experiencing a Friendship Fire. The phases of the Friend-o-cycle are: Healthy Friendship – Fire – Confront the issue – Talk-it-Out – Forgive & Forget – Closer & Stronger – Healthy Friendship…

4 Friendship Facts: A set of four facts that help us have realistic expectations in our friendships so we understand what is normal.

  1. No friendship (relationship) is perfect.
  2. Every friendship is different.
  3. Trust & Respect are the two most important qualities of a friendship.
  4. Friendships change…and that’s okay.

Red Shirt Girl and Striped Shirt Boy: Two characters that remind us about the importance of body language.

Friendship Ninja: A Friendship Ninja is someone who surrounds themselves with friends in the healthy zone of the Friend-o-meter. A Friendship Ninja is kind and friendly to everyone. A Friendship Ninja understands the 4 Friendship Facts and puts out their Friendship Fires when they ignite. A Friendship Ninja stands up for themselves and their friends. A Friendship Ninja makes new friends and understands that friendships change…and that’s okay. Above all else, a Friendship Ninja is someone you want to be friends with because they’re true to who they are!

Squad, group, besties…whatever you call it, sometimes groups of friends can be tricky! Keep your friendship groups feeling healthy with these tips.

To access this resource, you must purchase Parent Membership.

Objective

Our URSTRONG Classroom sessions, taught by Dana (our Founder), are designed for children to watch from anywhere – at home, in their classrooms, or even in their treehouse or fort. Kids can push play on the video and Dana will encourage them to pause at various times to complete the activities. These sessions are designed for independent learning.

This 30-minute session, suitable for students in Year 4 to 7, is designed to help kids discover a sense of true belonging by reflecting on friendship groups, cliques, and fitting-in.

Materials

  • Plain paper
  • Colourful markers

Instructions

  1. Get your child/students set-up in a comfortable spot to watch the video. Headphones might be helpful to keep them focused.
  2. Encourage them to push play and follow along with Dana.
  3. After they’ve completed the video, here are a few follow-up activities:
    • Encourage them to describe the difference between horseshoes and circles (healthy vs unhealthy friendship groups)
    • Get them to draw their Friendship Boundaries using the house analogy
    • Have them explain what “Quality > Quantity” mean when it comes to friendship!