Year 7s Dive into Friendship and Fun

March 28, 2025

Starting high school is a pretty big deal. There are new classes, new routines, and a whole lot of new faces. Making friends can feel exciting but also a little nerve-wracking. That’s why we created a special two-day program just for our Year 7s while their peers are at camp. This program helps them connect with others, feel at ease, and build some real skills for navigating friendships.

And let’s be honest… it was also a whole lot of fun.

Day 1 - Getting to Know You (And Having a Blast)

We kicked things off with teamwork and problem-solving challenges. The aim? To break the ice, get everyone talking, and show that strong friendships often begin with small moments, like sharing ideas, supporting each other, and having a good laugh.

In the afternoon, students chose from a brilliant mix of hands-on activities:

Baking sweet treats
Self-defence workshops
3D printing and laser design
Art, Dance and Drama
Lego and board games
A science-themed murder mystery challenge

Whether they were cracking codes or covered in flour, the girls had the chance to try something new and connect over shared interests in a relaxed, low-pressure way.

Day 2 - Real Talk About Friendships

Led by our College Counsellors, this program introduced students to the URSTRONG Friendology program, an internationally recognised framework that gives kids the tools to manage friendships with empathy, confidence and clarity.

Elvira, our College Psychologist, shared, “We hope students walk away with a deeper understanding of how to build and maintain positive friendships, handle challenges in a respectful way, and feel empowered to create a supportive and inclusive environment for themselves and their peers.”

Through engaging discussions and role-play, the girls explored:

The difference between healthy and unhealthy friendships
How to deal with Friendship Fires (normal conflict)
What to do when someone is mean on purpose
How to use Talk-it-Out conversations and Quick Comebacks

They also used the Friend-o-Meter, a visual tool that helps students reflect on how their friendships make them feel, giving them language and confidence to express themselves clearly.

By the end of the day, the girls had stepped into their roles as Friendship Ninjas, ready to face tricky situations with kindness, resilience and self-awareness.

A Confident Start to High School

Friendships play a huge role in how students experience school, especially in the early years. This program gave our Year 7s a solid foundation, not just for making friends but for learning how to look after themselves and others along the way.

It also beautifully ties into our Mercy values of Compassion, Justice, and service and supports key student attributes like emotional intelligence, resilience, collaboration and confidence.

We’re so proud of how the girls embraced the experience and grateful to our amazing staff and counsellors for making it come alive.

If you have a Year 7 at home, ask her what she enjoyed most. You might be surprised by what she shares and how much she’s already grown.

EmotionalIntelligence, Featured, friendship, SantaMariaCollege, StudentLife, studentwellbeing, TransitionToHighSchool, URSTRONG, Year7

Author: Santa Maria College
Santa Maria College is a vibrant girls school with a growing local presence and reputation. Our Mission is to educate young Mercy women who act with courage and compassion to enrich our world. Santa Maria College is located in Attadale in Western Australia, 16 km from the Perth CBD. We offer a Catholic education for girls in Years 5 – 12 and have 1300 students, including 152 boarders.