Confident Kids

Lower School Counselor Sarah Ní Mháirtín launched a pilot program for Cohort 2 students, in collaboration with the Counseling and Cohort 2 teams, on building self-confidence. The Confidence Group is an extension of the SEL curriculum. Participation is voluntary; sixteen students have signed up, and the group meets once every three weeks in two groups of eight. The groups are co-led by Sarah and Lower School Social Worker Miku Terai-Griffen.

“The group is about building holistic confidence,” says Sarah, who encourages students to celebrate their individual talents and skills. “Body confidence is also a focus. We talk a lot about how bodies are represented in the media and how that compares with reality.”

Meetings begin with introductions, in which each student shares their name, pronouns, and an “I” statement like “I am strong,” “I am smart,” or “I am beautiful.” Students talk about what is on their minds, but Sarah and Miku also guide conversations on ways to build confidence. “We talk about developing the confidence to offer help to others, and to ask others for help,” explains Sarah. “I can already see that just joining the club has been a confidence-building step for many of the students.”

The Confidence Group is currently only available to Cohort 2, but Sarah hopes that it will take off and be available for other age groups in the future. In the meantime, all families are welcome to contact Sarah if they are interested in receiving any of the resources that are used in the group.