Girls with Pearls
In the 2015-2016 school year I created Halstead Academy's first ever Girls with Pearls mentoring program.! After hearing fellow professional school counselor colleague Mrs. Wendy Carver, LCPC–S, NCC, NCSC, from Shady Spring Elementary speak about her school's Girls with Pearls program at the end of the 2014-2015; I knew I had to create a program similar for our young ladies at Halstead.
Every day our young ladies are being hit with increasing pressure of how they are "supposed to behave and/or be like" from social media, and so called 'reality' television, as well as what they are "supposed to look like" given the unrealistic and photo-shopped body images from print and live media. This pressure, sadly, is even stemming from their peers.
Every day our young ladies are being hit with increasing pressure of how they are "supposed to behave and/or be like" from social media, and so called 'reality' television, as well as what they are "supposed to look like" given the unrealistic and photo-shopped body images from print and live media. This pressure, sadly, is even stemming from their peers.
My goal in developing the Girls with Pearls program was to create a safe environment for our young ladies to just be girls. A place where they could be surrounded by positive women who genuinely cared for them, where our young ladies could discuss their concerns and not feel judged.
This school year, I was blessed to have four fabulous staff members who also shared my vision and contributed to the success of the Girls with Pearls program. Fifth grade teacher Ms. Francis, 2nd grade teacher Mrs. Hopkins, Library Media Specialist Mrs. Fontinell, and 5th grade teacher Ms. McNeal. Throughout the school year, we presented lessons on forming a positive self-image, avoiding drama, dealing with peer conflict, and being assertive, while still treating others with respect. We also incorporated future planning with our young ladies to begin planting the seed for college and possible careers.
Reflecting on my first Girls with Pearls mentoring program, and reflecting on the student feedback from this past 5th grade group, there were so many wonderful things that we were able to accomplish in our 1st year! As the Girls with Pearls mentoring group continues to expand, my hope is to incorporate on-site college visits to area universities, and continue to include meaningful topics, and guest speakers that will have a positive impact on our girls so they are fully equipped to handle whatever obstacles may come their way.
In the 2016-2017, our Girls with Pearls group was highlighted in the Baltimore County Public Schools, Lighthouse Reflections section. Click the photo to the left to read the Lighthouse Reflection article, and to learn more about what our young ladies are doing this school year in our Girls with Pearls program! You can also visit the link by clicking the Team BCPS logo below.