Balcombe Grammar launched their Better Buddies program for 2011 with a whole day of activities.  Students undertook training to be an older buddy, staff participated in a professional learning activity after school and parents were invited to attend an information evening.  Each activity provided relevant information and helped to ensure the entire school and community is focused on working together to create a friendly and caring school.

Students and their families were excited by the visit from The Alannah and Madeline Foundation. The Foundation visited to officially launch the Better Buddies Program at Balcombe. The values of the Foundation and the school are well aligned and we believe that the work of the Foundation will be of great benefit to the school community.

As you walk through the grounds at Balcombe Grammar, there are Year 5 students playing with their buddies, listening to their stories and helping their Prep friends feel welcome. The Preps have only been at Primary school this week and yet the smiles and excited faces would suggest that programs such as this have an obvious and immediate impact on students' happiness.

The importance of community building initiatives such as the Better Buddies Framework should not be underestimated.  Families look to schools to work with them to provide structures that promote a sense of belonging. We are very proud of our older students and the concern they show for others, both within this program and in their relationships more generally.

Mr Matthew Dodd, Principal, Balcombe Grammar School

There was a buzz throughout the building, in anticipation of the arrival of Buddy Bear!  The students were so pleased to meet him and have a cuddle, even the older ones were pleased to see him!

The year 5 students worked incredibly hard during the Buddy Training sessions.  They particularly enjoyed the Circle Time activities and the Role Plays.  The students performed the Role Plays very well and came up with some great solutions.  I strongly believe the year 5s are ready to be Super Buddies!

The Preps were very excited to meet their Buddies.  They particularly enjoyed receiving their own little Buddy Bear and their Activity Booklets.

What a fabulous day all round!

Thank you so much to NAB and The Alannah and Madeline Foundation for their incredible support throughout the day!

Natalie Kurelja, Wellbeing Coordinator, Balcombe Grammar School

Wow, what a day! Our Year Fives responded so well to the training provided by staff and supported by Maree and Penny from the Foundation. The little Prep buddies were overjoyed to receive a Buddy Bear each from their older buddies and, of course, Buddy Bear himself was quite a hit.

We are extremely grateful to Maree and Penny, for presenting to our staff and parent body. They were received with interest and enthusiasm and our staff are grateful to have such a wide range of activities and resources to now work with.

We were also extremely grateful to have our NAB buddy there to support us throughout the day and evening. We are looking forward to finding a permanent home for our brand new Better Buddies sign. Thanks to everyone!

Tim Johnson, Years 3-6 Sub-School Coordinator

The Better Buddies launch at Balcombe went really well.

Kym attended the Student Training and staff professional learning sessions and Kerry attended the parent information evening.  We were introduced to the school and community and enjoyed being involved in the different activities.  Kym was impressed with how the year 5 students conducted themselves throughout the day and we both learned more about the Better Buddies Framework and Balcombe Grammar over the course of the day.

Now that we have had a little exposure, we think the next event (hopefully there will be more) will be a lot easier and we will be much better prepared, knowing what to expect.

Balcombe Grammar School are running some events during Buddy Week and we look forward to coming along where appropriate.

We thoroughly enjoyed the event and are both really excited about getting more involved, as too are other staff at the branch.

Kerry and Kym, NAB Buddies for Balcombe Grammar School

We attended the Balcombe Grammar Better Buddies Launch to support the work undertaken by the staff.  Meetings had been held in Term 4 2010 and during the school holidays with the Foundation to ensure that the launch of Better Buddies would be a wonderful support for buddy grades.

The Buddy Day was a huge success and we were very taken by the culture and atmosphere of Balcombe Grammar.  The support given to the students by the staff and the interaction of the students during the Better Buddies sessions was something to behold.

The organisation of the classrooms also supports the concept of Better Buddies with the Year 5 and Year Prep rooms located in one 'pod' and the Prep students' outdoor play area attached to the pod.

It was wonderful to see that the Buddy Day involved the local NAB Buddies Kerry and Kym and we had the opportunity to speak to staff and parents about Buddies at Balcombe on the same day.

Although we desire to visit all of our Better Buddies schools, the tyranny of distance makes this almost impossible, as does the issue of time.  We are a small team and where we can't be there in person, we aim to provide support to all of our schools through phone and email support or "meetings".  However, this was an opportunity too good to pass up and it has given us valuable insights into further possibilities of introducing and embedding Better Buddies in schools which we will share with others in our Better Buddies community.

Maree Stanley, Prevention Manager, The Alannah and Madeline Foundation