Aspendale Gardens Primary School - VIC

Better Buddies Games

On Tuesday the 19th May, Aspendale Gardens Primary School held their Buddies Games Afternoon. The Buddy Leaders organised a fun filled afternoon of making paper planes. The planes had to be made from recycled paper because we are becoming an accredited sustainability school.  After lunch we went to our buddies rooms and began designing and making paper planes.

They had to have a 'Buddy Bear' pilot and some had the school values on the wings! Then we went outside with our buddy class and had the semi final 'fly off' everyone showed the value of 'motivation' because we all wanted to win! When a winner had been decided the whole school went outside and the winners from each buddy class had a 'fly off' with each other! Each winning plane won a prize. Some of the planes were beautiful and they also won a prize.  We invited the parents and grandparents to come and watch the big 'fly off' in the afternoon, so we had a very big crowd and lots of fun. It was great to spend time with our buddies!

Kongorong Primary School - SA

At Kongorong Primary School, South Australia, we have had a fantastic year with the Better Buddies programme. As someone coming into the programme with no past knowledge, the support material provided by the Better Buddies Team has been invaluable.

This year our Buddies have enjoyed activities including:

• creating a Buddy Bear quilt with each student contributing a square of their own creation
• making Buddy Bear faces using coloured icing on milk arrowroot biscuits
• making friendship bracelets using plaiting and knotting
• writing out recipes for a great buddy (these have been made into a laminated book)
• making our own Buddy Bear bumper stickers
• creating Buddy Bear Christmas cards
• making a Buddy Bear from felt to hang on the Christmas tree at home

Here are some comments from the Junior Primary children...

• I liked making Buddy Bears because it makes me happy.
• I liked making Buddy Bear biscuits. They were yummy.
• I like the quilt because it's warm and comfortable. Buddy Bears makes me feel happy and safe.
• I liked making the Buddy Bear quilt because it was so fun painting.
• Buddy bears makes me excited.
• Buddy Bears makes me happy (many wrote this as well as making them feel safe).

Many thanks for all the great ideas and support materials, which we have used through the year.

Fahan School - TAS

At Fahan School in Tasmania, the Better Buddies Framework has been implemented in conjunction with their existing Big Sister, Little Sister program.

The 2011 Junior School Chairs, Stella Weston-Smith and Isabel Bennett, Deputy Head Girl, Elli Hopkins, and teacher Jane Macrossan are the driving forces behind the implementation of the project at Fahan.

"As the Junior School Chairs, we want to help our teachers to organise events and programs that involve bringing the Junior School and Senior School together to create positive relationships between the older and younger girls," Isabel said.

Stella said that now they have incorporated Better Buddies into the existing school programs it would help them to uphold the tradition of Fahan's program while also extending it and making it even more successful.

Fahan School launched the initiative with a teddy-bears picnic involving participation from every student and member of staff at the school, with the assistance of many bears of course.

"As part of the Picnic we give the youngest girl in each Big Sister, Little Sister 'family' a purple Buddy Bear."

"Buddy Bear will now be the official mascot for all of our Big Sister, Little Sister events throughout the year and stand as a symbol of friendship and caring," Stella said.

The school hopes that these programs will help children learn the skills and values associated with empathy and compassion.

Better Buddies in Denmark

1,000 Preschools in Denmark are 'Free of Bullying'

In 2007, Her Royal Highness the Crown Princess of Denmark's foundation the Mary Foundation introduced "Fri for Mobberi" (Free of Bullying) to Denmark in cooperation with Save the Children. The programme was developed with inspiration from The Alannah and Madeline Foundation's 'Better Buddies' programme.

On the 23rd March, 'Free of Bullying' celebrated that the preventative anti-bullying program is now being used in 1,000 preschools throughout the country. A great result since the total number of preschools in Denmark is 4,500.

"Good social relationships are important for the children's self-esteem, general wellbeing and development. And just one good friend makes a whole lot of difference. That is why we look forward to 'Free of Bullying' supporting the children in being good mates, capable of showing empathy and distinguishing between good-hearted teasing and bullying," explains Lisa Jacobsen, director of Gnisten Preschool.

Secretary General of Save the Children Denmark, Mimi Jakobsen, is also pleased with this massive show of support.

"The programme 'Free of Bullying' is about teachers, children and not least parents, taking on a shared responsibility. You don't need to have serious bullying problems to join in 'Free of Bullying'. The point is to focus on prevention, nipping bullying in the bud", says Mimi Jakobsen.