Beyond the Shirt: Peer Counselling at Hamber
Hamber's Peer Counsellors (PCs) help grade 8s feel welcome as they enter their first year of high school by strolling through the school in baby blue shirts, organizing events, and assisting in classrooms.
PCs have been a staple of the Hamber community for decades, says Mr. C. Smith (Counselling), who is currently in charge of running the program. “The Peer Counselling program started in 1989, so 37 years ago. It was started by a lady named Nancy Perry, and I took it over from her,” he explained.
According to Mr. Smith, the purpose of PCs “was always to give kids another outlet of people they can talk to [...] Sometimes kids are more comfortable talking to kids than adults.” Peer Counsellors aim to “help welcome our grade eight students into high school to help them transition more easily,” he added.
Mack Dickson (12) is currently a PC. The group’s weekly 7:30 AM Tuesday morning meetings entail “Mr. Smith talking about activities” that PCs can facilitate, as well as additional “prepping with how to deal with kids who have a little more going on at home or at school.” Dickson says these sessions are helpful to ensure that PCs can deal with a variety of situations and feel secure and confident in their ability to provide support.
Through these meetings, PCs learn many skills that are essential to helping students.
“I know how to empathize with people properly and what to say to someone who's feeling down,” shared Dickson. PCs learned these skills at a Peer Counselling Camp in September, which Dickson said “was an amazing experience.” At camp, PCs had seminars with Mr. Smith, where they “did some activities where we got to be put in the driver's seat and had to act out different scenarios that we had to deal with,” Dickson explained.
The training and scenarios prepare PCs for the multitude of situations and issues they may face when helping grade 8s. According to Dickson, students come to PCs about a multitude of issues, such as “loneliness, stress about school, situations with their friends, [and] issues at home.”
PCs engage in a range of activities and responsibilities throughout the year. Mr. Smith puts the PCs “in placement blocks, which are places they can talk to kids, like art class or woodworking,” Dickson said, so PCs can get to know students and build trust with them.
Due to the semester system, only half of the PCs have a placement block in either semester. In response, Mr. Smith implemented FIT classes where the PCs teach life lessons to grade 8 students. “[The PC’s] have done two [classes] so far,” Mr. Smith said. The lessons cover “how to make friends [and] study habits. They plan to do one on anti-bullying next.”
PCs also host fun activities throughout the year, including the Peer Counsellors vs. Grade Eight Challenge, which was held on Dec. 10 in the gym. The event is designed to promote bonding and provide a fun activity for the grade 8s.
Additionally, PCs can also be given actual “buddies” to “take under their wing,” shared Mr. Smith. The PC will help the “kid out a little bit until they kind of get their feet under them as a grade 8.”
The PCs’ experience and training are felt and appreciated by younger students as well. “One time I was crying because I didn't like science class, and [a PC] comforted me and walked me back to science class,” shared Eden Decloux (9).
Many other students met PCs when they were in eighth grade and truly connected with them.
“[My PC] Mila was really nice, and during sewing she would help me put the bobbin in when I couldn't do it,” Leitizia Fan (9) recounted. “The program helped me feel included because she became friends with me and we talked a lot in class. During metalworking, she [drew] with us, and we always had a lot of fun.”