Sixth Grade Girls Club

This sounds like a wonderful idea because they are indeed changing and this really can be seen by fifth grade. They go through so much emotional upheaval in transition and ideas like these can help keep them grounded. It is also good for them to come together and discuss issues or problems they are facing. I also think that nutrition should be added into the mix. They can be spiritually, emotionally, and physically fed. Sometimes the hospital has people or reps who will come out and talk to groups on important issues facing youth.

Great ideas!

Yes the flyer idea with "ice skating, movies, bring your own idea" sounds simple and sweet (letting them know that the sky's the limit and that you value their opinion).

other ideas:
- fishing trip (why do boys always get to fish & not the girls?)
- campfire making smores sleeping in tents maybe?
- movie marathon sleep over
- peer pressure 'talk'
- a talk about boys
- nurse talk okay - they often have one in Public School in 4th and again in 5th grade. Better to have a young 20-something year old nurse. No girl wants to hear from some old lady with gray hair.
- texting 'talk' (lots of 'sexting' going around)
- facebook etiquite
- Maybe all these 'facebook, texting' talks could be a "Why your parents bug you about the computer and phone" series.
- Babysitting class (maybe they can have a CPR class, become the church's "certified babysitters".)
- Body image (there are lots of books out there). Maybe a reading book club? I think this plus bullying are the hardest for girls in Middle School & High School. Read reviews and read the book yourself before buying a whole bunch for the girls. For example, here's one. Only 4/5 stars though http://www.amazon.com/My-Feet-Arent-Ugly-Herself/dp/08253...
This one has better reviews and a catchy title http://www.amazon.com/Mean-Chicks-Cliques-Dirty-Tricks/dp...

Names? I'd go with something like GLEE (Girls Loving Everyone Equally) or something else catchy like that. Acrostic? Is that the right word? The church I used to go to called their 5th/6th grade group "fifty-sixers" and their 7th/8th grade group "seventy-eighters". So y'all could be the "Sixters Sisters" or something simple like that.

Great idea, mom. Pick a name so that next year, will you do 6th grade again? Or will you want to do another year of theclub with your daughter who will then be a seventh grader? Keep that in mind.

I personally think your idea is a pretty good one. The nurse idea.. I can see that catching a bit of flack, but I would still give it a shot. The thing is that while most parents want their kids to know this stuff they may not be 100% comfortable and confidant talking about it. Perhaps what you could do is after the program starts, send a flyer out to the parents and include possible activities, educational AND fun and let them select a certain amount of educational ones and a certain amount of fun ones. Put a suggestions area at the bottom too if you like.

Another good thing you might want to cover, because it DOES pop up so much in junior high and high school, is bullying. There are some great videos, books, speakers etc that you may be able to find for these girls to listen to. Not that girls are the only ones who bully, but I've found over the years that no one is quite as cruel to us as our peers. Giving them the ability to cope and handle the situations would be a great thing.

My daughter teaches at an international school in Seoul, Korea, and one of the activities they've done with some of the middle and high school students is a jewelry-making club. They aren't making the jewelry for themselves, though... they've been making it to sell, with the funds sponsoring a child in the Philippines!

Also, one of the activities my church's youth group has done has been a trip to a ceramics studio, where they can paint ceramics, etc. Fun, crafty things to do!

They don't need to do just "girl things" ...... outdoor activities are wonderful for that age, also... anything to get them to using their bodies in healthy ways! Healthy exercise classes would be good, also... what about the jazz style exercise videos? Fun movement, fun activity. Also, teaching them about healthy snacks would be good. They help prepare the snack they will be eating.

I think this is really funny that you are doing this program, because myself and another mother are doing the same thing. We are beginning ours using the book "God and Me- a journey thru proverbs" by vicki courntey. This is a six week lesson but we are doing 4 with to really great sleep overs at the church. We have also choosen the ages 8-12 right before youth, and gathering up some pretty exciting stuff. My daughter and I have also went to church events where they did have a nurse come in and talk about the WHOLE body and girl thing.. it was GREAT!!! and they need to learn it in the right place at the right time. I would suggest first that you get a buddy, because working with a pack of girls is tough.. we started our program with about 10.. and haven't had our first class yet and we are already up to 25. and we also did invitations.. they loved that. Most girls really like anything... but if you want to send me a message I would love to tell you more ideas we are having if it helps.. :) God Bless

I think this is a GREAT idea. I would even say starting at 4th grade (though this might not be your mission) is a great idea. Children are reaching puberty younger on average than we did a generation ago. But I remember even in 4th grade, reading those Judy Blume books about puberty and having so many questions. That year someone started wearing a bra, and there was the first "boyfriend/ girlfriend" in class. And I went to a parrochial school in a small town 30 years ago. When I taught Jr. High in the 90s, I heard my share of the kids bragging about who they had sex with. *shudders* and I can't imagine what it is like for kids that age right now.

I love that you will be doing mission work with them. That's fantastic to show young girls their power to improve their community, to serve, to create worth from their lives, to earn a "thank you" from a stranger! I think that's probably the best thing anyone can do for a young person, and by extention, their community. It also gives them a focus other than boys and bodies, which are taking up a lot of mental and emotional energy. I recently heard someone say this: "The problem with society is that people decide what they want to do before they decide who they want to be." You're giving them a glimpse at who they can be and are opening a whole world of positivity up for them.

I fully support you asking a nurse to come in and talk sex with them. In this generation, every sixth grader knows about oral sex, yet they are getting information from other kids, who know nothing. Getting straight, true answers about what is going on and what the real physiological consequences can be, and teaching them morality in the same forum is great! Also, you're creating a community of girls who are bonded in knowledge and faith. I think that is a good combination because they have each other to lean on when peer pressure gets tough.

I wish you all the best. Thank you for doing this!

What a great idea! This is the time that I find girls turning on girls who are socially awkward or have physical challenges. This would be a good topic to cover.

As far as having a nurse come in, I would gather the moms together so that everyone is on the same page. With a Christian nurse, it should be awesome.

What about arts and crafts like making Christmas ornaments or sewing a purse. Or a service project that they choose such as a canned food drive. Or a slumber party- the church I used to go to put in extra carpet padding in one of the classrooms just for that.

I really like that you are going to do this, children these days have lots of pressures, etc...they need good role models. May I suggest you check out Yoginos. www.yoginos.com There is one in San Antonio. Yoga has always been a great way to learn about your body, awareness, compassion for yourself and others, etc... So including yoga as part of the group would be beneficial. Please let me know how it goes, love to do something like this in our town
This is the contact person in San Antonio, there are also other locations in Texas. I am located in Bellville, outside of Houston.
Kristi Traub ~ Director of Programs, San Antonio
____@____.com
###-###-####
Please tell her I told you to contact her.
Best wishes and blessings,
J. Woelpern
http://yogakarma.weebly.com/

This is a wonderful idea! I think the invitation should ask the girls to bring ideas for activities to the first meeting so they feel that they have an active part in the class right from the start. It's a great idea to bring in a nurse to explain body changes (to assure the girls that what they're going through is normal) and to answer questions. Your daughter is so blessed!