‘WHEN THE 400 students at Scycove Community Second-
ary School are troubled by more than math formulas and
brain-twisting grammar problems they can turn.to a group
of fellow students acting as peer counsellors, for support.

For the past six. years Seycove
counsellor Barbara Jones has or-
ganized a dozen students cach year
to provide counselling support at
the school. :

“We train kids in. communica- .

By MICHAEL BEC
> News Reporter

‘caring people,’* she said.
Grade It Seycove student Wen-

tion skills to’ create any extended ‘dy Marshall learned of:.the peer

support network for friends. The
peer counsellors provide a soun-
* ding board for the students. They’
learn to keep confidentiality except
_for suicide and abuse cases,’
* Jones suid.

The peer, counsellors work’ ‘to,

develop: empathetic listening and
‘open questioning skills. ‘‘The kids

learn’ rot to. give advice, “but to
listen effectively, reflect, and learn
to put themselves in’ the other. per-
“son's shoes,” Jones said.

» The peer counsellors operate on

. ‘two levels —- as empathetic ears at,’

the high. school and -as tutors for’
» elementary school students at Bur-

rard View Community School: in’

Deep Cove, | op
' The students are also assigned’ ‘to

‘the’ often ‘bewildering " transition ;
. from’ elementary school to phigh =
school. : en
Jones; isn’t looking for academic
éxcellence when choosing.a‘ poten- .

“tial peer counsellor.:‘‘1. look for’

‘.: dependable, reliable, sensitive and

“other

counsellor . program through © her
sister's involvement several, years
ago. “It’s given me’ a-lot. of: con-
fidence. We're all“ better com-
municators for it,"* Marshall said.‘
‘The types of problems students
‘have been coming to, her with have
included help with: homework,
dating problems and “really
scrious things.””. : _

The Seycove, peer counsellors
and peer: counsellors from three
Lower Mainland high.
‘schools recently spent a day- -long’
* retreat at Camp Capilano in North

' Vancouver’ to share their, cxperi-

ences and pickup more ‘effective
peer counselling techniques." ‘
Thirty-four peer counsellors,

. Fepresenting-Maple Ridge Second-
i helpiease Grade 8 students through >ary’ and Garibaldi” Secondary in

Maple Ridge, FrankHurt Second: |

‘ary. in Surrey and North Van-
couver’s Seycove, attended the
‘retreat.

Jones ‘teaches German in addi-
tion toher’ duties“ as a, School .

counsellor at Seycove. She: was in-

‘6

Seycove peer counsellors
end ear to troubled

37 - Sunday, May 1, 1988

Sen ASOT

Deal with
obnoxious
waiters

i

PAGE 38

~ North Shore News

empathetic tistenlap and communication skills. Seycove Community Secondary tool has had a A peer ‘counsell-

ing prograni. in place for the past. six years.

troduced to .the. peer counselling

system while: studying ‘at the Uni-
versity of Victoria. She's’ seen the
program work over the six' years it
has been in place at Seycove.

_ SWe are. finding the Grade 8

students feally more “comfortable.
The other. success is that we ha
had" problemi referrals on heavier
issues that.we would never have.
had before,"” Jones said.

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