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Macksville High School

Macksville High School

Respect - Honesty - Pride - Teamwork

Telephone02 6568 1066

Emailmacksville-h.school@det.nsw.edu.au

The Shark Cage ® Program for young women

Girls standing infront of their mural featuring the fish and sharks.

The Shark Cage program is designed by psychologists and educators for all young women. It is aimed to empower young women to become more aware of the challenges faced by women in today’s society and develop strength and resilience.

Year 9 girls completed the seven-week Shark Cage Program for young women. In the final session the girls put together a mural of their work. Fish represent the girls, with each girl writing a positive quality that they had noticed in their peers during the course. The bars of rights protect the fish from the sharks. The girls identified shark-like (disrespectful) behaviours on the shark shapes. Dolphin-like (respectful) behaviours were also identified and added to the mural. At the bottom of the mural the girls added their treasure chests of healthy coping strategies.

This program helps to develop the skill of reading the warning signs and avoid shark attacks. It is a hands-on course that is fun and informative, run by Mrs Hughes and Ms Garland, who are both passionate about providing young women with the tools for a happier life complete with healthier relationships with friends, family and partners.