Regals Find Strength in the “Power of Being a Girl”

All grade 8 students from Marymount Academy were invited to the Steelworkers Hall on October 18 for a full day conference. Organized by the YWCA Sudbury, the students took part in the annual “Power of Being a Girl” conference that provides girls with the opportunity to discuss topics of interest including healthy relationships, communication, body image and decision making. Lori Holden, vice principal of Marymount Academy feels it is a great day for the students to learn about themselves and help build their confidence and personal awareness. “This is such a great event for our students to help them build skills for positive self esteem and increase healthy and productive attitudes,” explained Holden. “It allows the girls to feel empowered and increase their independence. With Marymount being an all-girl school, we recognize the importance of building these skills to support the development of our students to becoming strong, independent, confident women.” Several students in grades 10, 11 and were selected to be trained to become mentors for the conference, and they attended a one day training session on October 5 to learn how to help support the younger students with their discussions and questions. On the day of the conference, the students worked through three separate workshops, which included the Power of Body Image – Media and Identity, the Power in Relationships, and the Power of Words. Several students from grade 8 at St. Raphael and St. Francis Catholic Elementary Schools were also invited to take part in the one day conference.