Panther Pals will work together to learn what social skills make a good friend and why it is important to be a good friend to others. Good friends show kindness with their words and actions, respect others' personal spaces, and look for ways to make others feel included. Everyone has the power to be a good friend. Let's learn what it means to be a Panther Pal!

• M1. Belief in development of whole self, including a healthy balance of mental, social/emotional, and physical well-being.

• M2. Sense of acceptance, respect, support, and inclusion for self and others in the school environment.

• B-SMS 1. Responsibility for self and actions.

• B-SMS 2. Self-discipline and self control.

• B-SMS 3. Independent work.

• B-SMS 5. Perseverance to achieve long-term and short-term goals.

• B-SMS 6. Ability to identify and overcome barriers.

• B-SMS 9. Personal safety skills.

• B-SS 1. Effective oral and written communication skills and listening skills.

• B-SS 2. Positive, respectful, and supportive relationships with students who are similar to and different from them.

• B-SS 3. Positive relationships with adults to support success.

• B-SS 5. Ethical decision making and social responsibility.

• B-SS 7. Leadership and teamwork skills to work effectively in diverse groups.

• B-SS 8. Advocacy skills for self and others and ability to assert self when necessary.

The counselor will need to also make sure the participant's parents have signed the Routine Mental Health consent form on Skyward that is now required under Senate Bill 12 for all students that the counselor interacts with.

Attached is an example of what a participant ground rules form could look like (Missouri Professional School Counselors and Counselor Educators, 2015).

During the first stage of Panther Pals, the counselor will work towards building trust between the students. The participants will play ice-breaker games to get to know each other and discuss things they have in common. The counselor will explain that part of building trust with other people within the group is treating them with respect and showing kindness. With students of this age, respect looks like listening when someone speaks, not making fun of them, saying kind words, and encouraging each other. The counselor will make it clear that students who do not show respect or follow the set rules of the group will not be allowed to continue being a part of the group.

The second stage of Panther Pals will be where the counselor helps students really explore what being a good friend looks like. They will do group activities to practice their knowledge of kind words versus unkind words. They will be challenged to work together on a group activity while having good social skills, like sharing and using appropriate voice volume, and respecting others' personal space. The counselor will monitor each student's progress throughout the group, making note of the number of times each student has to be corrected and the number of times students show positive behaviors.

The counselor will make sure students are aware of when the third stage of the group will take place. Students need to understand when their last group will be and be ready to have closure. During the last group session, the students will do an activity that will allow each student to leave with a paper heart filled with positive affirmations from other group members and the counselor. This will be something tangible they can take with them to remind them they are important and capable of being a good friend. The counselor will also give each participant a certificate proclaiming that they are a Panther Pal.