Christ the King School families recently gathered at Fair Play Kitchen for an engaging and thought-provoking evening with renowned author and speaker Rebecca Sparrow, whose presentation, 6 Lessons In Friendship, provided practical strategies to help children navigate the often-complex world of friendships.
Presented through the generous support of CTK School P&F and funding from Catholic School Parents Queensland (CSPQ), the event brought together parents, carers and students for an important conversation about connection, belonging and wellbeing.
Often referred to as Australia's 'Friendship Whisperer', Rebecca has dedicated much of her work to helping tweens, teens and families understand the social challenges that can emerge during the school years. Her message resonated strongly with the audience from the outset, particularly her opening reminder that while there is much in life beyond our control, one thing we can control is the people we choose to spend our time with.
Throughout the evening, Rebecca explored common friendship challenges faced by young people, including how to make friends, build trust, communicate boundaries and respond to conflict. Families were encouraged to reflect on what healthy friendships look like and how kindness, accountability and resilience play an important role in forming meaningful relationships.
Principal Bernadette Wright said the presentation addressed a topic that becomes increasingly important as children move through the middle and upper primary years.
"Friendships play a significant role in a child's sense of belonging, confidence and overall wellbeing," Mrs Wright says. "As educators and parents, we know that friendship challenges often begin to emerge during the primary years, making it important that children are equipped with the skills and language to navigate relationships positively."
She said Rebecca's presentation provided practical strategies that will benefit students not only throughout their schooling, but well into adulthood.
Parents appreciated the practical and relatable nature of Rebecca's advice.
One parent, Katharine, attended with the hope of developing a shared language around friendship with her children.
"I thought it would be helpful to have shared vocabulary with my children around friendship and some practical ideas about how to be a good friend, how to spot the characteristics of a good friend and how to navigate tricky situations," she says.
Katharine says both of her children connected strongly with Rebecca's simple strategies for responding to unkind behaviour.
"Rebecca was so relatable and put the audience at ease, demonstrating that the kinds of difficulties we face in friendships are quite normal. I loved the focus on kindness, accountability and teaching children that they are learning."
For parent Emma, the opportunity to learn alongside her children was particularly valuable.
"While I can listen to a podcast or read an article at home, opportunities like this are different because my sons and I were able to learn together in real-time," Emma says. "Hearing Rebecca's insights live created a shared experience and gave us a chance to start important conversations about friendships and relationships afterwards."
Emma said Rebecca's discussion of Brene Brown's 'marbles in the jar' analogy was one of the evening's standout messages.
"It was a powerful reminder that trust and connection are built through small, everyday actions. What stood out was that it's not just about how we allow others to fill our marble jar, but also how we contribute to filling the jars of the people around us."
Another parent, Marie-Laure, valued the opportunity to attend alongside her children and reflect on the effort required to build meaningful friendships.
"It was a lovely opportunity for us to talk about friendship. I loved that Rebecca reminded us that friendship takes effort and that kindness is at the heart of strong relationships. Our children need to realise that the cool kids are the kind ones."
For many families, the conversations did not end when the seminar finished. Parents reported discussing the ideas with their children the following day and sharing key takeaways with friends and colleagues. As Katharine reflected, events like this bring families together around shared values, strengthen connections within the school community and demonstrate the school's commitment to supporting parents as they raise compassionate, responsible and resilient young people.
Parent Anne-Louise described the evening as both practical and inspiring.
"Rebecca's talk was engaging and relatable and filled with practical tips and advice for building and maintaining meaningful connections and friendships for both children and adults. It was also so great to have so many of our school community together enjoying a meal in a relaxed setting and learning together from the 'Friendship Whisperer'. I'm very grateful for the full marble jars in my and my kids' lives thanks to this amazing community at CTK School."
The evening served as a powerful reminder that friendship skills are life skills. By creating opportunities for families to learn together, share experiences and engage in meaningful conversations, Christ the King School continues to strengthen the partnerships that support children to flourish socially, emotionally and academically.
Christ the King School extends its sincere thanks to Rebecca Sparrow, the CTK School P&F and the CSPQ for making this valuable opportunity possible. Together, we continue to foster a community where kindness, belonging and positive relationships are at the heart of every child's journey.
