The members of the Ophelia Club at Solanco High School hope that by drawing attention to the value of healthy relationships, students will be encouraged to make wise decisions about the people in their lives. The club was launched as part of a national movement to promote healthy self-esteem and relationships through volunteerism, especially for women, explained school counselor and club adviser Lindsay Capoferri. In recent years, the club has opened membership to male students as well.
Club members hope to impact the entire school during Healthy Relationships Week, which will be held from Monday, Feb. 10, through Friday, Feb. 14. The initiative is designed to inspire students to consider what constitutes a healthy relationship and be aware of the signs of an unhealthy relationship. While the friendships, dating relationships, and other types of connection among individuals will be discussed, the signs of dating violence will be highlighted.
"If you are unhappy in a relationship more than you're happy, it's probably not a good relationship," Capoferri said, relating a lesson she learned as a teenager and now shares with students. "We want to plant seeds."
Drawing on resources from loveisrespect, Futures Without Violence, and Healthy Lifestyle Resources at Cornerstone, the Ophelia Club has curated daily announcements that will be aired on WSLC/Solanco YouTube. On Tuesday and Thursday, Feb. 11 and 13, Jennie Straub from Cornerstone will offer lessons to ninth-graders, focusing on words that are key to recognizing unhealthy relationships and what to do next.
Throughout the week, the Ophelia Club will promote the use of #1Thing, a social media hashtag created by loveisrespect to remind teenagers that by sharing one thing with someone, they can make a difference. Safety cards for teenagers will be available in the cafeteria so students know whom to go to if they need to talk about dating violence. Students will also have the opportunity to sign a large banner in the cafeteria, declaring their acknowledgment that they deserve to be in healthy relationships where they feel safe and supported. Posters will be displayed around the school to highlight important statistics as well as habits of healthy and unhealthy relationships.
On the final day of the school week, which is Valentine's Day, students will be encouraged to wear orange to draw attention to the importance of ending unhealthy relationships and dating violence. Ophelia Club members have also planned to cover the sidewalks with messages about what love is and is not.
All students in grades nine to 12 will participate in a follow-up lesson with their advisers during their PRIDE meetings on Tuesday, Feb. 25. Additionally, Capoferri said that she and her fellow school counselors have open doors and welcome questions or comments from students and parents about relationships. The school also has a Student Assistance Program (SAP), and parents, teachers, and students may refer anyone who needs help, whether it is someone else or themselves. Students who need the support are assigned a case manager. The SAP team meets weekly to ensure that no one slips through the cracks. Student small groups also meet to discuss common issues.
"We've been creative in supporting students," Capoferri remarked.
Ophelia Club member Christina Cylc agreed, saying, "If teachers know (about a bad breakup), they will sit the students on opposite sides of the room."
"You see a lot on social media," said Ophelia Club member Emily Stalfire. "I see a lot of girls whose boyfriends tell them who they can't spend time with. They don't know what to do about it. We need to talk about it. You're not alone."
Capoferri related that it has become common practice for the dominant person in a relationship to demand the other person share phone and social media passwords. "There's no privacy," she said. "We have an even greater responsibility to promote healthy relationships because it's even more prevalent."
For more information about Healthy Relationships Week, readers may contact Capoferri at lindsay_capoferri@solancosd.org or 717-786-2151, option 3.
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