Soroptimist International Of Renton Arms Tween Girls With Tips To Succeed In School, Life

The transition from elementary to middle school doesn’t have to be scary. One Renton group works to empower young girls by supporting their newest educational endeavor and teaching them how to succeed in school and life.

of Renton completed its one-day self esteem seminar for incoming sixth-grade girls at this past week.  hosted the second annual event that is aimed to give young girls the support they need to succeed in school while feeling good about themselves and their personal choices.

Each girl received a T-shirt with the “Gurlstrong” logo and a bag filled with material for the seminar, wrote Barbara MacGregor in an email to Patch.

The sessions sparked discussion on how to make friends, discover personal strengths, refusal strategies and how to recognize and diffuse bullying. Most workshops were conducted by Soroptimist members. Community members also ran a few of the sessions, she wrote. 

Julie Do, a Soroptimist International Rosalie Evans Scholarship winner, spoke to the girls about setting goals and said the teen years are a wonderful time to try new activities. 

Allow room for failure when trying something new, Do said, and always keep working to improve. 

Valley Medical Center Dietician Kelly Williamson demonstrated the amount of sugar lurking in many beverages, including "healthy" vitamin water and juice, and counseled the girls about making healthy food and drink choices.

Tiesha Clark, a Nordstrom personal shopper, gave the girls tips on how to update their wardrobes to fit their new status as "middle schoolers," and a Valley Fitness Center aerobics instructor lead a Zumba Class.

Zumba was a wild success among the teens, MacGregor said. "Girls do love to dance!"

Many of the sessions also included crafts such as friendship bracelets and "Beautiful Me" mirrors to illustrate the topic. Each girl also received a journal to rcord, set and track personal goals.

Soroptimist members enjoyed watching the tweens make new aquaintances and friendships, and wish the incoming Nelsen Middle School sixth-grade class a great school year.