GEMS Month Topics
Friendship Month
September's month topic. Led by all month leaders.
Program Day: Friday, September 25 (4-5pm) on Zoom
Girls Night: Monday, September 28 (7-9pm) on Zoom
Details: It is difficult to make friends virtually, so we have many fun ice-breaker activities to connect your daughter(s) with their MS peers and HS mentors! During our GEMS Program Day, we will discuss the elements of a true support system and how to embrace growth in a friendship throughout middle/high school.
Identity Month
October's month topic. Led by Isabella O'Reilly ('21) and Camille McFarland ('21).
Program Day: Wednesday, October 14 (6-7pm) on Zoom
Girls Night: Friday, October 16 (7-9pm) on Zoom
Details: Girls guide girls about how our gender, body image, race/ethnicity, sexual orientation, cultures, religion/beliefs, and age affect our identity and belonging.
Healthy Body Image Month
November's month topic. Led by Kennedy Black ('22) and Grace Perrin ('22).
Program Day: Wednesday, November 9 (5-6pm) on Zoom
Girls Night: Friday, November 13 (7-9pm) on Zoom
Details: Learning how to "love the me I see." Debunk myths about different perspectives of ideal body image throughout MS and HS. Learn how social media’s expectations for appearances has affected our lives.
Fullness Month
December's month topic. Led by Lucía Valderrábano ('22).
Program Day: Wednesday, December 7 (5-6pm) on Zoom
Girls Night: Friday, December 11 (7-9pm) on Zoom
Details: Stress Awareness. Stress is normal and natural, but too much of it is detrimental to well-being and growth. ‘Fullness’ encapsulates self-care and stress management, and at an academically rigorous school like St. John's, students often drown from academic pressures and practice less self-care. Our goal for this month is to debunk the myths that self-care is selfish or that it comes after everything else.
Healthy Outlets Month
January's month topic. Led by Carolyn DePinho ('21).
Program Day: Thursday, January 14 (5-6pm) on Zoom
Girls Night: Friday, January 15 (7-9pm) on Zoom
Details: Learning healthy outlets when coping with our experiences. We collectively will establish healthy coping mechanisms to deal with sadness, anger, stress, and more. This discussion is both informative and continuously emphasizes the support in the GEMS St. John’s community. This topic is extremely important to the mental and physical wellbeing of the students in our community.
Family Month
March's month topic. Led by Ava Leitner ('21).
Program Day: Tuesday, March 2 (5-6pm) on Zoom
Girls Night: Friday, March 5 (7-9pm) on Zoom
Details: Exploring familial connections between siblings and parents and parental pressures/expectations from a student’s perspective. Finding alternate ways to address and improve familial relationships by learning our different love languages!
Compassion Month
April's month topic. Led by Fareen Dhuka ('21).
Program Day: Wednesday, April 8 (5-6pm) on Zoom
End-of-year Celebration: Friday, May 7 (3-4pm) outside the FAA
Details: Unpack the way that we treat other people and the way we treat ourselves. Emphasize that we cannot be compassionate with others if we are not compassionate with ourselves. In the end, we hope to begin the journey to improving outward compassion and inward compassion (developing a healthier relationship with ourselves).
September's month topic. Led by all month leaders.
Program Day: Friday, September 25 (4-5pm) on Zoom
Girls Night: Monday, September 28 (7-9pm) on Zoom
Details: It is difficult to make friends virtually, so we have many fun ice-breaker activities to connect your daughter(s) with their MS peers and HS mentors! During our GEMS Program Day, we will discuss the elements of a true support system and how to embrace growth in a friendship throughout middle/high school.
Identity Month
October's month topic. Led by Isabella O'Reilly ('21) and Camille McFarland ('21).
Program Day: Wednesday, October 14 (6-7pm) on Zoom
Girls Night: Friday, October 16 (7-9pm) on Zoom
Details: Girls guide girls about how our gender, body image, race/ethnicity, sexual orientation, cultures, religion/beliefs, and age affect our identity and belonging.
Healthy Body Image Month
November's month topic. Led by Kennedy Black ('22) and Grace Perrin ('22).
Program Day: Wednesday, November 9 (5-6pm) on Zoom
Girls Night: Friday, November 13 (7-9pm) on Zoom
Details: Learning how to "love the me I see." Debunk myths about different perspectives of ideal body image throughout MS and HS. Learn how social media’s expectations for appearances has affected our lives.
Fullness Month
December's month topic. Led by Lucía Valderrábano ('22).
Program Day: Wednesday, December 7 (5-6pm) on Zoom
Girls Night: Friday, December 11 (7-9pm) on Zoom
Details: Stress Awareness. Stress is normal and natural, but too much of it is detrimental to well-being and growth. ‘Fullness’ encapsulates self-care and stress management, and at an academically rigorous school like St. John's, students often drown from academic pressures and practice less self-care. Our goal for this month is to debunk the myths that self-care is selfish or that it comes after everything else.
Healthy Outlets Month
January's month topic. Led by Carolyn DePinho ('21).
Program Day: Thursday, January 14 (5-6pm) on Zoom
Girls Night: Friday, January 15 (7-9pm) on Zoom
Details: Learning healthy outlets when coping with our experiences. We collectively will establish healthy coping mechanisms to deal with sadness, anger, stress, and more. This discussion is both informative and continuously emphasizes the support in the GEMS St. John’s community. This topic is extremely important to the mental and physical wellbeing of the students in our community.
Family Month
March's month topic. Led by Ava Leitner ('21).
Program Day: Tuesday, March 2 (5-6pm) on Zoom
Girls Night: Friday, March 5 (7-9pm) on Zoom
Details: Exploring familial connections between siblings and parents and parental pressures/expectations from a student’s perspective. Finding alternate ways to address and improve familial relationships by learning our different love languages!
Compassion Month
April's month topic. Led by Fareen Dhuka ('21).
Program Day: Wednesday, April 8 (5-6pm) on Zoom
End-of-year Celebration: Friday, May 7 (3-4pm) outside the FAA
Details: Unpack the way that we treat other people and the way we treat ourselves. Emphasize that we cannot be compassionate with others if we are not compassionate with ourselves. In the end, we hope to begin the journey to improving outward compassion and inward compassion (developing a healthier relationship with ourselves).
Commonly Asked Questions
How often are events?
There is at least one GEMS event a month. The program days are once a month from 5-6pm. Most program days will be held in the Fine Arts Annex (if that changes, we will let you know as soon as possible!) No meeting will be held without the presence of at least one counselor- Ms. LeGrange or Dr. Powell. Towards the end of each month, GEMS leaders might host a Girls Night for students to bond over movies and games.
There is at least one GEMS event a month. The program days are once a month from 5-6pm. Most program days will be held in the Fine Arts Annex (if that changes, we will let you know as soon as possible!) No meeting will be held without the presence of at least one counselor- Ms. LeGrange or Dr. Powell. Towards the end of each month, GEMS leaders might host a Girls Night for students to bond over movies and games.
What is the structure of an event?
GEMS Program Day: Half of the program is an activity, student speaker, video, etc. The other half is open discussion in groups divided based off the number of attendees and led by a month leader. This normally varies based off of the month topic.
GEMS Girls Night: Girls Nights will often consist of a movie or fun activity related to the month topic. The purpose of these Girls Nights are to establish a more tight-knit community and to extend our conversations about the month topic from the program day.
Click on "Month Topics" for more information.
GEMS Program Day: Half of the program is an activity, student speaker, video, etc. The other half is open discussion in groups divided based off the number of attendees and led by a month leader. This normally varies based off of the month topic.
GEMS Girls Night: Girls Nights will often consist of a movie or fun activity related to the month topic. The purpose of these Girls Nights are to establish a more tight-knit community and to extend our conversations about the month topic from the program day.
Click on "Month Topics" for more information.
Do I need to sign up? How do I get involved?
No! We will email and announce our next meeting as soon as possible, so you can put it on your calendar. If you would like to look ahead, please see the calendar attached to the website.
Come when convenient for you! We encourage coming to as many meetings as possible especially because each month is divided into different topics for discussion. Read more...
No! We will email and announce our next meeting as soon as possible, so you can put it on your calendar. If you would like to look ahead, please see the calendar attached to the website.
Come when convenient for you! We encourage coming to as many meetings as possible especially because each month is divided into different topics for discussion. Read more...
