Boonesborough girls group tells Madison County Board students gained confidence, social-media safety skills

Tracy McIntosh, Family Resource Center director at Boonesborough and Whitehall elementary schools, and a group of fourth‑ and fifth‑grade students described a 12‑week “girls group” during the Madison County Board of Education’s February meeting.

The girls group meets weekly during club time and, McIntosh told the board, “we discuss a variety of topics. We focus on things like self esteem, self confidence, friendship skills, conflict resolution, girl drama, and, being kind, social media safety, the power of positivity, and the effects of media on their self esteem.”

Board members heard students read short answers from an end‑of‑session survey. Kennedy, a fifth‑grade student, said the group taught her to accept differences: “I value my uniqueness by loving myself and loving my inside and out.” Another student said the sessions built confidence: “This class definitely has improved my self confidence because we talk about how pretty we actually are even if we don't think so, how we shouldn't compare ourselves.”

Students described favorite activities that reinforced those lessons: name posters where classmates write kind notes around a student's name, “grab and write” social‑emotional prompts pulled from a box, and a creative journal—repeatedly called the “rec this journal” or “wrecking journal”—distributed at the end of the program. McIntosh said the journal is a highlight for participants and a space to express emotions.

Board members praised the program and several said they would like to see similar offerings more broadly. One board member called it “a foundation for middle school” and said she would like the program “in every elementary school ... as a related arts class, as something required.” No formal action or funding request was made during the meeting.

The presentation ended with board praise for McIntosh and the students’ work; students and McIntosh left the meeting after the showcase.