The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
It's a typical girls' night out Ð with a twist. Nearly 30 girls brought their pajamas, makeup, accessories, favourite clothing items and a smile to Creighton Community School's gymnasium last Friday night. Girls Group, a group fashioned at CCS to help improve girls' self-esteem, gave 28 girls a chance to become friends and have some fun away from home. The Friday night sleepover featured a Zumba class, a fashion show with help from moms and members of the community, as well as a movie and a game of flashlight tag. Courtney Whitmore, coordinator of the group, said she got the idea last year from Dove's Sleepover for Self-esteem. Whitmore took the general idea of the campaign and last year created her own Girls Group Sleepover. After last year's night out, the numbers doubled. Girls Group has shot up to 47 members Ð 28 of whom stayed the night last Friday. The sleepover was a chance for girls to have the attention and focus on them. "Lots (of them) don't get time to be girly at home," said Whitmore, noting that many older siblings play hockey and soccer. "It's nice to have something for the girls just to the girls, so they can be the stars of the day," she said. Girls from grades 4 to 6 were invited to attend the sleepover. "The biggest goal is to improve their self-esteem, but to (also) encourage healthy friendships," said Whitmore. As far as making healthy friendship choices, the group does through learning workshops throughout the year. "This is the age when jealousy rears its ugly head," Whitmore said. The sleepover was just one activity to help the girls make healthy choices. "I thought it went really well," said Whitmore, who only heard positive feedback. She was told she's "so cool" and "this is awesome" more than a few times on Friday night. All in all, it was a good night for everyone. "I was happy no one got hurt and everything went as smoothly as it (did)," Whitmore said. And the only thing missed, she said with a laugh, was sleep.
