Ms. Rovack to the Rescue

Now Girls Can Openly Talk about Their Feelings
By Hanna El-Amrawi

With a school as small as ours, it is very hard for a person to keep secrets without having them broadcasted around the school. With a student population of less than 300, many individuals are not able to openly state their opinions without being judged or criticized. That is why, this year Ms. Jannette Rovack, the Guidance Counselor, has come to the rescue.
Coming from a large international school in Tokyo, Ms. Rovack realized that Egypt was quite different. She thinks that in most countries there is some type of a support system that helps out teenagers. However, in Egypt, she feels that there is not much support.
Therefore, Ms. Rovack has decided to set up a “Girls Group” where girls can openly discuss their issues in a confidential manner. “I felt that girls in Schutz needed to have a place where they can have nonjudgmental feedback”, explained Ms. Rovack.
The first group meeting took place on Thursday, October 15, during lunch. Before starting the discussion, each member was required to sign a confidentiality agreement that stated that what is being discussed remains in the room. This allowed the girls to feel secure and be able to openly discuss their issues. The girls discussed many issues ranging from school to outside interest; the basic issues that face most adolescent girls. This idea of a confidential place sparked the interest of many upper school girls, “The room was filled with more than twenty girls”, stated Ms. Rovack. The group proved to be a success. Due to the large number of girls that were present, the group is still to decide whether it should meet twice per week.
Ms. Rovack has many new ideas that she hopes to bring to Schutz in order to truly foster this idea of a support system.