At Fundação St. Paul’s, we understand the importance of making our new scholars feel welcomed and supported as they begin their journey at St. Paul’s School. One of the practices we’ve developed to ensure this warm welcome is our Buddy Family system, a unique initiative designed exclusively for our scholars and their families.
What is the Buddy Family system?
The programme is a welcoming tradition created by Fundação St. Paul’s that pairs new scholars and their families with volunteer families from our community. While St. Paul’s School has its own welcoming system—where new pupils are assigned a “guardian angel,” a student who has been at the school longer and can guide them during their first few weeks—our buddy family system extends this sense of belonging beyond the students to include their parents.
How it works
Each year, representatives from our Parent Teacher Association (PTA) reach out to existing families, asking for volunteers to participate in the Buddy Family system. These volunteer families are then paired with the families of our new scholars of the same school year. The programme is designed to last for the scholar’s first year at the school, but the bonds formed often continue well beyond that initial period.
The impact of the Buddy Family system
Each year, representatives from our Parent Teacher Association (PTA) reach out to existing families, asking for volunteers to participate in the Buddy Family system. These volunteer families are then paired with the families of our new scholars of the same school year. The programme is designed to last for the scholar’s first year at the school, but the bonds formed often continue well beyond that initial period.
Mirella, who’s now a mother of two Foundation scholars, shares that she had a great experience the programme. “Summer’s guardian angel wrote to her before school started and invited Summer to join in her friend group. They’ve been friends ever since! The buddy mom has also been very supportive and we’ve had dinner together with the whole family”.
As for Cynthia, Manoela’s mom who is now in Form 4, the buddy family’s presence was integral to help her understand the lengthy St. Paul’s “dictionary”, formed with new words such as: PTA, PE, non sats, benes, pastoral… Now, to give back the support she had, Manoela herself has become a guardian angel, helping other newcomers in their adaptation process.
Iara Rembado, chair of the PTA Committee, emphasises the importance of this initiative: “The buddy family system aims at creating a nice environment for the new families and making them feel part of our school. The PTA takes immense pleasure in helping bridge this relationship, and we are very proud of playing this role in the Foundation.”
We believe that a strong, supportive community is essential for the success of our scholars. The buddy family system is just one of the many ways we strive to create an inclusive and welcoming environment for everyone. We are grateful to our volunteer families and the PTA for their dedication to this initiative, and we look forward to seeing the lasting connections that will continue to grow from it.
Our families impressions
Read below testimonies from our scholars’ families about the buddy families:
“With so many new things happening as we start at a new school, having the Buddy Family brought immense peace of mind. It was great for Melissa’s adaptation to the school and mine as a mother of a new scholar at St. Paul’s School. Our Buddy Family is made up of three students at the school, two of whom (twins) are in the same year as Melissa, and an older sister, now in Sixth Form. The mom of our Buddy Family has a lot of experience and knowledge about everything related to the school and made herself available to answer any questions I had. She also showed constant interest in ensuring Melissa’s adaptation to the school was as smooth as possible, and it was. She also added me to the school’s WhatsApp groups, where I was warmly welcomed, and where I discovered that we didn’t just gain a Buddy Family, we became part of a Big Buddy Family, where everyone helps each other. I am very grateful to our Buddy Family for all their support and welcome, and I hope all new families at the school have this experience.” – Priscila, mother of Melissa, Form 2 scholar
“Our experience with Summer was great. Summer’s guardian angel wrote to her before classes started. She introduced Summer to her friends, and within the first few days, Summer already had several friends, whom she’s still close with after two years. They’ve had sleepovers at each other’s houses and go to parties together. The buddy mom also sent me supportive messages, and we’ve even gone out together with part of the family for dinner. Lucas also had a good experience; his guardian introduced himself on the first day, and they are always together and have become friends.” – Mirella, mother of Summer and Lucas, Lower 6 and Form 1 scholars
“Talking about my Buddy Family is very gratifying. From the first contact, they were helpful and welcomed us with open arms, giving us a lot of confidence and peace of mind with the inclusion and adaptation process at the school. We are grateful for the constant and invaluable support from Bibe’s (Beatriz’s) family. It was a gift to meet them.” – Ana Cristina, mother of Victor, Form 3 scholar
“Buddy family… buddy mom… what does that even mean, right? And there are more terms that come along with the new school, like: foyer, PTA, PE, non-sats, benes, tutor, pastoral, head of year, IGCSE, IB… and the list goes on. Help: this is the word that comes to mind amidst so many new things! And yes, this help came in the form of people who were willing to guide us through the new information, hallways, words, and foreign language! My heartfelt thanks to our buddy mom, Monize and guardian angel, Cláudia! They were fundamental in our adaptation to the new school, and this year, with greater confidence and paying it forward, my daughter was invited to become a guardian angel and pass on everything she learned to the newcomers of 2024!” – Cynthia, mother of Manoela, Form 4 scholar