Initially, Maya was very apprehensive about attending as she was quite worried about not knowing anyone else however, after the first day this was no longer a problem. When Maya finished on the first day the look on her face was enough to tell me she had had a great day, she was happy, relaxed and asked me how many hours until she could go back the next day. Maya made friends with the other girls and felt supported by Ms Anderson and her classmates right away.
Since finishing the program Maya has spoken of many things that she learnt and we have seen this in the way she is doing things differently as well. Before we eat at night Maya waits for everyone to be at the table before starting, she is more confident and talks about never giving up and looking at people from the inside out rather than the outside in. These are lessons we teach at home, however, having them reinforced in such a positive environment has made all the difference. I have also noticed that Maya looks people in the eye when she speaks to them now rather than looking shyly at the ground. If I ask Maya what she thought of Shine she says she loved it.
I would highly recommend the program to parents and I will definitely be sending my younger daughter when she is old enough to attend.