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Synopsis It’s mid year and the friendship groups in Year 5 are already established when Kyle starts at a new school. An avid reader who’s not good at sport, Kyle worries that he won’t make any friends. On his first day his classmates show little interest. Even the boy allocated to look after him promptly abandons Kyle in the busy school yard. Lily is happy with her group of friends, although she’s closer to two of them – Melissa and Chelsea. Lily can be a little bossy at times, particularly with friends Rachel and Lindsay. She is supportive of her younger brother, Manny, and troubled that her parents are arguing – although she hasn’t discussed this with her friends. A natural leader, Lily is active at school, including helping to organise a vocal group with lunchtime auditions. Kyle tries to befriend a couple of soccer-playing boys, but his poor ball-skills soon see him alone again. He tries to play with Game Boy addicts Luke and Ted, but they are a little insensitive and won’t let him use their game. Sam and Stacie are kind to Kyle, talking to him and including him in a group project, however he is soon teased by some boys for spending time with the girls. When Lily’s father moves out she privately confides in Melissa and Chelsea, but word quickly spreads to the other kids. Her friends are supportive but none have separated parents and they cannot relate to her experience. Meanwhile Mark and Tim, two ‘bad boys’ in the class, convince Kyle to steal some chocolates from the office in exchange for a Game Boy game he covets – the game keenly played by Luke and Ted. When the boys are surprised to see Kyle get away with the theft they promptly tell the teacher – to avoid giving him the game. With a school camp approaching the students have to choose four to a cabin, which creates a problem for Lily’s group of five, and highlights Kyle’s need for friends. Much as her friends try to support her, when Lily talks about her troubles at home they are uncomfortable and tend to change the subject. Because her father can no longer pick them up Lily and her brother start at after-school care, where she talks with Sam and Stacie – both of whom have separated parents and understand what she is going through. In the Segmented Version’s concluding interviews we learn that Kyle shared a cabin at camp with Luke and Ted, who have become close friends. Lily is still friends with her old group, but now also has Sam and Stacie to talk to. And because it was so hard to decide who to include in the vocal group, they decided to have one big group – and the whole class sing about ‘Belonging’ through the video’s closing credits. > View Online Previews.
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