ORWIGSBURG - Children at Blue Mountain Elementary East have a new way to make friends with the addition of two Buddy Benches at the playground.
The benches are meant to foster friendships and make children feel less lonely. A second-grade boy from York County thought of the idea last year when he noticed some children alone at recess and wanted to help them feel included.
The story soon gained national exposure, and Kristin Frederick, Blue Mountain Elementary East acting assistant principal, read about it on Huffington Post. Frederick thought a similar project could be done in Schuylkill County.
She said she hopes the addition of the benches "creates a culture of kindness" in the school.
Children in all grade levels in the school (kindergarten through fifth grade) were able to sit on the benches for the first time Wednesday and learn what the purpose behind them was during recess.
The fourth-grade students outside Wednesday seemed to like the benches. They sat on them and chatted with friends. Some children just sat for a moment or two.
"Do you want to play with us," Chloe Parker, 10, asked Madison Connors, 9, as Connors sat on the bench by herself.
Parker said she invited Connors to play "because she seemed all alone."
Nevaeh Richter, 11, sat with Jayda Stamm, 9, on a bench. The girls said the benches are a good idea.
"I think it's a good idea. If some people are lonely, they can make new friends," Richter said.
David Zula, principal of the school, said students have told him they want to befriend other students if they see them sitting on the benches.
"It's already getting students thinking about how to include people, and that's the idea behind it," he said, adding that some third-grade girls told him they would ask other children if they wanted to go for a walk if they were sitting on the bench.
The Buddy Benches as well as two picnic tables were donated by Playworld Systems Inc., a Lewisburg-based company that manufactures playground equipment made from recycled materials.
With the help of Bob Bylone, executive director of Pennsylvania Recycling Markets Center, Harrisburg, the effort to bring the bench idea to the school became reality. Bylone has a daughter who attends school in the district. Playworld and Bylone decided to get together and promote a message of recycling to the students. He also wants to take the idea to more schools in the state.
"We're going to be looking for corporate sponsors that are interested in sponsoring these benches," he said.
The bench seating is made from 450 recycled milk jugs and the metal from 950 soup cans, Bylone said.
Additional purpose
The lessons behind the Buddy Bench carry additional significance with the nine-day Boosterthon Fun Run, a program which provides time for children in the school to learn about character, leadership and fitness, Jessica Swick, PTO Boosterthon coordinator for the school, said.
The children learn about respecting others, Nick Crowell, program leader with Boosterthon, said.
The district program began Monday and the national program has teams in 23 states. Last year was the first year Blue Mountain Elementary East participated. Blue Mountain Elementary Cressona and Blue Mountain Elementary West are also taking part in Boosterthon this year.
Swick said the children spend 15 minutes a day involved in activities related to the nine-day event, five minutes in a fitness-related activity, a character lesson and celebrating a team or class accomplishment. Students can get pledges to the fun run May 14.
"This year or goal is to raise enough to possibly fund our field trips," Zula said.
Last year, the Boosterthon raised more than $20,000.
The benches also tie in with the school district's character program "The Eagle Way," which stresses honesty, respect and responsibility. School board president Heather Gosch said it is more of an honor code that students can live by.
