Buddy Bench

This post was originally published on Mrs. Dressler's blog on September 23, 2015. 

FRIENDSHIP BENCH at MEMORIAL SCHOOL

Thank you to the BEF (Burlington Education Foundation) 

for funding our FRIENDSHIP BENCH.

The friendship bench came from the 

Tiny Girl Big Dream Foundation

Acacia’s dream is to place friendship kits into every school across the United States and spread friendship around the country and around the world. She believes that if we can begin to put the spotlight on all of the goodness, random acts of kindness, and yes, friendship, then we will begin to see a brighter more vibrant world. A world where kindness, compassion, and humanity are recognized, appreciated and rewarded. A world where acts of violence are replaced by acts of kindness.

Our talented guidance counselors, Danielle Flaccavento and Jamie Martin

created a lesson for the entire school to learn more about the purpose of the friendship bench

Why do we need a Buddy Bench?

• If you are new to school
• If you want to make new friends
• If your friends aren’t here today
• If you want to play something different than what your friends are playing
• If you’re having a problem with your friends and you just can’t solve it right now

All students received an "I am Amazing" band after they learned how the friendship bench can help all students at Memorial School have a better time out at recess.

Mrs. Ioakimidis and Mrs. Canty's kindergarten class 

got to be the first students to gather at the bench!

Thank you again to the BEF for funding this important PBIS 

(positive behavior intervention supports) work.