|HOD Friendship Bench|
This bench is in place to help children connect at recess. If a child does not have someone to play with, sitting on the bench is a signal to others foreach out to that student. The goal is to eliminate loneliness and foster friendship and inclusion.
By now, the children all know that if they see a friend on the bench, they should go over and invite them to join in their play. By the same token, if a student does not have someone to play with, they know to sit on the bench so other children may invite them to play.
The very idea of a friendship bench goes along with all we teach our students through the Open Circle Curriculum; kindness, inclusion, sharing and a myriad of other essential social emotional competencies. By its very nature, the bench enhances our school climate of caring and kindness.
Please ask your child about the Friendship bench and encourage them to be a part of this mission of inclusion. It is always nice to make a new friend!
Comments from the first few weeks on the Friendship Bench:
"My son didn't have anyone to play with so he sat on the bench and within a minute, he had several other children asking him to play." - Parent
"I was a girl sitting on the bench and wanted to go ask her to play but by the time I got there, someone else had already asked her to play." - Second Grader
"The children are excited about the bench and it is a natural way for them to connect socially - there are fewer children who need adult support to find a playmate at recess." - Teacher
"The bench is great! I used it to find a friend." - First Grader