 From left, front row: Briana Brownsell and Mackensie Kelly; middle row: (On Bench) Chloe Barkauskus, Mattias Browsher, Lilli Secrest, Courtney Hitchcock and Olivia Phaneuf; back row: Kiwanis President Michael Griffin, TOW School Counselor and NHS Advisor Kandis Griffin, National Honor Society President Melissa Rockhill and TOW School Principal John Swick. |
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The Kiwanis Club of Central Adirondacks presented a "Buddy Bench" to the Town of Webb School. The Buddy Bench dedication was held with Kindergarten through second grade students. Kiwanis donated the materials, and the members of the Town of Webb School National Honor Society painted it. The presentation was by members of NHS and was one of their service projects for the 2014-15 school year.
School Principal John Swick and School Counselor and NHS advisor Kandis Griffin, along with Kiwanis President Mike Griffin, were participants. They would like to thank Mrs. Mary Lee Kalil for suggesting the concept of the Buddy Bench to the school.
The presentation was in conjunction with a program called "Fill Your Buckets" which was presented to the elementary students earlier in the year. Basically we all have a bucket, when we say something kind or do an act of kindness our buckets begin to fill. They also fill when someone says something kind to us. The NHS students performed a skit which showed how the buddy bench may be used and Kandis handed out wrist bands and pencils that said "I'm a bucket filler" It was a great little ceremony.
The purpose of the Buddy Bench is to give kids a place to go for peer support when they are having issues, concerns and problems in their lives. Part of the program read like this "We are going to put our special Buddy Bench on the Playground for you guys. Anytime you are feeling lonely or sad or you are just not having a good day, sit down on the Bench. Then anyone that sees you on the Bench will then come over and perform a simple act of kindness by complimenting you or just being your buddy to listen and help you. This act will fill both their and your buckets, with kindness" The program and skit was written by several students in the NHS.
(Posted June 26, 2015)
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