Buddy Bench Brings Students Together

A new Buddy Bench at North Rose-Wolcott Elementary will bring students together, with help from a hardworking group of students at the high school!

For their first project of the new school year, the Caring Cougars at NRW High School restored an old wooden bench and repurposed it into a Buddy Bench, which was installed at the NRW Elementary playground in early October.

A student can sit on a Buddy Bench when they want to play with or talk to somebody. If another person spots someone sitting on the Buddy Bench, they are encouraged to ask them to play and make a new friend!

The Caring Cougars spent the first few weeks of the school year working on the bench as part of their ongoing time in the NRWHS technology department. For years, the class has worked with technology teacher Brian LaValley to create projects that will benefit others at NRW or in the greater community. Past projects have included picture hangers and care packages for the Wayne County Public Health Department and Golisano Children’s Hospital, as well as initiatives to promote kindness at the high school.

With Mr. LaValley’s help, the students took apart the old bench, sanded the boards and replaced any that were in poor condition, cleaned up the iron armrests and legs, painted each board a different color of the rainbow, and reassembled it. The project took about three weeks, LaValley said.

North Rose-Wolcott Elementary has wanted a Buddy Bench for a while, said NRWE Principal Christie Graves. Now, thanks to the Caring Cougars, they are able to utilize the bench to help foster relationships among peers.