Lakeview elementary school installs ‘buddy bench’ on playground

MOSES LAKE – Students and staff at Lakeview Terrace Elementary School watched Wednesday afternoon as the school’s newest addition to the playground arrived.

The addition was a “buddy bench,” which was donated to the school by Home Depot and exists to help make sure kids aren’t lonely at recess.

School Principal Kristi Bateman explained the idea behind the buddy bench, which is very simple and will hopefully be very effective, she said.

“When kids are feeling lonely or they don’t have a friend at recess time, they can sit on the bench, and then the other kids will try to be aware of the bench and go join them,” Bateman said.

Lakeview’s school counselor, Rhonda Ebel, paved the way to the acquisition of a buddy bench. She said she reached out to Home Depot a week earlier, and the company immediately expressed interest in donating a bench. The turnover was quick, as Home Depot called her Wednesday and said the bench would be arriving at Lakeview in the afternoon.

Ebel said she and the staff at Lakeview decided they wanted a buddy bench several years ago, but didn’t have the funds. They wanted a distinct bench that would be the buddy bench.

“(The idea) came about through a study that we were doing about kids who had gone through some trauma and the whole idea of just not feeling connected,” Ebel said.

A group of Lakeview students, teachers and staff watched as representatives from Home Depot arrived with the bench and carried it to its location on the playground. Students cheered, and Bateman and Ebel gave a brief demonstration of how the buddy bench works, encouraging students to approach their peers who are at the buddy bench and include them in their recess activities.

“Hopefully they build a new friendship,” Bateman said. “But at least the person won’t be lonely.”