Weikel 4th Grader Helps Foster Friendships with Buddy Bench Idea

Reagan, a fourth grader at Weikel Elementary School is showing her strong leadership skills by advocating for a new buddy bench on the playground. 

Reagan’s teacher Mrs. Guzman said, “She wanted to create a buddy bench for people to sit on at recess so they could find a friend to play with.” 

Reagan prepared a script and a drawing of what she wanted the bench to look like, and then presented it to her principal, Mrs. Jaramillo. 

Upon approval, Mrs. Jaramillo helped gather the paint and brushes for Reagan and her classmates to decorate the bench. Now a repurposed bench with blue and yellow paint, including blue and yellow paw prints sits on the school’s playground, and Reagan gets to watch her idea at work. 

“I have actually seen a lot of kids go up [to it], so I see somebody sitting on it. I go check. It just blows my mind because I see a lot of kids reading it, and making friends. Because I say when there's two people on it, you just become friends,” says Reagan.