TIS unveiled its first “buddy bench” at this morning’s Division 2 assembly.

The idea for the project came about when the grade 3 student leadership team decided that a buddy bench was needed in the div 2 playground to foster friendships and ensure all students had someone to play with at recess. Students who use the buddy bench follow these simple rules:

• If you choose to sit on the bench, you must say yes to the first friend who invites you to play, or walk and talk
• If you see a friend when you are sitting on the bench, invite them to play, or walk or talk
• Two friends sitting on the bench can turn to each other and invite each other to play, or walk or talk

“The Buddy Bench is part of our developing whole school approach to building social and emotional resilience in TIS students,” says Rovanna Bawden, Student Support Department Head, adding “Teachers and students from all areas of the school collaborated to support kids socially and emotionally.”

Many thanks to the Grade 10 art students who helped the grade 3 students paint the rainbow-coloured bench.