Three fourth-grade students leading efforts to bring Buddy Benches to Churchill

Churchill School will soon be home to two Buddy Benches, thanks to the hard work and initiative of three fourth-graders.

A Buddy Bench encourages inclusiveness by providing a place where a student can sit if they are looking for someone to play with, or simply want to make a new friend. They can also be used as a place to problem-solve with a classmate.

After Mia Buttita told her classmates Juliana Klups and Katya Cangiano about the success of a Buddy Bench at the school she attended before Churchill, the three decided to lobby for one to be installed on their playground.

"When we're out on the playground, we see kids playing by themselves, or feeling lonely, or like they don't have any friends," Mia said. "We thought a Buddy Bench would be a nice improvement to make Churchill better than it already is."

"We want everyone to have a chance to make friends and meet new people," Juliana added.

After successfully pitching their idea to Churchill Principal Lisa Hopkins, the students presented it to Mike Mostacci, the assistant director of facilities for District 54, and several other district staff members. Not only did the district staff members approve of the idea, they also committed to matching the amount Churchill was raising for the project so two Buddy Benches could be installed.

The school is currently in the midst of its annual four-week Penny Wars challenge, which this year is targeting the Buddy Bench project. More than $500 was collected in the first week alone.

"Now the whole school gets to participate in adding something wonderful and new to our playground," Katya said.

Penny Wars runs through February 17. Mia, Juliana and Katya are working closely with the school's Make a Difference Club and its sponsors - Mary Brodie, Caitlyn Johnson and Bob Wroblewski - to raise awareness and support. The club has hung posters around the school and created a dashboard to track fundraising progress. They are also visiting classrooms to encourage students to donate, and sharing information and updates on the school announcements several times a week. The total amount raised by this year's Penny Wars will be revealed at an all-school assembly in early March.

"It's really fun, and it feels good to make a difference," Mia said. She is excited that her younger siblings will be able to tell their classmates that their big sister helped to bring the Buddy Benches to their school, she added.

The plan is to install the Buddy Benches over the summer. Once school is back in session, staff will teach students how to use the bench to make friends and to problem-solve. "I" messages, which help students express their feelings and advocate for themselves, will be painted on the blacktop near the benches so students can incorporate those into their problem-solving, as well, Hopkins said.