The Tyrone Area Elementary School hosted its second annual Veterans’ Day-themed “Buddy Day” on November 6, 2024.
The buddy program was established three years ago by the TAES Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) Committee and has been growing every year, according to Kindergarten teachers Madi Coyler and Alysia Hommer.
“The buddy program allows [younger] students to pair up with students who are older,” Hommer said. “They get the chance to be role models and see role models, and have fun at the same time.”
At the November Buddy Day, the buddies worked together to learn about Veterans Day and collaborated to create a thank you card for a veteran.
This scheduled event is a great way for younger students to get together with older students to learn about veterans and what they did for the country, according to Coyler.
“They’re working on conversation starters, socializing, and working with sight words and encouraging them to apply their writing and just make connections throughout the building,” fourth-grade teacher Jenna Enck said.
Preschool teacher Trisha Wilson said her younger students get a lot out of the buddy program, both socially and academically.
She noted that many of her younger students enjoy hanging out with the older students and look up to them as role models.
“I think this event is a great opportunity for students to get to know other students and work together to complete a project. It’s very sweet to see students wave at their buddies when they see them in the hallway and look forward to the events so they can work with their buddy again,” Wilson said. “Our goal is to provide a positive school climate and I believe these relationships help to do that.”
The buddy pairs are preschool and second-grade students, Kindergarten and fourth-grade students, and first and third-grade students. This allows students to leave their normal class routine and learn something while being social.
This event took place for each buddy pair at different times. Preschool and second grade did their buddy event at 10:25 AM, Kindergarten and fourth grade at 11:55, and first and third Grade at 1:45.
