Clay County School district installs 'buddy benches' to promote inclusion

CLAY COUNTY, Fla, — A local school district is trying out a new way to make sure all students are included on the playground.

Kendall and Lucas Harrell are ready to get back on the playground at Fleming Island Elementary.

“We play tag, some of us try and play hide-and-go-seek,” said Lucas, a second grader.

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“We walk around and talk,” said fourth grader Kendall.

According to the siblings, not every student has a group to play with.

“I do see some of my friends that don’t have buddies,” Lucas said.

Wednesday, district leaders told Action News Jax that carries over into the classroom.

“We know that student motivation, their grades, they’re directly correlated to how much they feel they belong at their school," Clay County School District’s Mental Health Services coordinator Heather McDonald said.

The "buddy bench" is a new feature at every Clay County elementary school this year.

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“They know what this bench is about and they know if they see a student sitting here, maybe there’s a particular reason," said Fleming Island Elementary Principal Jennifer Collins.

Students are encouraged to sit on the bench to let others know if they’re lonely, anxious, or just having a bad day.

“We’re teaching our students, let's be aware of who is on the bench and let's come over and welcome that child to play with us that day,” Collins said.

The idea has led to strong friendships for students at other Florida elementary schools where the benches have been in place for several years.

Lucas said it has given him a new goal for the school year.

"To make sure everybody has a buddy and not much people should be sitting on the buddy bench," Lucas said.

Cox Media Group