Knightly News

Two new additions to the Lower School playgrounds are already making a huge difference. A pint-sized bench sits on the early childhood playground, with a larger version on the “big kid” playground nearby. The perfect size for Lower School students, each bench has “Buddy Bench” written across the back.

Lower School Counselor Megan Lofland says Buddy Benches are a great tool to foster a sense of belonging on the playground. “It’s a way that kids can assert themselves to say I need someone to play with,” she says. A Buddy Bench provides students who need a friend at recess a stress-free way to express their desire to play with someone. Students simply sit on the bench, and once others see them there, they invite the student to play. “Watching it play out is great,” says Lofland, highlighting a recent example of the power of the Buddy Bench. “During recess, one student had just sat on the Buddy Bench, and another student invited her to play kickball with them. Her face lit up, and she held her own, even as the only girl playing. She told me later she hadn’t played that game before during recess, and she had ‘The best recess ever!’”

Lofland points out that Buddy Benches empower students and help them develop empathy. “It’s just one more way for the kids to look after one another,” she says. Lofland says students may sit on the bench for a variety of reasons. The student’s friends may be absent that day, they may not want to participate in an activity or they may just feel shy. Regardless of what inspires them to act, the bench makes it easy. “They don’t have to say anything,” says Lofland.

Lofland offers a special thank you to parent Kristy Parks, the mother of fourth grader Lewis Parks. Kristy saw a Buddy Bench at a park while on vacation this summer and was so moved by the concept that she donated the Episcopal Buddy Benches. Her gift will no doubt make a difference in the lives of young learners for years to come!

Tools for Social/Emotional Development

The new Buddy Benches are a great addition to the Lower School community’s efforts to help students develop socially and emotionally. Through daily interactions, Lofland and the Lower School teachers model kindness and empathy for the younger students. In addition, each class begins the day with a homeroom morning meeting where each student is personally greeted and acknowledged.

All Lower School grades also have a buddy system in which younger students are partnered with older students. The most widely known of these is the Senior Buddy system, which matches a graduating senior with a kindergarten student. Buddy partnerships exist throughout Lower School and provide numerous opportunities for younger students to learn from older students. For example, Lofland says older students are great at modeling Morning Meeting behavior. “It’s the sweetest thing to watch older students remind younger students to place their hands on their hearts or remove their hats,” she says.

Lower School project-based units provide another opportunity for social/emotional development. Recently, first graders read their own stories to their third grade buddies. Later, the third graders filled the track to support their first grade friends on duathlon day. All of this, combined with tremendous parent involvement, inspires Lofland. “This place is amazing,” she says. “It’s every part of what I love most about being a counselor.”

The Spirit of Episcopal Is…

Providing meaningful opportunities for social/emotional development reflects the Spirit of Episcopal and the school’s mission to help students live lives of purpose. What does the Spirit of Episcopal mean to young Knights? Recently, Lofland asked them, and their answers were insightful.

• Football and wearing school colors
• Showing kindness
• Making sure everybody feels included
• That feeling I get when I come to school

Helping students develop academically, artistically, athletically and spiritually takes an entire community. The new Buddy Benches and an intentional focus on social/emotional development empower students to be part of that effort.

The Episcopal School of Baton Rouge 2024-2025 application is now available! ​For more information on the application process, to schedule a tour, or learn more about the private school, contact us at [email protected] or 225-755-2685.