Buddy Day June 2018 / Chris Waage
Every year the Orcas Island School District hosts a buddy day, where students from all grades come together to participate in a variety of activities. From playing games to reading books and making art projects, there are many possibilities. Buddy day is a beneficial program for both younger and older students. During a reading day, for example, third graders and freshmen will visit the library to select a few books. This day will not only provide buddies with a chance to improve their reading but also allow the freshmen to learn alongside younger students. With a wide variety to choose from, some books might even help both groups learn. During one buddy day, I remember seeing one buddy pair that was reading a dictionary. The kindergartener had selected and given it to his buddy for them to look through together. Starting in the “A” section of the dictionary, they learned a variety of words from “absent” to “amorphous.” By the end of the day, both students had learned a lot of words that started with “A”.
Last year, we had a buddy day where we were playing sports outside. One of the younger kids had stepped off to the side because he had been tagged out. An older student who was also out had come over to him and asked him what he liked, to which he had responded with axolotls. All of the sudden, a stuffed axolotl toy appeared in the hands of the older student, which she had given to the younger student to hold. Looking back, I do not think I had ever seen a look of such joy. When we have buddy days, it is a chance for us all to have fun. I remember the fun things that our buddy classes planned when we were little, and now it is pretty exciting to be setting up even more activities that they will enjoy.