School & Family Magazine Newstand Pearland ISD Winter 2018 | Page 8

Hand in Hand
At the start of this school year
a shiny, blue Buddy Bench
was installed at the Shadycrest
Elementary’s playground for
students at recess who want
to hang out with a new friend.
“It benefits all students in the
school,” Life Skills teacher
Ruth Mondich said. “When
a student wants to play with
someone else, but is unable to
approach another student, he/she sits on the Buddy Bench.
When others see someone sitting, they go and ask that student to play.”
The bench is a tool for students who may be shy or have trouble fitting
in with others.
Students and staff at Lawhon Elementary are sharing
positive words with each other using a bulletin board
with the phrase “Take What You Need, Give What You
Can.” Staff began writing positive messages on post-
it notes with hopes the students would take them to
give to another student or teacher. After the first week,
students began
to write their own
positive messages to
leave for someone
else. Many of the
messages displayed
on the board
encourage others
to be happy, do the
best you can do and
to be thankful.
8 | PROGRESS
Magnolia
Elementary
hosted its first
multicultural
night -
“Connecting
our Cultures” this past November. Students
and their
families
dressed in their
country’s native
clothes and
brought a “taste”
of different
types of food.
They also
participated in
arts and crafts,
viewed art
displays and
danced.