Elementary Students Do Something Unique & Special To Combat Bullying
DENVER (CBS4) - Hundreds of Denver Public Schools elementary school students are taking a stand against bullying with a promise -- and a bench.
The brand new Buddy Bench at William (Bill) Roberts School in Stapleton was painted by parents and students, for the students. The bench is an anti-bullying symbol and part of that is making a promise to not be a bully. Students signed the bench with that promise. It's a lesson that students at Bill Roberts are actually excited about.
"The Buddy Bench is a great opportunity to make friends," third-grader Sam Francis said. "Say you're standing alone -- in a few minutes a buddy will appear and then you'll be automatic friends."
That's the simple idea behind the Buddy Bench and the students at Bill Roberts are finally getting the chance to put it to the test.
The introduction of the Buddy Bench is just one piece of a much larger effort to combat bullying.
"I think the vision behind the bench is ultimately to eliminate loneliness on the playground and foster friendships," said parent Lisa Williams, who introduced the Buddy Bench to Bill Roberts.
After the big reveal the students signed a promise to include every buddy and keep the spirit of the Buddy Bench alive in everything they do.
"How about you just be friends and don't fight," student Sam Couch said.
The Buddy Bench is going to be part of the Bill Roberts playground.