Kindergarten through fifth-grade students at Coon Rapids-Bayard Community Schools (CR-B) are teaming up with their older peers tomorrow (Wednesday) in an anti-bullying campaign. Buddy Day is being held in conjunction with Spread the Word to End the Word Day, a nationwide effort to reject offensive words for individuals with special needs. Younger students will be paired with older ones and kick off Buddy Day by eating lunch with their companion. Kindergarten through eighth graders decorated sack lunches with positive themes and the sixth-grade provided messages about kindness in each meal. Following lunch, the students will participate in buddy activities throughout the afternoon. Nearly 600 shirts were ordered with the words “Choose Kind” emblazoned on the front for participants to wear. Through Buddy Day, CR-B hopes to offer the opportunity to build rapport between different age groups, create a sense of belonging, encourage respect for others and develop effective communication skills. The school plans to cap off their kindness campaign by installing a “buddy” or “kindness” bench on the school grounds in the future.
