In PDS middle school, at 10:30 on September 23rd, was the start of a new experience for 6th graders. That day was the first buddy, mentor program! We were to mentor/help the pre-k and k students. I honestly didn’t know what to think and I only hoped for the best. As Shirley ended her talk, we started heading out to our first buddy day…

Today we had our first buddy experience. We were sent down to the pre-k k classes and began our journeys for stuff… I think. We walked in to find an empty classroom full of miniature chairs, tables etc., etc. After a few minutes, the little ones started milling in. Their eyes brightened up as they saw some familiar faces. They ran into said people’s laps and started excited small talk. After a few moments of letting us students talk, the teachers explained the reasons we were are all here. Elementary it was, to be honest. We were to work with our selected youngsters for the school year. After the talk, we played a name game involving stating our favorite ice-cream flavor. As we finished, they told us to get to know each other a little bit better. The 6th graders went around talking to the pre-k and k students. I hung out with a little kid named Ross and hoped I would become his partner because he was a lot like me (except maybe a bit cooler and smaller). At the end I got partnered up with Eamonn and his little sister.

After we got our partners, we went outside to play with them. The K teacher was snapping photos of us, so I flashed a peace sign as we heard the click of the camera. Then it was time for some fun! I watched as everyone enjoyed with their buddy, something I couldn’t do. You see, I have no tolerance for little kids, like my dad, and his dad, and so on. Plus, I’ve had many bad experiences with little kids, or as I call them, family reunions. Anyone under the age of 61/2 had it in their minds that they were to be the bane of my existence. Yeah, not so fun for the innocent 11 year old. Anyways, I tried to set things right and end the bane of existence thing.

I followed my buddy around letting her play around with her friends. I went to the swings seeing that Eamonn was playing with his little sister and watched them from there. I had left him for a minute and Eamonn had managed to get caught by two 5 year olds, sad. So, I ended up prison-breaking him and Quinn from the clutches of youth. Yeah after a few times, yelling “prison break” got quite old. A bunch of kids were playing Duck, Duck, Goose and we decided to join. After chasing Eamonn and singing, “Can’t touch this” (and then falling on my face) it was time to go in. We went back and said our farewells. After that,well, you know the rest…

Here at PDS we have a buddy program. It is where the 6th grade goes to the pre k-k classes and we are partnered with the pre k-k kids, and sometimes we are partnered with students in 6th grade. My buddy is Qadira, and I also have Jane. We all went outside to the playground and first we played tag.

Jane and I were runners and Qadira was a tagger. After she got us, Jane and Qadira were taggers and they were trying to tag me! I ran but Qadira got me. Then Jane and I taught  Qadira how to play handball. Once we started a game of handball believe it or not Qadira beat us! Qadira got tired of handball and she wanted to go on the swings. So we went and we had a contest to see who could go the highest, and we all tied. We had so much fun doing that, so we had another contest – who could knock over the pale of sand! It was so hard, but Qadira won.

My teacher, Shirley then said that we had to play with sand in the sandbox only, so we went to the sandbox and we played Tinkerbell. Qadira was Tinkerbell, Jane was a fairy, and I was the really hot fairy – lol. We were called back inside after Tinkerbell, so we said goodbye to our buddies and we went back to class.

I WANT TO DO MORE BUDDIES!

We had buddies today. Buddies is when you go to the kindergarten and pre- k and get assigned to one of kids to play and do crafts with. My buddy’s name is Ella and she turned five yesterday. Ella is new to Poughkeepsie Day School. She is awesome because she doesn’t like playing princess games, but likes to play in the woods and with paper airplanes.

Today we were playing on the playground as our buddy activity. Ella and I were throwing a paper plane as far as we could. She won almost every time because I was letting her win. We also were putting “magic dust”(which was sand) on ourselves and sneaking up on every person that was up in the woods.

I had a lot of fun meeting Ella and playing with her today. It was great because she really really likes me because I had already met her the other day when I did service learning. I am really good with little kids because I have two little sisters. I am excited for next time.

I love playing with Ella and all of the other little kids. I really hope we get to do crafty things next time.

At PDS we have an activity called “Buddy mentor program”. In this activity, we get paired up with kids from the preK and K chosen by the teachers. We get together with our buddies every 8 days and continue what we were doing last week. Mostly we just work with them while they do their everyday activities.  The time usually last about 45 minutes before we have to leave our buddy and go to our next classes. It is a good way for older and little student to get together and make friends throughout the grades.

I think that the buddy thing was a big success because I had a lot of fun hanging out with my buddy, Marlo, who is also my sister. It was fun seeing how as we grow up things that were exciting and scary for us are now just normal. For example, at my age the little zip line on the playground is just something to pass the time. For the little buddies, it feels like flying across the Earth.

One of the things that all little children I have interacted with have in common is, chasing. I think it is the thought of, “I am faster than you so I can catch you” is what inspires them.The things that I got to do with my buddy, Marlo, were working with play dough, playing police ( I got to be the bad guy) and just walking around and playing with her other friends. I liked getting chased the best because a couple of other kids her age came and joined in with their buddies, so we had game going with all different sizes and ages of kids.

Overall, the experience was amusing, cool, and I would like to do it again.

At our school, we have a buddy mentor program where older kids pair up with the younger kids. Since I am in sixth grade, I am paired up with either a pre-kindergarten student or a  kindergarten student. I had my first meeting with the little kids today.

I had a great time at buddies. I was a little nervous at first, because sometimes I’m not good with very small children, but when I got there I wasn’t. They were actually quieter and easier to play with than I expected.

We sat in a big circle, and some of the little kids sat next to the 6th graders or on their laps. Others were very shy. One girl sat next to me. We went around in the circle and introduced ourselves, and I learned that the girl next to me was named Gigi. The adults talked about the buddy rules, and then they told us we could play in the room for a bit so the pre-kindergarten and kindergarten kids could get to know everyone and they could make their choices. Gigi and I did a few puzzles , which was fun, and then I played baby with her, and after that everyone got back in the circle and our permanent buddies were announced. I was happy because I got Gigi, who was a fun playmate even for a sixth grader. She was imaginative like me.

We went outside next.  Gigi wanted to hang out with her friend, so all of us (plus Gigi’s friend’s buddy, one of my good friends) played. I got to push them on the tire swing, which  was not only good exercise but the two young girls were laughing throughout. I liked making people happy. We also played hide and go seek, and I pushed her on the swings. Like me, she liked to go really high and didn’t get scared. I found out then that I was going to have a partner and we were going to have Gigi together, and it was another boy in my class. We got our picture taken, which was enjoyable. After that we noticed a game of Duck Duck Goose was forming, so we joined in! That was very humorous.

Sadly, we had to go after that, so I gave Gigi a big hug and went back to my classroom. Overall, I’m glad to have such a nice little girl to be paired up with.

Before we went to buddies I was really excited. When we got there we went around in a circle saying are favorite ice creams. Mine is chocolate chip cookie dough. Then we were all just hanging out and I was hanging out with Jane’s buddy Qadira and Josephine’s buddie Gea.

Then the teachers told us our buddies. My buddy Alea was really fun!!! The pre-k and k was very hyper and cute. It was really fun playing with them on the  playground.

Alea and I enjoyed playing on the tire swing. I also played Tinkerbell with Ethan, Qadira, Alea and Jane. It was exciting! We went down the slide a bunch of times and also went on the swings. Some of us played Duck, Duck, Goose with our buddies.

Overall, it was really fun. I had a good time and all the buddies did too. When it was time to go, all the buddies seemed like they would never let us go. I can’t wait for next buddy time!!!

This Tuesday 9/23/14, we had buddies. Buddies are basically where we spend one hour with our buddies from pre-k and k. We read to them, play with them and today we spent sometime outside with our little buds. We pushed them on the swing let them go on the swing play handball it was fun My buddy is named Wynn and I’m paired with Bastien.

We played handball and pushed the buddies on the swings. We had a good time. Wynn was really good at handball and he loved to play and have piggyback rides and loves high fives. I got pared with him during the program and I was glad by the switch because he was very friendly and he was awesome.

I love the buddy program because it helps you get to know the other kids in the school. The little buddies really clingy to you, but that’s what little kids do. They are very cute, clingy and energetic.

Today, for the first time this school year, we had Buddies. When we have buddies it means we play and do things with the younger kids in the lower school. We are partnered up with the Pre-K/K this year. My buddy is named Qadira. I got to know her and it turns out she’s a ballerina, she plays piano and guitar, her favorite colors are pink and purple, and she likes fairies! Ethan and I both have her as a  buddy so we both played outside with her.

Also, we played with other buddy partnerships too.  Anna and Eliya played fairies with us, and we played handball with Wynn, Sebi and Bastien. We went into the woods and talked a lot. I had already known Qadira from After school, but during buddies I got to know her much better.

We played handball and tag, then we went down the slide a lot, we swinged on the swings and we pretended we were all fairies. It was really exciting to see all the little ones, they were very cute. Also, it was fun to play some of the games that I wouldn’t really play much now. But overall, I can’t wait for the next buddy time!

At PDS we have this activity called the buddy mentor program. It’s a mentorship program where we hang out with pre-k and kindergarten age kids. We also have recess with our buddies.

Today was the first day I got to work with my pre-k/k buddy. When I was out on the playground with my buddy I saw that my buddy was a little uncomfortable with older kids so Shane  and I were set on making things more comfortable for our buddy, Ross.

As we tried to show Ross that we weren’t so different Ross said, “Can we go on the tire swing?” The second I heard those words come out of his mouth I thought that’s something I can do.  After a fun round on the tire swing we played a few rounds of wall ball then went back inside. All-in-all I really enjoyed my time with my buddy.

In our school we have a program called Buddy Day. What happens is that the whole sixth grade goes over to the kindergarten and Pre k classroom and meets the little cute buddies.

Once we got to their classroom  we sat down with the little kids. We all went around saying our name and favorite ice cream. After that we went around the room hanging out with the buddies.

Then the teachers sat us down and picked our buddies. I was hanging out with Wynn the whole time and they picked him to be my buddy. I think they pick your buddy because they see who you’re hanging out with the most. I was very happy with my buddy because I know him from last year and he is so cool!

After all that we went outside and got to play with the little guys. Wynn and I played wall ball with some other buddy groups, Wynn was really good at it. We played more wall ball and Sebi joined in. Then teacher of the PreK and K asked us if Sebi could be in are group to and of course we said, “yes.” We had a great time together and played really well. Sebi, Wynn and I were a good group and I hope we have a lot more fun together later on.