Ocean City Primary School Principal Cathleen Smith, right, in gray, asks for her third-graders help in dedicating the brand new Buddy Bench during a ceremony on Thursday, Oct. 29.
Work and play always have been buddy-buddy, but never more so than at Ocean City Primary School (OCPS) now that the nearly 400 students are able to enjoy new playground equipment – including a Buddy Bench – with daily parent volunteers at recess! The school recently hosted a ribbon cutting especially to highlight the Buddy Bench, which can be used by a student whenever they feel they need a friend.
Celebrating the playground’s new equipment, including the Buddy Bench, are, from left, Tricia Ciliberto, President of the Ocean City Education Foundation; Cathleen Smith, OCPS Principal; third-grader Itzel Olmedo-Bautista; third-grader Ingrid Martinez; third-grader Rachel Pates; Dr. Kathleen Taylor, Superintendent of Ocean City School District; Jocelyn Palaganas, President, Ocean City Parent Teacher Association.
“The playground is where friendship starts. In play you learn, practice, and master skills on how to be a good friend; these skills transfer into the community, the workplace, and our society,” said OCPS Principal Cathleen Smith. “We want our children to become more aware of feelings and teach sensitivity.”
In the week leading up to the ceremony, third-graders were tasked with writing down their personal definitions of friendship on slips of paper, which were used to create a chain around the Buddy Bench during the ceremony on Thursday, Oct. 29. The entire third-grade class also recited The Pledge of Kindness during the ceremony, in which they promised to be kind in every way to every person.
“The Buddy Bench is really nice because if you’re alone somebody can just walk over and ask to play with you and make you really happy,” said Georgia Little, an eight-year-old third-grader at OCPS.
In addition to the Buddy Bench, the new playground equipment includes a yoga hot spot, mini-golf, Chinese jump rope, soccer, football, Skip-It, kickball, and jump rope.
The Ocean City Parent Teacher Association and the Ocean City Education Foundation provided the funding for the new equipment; members of both organizations, as well as Board of Education members, Superintendent Dr. Kathleen Taylor, and parent volunteers, were present for the ceremony.
“Friendship is 90 percent of the world. A friend is a good thing to be and a good thing to do,” said Mimi McCusker, a nine-year-old OCPS third-grade student. “Friendship makes the world a better place; it’s one of the greatest things in the world.”
— News release from the Ocean City School District
Celebrating the playground’s new equipment, including the Buddy Bench, are, from left, Tricia Ciliberto, President of the Ocean City Education Foundation; Cathleen Smith, OCPS Principal; third-grader Itzel Olmedo-Bautista; third-grader Ingrid Martinez; third-grader Rachel Pates; Dr. Kathleen Taylor, Superintendent of Ocean City School District; Jocelyn Palaganas, President, Ocean City Parent Teacher Association.
“The playground is where friendship starts. In play you learn, practice, and master skills on how to be a good friend; these skills transfer into the community, the workplace, and our society,” said OCPS Principal Cathleen Smith. “We want our children to become more aware of feelings and teach sensitivity.”
In the week leading up to the ceremony, third-graders were tasked with writing down their personal definitions of friendship on slips of paper, which were used to create a chain around the Buddy Bench during the ceremony on Thursday, Oct. 29. The entire third-grade class also recited The Pledge of Kindness during the ceremony, in which they promised to be kind in every way to every person.
“The Buddy Bench is really nice because if you’re alone somebody can just walk over and ask to play with you and make you really happy,” said Georgia Little, an eight-year-old third-grader at OCPS.
In addition to the Buddy Bench, the new playground equipment includes a yoga hot spot, mini-golf, Chinese jump rope, soccer, football, Skip-It, kickball, and jump rope.
The Ocean City Parent Teacher Association and the Ocean City Education Foundation provided the funding for the new equipment; members of both organizations, as well as Board of Education members, Superintendent Dr. Kathleen Taylor, and parent volunteers, were present for the ceremony.
“Friendship is 90 percent of the world. A friend is a good thing to be and a good thing to do,” said Mimi McCusker, a nine-year-old OCPS third-grade student. “Friendship makes the world a better place; it’s one of the greatest things in the world.”
— News release from the Ocean City School District
