Buddies... You've Got Mail!
At Crestwood Elementary, where "the spirit of learning soars and character grows", the students benefit greatly from their cross-age activities. The Buddy Program began in earnest when the school became involved in the Caring Schools Community Partnership. The cross-age interaction of the Buddy Program has served to enhance feelings of belonging. This is especially important because the school has a highly transient population, as well as students who come from 15 different countries. Additionally, feelings of autonomy and competence are objectives for any character initiative that the school practices. Buddy Mail was born out of the ongoing efforts to enhance each student’s comfort. Buddy Mail is a system involving a monthly exchange of letters in a note between the younger students and their older buddies. Also, every month the notebook goes home for families to put in their contributions. For example, the families share family traditions and tell something of themselves. In this way everyone can come to a greater understanding of those things the people have in common while celebrating the differences. It becomes a fascinating learning experience.