There has been one thing on the fifth graders’ minds this week, one thing that could make them forget that they’ve been standardized testing for days: kindergarten buddies.
Kindergarten buddies is one of the best programs we have here at Corpus Christi. A fifth grader is paired with a kindergartner to do special activities together and build relationships across grades. I mean, what is cooler than an older kid knowing you by name? Or having a little one adore you? This Thursday was the highly anticipated very first meeting.
For days, I’ve fielded questions about buddies—when are we going to meet them, who am I paired with, what are we going to do together—the fifth graders were just so excited. Being a role model is a part of the fifth graders’ personalities that they haven’t yet had much opportunity to exercise, and they couldn’t wait. Sure, many of them are older siblings but there’s something totally different about a buddy.
This Thursday, each fifth grader helped their kindergartener write out their favorite things about school and draw a nice picture. Although, most of the first meeting is about getting over shyness. But the real delight in the day was when their pairs were announced. Both classes sat across from each other on the gym floor and waited for their names to be called. Then, when buddies were finally announced, there was this moment when they sized each other up. The kindergarteners realized how much bigger their buddy is. The fifth graders realized how hard it can be to break the ice. They were paused in the immediate admiration of the other. They were bashful. It was all over their faces and it was very sweet to watch.
There’s a really cool bond between fifths and kinders. Upstairs, the fifth graders have moved across the hall and joined the middle school. They have bigger desks, they sit in rows, they have lunch recess with the older kids. Yet, morning recess is with the younger kids, and they do not rotate teachers and subjects in the same way they will next year. Fifth graders straddle the line between big and little.
And then kinders. I don’t need to point out the remarkable transition that our littlest friends are making every single day. They, too, straddle the line, though a different line, between big and little. It’s a perfect match.
Everyone, especially those in transition, needs friendship to endure all the change. We all need someone to look up to and someone to look after. These are the things that make us whole. These are the things we are so proud to bring to our students.
