A new “Buddy Bench” was installed in the elementary playground on Wednesday, October 7, after a dedication program held during the Elementary Chapels. ACS students collected over 540 pounds of plastic bottle caps in the spring of 2019, enough to build the 6-foot-long Buddy Bench as well as a toddler-size picnic table for a preschool play area.

“This is not just any bench, it’s a special bench where you can show the love of God to your fellow students when you’re out on the playground,” said Elementary Principal Gail Alford, who led the chapel dedication program. “If you feel like you need a buddy, you can sit on the bench. If you see someone sitting on the bench, go talk to them. God wants us to be a friend.” Mrs. Alford noted that ACS has many new students this year and sees the Buddy Bench as a place where students can connect and make new friends. A plaque on the bench reads: “Everyone Needs a Friend — Be One.”

High school faculty member Dave Genter and three high school seniors from the Student Council acted out a skit during the chapels to demonstrate how easy it can be to make another student feel welcome at the Buddy Bench.  The Student Council oversaw the plastic bottle cap collection project, which ran from April 29 to May 31, 2019. Seniors Joshua Jacoby, Sydney Pearson, and Jacob Rosie were very involved in collecting bottle caps and encouraging students from kindergarten to the 12th grade to participate in the service project. Mr. Genter recognized and thanked faculty member Tim Rosie and his wife, Stephanie, for making the long drive to Indiana to drop off the school’s large collection of bottle caps at Green Tree Plastics, a firm that manufactures furniture from recycled plastic bottle caps. The Rosies also picked up the Buddy Bench and a toddler picnic table made for ACS.

Mrs. Alford also recognized and congratulated the students who were in Mrs. Reilly’s kindergarten class in 2019, who collected the most bottle caps by weight among all the other elementary classes. The students, who are now in second grade, were invited to come up front during chapel and sit on the Buddy Bench.

“I’m looking forward to seeing all of you using this Buddy Bench,” said Mrs. Alford. “God wants us to come alongside and support each other, so let’s put this Buddy Bench into action.”