Poplar Springs Elementary School 5th grade student launches friendship bench

Fifth grade student Sellers Breaux at Poplar Springs Elementary School will be leaving behind something that could help students many generations will come to appreciate.

She got the idea to start a friendship bench, allowing timid students to have a place to belong.

“I saw an idea for the friendship bench, and it just came to my mind like let’s use it, let’s have a friendship bench at my school, and like use it for people who don’t have a friend.”

Breaux says she got the idea for the friendship bench after bonding with her father while watching a tv program, so she took the idea to her school.

“I brought it to my principal’s attention, I told her in December, and she just like made it happen.”

Recess is the time to have fun and Breaux says the friendship bench makes it easier to witness those who aren’t joining in at recess.

“I thought that maybe somebody could just like look up and see like a person sitting on the bench and just like see them sitting on the bench, and come up there and sit next to them, and talk to them like say come and have fun next to us.”

Poplar Springs 5th grade teacher Claire Hasselle says she believes the bench is a great idea.

“It’s important to have this here because not all kids love to run around and play tag or play on the equipment, this is a great way for kids who are shy or maybe unable to do those things.”