Fifth Graders Nurture Younger Students

SAG HARBOR, NY — Everything is better with a buddy.

Tradition continued for Sag Harbor Elementary School students as kindergartners ventured onto the ice with their fifth-grade partners at the school’s annual buddy skate on March 6, district officials said.

During the ice skating session, held at Buckskill Winter Club in East Hampton, fifth-graders helped their kindergarten buddies remain steady their feet and glide across the ice.

The event was the culmination of several months of in-school activities where, as part of the 15-year buddy program, fifth-graders serve as role models and mentors to the kindergartners. They spend time reading to them and celebrating school milestones, including the 100th day of school. Through the partnership, kindergartners also watch the fifth-graders’ annual wax museum projects come to life, the district said.

Photo courtesy of the Sag Harbor School District.