In St Teresa’s we want children to feel safe and secure all day including at play time in the playground. We have a wealth of facilities in the playground to keep the children active and happy. However to enhance the children’s experience St Teresa’s Primary school established a Buddy System with the following aims.
•To help prevent children feeling unhappy or lonely at playtime.
•To help children who find it difficult to make friends.
•To help children resolve their own conflicts together.
•To assist the supervisors in the playground.
It has continued to enrol enthusiastic and responsible new members every year.
Applications for buddies are received in September and the successful applicants take part in three training sessions. The children learn important social skills such as assertiveness, respect for others, listening carefully, interpreting body language and much more. Buddys can easily be identified by younger children as they are each provided with a Buddy Badge and high Visibility jacket. At the end of each year the Buddies are all awarded at assembly with a certificate for their record of achievement which they will take with them at the end of P7.