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Buddy program gives Walworth County students perspective

Photo

Photo by Dan Lassiter

Turtle Creek School fifth grader Brittany Brandemuehl, right, helps Lakeland School fifth grader Samantha Nufer work on a Christmas gift bag during a Buddy Program session at Turtle Creek School.

Photo

Photo by Dan Lassiter

Lakeland School teachers' aid Brenda Brehm helps Turtle Creek fifth grader Ismael Coello, right, and Lakeland School 11-year-old Juan Soto make a color decision while the two worked on a project together in the Buddy Program at Turtle Creek School.

DELAVAN — The room was filled with sound that's music to the ears of grownups.

It was the sound of kids working contentedly in pairs, snipping paper and passing crayons.

To the untrained eye, it looked like the kids were old friends. It wasn't obvious that many of the kids, who were close in age, were working at far different skill levels.

The kids certainly worked happily around the fact.

This is the fifth year that a class of students from Lakeland School has paired up in a "buddy" program with students in Michelle Minton's fifth-grade class at Turtle Creek Elementary in the Delavan School District.

Year after year, Minton is pleasantly surprised by the results.

"It just amazes me. Certain kids you never expect to be comfortable in this kind of situation—they just show a different side of themselves," Minton said. "Some of my toughest kids are the most compassionate."

For the Turtle Creek kids, the year starts with a visit from school psychologist Katie Grady. Grady talks to the fifth-graders about meeting people with disabilities. She explains that it's natural to be nervous when meeting someone new. Kids are reminded not to stare, Minton said.

"Their Lakeland buddies will understand body language," Minton said.

During the school year, the students make four or five trips between Turtle Creek and Lakeland, Minton said.

Trips to Lakeland include library time and fun time at the annual school carnival.

A visit to Turtle Creek includes an art project and a snack, which was the visit recently observed by the Gazette.

The big favorite, especially among the Turtle Creek kids, is the pool and pizza party at Lakeland. Lakeland students swim regularly in the pool at their new school.

Aside from being a big treat for the Turtle Creek kids, it's an eye-opening experience, Minton said.

"Some of my kids get in the pool and don't really know how to swim, while the Lakeland kids are down in the deep end," Minton said. "The experience adds a different perspective to our different skills and abilities."

After every visit, the Turtle Creek students journal about the time spent with their buddies. Minton makes the entries in a book, and students from both schools get a copy, she said.

"It's just neat," Minton said. "There's just a little bit of planning by myself and the other teachers. From there, the kids take it and make it what it is."

EDUCATION JOURNALS

Every year, Michelle Minton's fifth-grade students from Delavan's Turtle Creek Elementary pair up in a "buddy" program with students from Donna Doebert's class at Lakeland School in Elkhorn.

Students read and play at each other's schools. Minton's students journal about the experience and make books to share.

Here are a few quotes from past journals:

Justin wrote to Matt "The fourth time you came over and Mr. Cline, our principal, read us a book called "The Sneeches." Then we went outside to play and before you know it you had to go I really didn't want you to. It has been great having a buddy like you."

Jesus wrote to Earl "Then the third visit we had to go swimming. We swam for more than an hour. We were playing basketball. I scored a lot and you did too. You are a good swimmer. Then we went to your room to eat pizza. It was good, but then we had to leave. That was the best visit I ever had."

Jessica wrote to Miranda "I had fun the last four times that I have seen you. I still remember the first day when we were going to your school and I was nerves because I didn't know who I was going to get, but when I got to your school and walked through the hallway, I saw the pool and was excited."