To mark America Recycles Day, the City of Port St. Lucie awarded Southport with a “Buddy Bench” made from the plastic caps that students have been collecting and sending in to recycle. The participation from students, teachers, and Southport friends was amazing! Principal Nicole Telese remarked, “This project not only helps our students to see the value in pollution prevention and recycling, it is also symbolic of our work to end bullying and to learn empathy. The idea behind the “Buddy Bench” concept is that if someone is having a bad day or is struggling to form relationships with their peers, they can have a seat on the buddy bench and their peers can join them to offer support.”
Whether our students participated in Adopt-a-Street Litter Control or brought in plastic caps to recycle for their “Buddy Bench,” Southport Middle School students want to bring awareness to keeping our community clean. We thank our Southport family for making both programs a true success.
