HUNTINGTON – Rev. Dr. Linda Bennett, a clinical psychologist from Southampton, visited Littleville Elementary School principal Megan Coburn on Thursday to learn about the “Fill the Bucket” and “Buddy Bench” programs in the school.
Bennett’s visit was in her role as a Promise Leader from the Sandy Hook Promise initiative for the month of May, which is deemed Mental Health Month. The mission of the initiative is to prevent gun-related deaths due to crime, suicide and accidental discharge so that no other parent experiences the senseless, horrific loss of their child.
Bennett has been involved with the initiative since day one, following the tragic shooting of 20 first graders and six adults on December 14, 2012 by 20-year-old Adam Lanza, who then killed himself. From the moment the Sandy Hook Promise was formed, the goal was to create an organization for family members, if they chose, to have a platform to lead the change they wanted to see.
Immediately following the incident, Bennett worked with the grandparents of the young victims. As a trauma counselor, she also works with first responders, police and the fire department to get through the Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) of it all, she said.
As a Sandy Hook Promise Leader, she goes to schools and other organizations to introduce some of the programs that the initiative has developed to promote social inclusion and community connectedness and to recognize the signs of at-risk behavior and potential threats.
When Bennett contacted Coburn, she learned that the school is already engaged in the “Fill the Bucket” program, based on the children’s book, Have you Filled a Bucket Today? A Guide to Daily Happiness for Kids, by Carol McCloud.
Coburn said every teacher rereads the book the first week of school to his or her class, which begins a year-long recognition of students who are “bucket fillers,” and have been observed doing something kind.
The school also has a Bucket Fillers Wall, where paper buckets name students and the acts that they have done to earn a place on the wall. One girl earned a bucket filler for walking a kindergarten student to her class. A boy earned a bucket filler for bringing in items for the 4H box, and another for helping another student to find a book in the library.
At monthly grade level assemblies, every class team also nominates a student to be a Bucket Filler of the Month.
Coburn said she had been looking for a character development program for the school, and learned of the book from her mother Anne Hendry, a retired first grade teacher in New Hingham.
“A lot of schools do a lot of things with the book,” noted Coburn. She said it helps to develop a common language to talk about behavior. For example, no one wants to be a bucket dipper, referred to in the book as someone who is unkind or takes away from someone else.
“We’ve notice here in our small district that it’s something that needs to be addressed,” Coburn said.
First graders Noah Mulkerin and Addison Green also joined Bennett and Coburn to talk about the program.
“It’s fun to pretend that you have an invisible bucket to fill,” Noah said.
“It’s fun to be nice,” added Addison.
The two students said in their class, the teacher puts marbles in a real bucket for every bucket filling act. When the bucket is full, they get to have a special day in school, such as a pajama day, or a toy sharing day. Noah said they’ve filled the bucket five times this year.
Coburn, who is also the principal of the Middle School, said the “Fill the Bucket” program is for younger students, but told Bennett that last year the Middle School held a kindness week.
“You should be kind every day,” observed Noah.
“We should all be nice, even to our families,” said Addison, before the two returned to class.
Coburn said another program that is just beginning at Littleville Elementary is called the Buddy Bench.
“If a student doesn’t have anybody to play with at recess, they sit on the bench, which signals that they need someone to play with, “ she explained. She said the students are still getting used to the idea, which is new.
The bench itself was an act of kindness. Littleville special education teacher Ruth Harper told her husband Mike Harper, who teaches woodworking in the high school about it, and his class made the bench for a project. An art teacher and music teacher in the elementary school then painted it.
Bennett said she would be happy to share the programs at Littleville Elementary with other schools during her outreach visits.
More information about the Sandy Hook Promise and its programs for schools may be found at www.sandyhookpromise.org.
