Buddy Club (4th graders only)

Buddy Club is a joint program between 4th grade Matsunaga students and the elementary/middle school classes at Longview. The club is designed to provide opportunities for students from both schools to get to know one another and to build friendships. The club promotes positive social interactions as well as the acceptance of differences.

Matsunaga 4th graders sign up during the month of September. All fourth grade students will be given a parent permission slip to take home and share with their families. Any students interested in joining the club must return the signed form and attend a Buddy Club orientation. At the orientation, students will be given a brief overview of the club, the activities they can expect to participate in, and the responsibilities they will have as club members. At the end of the orientation, students sign a Buddy Club Promise, committing themselves to the club for the entire school year.

Using a rotating schedule, each quarter, different fourth grade classes participate. Fourth graders typically have two quarters during which they are assigned a Buddy Club classroom to go to. Our expectation is that students will show up every week on their assigned day, unless they are absent from school. Buddy Club is a yearlong commitment, celebrated with an ice cream and awards party at the end of the school year.

Buddy Club members participate in games like musical chairs, red light/green light, classroom bowling, Simon Says, freeze dance, etc. Members also complete arts and crafts projects together, cooking activities, board games, stories and much more! Activities encourage 4th grade buddies to help their Longview buddies by modeling appropriate learning skills and using hand-over-hand/ hand-under-hand assistance. Buddies learn to use student communication devices and have the opportunity to assist in activities or lead an activity.