Acushnet Elementary Unveils Buddy Bench to Honor Porter Guillemette’s Memory

There's a new bench at the Acushnet Elementary School playground. It's a very important type of bench that has grown in popularity over the past several years. It's called a "buddy bench," and its purpose is to help bring children together to play.

The Importance of the Buddy Bench in Schools
If a student is feeling lonely or just can't find another student to play with, they will have a seat on the "buddy bench." It's essentially saying, "Hey, I really want to play, so if you also want to play, come on over." Teachers say having a buddy bench can be a game changer at recess.

The new bench at Acushnet Elementary School was dedicated in memory of Porter Guillemette, an eight-year-old Acushnet boy who passed away in 2023. Porter was undergoing treatment for an aggressive brain tumor known as diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma.

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Honoring Porter Guillemette with a Special Dedication
The new buddy bench was unveiled by Porter's parents on what would have been the boy's 10th birthday. Joining Taylor and Danielle Guillemette were Porter's classmates, who are now in Grade 4.

A plaque mounted on the buddy bench reads "In Memory of Porter Guillemette," with a quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson: "The only way to have a friend is to be one."

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A Lasting Legacy for Porter Guillemette at Acushnet Elementary
Superintendent Dr. Paula Bailey called the dedication a "profoundly meaningful moment," filled with love, remembrance and hope, calling the Buddy Bench a "living symbol" of Porter's legacy.

"Porter was a bright light at Acushnet Elementary. He was kind, funny, endlessly curious, and imaginative," Dr. Bailey said. "He had a love for Legos, a sharp mind for math, and the soul of an old friend. He loved being at school, not just for learning, but to be with his classmates, his buddies."

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