On Monday, 29 August, Holy Family School prep and grade five and six students, participated in Better Buddies activities to recognise the beginning of national Literacy and Numeracy Week. 

For two hours, the buddies played many games, participated in 'three legged' and 'egg and spoon' races, and worked through interactive activities on the Better Buddies website. 

Two special guests, The Alannah and Madeline Foundation's Maree Stanley, and NAB Buddy, Evert Eykman, presented Grace, Henry and school principal Mr Paul Wakeling, with a sign to display to the community that they are a Better Buddies school.

"Holy Family has done a wonderful job implementing Better Buddies into the school community," Maree said. "It's just fantastic to see first-hand how the senior buddies have embraced their role to look after their junior buddies, and make sure they feel safe and happy at school."

The most exciting part of day was a visit from the extremely popular 'Buddy Bear,' who joined students and participated in the Better Buddies activities.

To complete the afternoon, the senior buddies handed to their junior buddies mini Buddy Bears, along with stories they had written.

Holy Family School has been a Better Buddies school since 2009. Each November, grade four students go through a training program to learn how to be a buddy to prep students the following year.

Once the new school year begins, each group meets fortnightly to work together on activities targeted at learning new skills, or tasks based on improving problem solving and participation in group games. 

Holy Family School is one of more than 800 NAB funded schools participating in the Better Buddies Framework in 2011.