Schools

Wendy Graham, program coordinator, with one of the Buddy Benches donated by The Yuba-Sutter Stand for the Silent organization

One group in the Yuba CA area has made it their mission to provide Buddy Benches for schools in the area to promote inclusivity and fight bullying.

And with the support of local businesses and individuals, they are succeeding.

The group is called the Yuba-Sutter Stand for the Silent. This is a chapter of the national Stand for the Silent organization that was started by a group of high school students in Oklahoma City, OK.

The Yuba-Sutter Stand for the Silent program offers education on bullying, resources, and support.

The chapter involves all the individuals affected by bullying. Not only victims, but offenders plus family members, educators and administrators.

As part of their program, they work to provide Buddy Benches to area schools.

The idea behind Buddy Benches is a very simple, yet effective tool against bullying that also helps children interact with one

Buddy Bench at St. Mary's Catholic School, donated by the Ganje family in honor of their parents

It is estimated that more than half of elementary schools in the US now feature Buddy Benches in their playgrounds.

The Park and Facilities Catalog, a major supplier of Buddy Benches nationwide, continues to see a steady number of orders for this popular product.

And many of the orders we see come in the form of donations either by individuals or organizations who recognize the power of this simple concept.

Take St. Mary's Catholic School in Alexandria, Minn.

The school recently added a Buddy Bench that was donated by the Ganje family, in honor of their parents Dice and Bennie.

School principal Troy Sladek said the couple was very active supporters of the school. They served on the Parish Council, Diocesan Board of Education, various school committees, CCD programs and even volunteered in the lunchroom.

"Their children have proud memories of their parents' desire to make sure everyone felt welcomed

Victoria Cates and Robyn James of the Broadway Gymnastic School on the facility's new Portable Aluminum Bleachers

Portable Aluminum Bleachers were found to be a great solution for seating at the Broadway Gymnastic School in Los Angeles.

After all, a gymnastics school is a very busy place. There are young people doing cartwheels, flips and back handsprings. Parents come in and out.  And staff members keep it all organized.

Plus, mats and pieces of apparatus need to be moved from time to time for different events and competitions.

That's why the staff purchased two sets of 3-row Tip and Roll Aluminum Bleachers from The Park and Facilities Catalog.

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"We choose to add in the bleachers behind the plain seats to effectively seat more people and organize our parent observation area," said Victoria Cates, School Groups and Special Events Director. "Parents have mentioned that with the addition of the bleachers, it has added more comfort and space while their student is in class. In addition,

Buddy bench donated by Ariana. Sitting alongside her on the bench is her school principal

Adding a Buddy Bench to a school might be a goal for children and parents to consider if they are looking for a project that will have a positive impact with young students.

That's exactly what 9-year-old Ariana from California accomplished recently as a member of the Girl Scouts.

She sold a bunch of Girl Scout cookies and raised enough to purchase a Buddy Bench from The Park and Facilities Catalog.

Ariana then donated the bench to her school.

Buddy Bench encourages inclusion among students

If you are not familiar with the concept behind this magic bench, here's how it works.

The school adds this unique bench to their play or break area. The bench, like the one supplied by The Park and Facilities Catalog to hundreds of schools around the country, is designated by large letters that read "Buddy Bench."

Teachers at the school then instruct students that if they feel alone or bullied, they have the option

A Buddy Bench from The Park and Facilities Catalog was recently featured on the national "Steve" show on NBC. Host Steve Harvey discussed the concept behind the bench and how it helps children socialize in a schoolyard

A Buddy Bench donated to a school by The Park and Facilities Catalog was recently featured on the nationally televised "Steve" show starring popular comedian Steve Harvey.

The show centered on a young man named Alex, who was recently the subject of an article on our website.

Producers at the "Steve" show heard about the story and contacted Alex and his mother Dottie.

The episode mentioning Alex and the Buddy Bench aired Sept. 14 on NBC in the "Before We Go" segment, the final part of the show.

Mr. Harvey recounted the story about how one day when Alex was 10 years old he "noticed a couple of kids including himself were sitting by themselves at recess" at Windy Creek Elementary School in Stafford, VA.

"So he decided to do something about it," the host explained.

Buddy Bench

The new aluminum bleachers at Davis and Elkins College display their powder-coated red colors

Davis and Elkins College has some of the most eye-catching aluminum bleachers in the country and its simply because they decided to add red seat planks to liven up the spectator experience.

D&E is a small private liberal arts college located in Elkins, WV. The school was founded in 1904 and named for Henry G. Davis and his son-in-law Stephen B. Elkins.

Both were members of the US Senate.

Hence, the nickname for the sports teams is the "Senators." Very catchy and unique.

The school replaced their aging bleachers at the athletic field with aluminum bleachers supplied by The Park and Facilities Catalog.

But rather than order just regular sports bleachers, the school decided to spruce up the seats with the team's bright red coloring.

What a difference the color makes. The bleachers really stand out on the green grass surrounding them.

College decides to add color to aluminum bleachers

"The colors were

Here's a list of Education and School Quotes to celebrate the new school year.

1. In some parts of the world, students are going to school every day. It's their normal life. But in other parts of the world, we are starving for education...it's like a precious gift. It's like a diamond - Malala Yousafzai 2. An investment in knowledge pays the best interest - Benjamin Franklin 3. You have to stay in school. You have to. You have to go to college. You have to get your degree. Because that's the one thing people can't take away from you is your education. And it is worth the investment - Michelle Obama 4. You know, nothing is more important than education, because nowhere are our stakes higher; our future depends on the quality of education of our children today - Arnold Schwarzenegger 5. Education is not preparation for life; education is life itself - John Dewey 6. The roots of education are bitter, but the fruit is sweet - Aristotle 7. The function of education is to teach one to think intensively

A student on the "Buddy Bench" he was able to get installed at his elementary school to foster making friends

Sometimes just one child can make a big difference in the lives of their classmates.

Take a young man named Alex for example, of Stafford, VA.

According to his mother, Dottie, during recess Alex would often see children on the playground with no one to play with and this really bothered him. During the end of year party at church camp, Alex noticed a bunch of children were playing. But a young man in a wheelchair, was sitting all by himself. This was very upsetting to Alex.

He went over and befriended the youngster and together the two of them had a great time together.

The idea struck Alex that many other children also experience the same kind of loneliness.

To change this, during his summer break Alex got the idea of adding a "buddy bench" to his school. Alex was a rising student at the time and wanted the bench in place so when children came to school on the first day, they would

Portable bleachers can be towed by a lawn tractor. But cannot be towed on open roads or highways

Incorporating portable bleachers into your new facility planning or current facility renovation is a smart and highly effective strategy for stretching your seating arrangements.

The versatility, low cost and low-maintenance aspects of portable bleachers, along with the opportunity for additional, customized seating options when needed, make them a practical and common-sense choice when planning the layout for your new or renovated arena, venue, field or multi-use complex.

More and more schools, communities, and organizations are including an option for mobile aluminum bleachers in their planning for spectator seating options.

Portable bleachers utilized by Decatur City Schools

Decatur City Schools, located in Decatur Alabama, is showing the value and versatility of putting portable bleachers in their plans for a new sports complex currently under construction for Austin High School.

Portable

For aluminum bleachers with model numbers previously posted on the website for The Park and Facilities Catalog, please check the list below. We have expanded our product line and offer similar models of bleachers, more options and replacement parts.

Name Model No. 3 Row Aluminum Bleachers - Sideline Series - 129-1000- 129-1000 3 Row Tip and Roll Bleachers - Show and Stow Series -(call for tip and roll version) 129-1001 4 Row Aluminum Bleachers - Sideline Series - 129-2002 129-2002 5 Row Aluminum Bleachers - Midfielder Series - 129-1003 129-1003 10 Row Aluminum Bleachers - Midfielder Series - 129-1004 129-1004 15 Row Aluminum Bleachers - Midfielder Series - 129-1005 129-1005 5 Row Elevated Bleachers - Vantage Point Series - 129-1006 129-1006 10 Row Elevated Bleachers - Vantage Point Series - 129-1007 129-1007 5 Row Transportable Bleachers Series - 129-1008 129-1008

The Park and Facilities Catalog now offers a new line of top-grade aluminum bleachers that have been installed in hundreds

The nation's largest school district is in New York City with nearly one million students

Largest School Districts in America

The following is a list of the Top 100 Largest School Districts in the US.

Also included is the amount of federal spending per student. Based on 2013 numbers.

Rank  Name of district State Enrollment, Fall 2013 Federal spending per student 1 New York City NY 989,012 $1,799 2 Los Angeles Unified CA 653,826 1,666 3 City of Chicago (SD 299) IL 396,641 2,036 4 Dade County FL 356,233 1,378 5 Clark County NV 320,532 889 6 Broward County FL 262,666 1,014 7 Houston ISD TX 211,552 1,484 8 Hillsborough County FL 203,439 1,395 9 Orange County FL 187,092 1,131 10 Hawaii Department of Education HI 186,825 1,682 11 Fairfax County VA 183,417 610 12 Palm Beach County FL 182,895 997 13 Gwinnett County GA 169,150 804 14 Dallas ISD TX 159,713 1,606 15 Wake County NC 153,534 645 16 Montgomery County MD 151,295 706 17 Shelby County TN 149,832 2,358 18 Charlotte-Mecklenburg NC 142,991

Students sit in the shade of commercial umbrellas at metal picnic tables in the Student Courtyard

The Park and Facilities Catalog recently supplied the famous McFarland High School with an array of attractive metal picnic tables and commercial umbrellas.

Why is McFarland HS famous?

For one, the school, located in central California, is a powerhouse when it comes to the sport of cross-country running.

The team has won 24 CIF Central Section championships - in a row.

Secondly, the school and runners were featured in the famous Walt Disney movie - "McFarland USA" that starred Kevin Costner as the coach.

McFarland High School recently added a large supply of metal picnic tables and umbrellas from The Park and Facilities Catalog.

These outdoor picnic tables were placed in the Student Courtyard where students can easily gather for meals and to mingle.

"We are very happy with the tables and umbrellas we purchased," said Kristin Jimenez, from the McFarland Unified School District.

Metal

Newly added four-row aluminum bleachers located at the pool for the Boca Raton Community High School swim team

The Boca Raton Community High School recently installed three sets of 4-row aluminum bleachers at their swimming area to give spectators a perfect view for swim meets.

The swim team is under the direction of Eric Hill, Aquatics Director and Head Coach for Swimming and Diving.

Eric said the school is pleased with the addition of the bleachers to the pool area.

"The bleachers work wonderfully for our facility," the coach said. "They allow for maximum durable seating for our limited deck space. Great for outdoor use and easy to move."

That's great for the proud parents of these athletes who are involved in a very successful program. The Boca Raton Community High School won the Florida High School Athletic Association Girl's State Swimming Championship in 2007 and 2008 and the FHSAA Boy's Swimming State Championship in 2012.

The Park and Facilities Catalog, also located in sunny

The Park and Facilities Catalog now offers a new line of high-quality aluminum bleachers in several sizes and styles

The Park and Facilities Catalog is pleased to announce it now offers a new line of high-quality aluminum bleachers manufactured in a newly-built, state-of-the-art 70,300 sq. ft. facility.

The bleachers come in a variety of sizes such as 3-row, 4-row, 5-row, 10-row and 15-row and are all manufactured in the USA with top-grade anodized aluminum plank seating.

"We are very excited to be able to offer these aluminum bleachers to our customers," said Chris Luyet, Vice President and General Manager of The Park and Facilities Catalog. "The craftsmanship and detail that goes into designing and manufacturing this selection of aluminum bleachers is just superb. This assures our customers that they are installing top-tier bleachers at their facility."

The plant follows strict 5S workplace practices and features state of the art laser cutting, welding, warehousing and packing stations.

Metal picnic tables and metal benches are some of the best choices for outdoor school furniture because of advances in thermoplastic coating technology

Metal picnic tables and metal benches are the smarter choices for outdoor school furniture because of the intense wear these products are subjected by students every semester.

Kids. You got to love them. They are capable of making a mess without even trying.

Spilled grape juice boxes all over the table. One side of a peanut butter sandwich stuck on a bench.

Let's face it. Students are a rough bunch. Of course, most of their destructive ways are unintentional. But it happens.

What's a school facility manager or administrator to do?

Fight back, with sturdy, thermoplastic coated metal picnic tables and metal benches.

Wooden picnic tables and benches are traditional but they do require maintenance and care.

Concrete picnic tables are super-durable, like a concrete bunker, but you need a forklift to set them in place and after that, they are