Community. This is a K through Life ® environment. But the distance between each of the three campuses isolate them, and students rarely get the opportunity to interact and feel united as one school.
The Eagle Buddies program has recently been launched to solve this problem, emphasizing unity among the campuses.
After seeing it succeed in the past, Butch Keller, Head of Upper School, decided to bring the program, which matches third graders with sophomore “buddies,” here, to create unity among the campuses. The program, led by Carol Zink and Jeffrey Draper, requires each member of the third grade and sophomore classes to participate.
“Mr. Keller brought it up a couple years ago. We were talking about ways to foster a greater sense of inter-campus unity [and] communications, making this really a K-12 school,” Zink said.
To encourage bonding among the younger and older students, counselors from the Bucknall and Saratoga campuses matched each third grader with one or two sophomores from the Upper School. According to Draper, approximately 50 sophomores were paired two at a time with a third grader, due to different class sizes.
Pairs were based on gender and compatibility. Draper explained how, for example, the counselors tried not to “pair up a really, really shy sophomore with a really, really shy third grader. […]It’s a little bit about matching them up so their temperaments get along.”
Past experiences at other schools led Keller to bring this program here. “It was something that was definitely missing here,” he said. “The motive is to bring the community closer together.”
The program began when, on September 9, the sophomore students contacted their newly assigned buddies. During an advisory meeting, students crafted letters to their buddies to introduce themselves and to let them know they were excited to meet.
“When the third graders get [the letters], I’m pretty sure they’re going to be excited and a little nervous. These big high school students, you know? To them, the sophomores are adults in a way. It’s going to be fun to see how they react,” Draper said. Soon, third graders will send a letter in response to their sophomore buddies.
Events for the Eagle Buddies program have been planned throughout the year, the first on October 6. During the scheduled time for the Wellness class that day, all sophomores will file onto buses, which will shuttle them over to the Bucknall campus.
Once there, the sophomores and third graders will “play a few games that are being planned, share some punch and cookies, and just have a good time,” Draper said.
The next event is arranged for the Homecoming game on November 12. A tailgate party at Homecoming will provide an opportunity for not only the third graders to mingle with their respective buddies, but also for the parents and families to meet.

Once spring approaches, sophomores will be invited to the Lower School fundraiser, Pajama Day, during which students come to school dressed in pajamas will be asked to bring a new pair to donate to those in need.
“My picture is that they’re going to do some little art project where they make wrapping paper and gift wrap the PJs; that sort of thing,” Zink said.
The final scheduled event will provide an opportunity for each third grader to come to the Upper School and join the sophomores in the spirit rally.
“I’m really excited about that one. Can you picture all these cute little eight-year-olds out with the sophomores doing some kind of dance and cheer and adding their volume to the yell?” Zink said.
However, Jason Berry, Co-Spirit Coordinator, assured that this would not affect the rally, which is for high school students. “The third graders will not have any bearing on the spirit rally points,” he said.
Each year, the pairing of incoming sophomores and third graders will continue. Eventually, there will be sophomores with third graders, juniors with fourth graders, and seniors with fifth graders.
Draper’s role in the program is to work with advisors and the sophomores to help coordinate everything. Advisors were not obligated to help out, but all willingly agreed to participate.
“It’s so great that everyone is so enthusiastic,” Draper said.
After the initial year, Keller will leave the program in the coordinating hands of Zink and the class deans.
“The deans are certainly capable people, so I don’t have to be involved,” Keller said. “It’s something dear and near to my heart, and I want to make sure it works well, but […] it’s in good hands with Mr. Draper and Ms. Zink, and next year adding Dr. Adler.” As the program grows each year, the dean of the incoming sophomore class will become involved in the Eagle Buddies program.
Buddies are encouraged to extend their relationship beyond the planned events.
“Those school activities that are outside normal school hours are optional; we’re not making anybody do that. We’re hoping people want to, but we know that all families are really busy,” Zink said, hoping participants will bring their buddies to sports games, performances, or other activities.
“This is a way to open up the high school for what it really is. It’s a way to get a [Lower School] family onto the
Upper School campus,” Keller said. He hopes that the bonds formed through this program will last throughout high school and beyond.