DPS elementary school to install 'Buddy Bench' in honor of boy killed on the way to school

DECATUR, Ill. (WAND) — Students who might be feeling a little lonely will have a new place to sit and connect at Franklin Grove Elementary School.

A "Buddy Bench" will be installed at the school in honor of Noah Edwards, a 6-year-old who was hit by a car on his way to school last month.

This week Noah's teacher and classmates got to see the bench ahead of its installation this summer.

"So many thanks to our families and the community for helping get this bench created," read a Facebook post from the school. "This summer, it will permanently be placed by the playground so students can always have a place on Noah’s Buddy Bench"

Buddy Benches are meant for students who need someone to talk to.

Noah's teacher, Kelsey Rigsby, shared the following with WAND News:

"Some classes are brought together by recess games, story time, shared crayons, and learning ABCs side by side. But our class is also connected by something much deeper — the loss of a classmate we loved so much.

"Noah was more than a classmate. He was a light in our lives, a friend, and part of what made our class feel like home. His absence is felt every day, but so is his presence- in our stories, our silence, and our strength.

"We carry him with us, always. And in that, our class is not just a class. We are a family."