Big Bomber lunch bunch program is a success

Students enjoy lunch, play games and share stories at S. S. Palmer as part of the Big Bomber lunch bunch program.

In the Palmerton Area School District, S. S. Palmer Elementary School reached out to the high school’s National Honor Society (NHS) to see if any students would be interested in participating in a unique opportunity to be a “Big Bomber.” As Big Bombers, students would strengthen connections within our community and provide positive role models for our elementary students. As a result, interested NHS students signed up for an eight-week assignment to come to S. S. Palmer Elementary School once per week to meet with a select group of third-grade students who would benefit from exemplary role models as part of this lunch bunch program.

Avriana, a third-grade student at S. S. Palmer, said her NHS partner “had lots of things in common [with her], and she got me.”

During this lunch bunch time, students built relationships with their assigned NHS student as they would discuss their classes, grades, families and personal interests during their time together. They would play Jenga, Connect 4 and other games to help facilitate these conversations as they got to know each other.

NHS student Lilly Stein said, “I loved the chance to meet Palmerton’s future and to get to know their personalities. It made them so happy to see the kids, and I look forward to doing it again next year.”

This is the second year of the program, and there was an emotional goodbye after the eight weeks concluded. The district looks forward to this partnership continuing in the future.