First graders Maya Montgomery and Adin Kovach play with their name tags while putting on Best Buddles shirts on Friday at McQuistion Elementary School in Butler Township. The Best Buddies group brought together students from special education and the other students with activities including coloring and making dog treats. Joseph Ressler/Butler Eagle

Joseph Ressler

Third-graders Dante Marshall and Colin Cousins color during the Best Buddies event at McQuistion Elementary School in Butler Township on Friday. The Best Buddies group brings together students from special education classes and other students with activities, including coloring and making dog treats. Joseph Ressler/Butler Eagle

Joseph Ressler

BUTLER TWP — Best Buddies member Madelyn Kuntz is a third-grader with a big heart.

“I learned that it’s fine if you are different, and it would be boring if we were all the same,” said Madelyn, who watched a video Friday at McQuistion Elementary School about a dog that communicates differently with other dogs.

The program to instill values of acceptance and love for all people was offered by the school’s chapter of Best Buddies, which started last year. Students with special needs are grouped with students in typical classes.

On Friday, the students learned through the video that some people may look or act differently than themselves, but those differences don’t really matter. Then they got to participate in a slew of activities like making Valentines and dog treats to donate to the Butler County Humane Society.

Amy Miller, Best Buddies coordinator at McQuistion, said the dozens of students signed up for Best Buddies have enjoyed the activities offered through the program. At their young age, many don’t fully comprehend differences in ability some children have from one another, according to Miller.

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