Therapy dogs
What do you get when you cross two dogs with a small group of elementary school students and staff ? Smiles and laughter.
Rosie and Gage, two certified therapy dogs, spent part of the day recently at Fairfield Compass Elementary School. The visit was part of a pilot program through the Hamilton Dog Training Club. The school’s new furry friends were brought in by handlers Lisa Raver, a retired teacher, and Diana Reed, a retired nurse, respectively.
“Having a dog visit the school, and hopefully one day be part of our every day, is part of our continual Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) work,” said Erica Green, school counselor. “I knew from research that having a dog in the school can increase social-emotional development and provide physical and emotional health benefits, as well as cognitive benefits.”
Compass is the first elementary school in the Fairfield City School District to participate in the pilot. Visits from the dogs will take place in the district’s other elementary schools in the near future.
Unsure of what to expect with the interaction, Green said she was pleasantly surprised at the positive reactions from students.
“What I wasn’t prepared for was how instant I would see some of the benefits,” she said. “The smiles were incredible! The number of students and staff who commented how it made their day and the visible change in moods was amazing.”
Providing a variety of mental health services to students has been a district focus in the last few years. The district has focused on ensuring that a number of mental health services are available to help students. These services range from the use of behavioral health resources to having full-time counselors in each school. Annually, the district’s wellness committee co-sponsors a mental health series – the most recent centering on helping parents understand their child’s emotions. It was through the planning for this recent event that Marla Mays, the district’s bullying and harassment specialist/Title IX coordinator and series organizer, connected with the Hamilton Dog Training Club. The club was instrumental in having a therapy dog attend the event.
“I am hoping to make this experience a regular occurrence until each school has its own,” Mays said. CONTRIBUTED