Five more schools in Bendigo have welcomed Dogs Connect well-being dogs to their staff in the past two weeks.
Epsom, Camp Hill, Quarry Hill and St Therese’s primary schools along with Catherine McAuley College have joined the program that helps reduce anxiety in students and teach social and emotional interaction.
St Therese’s classroom teacher Meg Woods said well-being dog Winnie fit in at school right away.
“Winnie started a couple of weeks ago and has settled in really well,” she said. “The kids have been fabulous in knowing the expectations to give Winnie space and help her relax.
“She has a spot in the administration area for down time but spends a lot of time in classrooms.
Ms Woods said Winnie was already helping students learning about social and emotional interaction
“We already do a lot of good programs teaching social and emotional learning but we thought this was another tool for our curriculum,” Ms Woods said.
“The energy in classroom seems to be taken down when they realise Winnie picks up on that energy, so students are relaxed and continue their work.
