DOGS HELPING KIDS IN THE CLASSROOM
With one in seven primary and secondary students experiencing a mental health issue, schools are searching for new ways to support children’s emotional and social well-being to improve engagement and learning.
The Dogs Connect program began in Bendigo and involves introducing a dog as a permanent member of the school’s learning community!
Far from being a distraction, the canine friend helps children who may be experiencing anything from sadness and anxiety, to not wanting to go to school, hyperactivity, tantrums or being easily distracted.
This morning, Fiona Parker welcomed labradoodle Sonny to the studio, who began his career in Bendigo but is now the “poster dog” for Dogs Connect! Oh, and there were also some humans: Dogs Connect founder, Grant Shannon, and Andrew Frawley, Principal of California Gully Primary School.
Cal Gully Primary has a Dogs Connect dog, Millie, making a wonderful impact on students’ learning at the school.
Thanks for stopping by! What a well-behaved dog!
