In the middle of a hectic school day, a chance to relax may be found in the library. With boundless energy and endless enthusiasm, weekly visits from therapy dogs bring a welcome relief to Wando.
Teacher librarian Jamie Corson organizes the therapy dog visits, which occur in the form of read-alouds for Exceptional Education students, as well as in general visits during student lunch periods.
“The students are very receptive to [the dogs], especially with our Exceptional Education department and our kids that come in… they seem to be very receptive to it. The dog is there to put them at ease and to… make the situation less stressful. But once the kids get used to what’s going on, they seem to do really, really well,” Corson said.
The read-aloud sessions occur every Thursday, and feature a friendly guest: Harley the Labradoodle.
“Harley is a super intelligent therapy dog… but the kids, when he really first came… just like anything, they had to form a new relationship. And then once they got to know Harley, then it’s great,” Corson said. “The kids really take to it. And so they like it when he’s there, they seem to pay more attention to him than they do to the book, but that’s completely expected and learning… they all sit down over here at the rug, and… I will read a book… and then, you know, as we go through it, we are sort of bringing Harley into it by asking Harley questions, and… stopping at little appropriate times for him to come around.”
Harley’s handler, Jerry Clements, formerly owned a therapy-centered horse farm, which hosted and helped many special needs children. After retiring from the farm, Clements’ focus has shifted to spreading comfort through therapy dogs.
“We go to a few different places, hospital, Children’s Hospital, and we come [to Wando], and then we go to some retirement homes to see old people,” Clements said.
In the middle of the school day, a friendly face and little unconditional love can be just what students need.
“I think [Harley] gives [students] a good satisfaction to be calm. And… he just gives them a lot of, really a lot of fun, and breaks up their day,” Clements said.
Therapy dogs also occasionally visit during student lunches or in the time before the first bell of the day rings, providing students with a little bit of fun to set a good mood for the day. Teacher Librarian Cindy Philbeck has observed many of these heartwarming interactions.
“We’re aiming for social, emotional connections… maybe you just pet the dog, but you can tell it fills a need in so many people, people that normally come in and go straight to their… typical corner will stop in the middle of the library, have a seat and love on [the dogs] and connect in a way that they don’t connect to humans,” Philbeck said.
In a high school full of complex social relationships, the simplicity of an animal friend can be a welcome relief.
“Because dogs give unconditional love, because that dog is not going to judge you, that dog is not going to tell you something that you don’t want to hear,” Corson said. “It’s just because of the fact that they know that dog’s going to love them.”
