Friday, April 19, 2024
Dogs just have a way of connecting with people emotionally that can make an incredible positive impact for those coping with emotional distress, and one new canine on the scene for the Gatesville Independent School District is Bishop.
"He was a godsend," said GISD social worker Joyce Cole, who has had Bishop for about six months. She said she has seen a noticeable difference in children's behavior when they interact with him.
"I started bringing him to school last year, and I figured out pretty quickly he was a natural," Cole said. "He has a keen sense of awareness and can tell when someone is upset or unhappy. His only job is to give love.
"Kids may be crying and he'll go sit in their lap and comfort them. He'll go to every student, but he gravitates toward those who are upset. With our emphasis on SEL (social emotional learning) and wanting to lower stress levels, he's done wonders. Even test scores have improved when Bishop is there. People become calm and loving."
Bishop is patient with people and doesn't try to approach those who aren't comfortable with him, Cole said.
"He doesn't demand affection or attention, and normally he won't go up to anyone who doesn't want to pet him. He can sense that, and that's OK. Not everyone loves dogs.
"A couple of kids moved in and they became my Bishop trainers. They felt happy that there was something they could contribute."
According to information provided to the Gatesville ISD Board of Trustees, "when traumatic events happen at schools, counselors and a trauma team from the Service Center can converge on the campus to support the grieving students and staff. Therapy animals can also be deployed to help soothe pain and help people open up and start healing. Therapy animals are not reserved for traumatic events. Schools are beginning to use therapy animals in their everyday routines."
Bishop has become a celebrity and attracts attention wherever he goes, Cole said.
"He's already very well-known and I'm so excited about having him," she said. "It's great having him work with students and staff. We hope to make a difference together and visit each campus."
Christa Hitt, a case manager for GISD's School-Community Guidance Center, will also be bringing a therapy dog to campus through the Bella's Buddies program. Bella's Buddies is a nonprofit which loans therapy dogs to school district's for extended periods.
Classroom teachers can choose to participate in the program. The cost is caring for the dogs.
A packet provided to GISD trustees noted: "Some research from Bella's Buddies indicates a decline in (disciplinary problems) and a rise in attendance for students who routinely interact with therapy dogs. Students look forward to seeing the dogs in class. GISD continues to do what's best for kids, trying to employ various strategies to connect students to their school."
Hitt was scheduled to receive a therapy dog to work at GISD earlier, but the need for therapy dogs in Uvalde, the location of the tragic school shooting in May, led her to allow that district to go ahead of her because of their needs.
"Some districts have a therapy dog on every campus," Hitt said. In one case, there was a student who had received more than 50 referrals to the office because of poor behavior, and his interaction with a therapy dog resulted in dramatic improvement in his behavior, she said.
"Behavior improves and test scores go up because of these dogs," Hitt said. "Kids will request to take a test with the dog in the room. It's not just for the students, though. There's also a boost in staff morale. We want to see how therapy dogs can improve morale at GISD."
Cole said Bishop loves his dog, and his tail starts wagging when he sees her get the bandana that he wears to school.
"I had a special gift given to me (Bishop) and I had to utilize it," Cole said.
Hitt said in one case a student was having a severe panic attack and a therapy dog was sent to calm her, crawling in her lap to provide love and affection.
"You could see her de-escalating," Hitt said. "That is one example that worked rather quickly."
