It was a busy night for the Clear Lake Community School Board as new and re-elected Board members pledged their Oaths of Office on Nov. 14. Chyrl Bergvig will retain her position as Board President and Board members gave the “green light” to retaining the services of a therapy dog for the school district.
Shortly after newly elected Board members Abby Bauman and Talitha Allen stepped to the table and accepted their Oaths of Office, along with re-elected Mike Moeller, they were faced with their first big decision – whether or not to accept the services of a therapy dog for the school district.
Michael Ross, along with his wife, Amanda, and their two children, were at the meeting to present the CARES program and answer questions. CARES was founded in 1994 to train service dogs. They have placed over 1,400 dogs across 41 states, which includes many school therapy dogs in Iowa, and eight countries. The Ross family would be the host family while Michael would also be the dog’s handler. “My wife and I are that invested that we’re taking on the $4,000 to purchase the dog,” Ross said.
Clear Creek elementary school principal Brandon Borseth and vice principal Brittany Murillo said that after several conversations with Ross they talked to their school counselor, Amanda Kiewiet, and she isvery supportive of this endeavor.
Borseth said they are always looking for different ways to respond to the academic, social, and emotional needs of children in their district. He said they already have onsite therapists and expanded a few of their programs that work with students one-on-one and counsel students who are failing. Finally, Michael Ross, a parent member of a weekly child study team at the school, brought up the idea of a therapy dog. “We think this is something that could be a great benefit to the school,” Borseth told the Board.
CARES selects eight-week-old puppies that have already been tested for health, temperament, trainability and livability before they begin a one-year training program designed for their skill set. After that they will meet their new handler and spend a week training together before being brought home to “socialize” in their new environment.
Board member Greg Southgate asked about the benefits of therapy dogs and how the school district would address any concerns. Borseth answered that some of the benefits include stress relief for students and staff and fewer behavior problems. The therapeutic benefits have been known to increase reading skills, social and emotional gains and contribute to improved motor skills.
Over 27 Iowa school districts have full-time therapy dogs and the trend is growing. Bettendorf’s program has been around for 15 years with six dogs, while the Mason City School District currently has five dogs.
Borseth said they respect that some parents won’t be comfortable with having their child around a dog and they will be able to sign a waiver form and parents can inform the school about pet allergies the same way they do with food. As far as children being afraid of dogs and liability issues, Borseth said it all comes down to teaching and following the Lion’s Pride motto of being Respectful, Responsible and Being Your Best. In extreme situations the school will take out liability insurance for Ross.
Ross needed the school board’s okay to bring a therapy dog into the schools before he paid the deposit, due at the end of November, for one-on-one dog training in Kansas Jan. 15-18. The dog, who he will meet for the first time at training, will come home with him on Jan. 19 and will spend several weeks getting acquainted with its new family and getting familiar with Clear Lake before being brought into the schools.
by Mary Loden
It was a busy night for the Clear Lake Community School Board as new and re-elected Board members pledged their Oaths of Office on Nov. 14. Chyrl Bergvig will retain her position as Board President and Board members gave the “green light” to retaining the services of a therapy dog for the school district.
Shortly after newly elected Board members Abby Bauman and Talitha Allen stepped to the table and accepted their Oaths of Office, along with re-elected Mike Moeller, they were faced with their first big decision – whether or not to accept the services of a therapy dog for the school district.
Michael Ross, along with his wife, Amanda, and their two children, were at the meeting to present the CARES program and answer questions. CARES was founded in 1994 to train service dogs. They have placed over 1,400 dogs across 41 states, which includes many school therapy dogs in Iowa, and eight countries. The Ross family would be the host family while Michael would also be the dog’s handler. “My wife and I are that invested that we’re taking on the $4,000 to purchase the dog,” Ross said.
Clear Creek elementary school principal Brandon Borseth and vice principal Brittany Murillo said that after several conversations with Ross they talked to their school counselor, Amanda Kiewiet, and she is
