Nov. 13, 2019 -- A dog in the lunchroom at Roxboro Elementary? Well, that’s sure to get students talking!According to district occupational therapist Cindy Rakow, getting the students talking was exactly the objective. Ms.Rakow arranged for Finn, a certified service dog, to visit students during their lunch periods on Thursday, October 24, 2019. Finn’s visit is part of the Comfortable
Cafeterias program to encourage students to greet the school’s guests and engage them in conversation. Student’s also met Finn’s handler, Shaker High School senior Ella Ustin.
A few years ago, Ella had been looking for opportunities to
volunteer in her community when she decided to enroll her half-Poodle/half-Bernese
Mountain Dog, Finn, in an intense training program to become a therapy dog. The
pair now visits schools, nursing homes, and hospitals where Finn provides
comfort to those in need.
Outside of the opportunity to pet an adorable dog, Rox El students used the visit to practice meeting someone new and asking questions. They were curious about where Finn sleeps, how he manages to be so well behaved, at what he eats. One thing Finn did not eat was the meatball that rolled off one child’s tray onto the floor, testing Finn’s resolve.
Ms.Rakow sees lunchtime as an excellent opportunity for
students to practice their soft social skills, like engaging in meaningful
conversation. And petting cute dogs, of course!
