Since the end of COVID-19 restrictions, some students have struggled being back in the classroom.
To overcome students’ anxiety and nerves, Echuca College has three therapy dogs working on the campus.
They are: Ralphie, a long-haired Jack Russell fox terrier; Billy, a German short-haired pointer/Staffy cross; and Hermione, a two-year-old border collie.
Echuca College teacher Courtney Umbers brings Hermione to the school to attend classes with the students four days a week.
“She is really quiet and natural,” Mrs Umbers said.
“She can pick up if students are anxious or upset, she will just go and sit on their feet or put her head on their lap for a pat.
“For some students, it’s really helped with their literacy because they can read their English novels to Hermione.
“It takes out the fear of reading to the teacher or in small groups, they can read to her and get a pat along the way, and she absolutely loves it.”
The program was started by principal Jessica Sargeant, when she began bringing Ralphie to the school.
“I can speak for Ms Sargeant, our principal, that there definitely have been students who have had to have confronting conversations, and it has helped them feel comfortable to talk to teachers at the school,” Mrs Umbers said.
“Some people were a bit sceptical of the program when it first started, thinking that it was a ‘nice’ idea, but they wouldn’t make much difference to the students.
“Then they saw firsthand that there were students who would quite often, if they were too anxious or nervous, would go home from a class before it started.
“The students started coming to class because they knew that the therapy dogs would be there with them.
“It is keeping kids in the classroom because it is a really positive experience and she is a very gentle, beautiful dog.
“There is a young lady who comes to school and Hermione helps her form friendships.
“She trains the dogs and the dogs love her, and that has really helped her form connections with school.”
Hermione does have her favourite, being absolutely besotted with one student.
“If she hears his voice, she will run over to him,” Mrs Umbers said.
“It was actually a strategy for him: if he was unable to feel settled in the class, he would be able to come and play ball with her.
“She would quite often try to go and play football with him at lunchtime or play with a tennis ball.”
Training for the dogs came from the government to support students’ wellbeing, once they returned to the classroom post-lockdowns.
The three dogs have been trained by K9 Support’s Tessa Stow from Benalla, who trained Australia’s first court dog, Coop.
“The money that has been allocated to the school for wellbeing, we have put a portion of that towards the training of the dogs,” Mrs Umbers said.
“Tessa came and did three days of intense training, where she tested their temperament.
“She tested their basic commands and to make sure they are suitable for the job, because not all dogs are.
“She will come back annually to keep the three dogs accredited with therapy dog status.”
When at Echuca College, the dogs all wear their work jackets, so they know they are working.
Hermione has her own Instagram page, @hermione_the_therapy_dog, if you would like to see what she gets up to at Echuca College.