Molly is doing a stellar job of filling in for our weekly guest blogger Coco as she continues to recuperate from recent surgery. Molly is very effective in her role as a Bright Spot Therapy Dog at Melican Middle School. She writes about Sophie, therapy dog in-training, as well.
Here’s Molly…
I had a great week at school. There is a boy I see a lot in the hallway. Whenever he sees me, he comes right over and gives me a lot of love and attention. I usually only see him in passing, but on Tuesday this week, he needed a little more of my help. Michelle (Coco’s mom) came into my mom’s office and asked if we could come to her office to help calm a student down. It was my hallway friend! He was having a tough morning and was acting out in class. When I got to Michelle’s office, he looked like he was already starting to calm down a lot, but I think he liked having me around. He petted me and hugged me and talked about his own dogs. I think it’s cool that even if students are angry or stressed out, they are always very nice and polite around me.
You know what else I love about working in a middle school? The kids are a lot of FUN! I never know what they’re going to do or say…sometimes they come up with some funny things. On Thursday, one of my student friends was sitting on the floor next to me. All of a sudden, he looked at my mom and said, I’m going to try something. Do you mind if I take off my shoes? My mom said that was ok, and the next thing I knew, the boy was putting his feet on me! He was very gentle so I didn’t mind. He said that I made a good foot warmer. Hey, I’m glad I can help!
Another funny thing happened when my mom came to pick me up after spending time with my student friends in room 116. My mom likes to call me Lady sometimes, and I’ve noticed some of my student friends have started calling me that, too. But this time, when my mom said, Come on, Lady! one of the students said, Her name isn’t Lady…it’s Mashed Potatoes! He explained that my fur looks like mashed potatoes and gravy. I thought that was funny. Mom says people usually give you a nickname when they like you a lot. I think that’s pretty cool…but it’s making me hungry.
Sophie spent some time at school this week, as well. She went to the Central Office with her mom, Michelle, where many of the office staff loved seeing her. They all love Coco, so meeting her sister was great for them. She also met with lots of students and spent time in the behavior specialist’s room, calming students and snuggling with them. Sophie also spent some time at a nursing home, comforting a dear friend. ~Molly