I was thrilled to find Coco’s Report in my inbox this morning. She’s back at work as a Bright Spot Therapy Dog brightening the lives of both students and staff at the Robert E. Melican Middle School in Northborough, Massachusetts.
Here’s Coco…
It was wonderful getting back to work after two weeks at home, recovering from surgery. Mom tells me that Molly and Sophie did a nice job picking up some of the slack while I was out. This week I went to school with Mom Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Molly worked at school on Tuesday and Thursday.
Students and staff members were so happy to see me on Monday, especially the students in the behavior specialist’s room. As I have mentioned before, students and teachers in that room feel like family to me. Some students struggle with anxiety, some with depression, and some with other issues, but they all help one another get through every day. Some of them spend one or two periods each day in that room, and others spend more time. The focus is always on academics, but the people in there support each other like a family does. I am a part of that family. Students in that room were so glad to see me. Some of them sat with me to complete work, others chose to take their breaks with me, and some took me for walks. One boy even fell asleep with me on the floor! It was one of those dreary days. I recently saw a written report about the recipe for success in that room that was being shared with other schools, and one of the prominent items on the list: Therapy Dogs. Pretty special.
Mom was happy to have me back at work with her so she could check in with lots of different students. She explained to me that for some students, it might feel weird to check in with the assistant principal, but when I am there, it feels more comfortable to check in to see me. One student had a lunch detention with Mom. I was there with them, and the discussion about a mistake she had made went much more smoothly than if I had not been there. She was able to look at me while talking with Mom about something offensive she did to another student. It seemed clear to me that she did not understand how “bad” it was until she and Mom talked about it, and Mom said I helped immensely with that conversation.
One boy is really struggling getting to school at all. He made it this week two days, which is a significant improvement for him, and both days he was able to spend time with me. Mom says spending time with me made a huge difference for him, and we are all hoping he continues to improve his attendance. I was able to take lots of walks with students. I really enjoy listening to the conversations they have with Mom. I also spent some time sitting in at the end of a lunch group.
Friday was a little crazy in the office – there was a problem with the report cards. I helped keep the technology specialist and the office staff calm as they worked through the computer issues.
One of my favorite things to do is to accompany Mom outside at the end of the day as students exit the building to board buses and leave for the day. The weather was not great for much of the week, but on Friday, Mom did bring me outside with her. So many students came up to talk to Mom and me, and many just wanted to give me a quick hug at the end of their week.
It was great to be back at work – I absolutely loved every minute of it. Mom says she always feels better when I come to work with her. She says I make her a better assistant principal. ~ Coco