Southside Elementary is getting a new four-legged Southerner! Thanks to a partnership between First Community Bank and Snowy Pines Paws for Purpose, the campus is welcoming Honey, a fully trained Golden Retriever therapy dog, to its school family.
Starting this week, Honey will begin gradually visiting classrooms as she adjusts to the sights, sounds, and rhythms of elementary school life. Her visits will start short and build over time, giving both Honey and students a chance to settle into a routine together. Along the way, students will learn how to be calm, gentle, and responsible around a therapy dog - lessons in empathy that go hand in hand with her presence.
Therapy dogs like Honey aren't just a fun addition to the school day - they play a real role in student wellbeing. Interacting with a therapy dog can help lower stress and anxiety and give students a calming presence during difficult moments. Beyond the comfort she offers, Honey also gives students a chance to practice patience, responsibility, and gentleness - skills that carry well beyond her visits.
Honey joins Jaxie, the doodle therapy dog stationed at Southside High School, making her the district's second therapy dog and the first at the elementary level. Families and students can look forward to seeing more of Honey as she becomes a comforting, familiar face around campus.
"We are so excited for our students to have this opportunity," said Ms. Jordan Shane, Honey's handler, a first-grade teacher at Southside Elementary. "The kids are going to love having a furry friend join our school family."