Therapy Dog

Smith School has a therapy dog on site two to three days a week! Did you know that therapy dogs can help students by decreasing their anxiety, improve their mood, increase self-esteem, and many other benefits?  We are lucky enough to have a staff member with a certified therapy dog.  Tom, a 4 year old German Shepherd, will be attending Helen I Smith with our teacher, Ms. Kathryn Plummer. Tom is a medium-sized dog that was previously trained to be a dog for the blind with The Seeing Eye program. He is currently a certified therapy dog. Tom is well-behaved and trained. 

Children have an opportunity to interact with Tom on different occasions.  Ms. Plummer will be working throughout the building throughout her day and Tom will be with her.  All students and staff who interact with Tom are expected to clean their hands after petting him. We always want to be mindful of children with allergies and those who do not wish to interact with him.   Please notify the nurse and principal if you have children with allergies and/or you have any concerns.