Assistant Principal's Report

The Benefits of Therapy Animals

Luna has been learning a few new ‘tricks’ recently. One of these has been to lie still on a person’s lap, chest or back, on command. This simple action can provide many benefits.

• The weight (or pressure) of the dog can help activate a person’s proprioceptive sensory system. Activating this sensory system increases the levels of dopamine and serotonin in the brain, which are two important chemicals responsible for supporting emotional regulation. 
• The dog’s steady breathing and heartbeat can provide a calming effect and can also provide a rhythm for the person to match their breathing with.
• The dog can provide a distraction from whatever has occurred and helps bring the person’s focus to the present. Bringing attention back to the present provides a circuit breaker for the person, which can break a cycle of negative thoughts. 

Students have had a lot of fun working on this trick with Luna! 

Luna has a visit from our Therapy Animals trainer on Friday. Kate will be here to watch Luna in action and will work with her on some more ‘tricks’ which she can use to help further support the wellbeing of our students. 

These images show Luna working on her new 'trick'.

These images show Luna about the school.