Canine Therapy

We are very fortunate to be running the Canine Therapy Program at our school, 

an 8-week targeted communication skills initiative held each Wednesday during Period 3 (1 hour) in the school café from Wednesday 29 April to Wednesday 17 June. 

The program is facilitated by Kate an animal-assisted education expert, alongside her therapy dog Boo, and is already proving to be a highly engaging and impactful experience for students after only two sessions. It is also supported by our school wellbeing staff, ensuring a coordinated approach to student engagement and support.

The program focuses on strengthening key communication skills, including verbal and non-verbal communication, body language, tone of voice, and strategies for managing self-talk and emotional regulation. 

Early feedback from both staff and students has been overwhelmingly positive, with students starting to demonstrate increased confidence, engagement, and self-awareness in both group and classroom settings.

This initiative is currently targeted for 10 our Year 7 and 8 students, providing a supportive and strengths-based environment to build positive communication and social skills. It is particularly beneficial for students with ADHD, ASD, ODD, anxiety, and other neurodiverse learning profiles. 

Based on the strong early success and positive impact, we are also planning to run the program again in Term 3 with a selected group of 10 students from Years 9–11.