Center Welcomes "Gianna"
I would like to introduce you to a new member of the Center School community. “Gianna Madden” joins our school this week as an assistance dog, who will be working with Mrs. Madden and all of our students. Gianna will be meeting the students on Wednesday and Thursday of this week during community meetings and students will begin to see her around the halls. We will be teaching the students the difference between assistance dogs and service dogs so that they don’t confuse the role that Gianna has at school compared to our service dog who is here to work and provide care to one student.
Last week, Mrs. Madden completed a week-long training at NEADS in Princeton Massachusetts with Gianna who now lives with the Madden Family and will be coming to school daily with Mrs. Madden. Gianna is a two year old yellow lab. Her job is to give love and get love as much as possible every day. She knows over 60 commands and is ready for life at Center School. Assistance dogs used in schools are owned by an individual handler. The primary handler is responsible for the care and costs associated with the dog, as well as the upkeep of the dog’s training. Assistance Dogs usually “work” during the day with their partner and then go home at night to be an “off-duty” family pet. There are so many things an Assistance Dog can do, and NEADS is happy to help teachers and therapists, determine how to best utilize an Assistance Dog with their students.
NEADS dogs are taught a list of core commands, and they follow a basic training schedule throughout puppyhood. However, once a dog is nearing completion of the program and is matched with a specific client, the dog’s training is tailored to the client’s unique needs. The NEADS organization has trained Service Dog Teams for over 40 years. Through research and experience, they remain up to date with current training methods and trends in the industry.
In planning for Gianna’s introduction to Center School, we have put together a plan for the students to meet Gianna and provide our students with an opportunity to learn about assistance dogs and how they can get to know Gianna at school.
- Wednesday 12/12/18
Grade 4 Community meeting with Gianna and Mrs. Madden
Grade 3 Community meeting with Gianna and Mrs. Madden (after field trip returns) - Thursday 12/13/18
Grade K-2 Community meetings with Gianna and Mrs. Madden - Friday 12/14/18
Gianna and Mrs. Madden will visit classes
We are very happy to have Gianna join our school community and look forward to her becoming part of our school culture and making an impact on the social emotional experience of all of our students. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact Mrs. Madden or myself.
Mrs. DeGrenier
Principal