Hanover High School News 2/1/22
I am writing this letter to inform you that we will have a service dog working at Hanover High School soon. This service dog is specifically trained to work with individual students that have a disability that substantially affects their ability to learn. Service dogs accompany the student to a variety of settings outside the home, including school. Under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), service dogs are allowed access to all places of public accommodation, including schools.
This service dog is a highly-trained individual service animal. The dog is on duty and working while at our school, and only the student working with the service dog may touch/interact with it. We ask that you have a conversation with your student about the role of the dog while it is in our building. Please explain to your student that there is no interaction with a working service dog. We realize students and staff may want to interact with the dog, but we need every student to comply accordingly.
The dog is well trained and has a specific job to do while at school. The dog will have limited contact with other students and staff. Additionally, service dogs have grooming standards that reduce their dander, thus mitigating the probability of allergies.
If you have specific questions or concerns regarding the presence of the service dog at Hanover High School, please contact me. As always, we respect the interests of all our students in providing a safe, inclusive, and effective learning environment here at Hanover High School.
Sincerely,
Matthew Mattos
Principal