Oct 1, 2018, Tri—City News, Port Coquitlam, B.C.: Calm dog, calm kids https://www.tricitynews.com/news/calm-dog-calm-kids-1.23448213 There’s more tail wagging going on in School District 43 than ever before with the introduction of two new therapy dogs in Tri-City middle schools. Lennon, named after the famed Beatle, and Iris, graduated Sunday from the annual Pacific Assistance Dogs training program and, along with their handlers, will be helping to calm children and create a positive atmosphere at their schools…. Lisa Rinke, principal at Scott Creek middle, says her PADS dog Iris is always ready for a couch cuddle when conversations in the office get difficult, and the dog has the ability to lower stress in a room of students taking a test. … Research has found that children's heart rates slow and blood pressure drops in the presence of a calm, friendly dog, an important consideration because many children suffer from anxiety.
Childhood Lost
Children today are noticeably different from previous generations, and the proof is in the news coverage we see every day. This site shows you what’s happening in schools around the world. Children are increasingly disabled and chronically ill, and the education system has to accommodate them. Things we've long associated with autism, like sensory issues, repetitive behaviors, anxiety and lack of social skills, are now problems affecting mainstream students. Blame is predictably placed on bad parenting (otherwise known as trauma from home).
Addressing mental health needs is as important as academics for modern educators. This is an unrecognized disaster. The stories here are about children who can’t learn or behave like children have always been expected to. What childhood has become is a chilling portent for the future of mankind.