There’s a little magic in what a speckled brown Koolie called Boofred can do in a classroom of students.
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His captivating multi-coloured eyes, one brown and one blue, are a talking-point for the kids.
But he’s not a distraction in class – his owner and teaching companion Melissa Brown finds it’s quite the opposite.
“His eyes make for great conversation and it can lead to a lesson about genetics – that spreads across the subjects and there are times I’ve taught math and used Boofred to help teach the concepts,” she said.
“For the most part he walks from student to student.
“He seems to know what children need him at what time, and his effect is so calming.”
Mrs Brown and Boofred began running groups with year five and six students at Yarrunga Primary School at the end of May.
It’s their second stint so far as a teacher and therapy dog team, but their first time working under Mrs Brown’s business, K9 Teach.
“He was only ever supposed to be a pet; he was one when I adopted him from foster care and he’s six now,” she said.
“I started doing my teaching degree and was at Savernake Public School, and was seeing dogs going into schools for teaching programs, and I thought he would be great.
“We noticed petty early on he liked children – he likes everybody, but there was something a bit extra with children.”
Boofred was a star at Savernake, and Mrs Brown decided to undertake animal-assisted intervention and therapy training in order to establish K9 Teach, which she now runs from Myhree since moving there in February.
Student well-being leader Danielle Giglio said thanks to the pair, Yarrunga students had changed their whole mindset about school.
“We’ve had an increase in attendance for those kids who weren’t coming to school; they’re excited to come now,” she said.
“Just watching the children interact with Boofred, it’s just so natural, they sit there patting him while at the same time they’re learning and concentrating.”
Boofred’s visits are initially funded until the end of 2018.
NESAY chief executive Leah Waring said the organisation had applied for the School Focused Youth Service program on behalf of Yarrunga.
“We work with schools in the region, talking to them about young people they are concerned about and what would make a difference,” she said.
“Through conversations with Fran Waterman, the principal at Yarrunga, we found having a therapy dog would be really useful.
“It’s an exciting program and you can see the benefits.”