We are pleased to announce that Bates’ school therapy dog, Sidney, will again be providing services at Bates. Sidney has completed intensive training aligned to Therapy Dog International Standards. Training was conducted by Paradise Dog Training in Fenton, MI by owner, Lori Grigg. Lori has over 30 years of experience training therapy and service dogs. Paradise has trained numerous therapy dogs for schools and hospitals across Michigan. Primarily, Sidney will be working with small groups of students to support and encourage reading. Sidney also visits classrooms as part of her daily routine.
Sidney’s primary handler and host family is Bates’ Student Advocate, Mrs. Jocelyn Shelton. Mrs. Shelton and Sidney will be available for a meet and greet for parents on Wednesday, September 11th, 2024 during our first PTO meeting at 7pm.
We realize that some children have allergies to pets. If you know that your child has allergies, please make us aware and we will take every precaution to keep Sidney away from your child. Sidney is groomed, brushed, and bathed regularly to minimize the allergens associated with having a dog.
If you are concerned about the presence of a therapy dog at Bates School, please call or email me so that we can discuss your concerns. We are very excited to continue this wonderful program and look forward to introducing Sidney to our Bates Family!
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
