First graders recently had a very special visitor—Leif, the therapy dog! Leif came to our classroom with his owner, Dr. Aaron Jones, who is our school’s athletic director. The students were instantly captivated by Leif’s calm and friendly personality. His fuzzy fur and wagging tail brought smiles to everyone’s faces the moment he walked through the door!
Dr. Jones explained what a therapy dog does and how Leif helps people feel calm, happy, and safe. He taught us about the ten skills that a dog must have to pass their test as a therapy dog. Students learned that therapy dogs visit schools, hospitals, and nursing homes to bring comfort and joy to others. They asked wonderful questions about how Leif was trained, what kinds of things he likes to do, and how he knows when someone needs a little extra love. We even got to see Leif do some of his amazing tricks including walking past a row of treats without stopping, and rolling over!
Each child had the chance to gently pet Leif, and you could feel the excitement and warmth in the room. It was a beautiful reminder of how animals can make such a positive impact on people’s well-being.
We are so thankful to Dr. Jones for taking the time to share Leif with us. The visit sparked great conversations about kindness, empathy, and taking care of others—both people and pets! We are looking forward to planning visits from Leif every couple of weeks in the future. Leif is working on learning how to sit still while children read to him, and first graders are working on reading skills. It’s a perfect match!
It was truly a paw-some day in first grade! 🐶❤️
