Extended School Year Summer Elementary Program Offers Pet Therapy

Students enrolled in this summer’s Extended School Year (ESY) Elementary Program were among the first in the district to experience Pet Therapy in the form of a 1-1/2 year old Great Pyrenees mix named Ozzie.

Every Wednesday throughout the summer, Ozzie and his human companion, Sandra Wesolowski, participants in Bright and Beautiful Therapy Dogs, visited the students in the Multiple Disabled and Self-Contained Autism classes at Ocean Road School.

Ozzie’s visits were used as an adjunct to each classroom’s specific activities, reinforcing concepts on which the students were working.

Miss Megan Baglivio’s Multiple Disabled class used Ozzie’s visits to enhance reading skills and improve fluency. Miss Baglivio said the students selected books based on their reading level which they would practice throughout the week in anticipation of Ozzie’s visit. Upon Ozzie's arrival, the students would take turns reading their books to the dog.

“When children practice their reading, they practice their fluency," said Ms. Baglivio. “Studies show that re-reading the same book increases a child’s fluency so that when they start a new book, they are starting at a higher level. Ozzie has proven to be very effective in encouraging the children to not only practice reading but also develop their communication skills and expression, plus it provides every child with the opportunity to participate regardless of their level."

The Point Pleasant School District’s Extended School Year Program provides a continuation of special education and related services beyond the traditional school year for students with disabilities in preschool through Grade 12.  Each program has been specifically created to bring fresh, relevant content to students, through engaging age- and ability-appropriate activities.

The idea to integrate Pet Therapy into the program was initially presented to Ocean Road Principal Mrs. Sheila Buck by Ocean Road parent and Ozzie's owner, Ms. Wesolowski in the spring.

"I thought it was a great idea, but I wasn't sure how we could accommodate it during the school year," said Mrs. Buck. "However, the Extended School Year provided a fantastic opportunity to expose the students to Pet Therapy," she continued. "Ozzie's visits have provided a fun and engaging forum for incorporation of skills from across the curriculum."

Bright and Beautiful Therapy Dogs, Inc. is a non-profit organization which evaluates, tests, trains, qualifies and supports therapy dogs for the purpose of giving loving and empathic support in nursing homes, hospitals and other facilities where emotional service dogs are indispensable. In order to become a certified therapy dog, dogs and their owners must attend obedience and training classes and be up-to-date with all required vaccinations.