Community Support – Page 2 – NORWESTER THERAPY DOGS

Category: Community Support

April 22, 2019

Summer 2019 Program at Free Library of Northampton Township

Last year the five-week Nor’wester Therapy Dogs summer public library visits at Northampton and Southampton were rousing successes! The librarians shared wonderful feedback from the parents and told us how much the children enjoyed participating.

The Free Library of Northampton Township in Richboro, PA is currently developing its summer program and plans to offer it on Thursdays from 1 to 2pm. It will start June 27 and run through August 8 with no session on July 4. STAY TUNED for more information . . .

By Debbie Glessner

Community SupportLiteracy & Learning

April 15, 2019

NOR’WESTER THERAPY DOGS PILOTS PROGRAM IN NESHAMINY SCHOOL DISTRICT

Therapy dogs are an amazing teaching tool and help teachers reach students who have learning challenges of all types. The Nor’wester organization was happy to step up to provide a therapy dog team when Kate Irizarry, lead teacher of special education at Maple Point Middle School, asked for support. A class was chosen, and Heidi, a black Labrador Retriever, went to work! Results from this pilot program are very promising, as students are already reaping educational benefits.

Susan reached out tentatively and poked Heidi’s ear before jumping backwards to what she considered a safe distance. She was afraid of dogs but really wanted to make the effort to touch Heidi. Repeatedly, she garnered the courage to approach Heidi. With direction from her teacher and the handler, Susan was guided in proper touching. She was shown how to stroke Heidi gently with the palm of her hand in the direction of hair growth. Slowly, as the weeks passed, Susan’s comfort level increased to the point where she was able to sit on the floor beside Heidi without becoming alarmed when the dog moved.

In addition to starting to overcome her fear of dogs, Susan has benefitted from Heidi’s calm presence, which eases her anxiety issues. She has also learned to enjoy sitting by Heidi to read. Her oral fluency is improving by reading in this relaxed environment.

Luke needs practice in communication skills. He is so excited about the therapy dog visits, that he goes home each Thursday and verbalizes all the details of what he did with Heidi that day. His mother is thrilled that Luke is sharing so enthusiastically. Luke’s teacher incorporates Heidi into her lesson objectives to help him improve his ability to ask questions, make appropriate comments, and converse with others. He is making great progress in sight word fluency by reading to Heidi while she snuggles by his side.

At the end of the visit, Luke is rewarded with the opportunity to direct Heidi to “speak” and “lie-down.” When she responds to his commands, he starts to giggle. It’s so infectious that it gets everyone else in the classroom laughing. Then Luke takes a second leash attached to Heidi’s collar and accompanies the dog and handler to the front office. The visits are amazing motivation for Luke, and it’s been a joy to watch him progress week after week.

Dominic needs lots of positive reinforcement, so his teacher designs activities around this goal. If he becomes anxious or agitated, he is invited to come sit by Heidi and stroke her. This proactive support increases Dominic’s engagement and motivation to work productively on academic goals and assignments. His whole demeanor changes as soon as the dog walks into the classroom.

Joey needs motivation, so the teacher has wisely incorporated the dog into reading and writing assignments. Joey LOVES dogs, so just being on the floor with Heidi is a HUGE motivator, and it helps him to focus and produce. He wrote a story about Heidi and proudly shared it with his classmates.

Scenario after scenario unwinds as Heidi continues her visits and becomes a regular fixture in the classroom. The teacher incorporates the therapy dog visits into establishing motivational goals for her students throughout the week and not just when the dog is visiting. Therapy dogs are an amazing teaching tool and help teachers reach students who have learning challenges of all types.

The teachers at Maple Point Middle School have become very excited about therapy dog visits in the building. We are already receiving requests from other classes that we have not been able to honor due to a lack of therapy dog teams available to visit in the area.

So, if YOU have a therapy dog and are available to volunteer during the school day, please consider JOINING the Nor’wester Therapy Dogs organization! A bonus would be finding teams in the Neshaminy School District so we can grow our program there. More information can be found in the Get Involved section of our website.

By Debbie Glessner

Community SupportLiteracy & LearningTestimonials

April 8, 2019

A Special Therapy Dog Story from Pennsbury

Often our teachers tell us wonderful stories of the impact their visiting therapy dog has upon their class and individual students. The Nor’wester Therapy Dogs organization encourages our handlers and host teachers to always share the magic that happens when students achieve by the side of their therapy dog.

Katie Veneziale from Pennsbury School District highlighted two special stories how her therapy dog Obie and his handler, Lynne Tatarowicz, touched the lives of students in her class. She shared:

I have a boy who has been in my class for a couple of years. Last March, he tragically lost his mother. He continues to struggle behaviorally, emotionally, and socially in the school setting, although he is supported by a specialized curriculum. Lynne and Obie have been an important part of his therapy.

When Lynne and Obie are present in my classroom, he is calm, engaged, and focused. Each week he sits with them and reads, either assigned reading or his own writing samples. When another student is reading, he lies with Obie and pets him., He engages Lynne in conversation about home, school, likes/dislikes, etc. This established relationship outside of the home and formal school setting has been a consistent academic, social, and emotional support for this student.

I also have a 4^th grade student who has been with me since he was in 2^nd grade. He was nonverbal when he started 2^nd grade. The only time he spoke to me was to ask to use the bathroom or to get a drink. His academics were at the pre-primer level. When Lynne and Obie started visits, he acted like he had never been in the presence of a dog. He did not go near Obie or touch him. He did not talk to Lynne, but he would read sight words with me in front of Lynne to support his participation like the rest of his classmates.

Now that he is in 4^th grade, he sits on the floor next to Obie, constantly touching him and grinning ear to ear. He plays with Obie’s ears and rubs his belly. He will even volunteer to meet or drop off Lynne and Obie from the office during their weekly visit.

Academically, he has progressed from reading sight word lists to sharing writing samples that consist of four sentences which he has generated with editing support from the teacher/staff. Now this student is using expressive language constantly throughout the school day to communicate his wants and needs and to engage with peers.

One of the most important improvements is that he is constantly asking questions! He asks about assignments, our schedule, and how to do fix/prepare something in the classroom — it’s so beautiful! I truly believe that with the combined support of specialized curriculum and programming, including our therapy dog sessions, that these students make incredible gains academically, behaviorally, socially, and emotionally. I feel confident that we are educating the whole child with our collaboration. I am so grateful to the Nor’wester organization!

By Debbie Glessner

Comfort Dogs on CampusCommunity SupportEmotional Support

April 1, 2019

CANINE STRESS BUSTERS AT BUCKS COUNTY COMMUNITY COLLEGE

Nothing is more stressful on a college campus than exam time. To help reduce the student stress level, BCCC’s Newtown campus has collaborated with the Nor’wester Therapy Dog organization to offer the Comfort Dogs on Campus program since the Spring semester of 2018. Our organization works with Jennifer Osinski, Deborah Hoelper, and Susan Paciolla of the Student Services Office. Ms. Osinski commented, “We’re very lucky to have such a supportive therapy group. They’re fantastic, and we are so excited to work with them!”

Students who have taken advantage of the program are very enthusiastic. Max and Abby were two visitors who stopped by to visit with the therapy dogs.

Max, from Solebury, had just endured final exams in world geography and macroeconomics with a third exam scheduled in environmental science within the next hour. He was stressed to the “max.” Knowing that therapy dogs from the Nor’wester organization were in the Rollins Center solarium, he stopped by to spend time with the furry stress busters.

“Spending time with the dogs is a great decompressor,” said Max. “There’s something so simple about them. They have no worries; they are just happy to see you and want attention.” After spending about 20 minutes with the dogs, Max headed out to tackle his last exam in a more relaxed frame of mind.

Abby, from Holland, was in a bad mood after finishing a stressful final exam when she passed by the solarium and saw dogs and students mingling. Being a dog lover, she detoured to join the crowd. After hanging out with each of the 5 dogs present, Abby left with a big smile on her face. “Being with dogs is always a mood booster,” she said.

Not only are the dogs wildly popular with the students, they also get many visits from college professors, staff, and administrators.

Therapy dog teams are currently scheduled to be on campus April 30, May 2, May 6, and May 8. Confirmed dates will be posted by the Student Services Office. In addition to the Comfort Dogs on Campus Program, the college eventually hopes to use the Nor’wester therapy teams for other student services such as the AACHIEVE program and guidance-focused issues. Nor’wester has such a demand for college level services that we are calling for more therapy teams to join the Comfort Dogs on Campus force. New teams can get an application and instructions on accessing the procedures to acquire the three required Pennsylvania security clearances in the Get Involved section of our website.

By Debbie Glessner

Community Support

February 18, 2017

WINTER 2017 NEWSLETTER

All the news that’s fit to bark! Click below to read our newsletter Winter 2017 Newsletter

Winter 2017 Newsletter

By Debbie Glessner

Community Support

February 1, 2017

Vote for NWR in the Happening List

Nor’wester Therapy Dogs: Canine Partners in Education has been nominated for Most Happening Charity in the Bucks County 2017 “Happening List” contest. This contest is offered to determine the MOST HAPPENING people, places, businesses, and events in the region. And Nor’wester Readers is certainly at the forefront as a “MOST HAPPENING” organization!

Therapy dogs are magical and facilitate amazing transformations, motivation, and progress among students with educational, physical, social, and emotional challenges. Currently comprised of about 50 dedicated volunteers and 45 therapy dogs, our program makes a big difference in the lives of teachers and students in public and private schools as well as in public libraries and in community outreach like senior centers, 4H, and scouting.

As a 501c3 non-profit organization incorporated in Pennsylvania, we operate as a publically supported charity relying entirely on donations. Please take the time to vote for us as the MOST HAPPENING organization in the charity category.

Debbie Glessner has also been nominated for The Happening List’s Most Happening Volunteer! Debbie was voted Most Happening Volunteer in 2016.

“I am nominating Debbie because she is the most selfless and unselfish person I know – characteristics that are, of course, indispensable for this endeavor. Every week she lends countless hours to our efforts, constantly putting Nor’Wester organizataion’s needs ahead of her own. With heart and dogged determination, she is the glue holding this organization together.” – Wendi Huttner

Most Happening Volunteer	Most Happening Organization Charity Category

By janine

Community Support

September 29, 2016

Northampton Township Recognizes Nor’wester Therapy Dogs

On September 28, 2016 Northampton Township, Bucks County, PA. recognized Nor’wester Therapy Dogs with a township commendation award. The township board of supervisors recognized, acknowledged, and thanked the organization for dedicated volunteerism and enriching the lives of community members.

The award was accepted by co-founders Debbie Glessner and Wendi Huttner on behalf of the organization. Dr. Kim Rose, supervisor, presented the award to Debbie and Wendi who attended with their therapy dogs Hannah and Bode.

By Debbie Glessner

Community Support

August 5, 2016

Summer 2016 Newsletter

All the news that’s fit to bark! Click below to read our newsletter Summer 2016 Newsletter.

Summer 2016 Newsletter

By Debbie Glessner

Community SupportNews

March 29, 2016

Deborah Glessner Wins Most Happening Volunteeer 2016

The Bucks Happening List is the most happening people’s choice contest in Bucks County. Nor’Wester Readers’ own Deborah Glessner was nominated for Most Happening Volunteer. On Friday, March 25th, results for this category were announced, and…

Drum roll please…

Debbie won!

A note from Debbie:

What an honor to be voted the winner in the VOLUNTEER category of 2016 Bucks Happening List. Thank you to Wendi Huttner, my NWR partner, who nominated me. I am thrilled to be in the company of many other wonderful volunteers, and I am extremely grateful to everyone who supports us and Nor’wester Readers Therapy Dogs – Canine Partners in Education.

Thank you to everyone who voted.

– Deborah Glessner: Co-founder and Co-director of NWR

By janine

Community Support

January 21, 2016

Vote for NWR in the Happening List

Nor’wester Readers Therapy Dogs: Canine Partners in Education has been nominated for Most Happening Charity in the Bucks County 2016 “Happening List” contest. This contest is offered to determine the MOST HAPPENING people, places, businesses, and events in the region. And Nor’wester Readers is certainly at the forefront as a “MOST HAPPENING” organization!

Therapy dogs are magical and facilitate amazing transformations, motivation, and progress among students with educational, physical, social, and emotional challenges. Currently comprised of about 50 dedicated volunteers and 39 therapy dogs, our program makes a big difference in the lives of teachers and students in public and private schools as well as in public libraries and in community outreach like senior centers, 4H, and scouting.

Debbie Glessner has also been nominated for The Happening List’s Most Happening Volunteer!

“I am nominating Debbie because she is the most selfless and unselfish person I know – characteristics that are, of course, indispensable for this endeavor. Every week she lends countless hours to our efforts, constantly putting Nor’Wester Readers’ needs ahead of her own. With heart and dogged determination, she is the glue holding this organization together.” – Wendi Huttner