Therapy Dog Teaches Charter School Students New Tricks

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“Everyone knows you can’t bring your dog to school. But at Imagine Classical Academy at Indigo Ranch, that’s just one of the many things that are different.

Along with the 700 students and 28 teachers who walk through the front doors every day, Lilly the Yellow Lab, age 6, trots happily into school next to her owner, Vice-Principal Jeff Ribitski.

‘Lilly’s main function is to make you feel better,’ explains Ribitski, affectionately known to the students as Mr.Ski. ‘She’s the therapy dog. Lilly calms nerves, dries up tears and bridges the gap between kids and [adults].’ When children come to school and see Lilly, all their problems disappear with a little petting. And, Lilly loves her job.

Could something as simple as petting a dog improve a child’s ability to learn? If steadily improving test scores are any indication, the answer is yes. Just one example: in 2010 the percentage of sixth-graders at Imagine Indigo Ranch who achieved ‘Move Up Growth’ by surpassing benchmark year-on-year math skills gains, was more than double that of the other Falcon District 49 schools: 43 percent vs. 19 percent.

In a military town, fathers and mothers regularly get deployed for months at a time, creating stress and uncertainty for their kids. Others struggle with emotional disabilities as a result of divorce or past trauma, maybe even neglect or abuse. On top of that, there’s the daily stress of making friends, making grades, and relating to teachers. Learning can be difficult or impossible when anxiety levels are high. But the therapy
dog seems to work wonders.

‘I needed something else to mediate between children and myself,’ explains Mr. Ski. ‘[Lilly] makes relationship building easier.’ Plus, dogs are fun.

It’s no coincidence that ‘Fun’ is one of the ‘Three Shared Values’—along with ‘Integrity’ and ‘Justice’—that all Imagine schools strive to promote. And fun is something Rebitski takes very seriously. If you drop by Imagine Indigo Ranch at the end of the school day, you may find him directing traffic with a pink flamingo on his head, or something else from his collection of silly hats.

Founded in 2004 by Dennis Bakke, author of ‘Joy at Work: A Revolutionary Approach to Fun on the Job,’ and his wife Eileen Bakke, Imagine Schools has grown to 72 schools serving 37,000 students. That’s an average of one new school and 514 new students, each month, for the past six years.

Tremendous growth of this sort is only possible through the passion of dedicated educators and administrators, something that’s immediately evident when you listen to Imagine Indigo Ranch’s teachers and principals.

Principal Tina Leone states, “I do not want our students to be mediocre. My desire is that what we provide at Imagine Indigo Ranch will help our students meet their fullest potential and promise. I believe that children are so much smarter and can do so much more than we ever thought or dreamed. We just have to believe in them and believe they can do it.”

Vice-Principal Rebitski definitely tops the day off with the fun-factor flavor, ‘I want the children to enjoy coming to school and be excited about learning, not feel forced. Little [fun] things, here and there, all add up.’

Second-grade teacher Andrea Farley: ‘The first year was a success. Not only did the third grade class achieve the highest reading CSAP scores in the Falcon D49 District (96 percent), 98 percent of the families re-enrolled for the 2009-2010 school year.’

In a city with such a heavily military population, 98 percent re-enrollment is probably about as close to perfect as you can get.

But it’s not just the above average academics that attract parents. They are also drawn to Imagine’s strong focus on character education. ‘We talk to the kids from day one,’ co-founder Eileen Bakke said. ‘What does it mean to be responsible? What does it mean to have integrity?’

Classroom discussions about abstract concepts like respect, honor, pride and dignity are reinforced daily by real-life demonstration and application. Teachers and parents are expected to lead by example, and role-model the positive character traits they wish to instill in their students. Rebitski says, ‘I can tell you about the color blue, but if I show you the color you are able to grasp it better.’

And then there’s the focus on children as individuals. Each child, and every situation, is recognized and treated as unique: from learning styles to social skills to disciplinary issues.

Mr. Ski concludes ‘Here, fair is rarely equal. It’s not about everybody getting the same. It’s about getting what they need.’

Lilly wags her tail in agreement.”

The Imagine Classical Academy at Indigo Ranch is located at 6464 Peterson Road, Colorado Springs, Colorado. There is currently a waiting list for enrollment. To learn more, contact the school. Phone: 719-495-7360 Website: www.ticaindigoranch.com.

Article published obn October 19, 2010 on CSFreshInk.com