New school dogs programme at BIS - happiness, belonging and success
BIS is welcoming three extraordinary new members to the community: the specially trained and certified school dogs Monty (Haimhausen Primary School), Nala (Secondary School) and Fyodor (City Campus).
The new pilot school dog programme, inspired by both community interest and the positive experience with emotional support dog Jack in 2022, is designed to support students’ emotional wellbeing, social development, and sense of connection at school. Extensive research and best practices – guided by the “Schulhunde Bayern” framework – have shown that well-trained school dogs can have a meaningful impact on student success and happiness.
Amy Gatesman-Meier with Nala, a 5 year old Vizslador (½ Chocolate Labrador and ½ Hungarian Visla).
The three school dogs each belong to a teacher: Monty to Emma Taylor (English Language Acquisition and Visual Arts teacher in Grade 4 and 5), Nala to Amy Gatesman-Meier (Learning Support teacher in the Secondary School) and Fyodor to Clara Giesecke (German teacher at BIS City Campus). They will be visiting selected classrooms and student support spaces on a rotating basis, being supervised at all times, with clear hygiene and safety protocols in place.
Putting a smile on students´ face
“Our school dogs have a very positive effect by bringing joy and the experience of petting an animal to many students. They make our learning environments even more welcoming and put a smile on students' faces,” says the teacher team. The school dogs will help to reduce stress and cognitive fatigue through refreshing mental breaks, bring positivity into the classrooms, strengthen the connection to nature through forest walks and last but not least, build a sense of responsibility.
Clare Giesecke with Fyodor, a 3 year old Lagotto Romagnolo (Italian Waterdog).
“BIS is a place where we all strive as educators to connect with students and build trusting relationships so optimum learning can take place and having dogs on campus is yet another way to do this,” emphasise Emma Taylor (UK), Amy Gatesman-Meier (USA) and Clara Giesecke (Germany).
Many thanks for the heartfelt commitment of our three teachers and a very warm welcome to the three new members of our BIS Community!
