At Woodhaven Middle School, staff are constantly looking at unique and creative ways to meet the ever increasing diversity of student needs that we encounter on a daily basis.  Teachers discuss practice and pedagogy during their ongoing Professional Learning Community time, staff work with our Learning Coach and Inclusive Education Lead teacher to understand how to continue to develop their craft, and we are constantly seeking out new ways to create successful learning experiences for all of our students.

With this in mind, we are excited to welcome a new member into the Woodhaven learning community.  We have just recently learned that Maize, a trained therapy dog, and her handler Jill, will be joining our team in the very near future.  Maize will be supporting students in Mrs. Langois’ and Mrs. Lyster’s classrooms a couple of times a week for about an hour each time.

Therapy dogs have been incorporated into many environments, including schools, to support students with various needs including anxiety and fear, and have been used to provide emotional support for students.  At Woodhaven Middle School we recognize the great opportunity that Maize can provide for some of our students and we are excited to welcome her into our school.

I look forward to sharing with all of you the stories and relationships that Maize forms with our kids!

Sincerely,

Mr. S. Patras

Principal, Woodhaven Middle School