Empower Community School staff and students with Pet Partners therapy dog Lily. (above)
Empower Community School held a pet therapy session for its fifth grade classes recently with Pet Partners therapy dog Lily.
Student Jarrell Simmons said during the visit, “Pet Therapy made me feel that everything bad is in the past and I’m living in the moment. The pets made me feel happy and emotionally positive and they (the pets) just fills your heart with love!”
Principal Dr. Luther Riley said, “Pet Therapy is more than simply bringing an animal into the school. It creates opportunities for connection, empathy, responsibility, communication and emotional regulations. We believe every student deserves an opportunity to feel seen, valued and supported, not just test scores and academic performance.”
Assistant Principal Lenae McKinnon-Hill said, “The Therapy Dog brings joy to our students, helps reduce stress, encourages positive interactions and creates memorable moments.”
Dr. Yuvraj Verma, the school’s STEM and lead teacher, said, “Unfortunately as much as we may have liked to shield our kids from having had endured certain experiences trauma remains very real amongst our students. Therefore it is important to provide them with safe outlets to deal with the different types of challenges they may be experiencing.”
