Cuddle and Serve

by Eleanor Hahn and Maggie McCutcheon

Maggie is the therapy dog at Massanutten Regional Governor's School. She is certified through AKC as a Canine Good Citizen, which is the requirement of Shenandoah County Public Schools. Maggie also recently passed the test to become a part of the Alliance for Therapy Dogs. This qualification is not required for SCPS, but Mrs. Fream, MRGS director, figured it would be beneficial anyway. Beyond her certifications, Maggie is a delight to be around. This post will discuss Maggie from the perspective of both the director of MRGS and the students.

To find out more about how the decision was made to get Maggie, the goals for her, and the noticeable effects of having her in the building, we interviewed Mrs. Fream.

INTERVIEW:

When asked about her decision to introduce a therapy dog to Gov. School (the informal name for MRGS) Fream said she had been considering it for at least “a couple of years.” In fact, the only reason she hadn’t done it earlier was that she had to convince her husband to get a dog. Her reasoning included the fact that Gov. School students are generally “high stress,” and she thought a dog could help with that stress.

While the interview was taking place, three different students stopped by to visit Maggie. Each of them stayed for a short period of time to pet Maggie and speak to Mrs. Fream.

After a short intermission for pets and cooing over Maggie, the next question was posed. “Do you think [Maggie] has positively affected the academic side of things?” Mrs. Fream does not think Maggie “has had any impact on academics.” She elaborates by saying her “goal was for [Maggie] to be here for the emotional part and not necessarily academic.”

The next question asked about this goal. “Do you think having Maggie at Gov. School has met all of your expectations?” Fream had a lot to say about this topic; however, the simple answer is yes. Fream’s first response was “I can see a difference when you all [the students] come in the morning and see that she’s here. I can see that 90% of you are happier just knowing that she's in the building.” She then continued about the social-emotional factors. She feels Maggie has had a “social impact” on the Gov. School community. She evidences this by bringing up the hallways during break; saying she sees “a lot more interaction in the hallways” that she is “not sure would happen before.” Fream says Maggie is a “gathering point” that people meet around. “And seeing you all at break, that’s what I wanted from her.”

Fream’s closing remark goes back to the academic and emotional questions. She says academics and emotions “go hand in hand.” “You do better academically when you feel better emotionally and mentally,” so she says there is at least “a conjunction” between the two.

To gather a broader perspective, a poll was sent out to both the juniors and seniors at Gov School, and the 28 responses were overall very positive. When students were asked, "Do you think having Maggie at MRGS is beneficial for your academics?" a majority of the students answered “yes.” The pie chart is included below. Other students answered that Maggie does not directly affect their academics, but having her in the building still has a positive impact on them. Similarly, when asked, "Do you think Maggie at MRGS is beneficial to your mental health?" the overall population of students answered “yes.” This is also shown below.

The rest of the polls were open ended. When asked, "What is your favorite thing about Maggie?" one student answered, “She is just so sweet and brightens my day whenever I hear her paws clicking on the hallway floor.” Another student answered, “Being able to see her almost every day when walking in and out of the building. It always brings up my mood.” The last question asked, "Do you have any complaints/notes about Maggie’s presence at MRGS?" most students answered “no,” but some got creative with their response. One student answered, “Nothing ever, she can do no wrong,” while another said, “She makes it feel more like home.” These responses show how much Maggie has affected us here at Gov. School, and we are all so glad that she is here!