A four-legged, friendly companion who will soon be a familiar face in the hallways of Riverside Local Schools was introduced Tuesday evening during the board of education meeting – a French bulldog named Ellie, who will serve as a therapy dog for the district.
Guidance counselor Debbie Hughes-Gonterman said for several years, she has wanted to have a therapy dog available for district students after observing the benefits of similar programs in other area school districts.
While she was put on waiting lists for various programs to obtain a therapy dog, she and her husband decided to go ahead and purchase their own dog, and then Ellie attended therapy dog residency training in March.
More recently, Ellie has passed her Canine Good Citizen Test, and on Friday, she also passed her Alliance of Therapy Dogs testing.
Riverside staff members got to know the therapy dog during the summertime before students started back to school at the end of August. The guidance counselor said once the dog’s liability insurance is in place, she will be able to begin working with students on a regular basis at school.
“Ellie is not a service dog, but now as a certified therapy dog, we are looking forward to the opportunity for her to be a part of our school community and a friend to our students and staff,” Hughes-Gonterman said of the 1-year-old canine. “She is a very sweet and friendly dog with a lot of heart.
“We’ll start out with a ‘study buddy’ program with our sixth-graders, where she will read and study with them, and she will be available for any student having difficulties with anxiety or other difficulties while at school.”
Hughes-Gonterman said each student that is in contact with Ellie will have a signed waiver form from their parents. She also will work with any student or staff member who has an allergy to dogs to keep them at a safe distance.
Also at the meeting, Superintendent Scott Mann and Junior High and High School Principal Kelly Kauffman related 2020-21 school year has started off quite smoothly. The district has been able to host in-person classes five days a week for students, with some families also opting for a remote learning option.
“It just wasn’t the same without the students here, and it is such a huge relief for us to be back in session again,” Mann said.
“I feel energized being back here; it has been a wonderful first several weeks of school being able to see all of the kids again,” Kauffman said. “I thought we might be overwhelmed with the new requirements and everything that we had to do to get ready for the year, but really, it’s just a happy place here at school again.”
The superintendent also reported that the district has just received a $121,172 Broadband Connectivity Grant through federal CARES Act funding.
Riverside officials have already been in touch with Spectrum and Verizon Wireless regarding possibilities for improving Internet accessibility for district students close to their homes.
Mann said the district would like to use the funding to place wireless Internet signals in public places near parks, churches and other locations in Quincy, Logansville and on the school grounds that could be accessed in the parking lot. In addition, they are talking with Verizon Wireless regarding cellular hot spot locations.
“This connectivity part is a big deal for our district, as some families are not able to access Internet service from their homes,” Mann said. “Increasing the Internet service would be a huge help in assisting students with their homework assignments and also if we do have to go to remote learning again.”
In buildings and grounds matters, the superintendent reported that the district’s roof replacement project now is approximately three to six weeks to completion, with most of the new roofing in place and sealant now being applied.
During April, the board approved the $1,895,211 roofing project with Waibel Energy Systems for the K-12 building.
In other action, the board:
• extended the following supplemental contracts: Pam Fout, assistant junior high volleyball; Lily Yoder, seventh-grade and eighth-grade girls basketball; and
• accepted the supplemental contract resignation of Jean Stanfield, junior high volleyball coverage, and extended the contract to Tim McGill.
The next meeting is 6 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 20, at the school library.