If you’ve been to any of Bloomfield Central School District’s family events, there’s a high likelihood that you’ve seen Mrs. Christine Matteson and her therapy dog, Maple. It’s even likelier that you heard kids calling Maple’s name, crowding around to pet her, and Maple happily taking it all in. 

Maple is a one-and-a-half year-old Great Pyrenees, German Shepherd mix who spends a couple days a week at the BCS schools. Last year, Maple was certified as a therapy dog through RocDog. She also has her AKC Canine Good Citizen certification and has gone through Pet Connections training. 

But what exactly does a therapy dog do, you might wonder. The biggest thing is to provide a calm, gentle presence wherever she goes. For Maple, that means visiting classrooms where students can interact with or read to her, providing a quiet break for students who need one, or taking a walk with students who have made great choices. 

What Maple likes best is when a group of students pet her at the same time.

“A therapy dog is a great addition to the school,” said Mrs. Matteson. “It creates a really calm and relaxing environment for students.” 

Mrs. Matteson has never trained a dog before Maple, but she had been on the lookout for one that would make a good therapy dog. “I was looking for dogs with characteristics to be calm and gentle,” she said. Then she found Maple, who was six months-old at the time. 

After completing her training, Maple started coming to school with Mrs. Matteson, whose job as ENL teacher includes seeing students individually and co-teaching in the classroom. During downtime, they walk around so Maple can visit students and interact. 

At the beginning of the school year, students got the chance to meet Maple and learn what to do if she visits the classroom or if they are invited to visit Maple’s classroom. The most important reminders are to be quiet and gentle, and wait for Maple to come to you. 

“Maple is so calm and loving,” said Mrs. Matteson. “She is very intuitive and knows what everybody needs.” Some students need Maple to be calm, while others might want her to be more playful. Maple is good at distinguishing the difference. 

Having a therapy dog at school has many benefits, more than simply having a cute pet around. A therapy dog:

Though Maple doesn’t come to school every day, she visits each building at least once a week. She also loves to go to open houses, parades, and other family events like the Halloween trunk-or-treat. 

“She’s a hit with everybody,” said Mrs. Matteson. “Her instinct is just to love everybody.”  

If you see Maple around the BCS campus, you will surely see that for yourself.