November 9, 2023

Dear Staten Island Academy Families,

After a year of research and deliberation, we are welcoming a four-legged friend to our campus. On Saturday, November 11, Tigger will arrive at Merrick House. Tigger is a Mini Goldendoodle born on September 12, 2023. Our current Grade 4 began their quest for me to get a dog to share with the school last year after we had visits from outside therapy dogs on campus. They said, “Why don’t we just have our own”? Of course, I came up with reasons why we could not and like good Academy students, they did their research and supported their claims to have a Therapy/Facility dog on campus. Research strongly supports the benefits of therapy dogs in schools. It was clear that the pros outweighed the cons. Charlotte’s Litter and 

PAWS for People list benefits of therapy dogs. Therapy dogs can; lower people’s blood pressure and stress levels, increase levels of dopamine and serotonin, improve physical well-being, decrease anxiety, dramatically increase positive mood, ease social isolation, help children learn social skills, help young readers gain confidence and so much more.

Tigger, a name chosen by a poll Grade 4 conducted of our Academy community, is still a puppy and has a lot of work to do before he can become a full-time campus dog. However, while Tigger attends Puppy Kindergarten, a series of classes and well visits with his veterinarian, he will come on campus from time to time to learn important socialization skills needed to be a positive, contributing member of our community.

Not only will Tigger have to learn, our community will be taught how to interact with him as well. Students and staff will be taught about Tigger’s role in the school, as well as, how he was trained and how to approach him. They will be taught about dogs’ body language and how to tell if Tigger is stressed, happy, tired, or hungry. These lessons tie back to social and emotional skills we foster in our students. Developing respect for Tigger and to care about him directly translates into their respect and care for others.

We also understand that dogs are not for everyone. People have valid worries; including allergies, pet maintenance, and fear of dogs. We will do everything we can to respect these genuine concerns.

We know it is important to address these apprehensions and have open communication within our school community. Before we purchased Tigger, we reached out to schools with therapy dogs and to dog trainers, and conducted research on dog allergies and fear of dogs, in an effort to address potential worries from the start. We will create individualized plans for people who have these trepidations. No one will be forced to interact with Tigger at any time. We ask them to be respectful of him, and we respect their need to not be near him.

Allergies are also an important issue to address because even though some dogs shed less than others, no dogs are hypoallergenic.

However, the Goldendoodle is low shedding and low allergen. We will work with families and staff members on their individual or child’s interaction with Tigger as he spends more and more time on campus. 

We are confident that Tigger’s arrival on campus will be a positive experience. Stay tuned to learn more about our new four-legged Staten Island Academy family member.

Sincerely,

Eileen F. Corigliano, EdD

Head of School

Staten Island Academy