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Therapy dogs Beau and Rogi credited with supporting students in Kasson‑Mantorville classrooms
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Summary
Two district therapy dogs — Beau and Rogi — visited classrooms to support reading, social‑emotional learning and executive‑functioning tasks, program handlers said. The board heard details about scheduling and the activities dogs accompany during visits.
At the Kasson‑Mantorville School Board meeting, handlers Alyssa Swanson and Ali Persick described the district’s therapy‑dog program and how the animals support students across grade levels.
"My name is Alyssa Swanson, and I am the owner and staff handler for Beau," Swanson said, explaining that Beau, a 3‑year‑old mini goldendoodle, visits classrooms and participates in reading activities, holiday events and small‑group lessons. "Beau enjoys coming to school with me each day... we've been able to visit many classrooms bringing activities such as books, themed coloring pages, holiday bingo, and more." (speaker 19)
Ali Persick, handler for Rogi, added that Rogi is housed in the high school resource room and supports reading, math and executive‑functioning work: "He's been supporting students with needs in the areas of reading, math, executive functioning... he's also helped to motivate students to complete well‑being activities." (speaker 13)
Program details and scheduling: Swanson said teachers sign up for visits on a first‑come, first‑serve basis and that she often brings two students from her classroom during visits; some classrooms request recurring visits while others use the dogs for occasional events. Board members asked how visits are scheduled and whether they are ad hoc or regular; Swanson said teachers sign up and she manages open slots monthly.
Why it matters: Board members praised the program's positive impact on student morale and on social‑emotional learning. One board member joked about introducing therapy goats, underscoring broad support for animal‑assisted programming.
Ending: The handlers offered to take questions and to share more information with the board; no vote was required for the informational presentation.
