Comstock Park — It was time for a video in Stoney Creek Elementary teacher Grace Olsson’s first-grade class, but students first took time to greet, pet and hug the star of the show: Parker the therapy dog.
Minutes later, with the black and white, curly-haired Labradoodle standing quietly in the background and students seated on the carpet, Parker himself shared information and advice in an automated British voice during “Take Care of Your Mind.”
“I’m so paws-itively excited to be here with you,” he said, before giving tips on keeping their brains healthy, like taking breaths, doing calm and quiet activities, and sharing feelings. Images of Parker reading, breathing and touching noses with another dog filled the screen.
Also, “Drink water, but probably not out of the toilet,” he said to giggles of the first-graders.
“The focus is teaching students that just like with our bodies, we need to take care of brains, and that everyone’s brain is different,” said Lauren Raap, K-2nd emotional impairments teacher.
‘They love him. They will see me in the hallway after the videos first come out … and they will be like, ‘How is he talking?’ ‘
— Principal Robin Picarazzi
The mental health awareness video is part of the series, “Learn with Parker,” created by the tech-savvy Raap as a curriculum that promotes designated themes of the month chosen by the school’s cultural committee. Other videos have included the canine’s take on “Celebrating Differences” and “Gratitude.”
The school previously had a curriculum around monthly school themes that relied on read-along texts, but it wasn’t engaging enough, teachers said.
“We wanted to create something that was more active and easy for the teachers to implement,” said Katrina Beals, Stoney Creek’s speech language pathologist.
Principal Robin Picarazzi said Parker was perfect for bringing more energy to the themes. The therapy dog, who has worked in Comstock Park for three years, is always an attention-getter.
“They love him. They will see me in the hallway after the videos first come out … and they will be like ‘How is he talking?’” Picarazzi said with a laugh. “They have so much buy-in with him.”
Parker’s photos and funny antics keep students tuned in, added second-grade teacher Kelly Chamberlin.
“(Raap) is ingenious for using Parker and AI to help come up with those images,” she said. “It is really one of the only cultural lessons that have really stuck with the whole school. It’s not only kid buy-in; there’s a lot of teacher buy-in, too.”
At the beginning of the month, staff members receive a folder with all they need to run the 30-minute videos, which can be broken into smaller segments. Each lesson focuses on that month’s theme, Raap said.
Students review the material through a video quiz, followed by an activity and a song. In January, the lesson included a mental health song set to the tune of “The Wheels on the Bus” that reinforced the lesson and taught students breathing techniques.
Following the mental health video, students twisted pipe cleaners into bracelets, adding five beads to them to count when taking calming breaths.
They talked about Parker while they worked.
“He teaches us about the rules on the playground and about your brain,” said Tatum Tryc. “He’s our friend.”
“He wants to play with me,” said Laikynn Pelak.
“I think he likes when he gets loved,” said Isabelle Hirr.
Each theme also has a staff component. This month, teachers posted on a hallway display the positive things they do for their minds. They also had a mental health bingo, selected an anxiety sticker, held a staff lunch hosted by Amore Trattoria Italiana, and a puppy party with puppies from Bearcreek Bernedoodles.
Reporter Joanne Bailey-Boorsma contributed to this story.
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