Life @ EA
The Edinburgh Academy receives a visit from a distinguished Dognitary
The Academy was lucky enough to receive a visit from Therapet, Toby the dog. It has been widely reported that simply stroking a pet is a great way to reduce anxiety and stress. Thankfully, Therapets travel to locations where their calming effects can be appreciated.
Why did you decide to bring in a Therapet?
Mike Bryce, Head of the Pastoral Team: An opportunity arose through a teacher whose dog was recently licensed as a therapet. Some of our pupils let off a bit of steam at lunch time by running around the playground. Others prefer a bit of quiet time and so knowing they’ll be meeting Toby for 20 minutes on a Thursday is something they can look forward to as an opportunity to de-stress a little bit. They like it, Toby likes it; it’s a win-win.
The Bamboo Room exists as a place where pupils can come, relax and take some quiet time out from their busy day. We try to provide some kind of a focus, be it the cuddly pandas, mindful colouring or reflecting on how their day has gone so far. The Therapet is the icing on the cake and something a bit different. Judging by the pupils enthusiasm to welcome Toby to the school on his first visit it is going to be a big success.
Is Toby going to be around during exam time?
Yes, today was an experiment and we will do it again next week and keep it running during exams.
