AKIN
Neil Armstrong Elementary
Handler: Jodi Hanson
johanson@bettendorf.k12.ia.us
EGYPT
Grant Wood Elementary
Handler: Heather McCoy
hmccoy@bettendorf.k12.ia.us
PACIFIC
Paul Norton & Thomas Jefferson Elementaries
Handler: Jocelyn Kyte
jkyte@bettendorf.k12.ia.us
PAXTON
Herbert Hoover Elementary
Handler: Kris McKissick
kmckissick@bettendorf.k12.ia.us
Ranger
Thomas Jefferson Elementary School
Handler: Tisha Clark Smith
tclark@bettendorf.k12.ia.us
Handler: Janelle Cook
jcook@bettendorf.k12.ia.us
Tinker
Mark Twain Elementary School
Handler: Shannon Harmon
sharmonn@bettendorf.k12.ia.us
The Bettendorf Community School District currently has six professional therapy/certified assistance dogs working with counseling staff in the Bettendorf Community School District: Grant Wood Elementary, Herbert Hoover Elementary, Mark Twain Elementary, Neil Armstrong Elementary, Paul Norton Elementary, and Thomas Jefferson Elementary.
Professional Therapy Dogs
- Provide emotional and physical support
- Model good behavior, tolerance, acceptance
- Assist with counseling lessons and character education
- Teach responsibility including responsible human-animal interaction
- Support learning and academic success
- Provide stress relief and help to relieve anxiety and depression
- Encourage and inspire a love for reading
- Improve the ability to trust
- Improve socialization and communication
- Model and teach kindness and compassion
