Urbandale Community School District: Karen Acres Students Celebrate 5 Years With Their Best Friend, Norm

Urbandale IA

10 May, 2022

1:38 PM

Description

Press release from the Urbandale Community School District: May 6, 2022 Over the past five years, Karen Acres Elementary (KA) students and staff enjoyed the gentle nature of Norm—a certified therapy dog owned by KA School Counselor Danielle Kelly. Much like his human counterparts, Norm would come to school every day eager to see his friends, learn new things, and provide a listening ear for anyone needing support. If a student was experiencing a challenging moment, Norm would be there to help the student regulate their emotions. If a student was working on their reading goals, Norm would be there to listen to the student read to him (…especially when the story included four-legged friends!). Norm would even get to see students who were being rewarded for having met behavior expectations as part of the Positive Behavioral Interventions and Support (PBIS) program. No matter the reason, Norm was always happy to see students and staff; his gentle, patient, and friendly nature made him beloved by all. Norm's last day at Karen Acres was Friday, May 6 as he is retiring from his role as a therapy dog. During retirement, Norm will enjoy more time at home with Mrs. Kelly and family. Although Karen Acres students and staff are sad to see him go, they cherish all of the wonderful memories they made with him over the years. As a way to celebrate those special times, Karen Acres students enjoyed a slideshow during lunch on May 6 which showed all of the students' individual photos taken with Norm. We saw lots of smiling faces as students watched the slideshow and heard lots of giggles as they remembered a fond memory with sweet Norm. Students shared that they love Norm and were so glad to have him at their school. While Norm will be greatly missed, the love he gave and received from students and staff is sure to last a lifetime! This press release was produced by the Urbandale Community School District. The views expressed here are the author's own.