Tampa teachers get help planning for upcoming school year from their four-legged friends
TAMPA, Fla. - 'Take your Dog to School Day' is an annual tradition at McFarlane Park Elementary School in Tampa that began last year.
"One of the teachers asked if she was able to bring her dog to school so that it would comfort her during our mental health training and it was such a great idea," explained Denyse Riveiro, principal at McFarlane Park. "She shared it with her friends, and her friends decided to join in. And before we knew it, we had like 20 something dogs here at McFarland Park."
Bringing the dogs to work last year was a highlight for staff and one teacher even wrote a book about the experience.
The book, which is called Marcello Goes to School, is about a math teacher sharing the story of her dog’s exciting day at school.
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"It just gives a glimpse of what the classroom’s like from the perspective of an animal," shared author and teacher Jacqueline Diorio.
The bring-your-dog-to-work day was so successful last year that teachers wanted to do it again during pre-planning to lift spirits and set a positive mood for the upcoming school year.
"As we embark on a new school year, this will always be one of my favorite days in pre-planning, when we all get together with our families and our dogs," added Riveiro.
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