New recruit: Cobram Secondary College wellbeing dog Oakley with students Jaimee Brereton (Year 11) and Jake Ford (Year 7).
Photo by
Gabriel Garcia
Cobram Secondary College has recruited a four-legged friend by the name of Oakley to help students tackle the stresses of everyday life.
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Oakley is a four-month-old Groodle wellbeing dog and came to the college in August through the Dogs Connect Program, an initiative of the Department of Education and Training Victoria.
Connection: Cobram Secondary College wellbeing dog Oakley forms a bond with students Jaimee Brereton (Year 11) and Jake Ford (Year 7).
Photo by
Gabriel Garcia
The program involves teachers and students being taught how to raise and train wellbeing dogs, such as Oakley, so the dogs are comfortable within school environments and can help other students.
Wendy Marshall works at the college as an education support officer and has had a lot of involvement in the training of Oakley.
According to Ms Marshall, Oakley’s training is extensive because he is not like a normal family dog.
“People can pat him and that sort of thing but at school he is working so you don’t really play rough. You don’t yell out at him like kids would normally want to do or whistle”, Ms Marshall said.
Once fully trained Oakley will be sent to classrooms to provide support and connection to students who may be feeling stressed or overwhelmed.
He will also be used to help teach students the important life skills of empathy and emotional awareness.
It’s a dog’s life: Oakley, Cobram Secondary College's wellbeing dog, is the most popular member of staff.
Photo by
Gabriel Garcia
The college’s leadership believed that a trained wellbeing dog would be a perfect fit to support the emotional and mental health of its students.
He will be just one of a number of assets that the college has to help support students’ emotional and mental health and is the most visible sign of how serious Cobram Secondary College takes mental health.
College principal Kimberley Tempest believes that Oakley’s presence not only helps students that are struggling but also teaches students vital life skills.
“It gives students a sense of responsibility because they need to take care of Oakley properly. They need to train him and make sure that his wellbeing is also looked after,” Ms Tempest said.
Good boy: Oakley, seen here with students Jaimee Brereton (Year 11) and Jake Ford (Year 7), is being trained to support the emotional and mental wellness of students.
Photo by
Gabriel Garcia
As for the students who have had the chance to interact with Oakley, the reaction has been one of delight.
Jaimee Brereton, Year 11, and Jake Ford, Year 7, have had nothing but good things to say.
“He’s kind of calming ... it's just the presence and it's just like calming,” Jaimee said.
Young Australians have been hit by a mental crisis that has been exacerbated by recent lockdowns with more than 40 per cent of Year 12 students reporting symptoms of anxiety and depression, higher than the normal range for their age group.
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