Northlake's Henderson Mill Elementary Has Guide Dog

(borrowed from DeKalb School News Advisory, 11/18/09)

Guide Dog in Training Teaches & Learns at Henderson Mill ES

When Nike enters Ms. Kosik’s classroom at Henderson Mill Elementary; he is there to learn. He takes a seat, is quiet and waits for instruction. But Nike isn’t like the other fifth graders around him; he has four feet, a furry tail, and he already knows for sure what he is going to be when he grows up. In fact, he’s already landed a job.

Nike is a black Labrador retriever who belongs to the Guide Dog Foundation and in a few months, he will be a guide dog for the blind. In the meantime, he’s in ‘guide school’; and being a member of Henderson Mill’s family is all a part of his training.

“The foundation was so excited that Nike could come to school because mostly, the folks that have the time to raise these puppies don’t have young children. Then you have cases where the dogs are not exposed to young children and they’re afraid of them. This pup has been used to 400 kids loving on him from day one,” said Judith Kosik, a Henderson Mill teacher in the school’s Deaf and Hard of Hearing Program.

Born in New York on January 23, 2009, Nike began coming to Henderson Mill when he was only seven weeks old and nine pounds in size. Back then, Ms. Kosik was just beginning her involvement with the Guide Dog Foundation after accepting an appeal that came via email from an advocacy group for blind children.

Nike is raised by Ms. Kosik on weekends. Her job is to take Nike into public places so he can get used to large numbers of people, different noises and different situations where he will likely guide his blind owner. The nine and a half-month old pup comes to school each Monday and visits with different classes.

Tuesday to Friday, Nike is raised by the women of the Metro State prison who participate in the Vision Project. They provide care and training for ten or 12 dog puppies each year. In return, the women earn college credit from Middle Georgia College and have employment skills and certification as veterinary technicians when they leave jail. Fifty women have participated in the program so far, with 15 finding work in the field later. There have been no repeat offenders among these women. A similar program will open at the men’s jail in Macon in June.

Kosik explains that since many guide dogs do not get the chance to be around young children during their training, it is the number one reason they do not make the “final cut” for guide dog training. Thus, Henderson Mill is helping Nike become a better guide dog.

“He truly is an affectionate little guy and he really loves being here…Nike goes to restaurants and stores and banks and post offices—he goes everywhere I go on the weekends, but this is clearly his favorite place to be,” said Kosik.

Henderson loves Nike’s time at the school just as much as Nike, but at the idea of him coming to school Principal Rebecca Jackson admits there was a tiny ounce of hesitation.

“I grilled her,” she laughs recalling Ms. Kosik’s proposal. But Principal Jackson’s end-all response was, ‘Bring the puppy and let’s see how it goes.’

“You have to think what benefits the children. There’s always that question. You know the benefit for the dogs, but you have to ask, ‘what’s the benefit for the students?’ and I think they have benefited,” said Jackson.

Benefited, they have. Nike is helping Henderson Mill by providing some inspiration for standards-based lessons, and for providing ongoing behavior incentives for special needs students. He also provides a willing audience for the school’s struggling or very young readers. Last year, he even helped one fifth grader get over her fear of dogs.

Nike helped bring life to a third grade reading series book about a guide dog and was also interviewed by hearing impaired third graders so that they could better understand how dogs like Nike are raised.

As tempting as it is, Nike’s classmates know not to pet him when he’s working (when he’s donning his yellow cape), but there are special occasions when the students are allowed to cuddle up to the Labrador and show their affection.

When he graduates from ‘puppy school’ as Ms. Kosik calls it, there will be guaranteed tears from the Henderson Mill family, but Nike will return to the Guide Dog Foundation’s New York campus well prepared thanks to the students and staff at the DeKalb elementary school. From there, he will undergo four to five months of very intensive training on their campus and in and out of New York city in order to get acclimated to the transit system of which blind persons often use for mobility. Nike will also be trained with blind clients to see with whom he best fits. There is also the possibility that Nike may become a service dog for disabled veterans.

Fortunately for Ms. Kosik, the day Nike departs, she will begin taking care of a new 7wk to 10wk old pup. Until then, the school is savoring every second it has with Nike. He’s been an exemplary student, a great friend and whether sleeping or moseying around the cafeteria with Ms. Kosik, one thing for sure is Nike makes Monday mornings at Henderson Mill a joy!