June 15, 2005
Canine comforts students
Kobi catalyst for Sabin students to express their feelings about school closing
By Carol South
Herald contributing writer
More than 130 pounds of wagging goodwill has been helping students at Sabin Elementary School prepare for next year.
The 220 students in grades preschool through kindergarten will be attending different schools in the fall because Sabin will be closing at the end of the week. Kobi, a three-year-old German Shepherd/St. Bernard mix, visited each class twice to smooth the transition.
Kobi visited with third-grade and fifth-grade students Thursday morning at the school. The dog wandered around the room, meeting students who eagerly petted, hugged and encouraged her to shake. While sharing drawings and stories they made on the theme of Kobi moving to a new school, students discussed feelings about moving.
"I'm angry and disappointed, I've been coming here since kindergarten," said ShyAnne Kaltenbach, a third-grade student at the school.
When asked by Diane Larkin, the school's social worker, if she was a little bit scared about moving to Blair Elementary School next fall, Kaltenbach replied she was, "A lot scared" while acknowledging that visiting her new school helped.
Thursday morning, fifth-grade students peppered Larkin with comments and reactions that included anger, confusion, a desire to have officials revisit the decision and some anticipation about the change. When teacher Cathy Stepka shared her own mix of excitement at a new position with reluctance to leave Sabin, a forest of hands waved in agreement.
During Kobi's first visit to classrooms a few weeks ago, accompanied by Animal Assisted Intervention specialist Ann Ronayne, students met and petted Kobi. Ronayne shared Kobi's history as an abused dog that was rescued when she was four months old. Ronayne linked Kobi's experience adjusting to a new home to the student's moving to a new school.
By writing or drawing stories about Kobi, students could delve into Kobi's feelings and thoughts, what she will do next year at the school and what she will need. The idea was that students might find Kobi's feelings easier to discuss than their own.
One fifth-grade student had Kobi asking in his drawings: "Why is this happening? Why is this changing?"
Other students' work showed Kobi happy and eager to make new friends or exploring new surroundings.
Larkin and Ronayne discussed the student's stories and drawings on this visit while Kobi fielded hugs, pets and kisses.
"I think we've had a couple of surprises and a couple of real insights," said Ronayne, who is a counselor at Third Level and works with Kobi on a volunteer basis while studying for certification. "I guess what's really interesting to me is that nobody seemed to be overemphasizing the negative; it was, 'Yeah, I'm sad, nervous, confused and just going on.'"
The Traverse City Area Public Schools board voted in February to close Sabin Elementary School. The closing will save money and also provide a building to house students from Old Mission Peninsula School next school year during extensive renovations that begin this summer. Students and staff from Sabin will move to other schools around the district.
Sabin students who will be in grades kindergarten through fourth grade next year will go to other schools such as Blair and Cherry Knoll. Fifth- and sixth-grade students next year will attend East Junior High School, along with fifth- and sixth-grade students from Oak Park Elementary School, which is being restructured.
Sabin students have visited their new schools this spring. While acknowledging students mixed feelings and bringing in Kobi to help, teachers and staff have also worked to excite students about the change.
"The staff has really been working hard to present some of the opportunities and the positives," Larkin said. "This is a tight team and it shows in the test scores here and the results. And this is a great bunch of kids."