OMES celebrates retiring Hand in Paw therapy team

Oak Mountain Elementary School has said “see you later” to a team that has helped its students and faculty over the last six years.

During a retirement reception on March 22, OMES thanked Margie Little and her dog Simon, a 9 and a half year old Labradoodle, for their volunteer work at the school. Margie and Simon are a team that volunteers through Hand in Paw, an animal-assisted therapy nonprofit.

Hayden Belisle, counselor at OMES, said they were thankful for all that Little and Simon did for their students — from working with students with behavioral issues to teaching lessons in friendship to participating in classroom readings.

“For our community, they’ve just done so much,” Belisle said, adding that their visits are a “bright spot” for the school whenever they visited.

At the celebration, Hand in Paw representatives Julia-Rae Hanson, Liz Wilson and Paige Staylor surprised Little — who thought she was coming to OMES for a regular visit. Teachers and students also stopped by the reception to say hello and thank you.

Principal Debbie Horton said Little and Simon were a blessing for OMES, especially during times of loss. When two members of the OMES family died, Horton said, the pair brought them comfort, as did other Hand in Paw teams.

“To be able to have all of you here has been such a blessing,” Horton said.

Little became a Hand in Paw volunteer after she retired from teaching. Simon was about six months old, she said, and she heard about “Angels on a Leash,” a New York-based animal-assisted therapy program. After a little research, Little found Hand in Paw and chose to volunteer.

“It just kind of all fell into place,” she said.

School partnerships, Wilson said, are a rewarding part of what Hand in Paw is able to do for its communities. The therapy teams become a sort of “mascot” for the school, and students can connect with them in ways people might not realize. Thanks to the help of Belisle, Wilson said they are able to implement learning opportunities with students and the therapy teams.

Belisle partners with their therapy teams to show, for example, how school can be scary sometimes, even for the dogs, but they learn how to cope with their fears and still come to school. And because Little and Simon stayed at OMES for so many years, they were able to witness progress with the children.

“We were so excited that they were the first team here [at OMES] and stayed here for six years,” Wilson said.

Retiring is bittersweet, Little said, and she knows that Simon will miss his school visits. But even though they are leaving Hand in Paw, she said, the experience has left a lasting impression on her.

“I did not realize the impact it would have on my life,” Little said. “It has changed me as a person. It’s just a blessing, and I feel lucky that I’ve been able to do this journey with him.”