Yes, it’s true – another Katy ISD high school has gone to the dogs.
This item is available in full to subscribers.
To continue reading, you will need to either log in to your subscriber account, below, or purchase a new subscription.
Please log in to continue |
Yes, it’s true – another Katy ISD high school has gone to the dogs.
This time, it’s Seven Lakes High School at 9251 S. Fry in Katy, where students in the mental health alliance (Motivating Minds Club) helped launch an event before winter break, called “Pups N Popcorn.”
On Wednesday, December 18, students who signed up were invited to participate in a final exam stress relief activity featuring dogs and puppies from local animal shelter Special Pals Rescue. All eight of the dogs in the program were up for adoption.
Motivating Minds student president Sofia Mateen and club officer Nate Mitchell (who also runs a club called “Pause for Paws”), along with other club members, helped organize and run the event. The students were assisted with the project by the school social worker and school counseling team including school counselor Shannon Petersen.
About 100 students participated in “Pups N Popcorn,” organizers said. The students spent their 30-minute lunch in the library and rotated through interactions with the eight puppies and dogs visiting the campus. In general, students got to spend about ten minutes petting and playing with a puppy.
“Final exams can be extremely stressful for students—this event is meant to bring a bit of happiness and stress relief for our students,” said Petersen. “This is our third event since last school year, and we have a great turnout every time.”
“We made a deliberate effort to host this event during final’s week, which is typically when students are stressed about their midterms, said Mateen in an email to the Katy Times. “The idea was that we could provide them with some comfort and the chance to play with some adorable fluffballs amidst the stress that is high school and final exams. Every student that came in could not stop smiling throughout the entire experience.”
But it wasn’t just the students who benefitted from time with man’s best friends. The school’s principal, assistant principals, several teachers, and support staff – a total of about 40 staff members altogether – stopped by the event and joined in the fun too.
“I had some of my teachers from previous years finding time in their day just to come to the library and play with the puppies,” Mateen said. “The experience was nothing short of euphoric and heartwarming. The puppies created such a positive and exciting ambience at our school which would not have been
possible without the help of Special Pals! Our goal of providing a safe space for students and their mental health was ultimately achieved, and we could not be happier with how the event turned out.”