Many teachers will describe educating in today’s climate as an often sleepless and thankless job. Countless hours spent planning lessons, coaching sports, and helping students outside the classroom can take its toll. It’s no secret that Davie High values its educators, with staff striving to make it a place where encouragement and guidance flow. While many schools host parties and celebrations, Davie High’s approach to staff satisfaction was puppies.
On December 9, a litter of mini Goldendoodles was brought to Davie High’s Wellness Center. Staff of all kinds, including assistant principals and student teachers, were allowed to play with the pups all day. This event was exclusive to Davie High staff, the wonderful dogs providing a sort of comfort to the Davie High team. Goldendoodles are hypoallergenic, meaning they don’t shed, which makes them the perfect and most convenient candidate for interacting with many different kinds of people.
While the doodle fun and shenanigans took place in The Wellness Center, most of the student body was oblivious to the room’s existence. The Wellness Center is hidden in plain sight, the room sitting among the many CTE classrooms. The original purpose of the room was to foster a place for teachers to step away from the occasional intensity of the classroom. Most of the furniture that decorates the room was donated by Ashley Furniture, most of the pieces being soft and prime for relaxation. On an ordinary Monday in particular though, a litter of mini Goldendoodles were thrown into the mix.
Erin Brown, lead guidance counselor at Davie High, has made it her mission to provide support for not only the student body but for staff as well. “Every year, student services tries to do things to give back to the faculty because we want them to know that the counselors are not just here for students. We’re here for them too,” Brown said. Litters of puppies have been brought to campus every year since COVID-19 restrictions were lifted. She acknowledges that while this isn’t the only thing student services does for the staff, the puppies are usually the highlight of the year.
Former Davie teacher Jeannine Davis was kind enough to bring in her litter of Goldendoodles for this year’s puppy fest. Her dog Nova has had three litters and is most often professionally bred up in New York. Nova is a family dog, a 22-pound Goldendoodle who is actually the pup of another dog that Davis bred previously. Nova lays next to Davis as she speaks, looking up at her with affection. Davis laughs while admitting that she originally thought that Nova didn’t have a favorite, but after her son Aiden, a former Davie High student, left for college, she realized that Nova was smitten with him.
“When he comes home, he is in his space and does not leave him alone,” Davis said. “Yeah, so she does love her some Aidan.”
By the end of the day, most of Davie High staff was able to bond with the furry friends. However, this isn’t the end of Davie High’s efforts to keep their staff-family happy. Brown says that they will continue to work at providing more for the Davie High team, and that if all goes to plan, the staff will see a return of the puppies next year.
