New support dog ‘Zeke’ being trained for Lovell Middle School

By: 
David Peck

There’s a new staff member at Lovell schools. He’s just a little furrier than most.

Zeke, an 11-month-old golden retriever being trained by Wes Mangus of K-9 Elite, is the new facility support dog who will be working at – and has already been training at – Lovell Middle School. Mangus brought Zeke to the October 14 Lovell School Board meeting to meet the board members.

Zeke’s handler at LMS will be counselor Lucas Grant, and Mangus reported that the training is ahead of schedule during the Monthly Focus agenda item at the board meeting.

“It’s kind of a partnership,” Lovell superintendent Doug Hazen said. “We’ll have an MOU agreement between the two of us (the school district and Grant) where he’s generally the handler, the caregiver. He’s getting trained with the dog. Lucas will take the dog home at night, but it’ll be a working dog every day at school.

“There’s some pretty good research that animals can help lower anxieties and get kids to open up, whether it be somebody that’s a reluctant reader or somebody that just, let’s say, DFS is there, and they need to interview a student. And a police officer, DFS and principal (are there) -- a scary environment. Having the dog there can be kind of calming to them. And so that’s more the vein of it. It’s for students and or even staff to be around, to be comforting.”

Hazen said while Zeke will initially work with Grant at the middle school, he would be available for the other two buildings, if needed.

“We’re piloting it at the middle school, not that we can’t take it to other buildings, if need be,” Hazen said. “If we find out that we’ve had really good success and somebody’s having an issue or something, we certainly could. Lucas is the primary handler. We’ll have some secondary handlers, probably like William (Hiser, principal) and a few others trained, as well. It’s supposed to be quite attentive and friendly, kind of seeking out students.”

The board later in the meeting approved on first reading the policy establishing the support dog program.

Under Student Achievements, Hazen reviewed for the board the current state of district curriculum including recent and upcoming in-service days and the district-wide curriculum and instructional resource audit. He also noted the Family Engagement the following day and evening featuring Steven MacDonald of Safer Schools Together, who presented a program on social media awareness.

MacDonald made presentations and spoke with students at each school building, then led a parent presentation to promote social media awareness, from children gaming with unknown individuals to chat functions.

“He wasn’t promoting taking cell phones away from everybody or not letting them be on social media, but (he talked about) how to contain it a little bit and be more aware ourselves,” Hazen said.

Business manager Lane Black-Partridge informed the board that a district financial audit will be performed the week of October 28, and the auditors will give a report at the November 11 board meeting. She said the audit will focus on average daily membership numbers, staff credentials in relation to state requirements and general fund and payroll entries with an emphasis on special education and transportation.

“This one’s a rather large one, and it’s only maybe the second time in her tenure that we’ve had one that was specific to these things that she’s looking at,” Hazen said.

High School principal Craig Lundberg gave a presentation about LHS with a focus on ADM and school enrollment, school improvement, the student success team, student recognition and student life at LHS.

Superintendent report

Supt. Hazen presented a facilities update, noting that the maintenance staff is working to get the high school HVAC system operating properly. He said the new components are not communicating with old components well, leading to false readings.

“It’ll say a room is 74 degrees, but you go in there with the thermometer and it’s 84 degrees,” he noted. “Our systems just ultimately are not communicating. Or, it says it’s cooling, but it’s heating. Or the chiller is saying, ‘Well, I’m not turning on right now. It’s 40 degrees outside,’ but the rooms are 80 degrees.”

The Lovell Recreation District reported that there were 52 kids participating in football this fall and 48 in volleyball. Lovell Rec has initiated a new cheerleading program at the middle school, collaborating with the high school to teach proper technique, cheers, stunts and routines. Seven girls have registered so far, with more expected, the report stated. There are also 46 participants in gymnastics.

BOCES reported that the Wyrkshop Mobile Makerspace program – the trailer parked in front of the Rec Dept. building – is continuing to develop, recently hiring two supervisors and getting information out about the Makers Access Pass.

“I’m pretty excited about it, the mobile maker space,” Hazen said. “We have had it for six months now. It’s from UW, and it has some phenomenal equipment in it. We had one a year or so ago. It had some hiccups and didn’t get used all that much. I’ve gone in, and you got to do a little bit of training online, which is what makes it kind of cumbersome, but there’s 3D printers and glow forges and sewing machines and screen printing for T-shirts, and it’s all free to use.

“I think it’s really neat, and I’m hoping that the community gets some use out of it.”

Hazen added that BOCES donated $1,000 worth of trees to the district food services program, which purchased 29 apple trees.

“We’re going to have more gardens,” he said. “There’s a garden bed in front of the elementary now, and I think we’re going to have a garden and then maybe even a little orchard at the middle school at some point, so being able to grow some of our own and use it, and then hopefully also at some point working with our FFA and our greenhouse to do some of that for our own food service.”

Under new business, the board voted to accept home school applications and staff resignation incentives, which Hazen said encourage employees planning to retire or resign to do so sooner than later to avoid last minute difficult hires.

Gym sound system

The board voted to approve a bid from Home Tech Solutions for an upgrade to the sound system in the high school gym. The work includes moving the controls to a place above the first section of stands near the wrestling room, where the equipment can be kept cleaner and functioning better. The project includes new speakers and a subwoofer.

“My directive has been, we want to be able to have a darn KISS concert in there when this is done,” Hazen joked. “We’ll see. Everybody always holds their breath because I’m not sure that our sound systems have ever blown me away. It seems like we constantly have problems with sound systems wherever they’re at, but the middle school has already gotten a similar upgrade for the gym and commons. We’re also working on gym and commons here (the high school).”

The board approved the resignations of elementary school computer lab paraprofessional Rebecca Tiner and maintenance director Jason Jolley, then approved the hiring of Santos Romero as an elementary school custodian.

In other business October 14:

• Recognitions were provided to LHS Student of the Month James Blau, CTE Student of the Month Elana Schilthuis and LMS Students of the Month Morgan Harshman (October) and Weston Hendershot (September).

• The board approved four policies on second reading, making small amendments to the four, Hazen said, and three policies on first reading including the facility support dog. Also approved on first reading were policies on budget planning and preparation and budget adoption procedures.

The next board meeting is scheduled for Monday, Nov. 11.

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