NEW ADDITION TO BELL BAXTER FAMILY
We are super excited to introduce you to Bella Baxter. Bella is our very own therapy dog Isn’t she gorgeous! She is looking forward to meeting our learners when we return in August.
Pupils Calum Christie and Logan Fenton secured the endorsement of the school’s senior leadership, including rector Carol Ann Penrose, and raised £2500 for the initial purchase and set-up costs for Bella.
Logan, 15, said: “Bella will be a calming presence and she will make us all feel safe. It will be nice to be able to look to her for support with anxiety.
Protocols have been put in place for young people or staff with pet allergies or phobias.
A JustGiving page has been launched by Bell Baxter pupils to help raise money for Bella’s ongoing costs.
This initiative, which originated from a pupil-led research project, aims to help pupils cope with the stresses and demands of secondary school. Many studies, and anecdotal evidence, suggest that therapy dogs can be beneficial for pupils with anxiety, and can have a calming effect for those who need help regulating their emotions. Therefore, we hope that introducing a therapy dog will have a beneficial impact on young people in the Bell Baxter community.
At all times, the welfare of Bella, staff and our young people are our absolute priority. Therefore, we would like to assure you that a great deal of work is being done to establish policies and procedures to ensure the protection and safety of all concerned. We also appreciate that some parents may have concerns about allergies and phobias about an animal in school.
Therefore, please use the form below to alert the school to any concerns about your child - and in particular, any allergies or phobias they might have.
If you have already done a phobia/allergy return to me last session, there is no need to do another one as the information has been retained.
Bella's progress can be followed on:
Twitter page @BellBaxterBella
Facebook Bell Baxter Bella
Instagram bellbaxterbella
We hope that this initiative will be a positive addition to our strategies for helping pupils with their emotional wellbeing, but if you have any questions or would like any further information, please do not hesitate to contact Mrs Jeffrey at bellbaxterhs.enquiries@fife.gov.uk
THERAPY DOG MEDICAL / pHOBIA
Please complete this form if your child has any medical or phobia concerns.
