Moravia Central School District is excited to announce that the newest addition to its staff has a great personality, possesses wonderful teamwork, and promotes positive morale.

Oh… and she has four paws.

Sadie, a lovable and gentle black lab, recently completed her therapy certification and is ready to provide support, comfort and companionship to students and staff alike.

Sadie, and her owner (and MHS Teacher) KristiAnn Frank, spent several months getting ready for the certification process. Sadie worked hard to pass her Canine Good Citizen Exam, where she had to test different skills in various situations. Sadie also came into school every day to continue strengthening the skills needed to successfully become certified for therapy.

“It was amazing to work towards this certification with Sadie as it challenged both of us to focus heavily on the skills required. It was great to see how well Sadie would work with the students as she was continuing to learn and grow,” said Frank. “I am extremely proud of Sadie to be certified through this process at such a young age of only 7 months old!”

According to the Alliance of Therapy Dogs, one of the most significant impacts that therapy dogs can have in the classroom is supporting students’ social and emotional development. Students can bond readily with therapy dogs, allowing them to feel more connected and confident.

It is for these reasons that Ms. Frank is excited about welcoming Sadie to the Blue Devil family.

"Sadie and I are excited to continue spending every day at school and strengthening the social-emotional atmosphere of our district,” she said.

Superintendent John Birmingham echoed those sentiments.

“What began as an idea to both support our animal science programming in the FFA curriculum and take advantage of the therapeutic opportunities district-wide, I am beyond grateful for the efforts that KristiAnn and Sadie have put forth to bring this all to fruition,” Birmingham said. “I know that Sadie will be a ‘big hit’ with our students and can't wait to see the smiles on our students' faces as they interact with her in the days ahead!"