A Note From the Nurse 
Mission Support
Regina Turner
School Nurse
I am your school nurse. I am in the office Monday mornings and all day the rest of the week.
Eva Harvey
Nurse Para
I work in the Nurse's Office Monday through Thursday part time.
Shelva Sooter
Psycologist
I am your school psychologist. My duties at Mueller include: individual and group counseling, working with different classes on self-esteem and leadership roles, testing for possible special education placement, 504 accommodation plans, and doing interventions in the classrooms. I have been a psychologist for the past 6 years. Before that I taught special education in the high school for 20 years and taught middle school and high school English and Social Studies.
Mia Padgett
Social Worker
I am the social worker for Mueller.
Tracy Schoenhofer
Speech Pathologist
I have 15 years of experience as a speech/language pathologist. For the past eleven years, I have been employed with the Wichita Public Schools and have been at Mueller for the past nine years. I have experience working with elementary students in a trainable mentally handicapped program. In addition, I have worked with middle and high school students who have diagnoses including Aspergers and Autism. My seven year old Golden Retriever, Quincy, assists me in teaching pragmatics and language skills through inclusion in the regular and special education classrooms.
Quincy
Professional Therapy Dog
Social Greetings
Quincy can be used as a model for social greetings. The students would learn how to appropriately approach people, use appropriate volume, proximity, and gestures. This can be used with the dog. The student would approach the dog, ask if they can pet him, make eye contact with the greeter, use appropriate proximity, and appropriate volume.
Problem Solving
A treat is put in a kong toy. Quincy’s job is to try and get the bone out of the kong. I ask the class to go through the steps of solving a problem. 1). identify the problem (his bone is stuck in the kong). 2). Brainstorm a solution (bite the toy, squeeze it, throw it up in the air). 3). Try a solution (Which one worked for Quincy?). 4). Resolution (Did it work?)
Feelings/Emotions
Quincy is used as an example to address feelings/emotions. I will ask the class to tell me the feelings that they see Quincy have (happy, confident, sleepy, excited). The class lists the emotions/feeling they exhibit. On the board, in one column I list Quincy’s feelings and in the other column I list the students’ feelings. We compare the feelings/emotions that are the same and the ones that are different.
Hygiene
When discussing hygiene, Quincy can be used as an example. I can talk about how I have to bathe Quincy and brush him to keep him clean just like we need to do.
Body Language
We can discuss how Quincy reads my body language or gestures even when I am not talking to him and he does what the gestures tell him to do. A lesson can focus on how gestures and body language play an important role in our communication. Personal space, and facial expressions.
Following Rules
At school and at home, we have to follow rules. Quincy has rules to follow as well. He is not allowed to be on the furniture or eat people food. If Quincy makes that choice, he has a consequence of his behavior.
Being in Control
Students have to be in control of their bodies. Quincy can be used as a model for being in control. I can demonstrate this by putting a treat on his nose and he has to remain in control until I give him the signal that he can have his treat.
Responding to negation
Students are sitting in a circle and each student has an object (some more interesting than others…Kleenex, shark, ball, mirror). Quincy would be considered an object. Each student would take turns asking another student for his/her object. The student can decide weather to say yes/no to the student asking. This teaches students that sometimes people tell us no and it’s disappointing, but it happens.
Command/Suggestions
Students have to decide what is a suggestion verses a command. Quincy can be used as an example. I would give Quincy commands (sit, down, stay etc…..). Quincy would follow the commands. Next I would say to Quincy. “You might want to sit Quincy so you don’t get hurt.” Quincy would not sit because he doesn’t understand suggestions. He understands commands. You can teach student that sometimes you need to give commands and other times you need to give suggestions.
Accepting Change
Quincy can be used to teach about accepting changes. I would play ball with Quincy, and then I would throw another toy that is not as fun as his ball. Quincy won’t chase the other toy because he likes playing fetch with the ball. I would continue to throw the other toy then Quincy would retrieve it. I would explain to students that Quincy didn’t like the change of his toys but he accepted the change. It was disappointing that he didn’t get to continue to chase the ball, but he eventually played with the other toy. This can be used to teach students that we don’t always like change and that it can be frustrating and disappointing, but we have to accept change.
Distraction
Students need to learn to ignore distractions. Quincy can be a distraction by having him walk around the room. Students would need to ignore Quincy and continue to do their work.
Venn Diagram
Comparing Students are asked the classroom expectations. These expectations are listed on the board in one column. Students are asked Quincy’s expectations. These expectations are listed on the board in one column. Next students have to compare the two expectations and state the similarities and differences between the two. Students are given the Venn diagram and list the expectations of classroom on one side and Quincy’s expectations on one side. In the middle, they would list the similarities. This is incorporating the standards.