On Wednesday mornings, students at Wright City East Elementary have an extra reason to be excited about coming to school.

Greeting them as they arrive is Rosko, an 80-pound goldendoodle in the early stages of his career as a facility dog. He is also the family pet of Principal Dawn Hickman, who was initially reluctant about the idea of having a dog in the school building.

“We had a study group focused on the use of therapy dogs and the best way to approach it,” said Hickman. “I was probably the only person on the committee who wasn’t for it, because I had a lot of apprehension about whether it would be effective.”

After researching further and gaining a deeper understanding, Hickman began to recognize the potential positive outcomes.

“Once I did some school visits and saw what the therapy dogs do, I started to realize we had some kids that could probably really benefit from it,” said Hickman, who decided to put her one-year-old dog through training for the role.

“He spent about a month at the trainer and was trained to be a facility dog, which is different than a therapy dog,” said Hickman. “Once he had qualified as a facility dog, my husband and I were able to learn how to be handlers.”

In order to be a facility dog, Rosko is a member of the K-9 club Dogs on Duty, a non-profit that goes into schools, nursing homes and places where dogs could be a benefit through visits.

Since Rosko began visiting the school in mid-December, Hickman said the biggest surprise is the impact he’s had on the adults in the building.

“One thing I’ve noticed is the joy he’s bringing to the staff,” said Hickman. “During a stressful day they will spend time with Rosko during their plan time.”

For some, Rosko’s presence alone seems to evoke calmness as they make a connection.

“Some of our kiddos bring in a lot of hardships from home,” said Hickman. “One day we had a student come and lay with Rosko and read books to him for a while. In that situation, it was more helpful than a staff member trying to process with the student.”

Currently Rosko “works” at East Elementary at least one day a week, sometimes twice. Hickman said it’s important for Rosko not to recognize the school as a second home, so he can clearly distinguish between his roles as family pet and facility dog. This is also accomplished through the use of a command collar, which Rosko wears only when he is on duty at East Elementary.

Hickman said Rosko is also trained on specific commands and boundaries.

“When we’re at home, he knows he can come up for attention, but when we’re at school he recognizes not to initiate contact but to let others approach him,” said Hickman. “It can be tough sometimes, because people get very excited to see him.”

Students are expected to ask permission before petting, but on a busy morning in the hallway, dozens of hands can be vying for a spot in the thick black fur. Just the brief moment of contact with Rosko can lift a smile out of someone who walked through the doors discouraged.

Superintendent Dr. David Buck said there is work in progress to supply two facility dogs at Wright City West Elementary, which is around twice the size of East.